Forever Cool: 40s.(Buyers guide)

Byline: ELISSA SANTISI Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Elissa Santisi strives for the perfect balance between youthful attitude and grown-up glamour.

Mornings are always a problem for me, especially finding the right shoe, because it makes the difference and changes everything. When you're in your 40s, accessories make whatever you are wearing interesting and new. That's where you experiment now, not really so much with your clothes. I like to dress pretty classically, but too classic gets boring. It all comes down to the mix and the proportions; for instance, the Balenciaga look I shot for this story has a very small structured jacket worn with a really soft blouse. The jeans were important, too, because they are central to my wardrobe; I am in pants most of the time. I like denim to be crisp, dark, and to have a wide leg; that way, I can wear them like pants, with a sharp jacket, and just the peek of a crazy high-heeled shoe. When I wear a dress, I go for something that has epaulets or is belted or is cut like a shirt--nothing too sweet. The Yves Saint Laurent leopard dress here is new for me; I don't normally wear prints. I've always wanted a leopard coat, though, but haven't found one yet. This dress is the next best thing.

"I'm always looking for something simple in shape but elevated in some way to be special, like this Proenza Schouler sequined dress. Anything frilly and fussy looks too young"

CAPTION(S):

Santisi perusing looks in her office.

An interior by inspirational furniture designer Charlotte Perriand