The Most Stylish British ‘It’ Girls of All Time

There’s a new theme every day on It’s Vintage. Read more articles on today’s topic: British “It” girls.

Parisians may have mastered uncluttered, nonchalant chic, but across the pond lies an eccentric’s playground. The Brits are practiced in the art of melding posh with punk and Portobello Road finds with high fashion. Just think of the quintessential fashion classics that originated in the U.K.: Doc Martens, trench coats, tartan, go-go boots, miniskirts, the safety pin as ear accoutrement.

The style spectrum is broad, with one overarching theme: individuality. The British girl chooses what she’s comfortable in over what’s “in.” Wallis Simpson, the duchess of Windsor, opted for surreal Elsa Schiaparelli designs at a time when tweed suits were all the rage, even infamously posing in the Lobster Dress, the designer’s collaboration with Salvador Dalí. Kate Moss was known for buying clothes at jumble sales in London before she became a supermodel, a key ingredient in her much-lauded undone look.

Click through the slideshow to see women who embody Britain’s style — the models, the actresses, the “It” girls.