The first ladies of Vogue

Anna Wintour

Personal style: Earlier in her career, she mixed fashionable T-shirts and vests with designer jeans. When she started at Vogue as creative director she switched to Chanel suits with miniskirts. She continued to wear them during both pregnancies, opening the skirts slightly in back and keeping her jacket on to cover up.

According to biographer Jerry Oppenheimer, her ubiquitous sunglasses are actually corrective lenses, since she suffers from deteriorating vision as her father did. A former colleague he interviewed recalls trying on her Wayfarers in her absence and getting dizzy. "I think at this point they've become, you know, really armor", Wintour herself told 60 Minutes correspondent Morley Safer, explaining that they allow her to keep her reactions to a show private. As she rebounded from the end of her marriage and the turnover in the magazine's editorial staff, a fellow editor and friend noted that "she's not hiding behind her glasses anymore. Now she's having fun again."

Quote: "If you look at any great fashion photograph out of context, it will tell you just as much about what's going on in the world as a headline in The New York Times."

Carine Roitfeld

Personal style: Her preferred jacket styles are edgy, tailored and chic with a strong biker/rock'n'roll element. Roitfeld likes to mix the masculine with the feminine and favours designers such as Balmain, Balenciaga and YSL, who excel at this. At the moment this means embracing the big-shoulder trend.

Jeans are 'for [her] assistants' and holidays, although she's not averse to a denim skirt, providing it tallies with her sharp-tailoring ethos. Think sexy body-con dresses and pencil skirts cut to the knee.

She always wears high heels. Killer stilettos are by far the fashionistas most flattering and feminine choice. Her favourites include the YSL Tribute. Look for something with a hidden platform for added "comfort" and anything with straps, laces or buckles aka 'bondage light'.

Her legs are always bare. Even in winter. They must be tanned, lean and ready for action year-round. If this is not an option then black opaques are the only way to go.

Quote: "You know, I love Tom Ford, and I love what he has done."

Christiane Arp

Personal Style: Classic and minimalistic. She always wears her hair in a bun. Lots of black suits with clean white shirts.

Quote: "For me, shopping is about taking some precious time for myself.

Franca Sozzani

Personal Style: Her personal style is classic and elegant and her signature smile and wavy blond locks are quite stunning. Franca does not like wearing the latest trends. Instead she opts for classic pieces from all kinds of designers.

Quote: "I really don’t care that much about other people’s opinions. Really. You can’t be loved by everyone. It’s impossible."

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