Adopting a new style with preloved

The term ‘fashion icon’ is not one that we use lightly, but there is one woman who consistently shows us just why she is so deserving of the title: Rihanna. Ever since she exploded onto our music scenes in the early Noughties, the Bajan bombshell has won over the world with her smart, sassy attitude, catchy songs and unapologetic approach to just about everything.

Her style is one that has pushed boundaries at every opportunity and the beauty of this is that Rihanna is entirely unfazed by other people’s opinions on her style (and everything else). She owns every look, embraces it with passion and confidence, and inspires generations of women to feel confident in their authentic appearance and wider selves without any pressure to conform to anyone’s expectations.

Evolving beauty

Ever since she announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago, Rihanna has continued to wow us with her style, embracing all things colour, texture and aesthetic to celebrate the evolving beauty of her pregnant body. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she said: "Fashion is one of my favorite [sic] things, so, you know, we’re defying what it even means to be pregnant and maternal. It can get uncomfortable at times and so you can dress the part and pretend."

Traditionally, women have opted either for tighter clothing and body con style that hugs the bump, or a free flowing look. But Rihanna has shown us that we can step outside the box of traditional “maternity dressing” and really have fun with our style.

Her pregnancy reveal saw the songstress wear a vintage hot-pink Chanel puffer coat, open to show off her bare stomach which she draped in multi-coloured bejewelled gold chains. She completed the outfit with floor-grazing jeans.

Among her other, most notable pregnancy ensembles, we’ve seen Rihanna wear a tiny front-tie crop top and baggy blue-wash jeans layered with a patchwork denim-and-leopard-print coat.

Embracing vintage details

Her accessories of choice have also caught the eye – vintage jewellery has been the name of the game, especially gold body jewellery and chains layered over and over.

While Rihanna has chosen that “more is more” with her pregnancy style, we’re inspired by her whole attitude towards fashion, both pre- and during pregnancy. As we evolve and grow through life, it’s only natural that our style and fashion choices will change with us.

As many of us choose to dress in line with our ethics and morals, adopting a new style with preloved has become an increasingly popular choice. This is our chance to have fun with our style but also embrace pieces that are made to last and therefore flatter our bodies with fine details, excellent cuts and slow fashion designs. It’s also the chance to invest in pieces that are designed to last forever as opposed to buying cheaper items whose quality and longevity can never compare.

Writing your own preloved style story

Preloved fashion really does tell its own story and it’s up to all of us how we choose to continue the tale. You may wish to choose a few statement preloved pieces to create a capsule wardrobe for work and play. This is the easiest and least daunting way to start the vintage adventure – by selecting a few key items that really speak to you and gradually building your forever wardrobe as you discover your preloved style.

Alternatively – and if you’re feeling especially inspired by an era or aspect or preloved - you may wish to take a more defined style route like these two Surrey-based mums.

After growing fed up with mass-produced, high-street fast fashion, they chose to take the sustainable route and embrace clothing that does good and looks good. They’ve made a staunch commitment to only leave the house in vintage attire and are especially inspired by 1940s fashion.

50-year-old Emma explains that: 'We are drawn to the simplicity of life back then - the fashion is timeless and eludes so much glamour and sophistication. The high-street doesn't cater for women my age, they just follow trends which come and go, and I've never been one to follow them.”

Her 45-year-old friend Lara explains that she is drawn to vintage fashion for how unique and timeless it is, while both are simply drawn to how much more flattering the clothing is. It also works for those of us who want to make every penny count when it comes to spending on our style.

As the Daily Mail says: “The pair admit that although they splurge on clothing, their wardrobe consists of timeless staples worth hundreds of pounds.” They are not drawn to clothing for the cheap price tag and quick, easy trends - rather, they are drawn to quality and pieces they will love now, next year and forever more.

Bringing back vintage accessories

You can also make like Rihanna and use vintage accessories to start off your preloved adventure. This is a way to instantly step up your look and start giving you a feel for how to play around with preloved, as there are so many ways to wear the vintage jewellery look.

One option is to layer, layer, layer like it’s going out of fashion – you can opt for medallions for a more glitzy look like Rihanna and longer necklaces for a classic style. Take a more unusual angle with a single showstopping item such as this entirely exquisite gold and diamond earring or an intricate headband that blends bold and feminine tones beautifully.

Chanel is one of our go-to vintage jewellery designers for the most beautiful and striking pieces such as this gorgeous brooch, while the Shush collections also include some truly one-of-a-kind vintage pieces such as this vintage Georgian diamond bow necklace that dates from around 1810 and features 129 rose cut diamonds.

Whether you want to opt for an entirely themed vintage wardrobe or start off small with some simple, everlasting pieces, the Shush collections have everything you need for your preloved adventures. Enjoy!