12 Ways to Emulate Jane Birkin's Classic Style

Her wardrobe is still très chic.

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Even before the age of social media, influential figures have long inspired us with their impeccable style and crave-able wardrobes. One of the original style influencers who shook up the scene in the 1960s and 1970s was actress and singer Jane Birkin. Known for combining British mod dressing with effortless Parisian chic, Birkin crafted an aspirational yet attainable image that has endured the sartorial tests of time.

Kevin Huynh is the fashion director of Hermès bag named after her, ruled the club scene and the city streets with her killer wardrobe of show-stopping evening wear and classic separates, which flexed the versatility of the starlet's style. As the years have gone by, Birkin's style has remained as iconic as ever and served as the blueprint for many of today's most iconic fashion muses.

While Birkin passed away in 2023, her style will continue to inspire fashion fans and designers alike. Ahead, 12 pieces that defined the icon's everlasting style.

01 of 12

A Naked Dress

Jane Birkin wears sheer dress

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Barely-there naked dresses are currently all the rage, but Jane Birkin really kicked off the trend with gusto in the 1960s. Never one to shy away from attention, Birkin sauntered off to a movie premiere in a sheer black mini dress that left little to the imagination. Her head-turning look cemented a spot for itself in the fashion hall of fame for its boundary-pushing boldness.

02 of 12

Cozy Sweaters

Jane Birkin wears sweater and jeans

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Although Birkin certainly made a splash with naked dresses, her cozy cashmere sweaters made us all yearn for the starlet's style. Birkin loved to play with the proportions of her sweaters, wearing shrunken pieces that hugged her form or oversized ones that blurred the line between jumper and sweater dress.

03 of 12

Crop Tops

Jane Birkin wears crop top and jeans

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Birkin lived a jet-set life as if she were on permanent vacation, which obviously meant she needed matching pieces. Whether strolling in Cannes or through the streets of Milan, her go-to pieces, comprised of chic crochet pieces and crop tops, gave the actress an easy, breezy effortlessness that was impossible not to admire.

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04 of 12

Basket Bags

Jane Birkin wears sequined dress with straw bag

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Leave it to a style icon to make an item as humble as a straw basket a fashion must-have. Although her bag choice could easily be mistaken for the picnic or fishermen variety, Birkin carried them with such confidence that her straw bags became major fashion statements. Birkin would often wrap the handles in printed silks and fill them to the brim with her belongings, carrying them for both day and night.

05 of 12

A Mini Dress

Jane Birkin wears mini dress

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The 1960s were a decade of style liberation when simply wearing a higher hem was seen as a political statement. Birkin embodied that freedom with everything she wore, especially her mini dresses. She wore the flirty frocks with delightful aplomb and helped usher in a style revolution.

06 of 12

Hot Pants

Jane Birkin, wearing velvet shorts

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It wasn't just mini-dresses that Birkin daringly deployed from her style arsenal. The original influencer also gravitated toward thigh-skimming shorts that bared her gams. Paired with bohemian blouses and Mary Jane shoes, Birkin made hot pants look more haute than shouty.

07 of 12

Plunging Necklines

Jane Birkin wears black dress

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It wasn't just her legs that Birkin liked to show off, but also her neckline. Plunging styles gave Birkin a clear canvas to show off the piles of bold and bohemian necklaces that would adorn many of the looks she wore throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

08 of 12

Flared Jeans

Jane Birkin wears white shirt and jeans

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Another way Birkin emphasized her statuesque figure was by flaunting it in flared denim. The songstress made her jeans look It-girl cool by pairing them with wardrobe essentials like button-downs and a T-shirt, which shows that iconic style isn't so much about what you wear but how you wear it.

09 of 12

Knee-High Boots

ane Birkin wearing lilac purple A-line, long-sleeved dress from Chemise Lacoste by David Crystal

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Birkin often paired her mini dresses with slick, shiny patent knee-high boots, which were very much in line with the '60s mod aesthetic. This shoe silhouette helped emphasize the Birkin's lengthy legs and made her stride even more stylish.

10 of 12

A Birkin Bag

Jane Birkin wears cardigan and jeans with bag

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As a woman constantly on the go, Birkin found it impossible to find a chic and practical weekend bag after one of her tried-and-true baskets got run over by a car. She expressed her fashion woes during a chance plane ride with Hermès' chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas. Soon after, the French luxury brand introduced its iconic Birkin bag inspired by the style muse herself. It has since become a status symbol of both style and power to those lucky enough to get their hands on one.

11 of 12

Monochromatic Hues

Jane birkin wears all white outfit

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Soft layering in head-to-toe hues was a style go-to for Birkin in her later years. She blithely wore monochromatic blacks and creams that made for subtle, stylish ensembles. Birkin's love for simplicity was captured in Maison Margiela's Spring 2000 collection for Hermès, in which the designer honored the house's iconic muse by having her close out the show in—you guessed it—a monochromatic look.

12 of 12

Button-Down Shirts

Jane Birkin wears white button down shirt

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Throughout her lifetime, Birkin exuded an effortless cool that could make the most glamorous gowns seem down-to-earth, or the simplest white button-down shirts appear couture. With her sleeves rolled up and several buttons undone, Birkin wore these shirts as if they were a second skin, moving about unbothered yet polished-looking.

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