A lot of the stylish women featured in magazines, both entertainment and fashion, are listed as such because they follow fashion trends set by others, and look great doing it. That’s an accomplishment, I suppose, but the style icons that really interest me are those who march to the beat of their own drum and develop their own style. The ordinary women who pull this off are never brought to our attention, unless we know them personally, but here are a few of my all time favorites that I think you’ll recognize…

STEVIE NICKS

Why She’s Iconic: Because she took a few different looks, and melded them into her own unique signature style…Always ethereal, slightly mysterious, and cool–to this day! 

Click here to watch the ladies of The Talk interview Stevie about how her unique look was inspired, and has evolved. Stevie talks style around 19 minutes into this full episode, and sings at the end so it’s well worth watching the whole thing.  

Stylish Quote: “I think they all went too far. Their jeans got too low, their tops got too see-through. Personally, I think that sexy is keeping yourself mysterious. I’m really an old-fashioned girl, and I think I’m totally sexy”.

COCO CHANEL

Why She’s Iconic: She made sophisticated, simple, and elegant an always acceptable style option for women. You can never go wrong with a Chanel-esque look…this was true in her heyday, and will never go out of fashion. 

Coco Chanel on Biography.com 

Stylish Quote: “A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous”. 

MADONNA

Why She’s Iconic: Madonna’s unique style literally symbolizes the 80′s. We’re glad a lot of it is permanently lost to that decade, hopefully never to return, but say what you will–this woman was definitely a style trendsetter who played by her own rules. 

Madonna, The Early Years, Singing “Borderline”  

Stylish Quote: “I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” 

CLEOPATRA

Why She’s Iconic: Let’s face it, who knows exactly what she looked like? However, Cleopatra is and always will be a well known fashion icon, emulated still today. Any woman who can pull that off when no modern person ever even saw her deserves a place on this list! 

Here’s a fascinating article detailing a scientific study that found that Cleo’s infamous eye makeup was actually healthy–who knew? Cleopatra Eye Makeup 

Stylish Quote: “Be it known that we, the greatest, are misthought.” 

PRINCESS DIANA

Why She’s Iconic: Not for the reasons you’ve always heard…The late Princess Diana is a style icon in my book because of her successful style evolution, which mirrored her life. She evolved, matured, and found out who she really was over the years…And she took us all along for the ride. Her early years were filled with style bloopers, in my opinion, and she was responsible for me looking hideous more than once in big flouncy ruffles that were so not me, or her, for that matter. But, even when she was a world famous style icon who set trends all over the globe with her less than fashionable fashion, she demonstrated that quality that every style icon possesses–fearlessness. You can’t be truly stylish if you’re afraid to take a risk to express yourself! 

This is an article on the latest news of the ongoing auction of Diana’s famous dresses: Princess Diana 

Stylish Quote: “I like to be a free spirit. Some don’t like that, but that’s the way I am.”