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The Altfit

11 years ago by

In the month leading up to fashion week, I tell myself that I am going to prepare dozens of super chic, fashion week ready outfits…

In the week leading up to fashion week, I realize that I’ve done nothing in terms of preparing outfits because I’ve spent all of my spare time watching “Friday Night Lights” on Netflix (Tim Riggins. Need I say more?) but I know there is always one person I can turn to for ultimate style inspiration: Emmanuelle Alt. Did you see Garance’s photos of her?!?

My best friend and I like to refer to her perfectly put together combinations of skinny jeans, simple tees, blouses, killer jackets and Alaïa heels as Altfits (TRADEMARK PENDING). As I gaze into my 2 ft x 2 ft closet, I ask,“Is this an Altfit?”

Here is a quick quiz to test your Altfit understanding.

1. Black Skinny Jeans + Grey Tee + Chloé Tuxedo Jacket. Altfit?

2. Peplum Top + Pencil Skirt + Tights. Altfit?

3. Cropped Leather Pants + Black Cashmere Sweater + Pointed Toe Heels. Altfit?

(Answers appear at the bottom of this post.)

I will admit that due to a certain Nemo (blizzard, not fish) shaking up New York Fashion Week, I was slacking on my Altfits, but I am promising myself to do a better job heading to Paris…

Now that you know my (and the studio’s) ultimate fashion week (and general every day dressing) inspiration source, who do you look to for style inspiration?

Do you also find yourself asking WWEAW (What Would Emmanuelle Alt Wear)?

(Answers: 1. Yes; 2. No; 3. Yes)

62 comments

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  • Haha j’adore! J’avais trouvé les bonnes réponses wouhou!! Tes posts sont super Alex, continue, et on a attend tes altfits en photos à Paris!

  • Alors :

    Jeans blanc (trouées, mais pas trop, juste comme il faut) + ceinture (noire, cuir, classique) + pull noir (mailles pêcheur très larges, donc tout en transparence) + boots (noires et dorées) + caban (camel, en laine) + cheveux (dorés, eux aussi, et détachés) = altfit or not altfit ?

    J’attends la réponse des experts !

  • Giovanna Battaglia toujours :)

  • Clear Eyes Full Heart. Can’t lose !!!!
    Sinon Alt c’est juste la perfection simple , chic et indémodable , après elle a la chance d’être grande et fine . Le truc c’est que si tout trouve ton style n’importe lequel tu te pose plus de question le matin ta une base et tu jongle avec . J’ aime son uniforme slim , t-shirt et bottine a talon Alaia , j’arrive pas a trouver les bottine mais je ne désespère pas …

  • Three for three! Can’t decide if I should be proud or concerned…

  • Reponse #1.
    Je me demande parfois “mais que porterait Ines de la Fressange ?”
    Elle est ma reference, ma parisienne classique, elegante, superbe.

  • What a great name! I usually ask myself: WWYBDW? (standing for ‘What would a young Bob Dylan wear?’, I mean, if he was a girl), as well as WWILW? (which means the same, but with Irina Lazareanu). Other expansions include VFC (Valentine Fillol-Cordier) and PS (Patti Smith).

  • emmanuelle alt fait toujours un sans faute mais je ne comprend pas un tel engouement, comme kate moss, elle porte toujours la même chose !!! jamais de surprise… mais il y a surement quelque chose qui doit m’échapper, je ne l’ai jamais vu en chair et en os.
    à part ça super tes posts alex ! j’adore :)

  • one tip I’m taking from the altfits are to dress up jeans with pointy heel/pointy toe pumps. Emmanuel Alt successfully focuses the viewer’s eyes on her long and slender legs. and then her shoes kind of elevate her whole look. she knows her physical assets and tightly edits her look.

  • great new word!! haha. i have soooo been asking myself what would emmanuelle wear– but those blazers and heels are not easy to find!

  • nowadays i’m asking a lot: WWOPW? (what would olivia palermo wear?) or WWGBW? (what would giovanna battaglia wear?) or even WWVVW? (what would vivianna volpicella wear?)

    but emanuelle alt is indeed a great inspiration with these simple +cool + very elegant combos…

  • Coucou.

    Pour moi c’est plus Inès de la fressange qui représente un style simple sans jamais s’ennuyer.

    Voilaaaa

    À bientôt Alex.

  • Charlotte February, 25 2013, 4:39 / Reply

    The Altfit, amazing. That’s most definitely a keeper!

    Team Vogue Paris, because let’s not forget about Geraldine Saglio. They all look similar, and somehow not. Alexa Chung, Olivia Palermo, Leandra Medine, Garance, Elisa Nalin, Viviana Volpicella, and the list goes on and on. A lot of people with very different styles, and not necessarily my style, but they never fail as inspiration!

  • Fun post :-) I love a good Altfit too and I love Elisa Nalin’s style and also Yasmin Sewell is one to watch and Garance of course. But at the end of the day….. well here rather the beginning of the day I choose with not too much thinking. I always find, that when I think too much, my outfits don’t work and when I try to copy someone’s style, it never really worked… of course, because I’m not them. But the style of someone can inspire you to find your own. xxx

  • I DO consider ALTFIT!! How did you know. However sometimes hormones and curves get in the way of skinny jeans and pencil skirts. And sore feet get in the way of pointy shoe, and I really wonder how these ladies keep it up. Oh yes and the weather as you said. I guess it’s the editor dedication to a cause. And as a mere mortal with kids and no driver, I wane. Tant pis.

  • Judith A. February, 26 2013, 10:18

    I’ve been there but don’t wane, ballet flats also do the trick ;)

  • yes of course, and the pencil skirt is more ‘roitfit’, or ‘outfeld’ (carine) – fashion dyslexia. ;-)

  • j’aime beaucoup le style d’e alt mais c’est un peu trop simple pour moi… puis faut quand meme avoir fait pas mal de juicy cure hein! parce que slim ultra sliiim et tee shirt loose genre avec un perf ok, mais pas avc les fesses de beyonce ;)

  • haha ! Moi je me demande toujours ce que Kate Moss porterait (except les imprimés léopard mamie).

  • YESSSS I love Tim Riggins!! And Emmanuelle Alt, but that’s a different thing entirely now, isn’t it?

  • Kate and Emmanuelle! Simple as that.

  • I completely empathise with the tim riggins thing. I’ve spent the last week watching series 4 back to back and neglecting life / work / husband / children. I can think of worse ways to spend the winter….

  • Right?!! I just finished the series on Saturday but I can guarantee that I will be going back for another dose of Tim Riggins! xo Alex

  • It seems i can’t get enough street style looks from her, she always look flawless and sleek

    http://www.sundaydesire.blogspot.com

  • Love it, Altfit, that’s great.

  • Il fait tellement froid à Paris, on a eu la neige depuis hier. C’est drôle, la neige suit la fashion week de partout cette saison.

    Welcome back in Paris Alex!

    http://www.streetlook.fr

  • her leather jacket is so beautiful, I love it!!!

    http://www.thestelstyle.com

  • YES! Ah, I have always loved her style. She embodies the whole capturing an entire room but doing it in an understated way. Her style is just so relatable.

    P.s. Alex I love your posts.

  • I love her style ! She’s so simple, classic and just amazing ! Definetly a right path to follow when you’re not sure ! :)

  • Love “Altfit”! And I’m a big admirer of her style- wish I had her legs and her ability to live in heels.

  • Clementine February, 25 2013, 11:10 / Reply

    Texas Forever! I just finished rewatching the last 3 seasons. Every season just gets better! It makes me so happy every time I hear someone mention this show, it didn’t get enough love. Clear eyes, full hearts…

  • Can’t lose !

  • If only Emanuelle Alt was a mom with 3 kids under 10….. I do admit however that I still find my style inspiration from women like her! In my mind I AM that slim and elegant and confident!

  • It’s so true. She’s part of my “do I really need this” routine : “What would Emmanuel, Mary-Kate, Elin etc … think of this ?” Most of the time, I end up reeeaaaally needing it LOL

  • stephanie February, 26 2013, 3:18 / Reply

    Very cute, your quiz and the WW…s, thank you! But how would it be if we all looked as Emanuelle Alt? Boring! Très triste and boring. My inspiration are different people and images: streetstyles from your blog, new collections of my favourite brands, my own style-history, editorials in fashion magazines…

  • Moi celle qui m’inspire c’est Caroline Issa, un peu Emmanuelle Alt (mais hélas je ne mesure pas 1m80) et Jane Birkin et enfin Françoise Hardy :) et la photo est trop cool :)

  • Oui Emmanuelle Alt est très stylée et a toujours eu cette dégaine bien à elle, mais elle est grande et bien foutue donc ça aide. J’ai beau aimer le look de plein de filles, j’espère avoir le mien et même si je m’inspire parfois de mixe que j’aime bien, je n’essaie pas de ressembler à… parce qu’il faut apprendre à se connaitre soi-même, à se planter aussi (ce n’est pas très grave) et s’amuser surtout…
    http://www.mode9.fr

  • Autant j’adore le style Emmanuel, autant celui D’Anna Dello Roso c’est no comment

  • Aaah, j’avais tout bon!, Pour moi, en terme de style, le top du top, à une extremité il y a Giovanna Battaglia et à l’autre il y a Emmanuelle Alt. Entre les deux, il y a Viviana Volpicella, Olivia Palermo , Leandra Medine, pour ne citer qu’elles.. Bon, Je ne fais pas 1,80cm hein.., 1,62 cm exactement et 51 kgs et je m’en accommode très bien. Je porte des pointy shoes et des slims mais aussi des boots genre Acne pour pouvoir marcher comme dans la vraie vie.. et des ballerines Miu miu aussi. Mon style n’est pas un copier coller de ce que je vois mais en est une inspiration. Quand je vois un vêtement, je pense à ce que je veux exprimer, est ce que cela me parle à moi?. Non à Emmanuelle Alt et consorts dont j’adore les styles..Bon, Giovanna Battaglia rentre un peu dans mes choix… un tout petit peu :-).
    J’adore tes posts Alex, on y sent la patte de Garance:-) , c’est normal et c’est bien.. Continue à chercher your voice! xoxo Mireille

  • Hilarious and yet so true..
    Love her sense of style

    http://www.cashmerecoffee.com

  • Charlotte February, 26 2013, 9:51 / Reply

    Oh yes! She’s my absolute style icon (together with Gwyneth Paltrow). WWEAW!!!!

  • I do!! If I can’t find anuthing to wear I always try to find an outfit that Emmanuelle would wear!!
    . She is my style icon!!
    http://www.bonnieclydemarni.com/

  • ‘Altfits’ work well in winter, but how does she get through sultry, summer days in skinny jeans and pumps? My swollen, sweaty feet ache just thinking about it, any inspiration for an alt-lover Down-Under?

  • I found this post very inspirational. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to dress in unique styles but in reality the basics always look the best. I don’t even own a pair of classic, black pumps but seeing her in them makes me want to go out and get a pair.

  • Pour moi aussi, Emmanuelle Alt est une vraie référence, je suis totalement admirative de ce style incroyable qu’elle arrive toujours a avoir en mixant les basiques.
    Bonne trouvaille pour les Altfits ;)

  • girligirl February, 26 2013, 7:44 / Reply

    My inspiration? I check the Sartorialist and Garance Dore daily for great looks on beautiful people!

  • c’est classe mais ……
    Un peu d’originalité ce serait encore plus fun , non ?
    paris c’est paris mais que fait on ailleurs ? on met des joggings vous croyez ?
    je préfere de la couleur et un style décalé … tout en mesure bien sûr
    soyez créatives !
    bises
    fabienne

  • DENA-LIDIA February, 27 2013, 6:22 / Reply

    If Emanuelle wa a man an d lived in texas she would dress like Tim Riggins.Jeans and a t-shirt(just put cowboy shoes instead of heals)……So I don’t see why you feel bad about it…..next time ask yourselh WWTRWIHWAG(what would Tim Riggins waer if he was a girl)?

  • WWTRWIHWAG is the greatest thing ever!!

  • Simplistic style is where its at right now, I never want to feel overdressed, or worst of all, fussy. Her outfits are perfection.

  • Altfit is a fabulous name but honestly what I think is a bit long – i was going to write on the comment box but then it ended up turning into a post instead so if you are interested – you can clink on the link!

    She is cool but…

    http://naomipicks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/emmanuelle-alt-distinctly-fashionable.html#more

  • Caroline March, 1 2013, 6:49 / Reply

    I remember Jean Touitou once saying in the French Elle that style had little to do with what you wear and a lot to do with who you were and what you did. So, do great things, be yourself, and people will love what you wear!

  • Pour ma part je suis souvent en mode garancefit!! Et si les baskets ne rentrent pas dans le altfit alors je suis aussi très souvent en mode halfaltfit…

  • Michèle March, 7 2013, 4:37 / Reply

    Moi je me demande ce que Vivienne Westwood porterait et puis je soupire parce que je sais que je n’oserai jamais…

  • WWTTHW? What would Taylor Tomasi Hill wear?

  • Lorenzo Sparrow July, 31 2013, 3:10 / Reply

    Visit the Official Lacoste Shop to see the largest collection of Lacoste clothing online for men, women, and children including Lacoste polo shirts, shoes, tennis wear, accessories, and more
    http://www.marquepolospascher.com/

  • Yay j’avais tout bon ! Je trouve ca hyyyyper ennuyeux de s’habiller comme ca a chaque fois ! Et si tu fais pas du 34 ca ne donne pas du tout le meme resultat.

  • Moi je suis plus couleurs/fantaisie. Mes modèles sont plus Solange Knowles ou les italiennes Eleonora Carisi, Giorgia Tordini, Viviana Volpicella…

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