What happened to Kim Kardashian? It seems like just yesterday she was an avatar for a Noughties aesthetic hinged on high heels, tiny dresses and It Bags. Today, the reality show star (and entrepreneur, and author, and social media phenomenon) exudes a contemporary type of glamor that follows a strict “less is more” mantra.
“I really think that my relationship with my husband Kanye [West] really changed everything,” Kardashian told CNN Style at a dress fitting ahead of Givenchy’s Spring-Summer 2016 show. “I mean, back in the day I thought I had the best style. I look back at outfits and I’m, like, mortified.”
Post-Kanye makeover, Kardashian relies on longer hemlines, fewer colors and a different breed of designer. She’s regularly seen stepping out in darkly chic brands like Givenchy (she’s close friends with creative director Riccardo Tisci, who designed her wedding dress), Balmain and Balenciaga, along with more avant-garde designers like Haider Ackermann and Margiela.
And the fashion world has taken notice: She’s now a front-row fixture in New York and Paris; has landed Vogue covers in America, Brazil and Spain; and has posed for Jurgen Teller, Jean-Paul Goude, and Steven Klein.
CNN Style caught up with Kardashian to find out which style rules guide her new look.
Watch the previous three episodes of the series here.
Dress for your shape
“I think number one you have to know your own body type, because it’s, so many things look amazing on like my sister Kendall, we have completely different bodies and you know something could look amazing on the runway and then just not fit my personal body type. So I think that’s been a lesson that I’ve had to learn — sometimes the hard way — that sometimes things don’t always work out.”
Stock up on black
“You know I loved color before, and I still do in moderation, but I think black really does look good on everybody. I think it’s really chic and slimming and sleek.”
Seek outside inspiration
“Before my husband and I started dating, he brought me [former Vogue Paris editor] Carine Roitfeld’s coffee table book [Carine Roitfeld: Irreverent] and was like, ‘You should be studying this book, this is like the fashion bible.’ … As far as my own inspiration, I look at Instagram and see what people are posting. I love to follow fashion bloggers, I love getting inspiration from the runway. I get inspiration all over the place.
Less is more
“Before, I used to always think more is more and I used to accessorize and wear bracelets and earrings and necklaces. I used to do it all. Now I definitely understand how much cooler it is just to be a little bit simpler.”
Get a second opinion
“I love my husband’s opinion, so I always ask his opinion on everything and he always helps me put together my looks … Kanye sees my body obviously every day, so he can understand what works well on my body type, so it’s been really fun to dress and we try things that work and some things that don’t work.”
Don’t fear the baby bump
“Being pregnant and a lot heavier, I think you have to show off the curves. It’s not like I’m trying to hide my pregnancy, whereas my last pregnancy, I was trying to find looks that would hide it. You just have to embrace it, to show the bump.”
Show some personality
“What I love most about fashion is that you can just really express yourself and your moods depending on what you wear, I think it’s really I think fashion is subjective but I also think that you can just really be who you are and show your personality from the clothes that you wear.”