The Kate Moss Effect

It has been almost a week since I first listened to Kate Moss’ episode of Fashion Neurosis. Hosted by Bella Fruid, the podcast starts with a celebrity from the fashion world lying on Bella’s sofa as she asks them questions about their careers and life in general. The zen atmosphere is set with soft voices and a lack of background music.

I was instantly hooked – yes, to the podcast, but mostly to Kate Moss. Perhaps it was her iconic, carefree laugh that juxtaposes her effortlessly, sultry demeanour. Or maybe it was her clear yet humble knowledge of the fashion world. I like to call this the Kate Moss effect. I’m not the first to notice it. Briefly touched on in the episode, she is a master at her job and manages to captivate everyone she meets. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, there’s no harm in deep-diving into one of the greatest style icons of all time. Her most iconic looks, most iconic quotes (maybe not all of them) and how to find your own ‘je ne sais quoi’.

When looking at Kate Moss’s most iconic outfits, there are of course the Union Jack jackets and the ‘naked dress,’ but she is a legend of the classics: a silk maxi dress or slip skirt, the perfect white tank top, a cropped leather jacket,  straight-leg jeans. All items that could go unnoticed, yet when done so well by Kate, they are ALWAYS noticed. Despite admitting on the podcast to having an obscene amount of clothes, you could look at her outfits and think that she was living with a capsule wardrobe, because every piece looks like it was specifically selected to last her a lifetime.

To find the Kate Moss effect in our own wardrobes, invest in core pieces above all that you will want to wear every day because it looks like it was made for you. To avoid buying new clothes, you could tailor something that you already have that isn’t quite ‘right’. Quality over quantity is key here.

To add to the allure, Kate Moss is also good with her words -most of the time – so I have collected my favourite quotes:

“The best fashion advice I would say is to just do what makes you feel comfortable and what makes you feel confident. That’s the best way to feel beautiful.”

“You can never be overdressed or overeducated”

“If you’re beautiful inside, it shows on the outside, for sure. You can be a pretty face, but if you’re not a nice person, it just doesn’t work.”

The Kate Moss effect seems to stem from her self-confidence and mission to not be impacted by other people’s opinions. Her look is iconic from the pieces she wears, but also from her embodiment of the quote ‘it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it’. We all are our own worst critics, but even Kate Moss didn’t think she was a “traditional beauty,” so can we really trust our own thoughts?… A model, a mum, and a boss, Kate Moss can be someone we can all look to for inspiration, and then, we can all have our own effect on the world.

• fashion
• style
• women