The Boyish Coquette

filed under: tomboy ease + feminine allure

Style Equations: a personalized monthly series by Alexandra Diana, translating the details you share into a fully realized aesthetic vision.

This Style Equation began with what felt a familiar palette: minimalist, feminine, classic with a boyish touch.

However, the more I studied her submission, the more a subtle contrast peeked its way through: She wanted clean silhouettes layered with a softness that wasn’t precious, and a polish that never tilted into rigidity. Her responses, structured yet exploratory, read like someone who knows what works and isn’t afraid to shift the proportions, who finds it playful to borrow from the boys. That’s when I realized a core aspect of this darling girl, she was truly, coquette.

coquette (n.) A woman who flirts lightheartedly with men to win their admiration and affection; a flirt.

Now, what makes her different is the way she flirts. She’s not a flirt in the classic sense, but a girl who carries the aesthetic signifiers of coquetry (blush, camisoles, ballet buns) without the conventional intention behind them. She’s self-aware, not seductive; quietly styled, not performative. Her charm is not in seeking attention, but in curating her presence.

She described her dream aesthetic as downtown cool with a preppy summer tilt, gravitating towards navy blues, whites, a sleekness comforted by oversized layers, with inspirations such as Billie Eilish and the classic Parisian ease.

From this balance, The Boyish Coquette emerged!

The Boyish Coquette emerges at the intersection of polish and play. This aesthetic is anchored by proportion: oversized shapes countered by clean finishes, athletic lines softened by feminine choices. Think rugby shirts over satin slips, a tennis skirt paired with a fitted long-sleeve, a low bun with no makeup, but a lip balm that catches the light. Her wardrobe is not balanced by drama, but by movement: built for slipping between errands and long walks, afternoon Pilates and late night cocktails. Her version of coquette isn’t lacy or precious, it’s lived-in, understated, a little sporty, and quietly exciting. She’s the wink of the eye you catch in the mirror, the fleeting look of someone turning their head before she gets into the cab, a glimpse of blonde curls floating through the open window as the car drives into the night.

The Boyish Coquette is a girl who leads with restraint. She isn’t trying to be hard to read, however, she naturally is. She’s unmistakably feminine with an androgynous rhythm; she dresses the way some people write: clean sentences, well-placed punctuation, crossing her t’s with flourish and dotting her i’s with a heart. She will surely wear the same outfit more than once, but never in quite the same way. Too much of the same doesn’t sit well with her, and the need to mix it up will be visible through small details, delicate jewelry, a trendy manicure, a temporary tattoo made from rhinestones. The archetype possesses the energy of the off-duty celebrity, comfortable in their own skin, no need to preform perfection or hide human flaws. Zoe Kravitz emerging from the gym, Em Rata walking her dog, Billie Eilish when she isn’t being watched. Imagine the effortless Parisian girl, but with a tomboy filter. Being friends with her feels like drinking crisp rosé with sunburned skin, giggling behind plush towels and swirling cigarette smoke, lipstick smeared on the ends.

The Boyish Coquette is curious, and moves through the world with a mutable ebb and flow. She can trace the through-line from a Miu Miu runway to a Business of Fashion op-ed, and she always knows who started what fashion, where. She keeps a pulse on pop culture, but wouldn’t call herself a fangirl of anyone, though she certainly has her favorites (spoiler, they remind her of herself!) She sees herself as a bit of a collector, noticing patterns, drawing connections, keeping ideas stored for later in her mental hard-drive. There’s a social sharpness to her; she’s never flashy, but highly perceptive.

Her personal style reflects this dynamic, and she dresses with awareness of how she wants to be perceived, though never at the cost of comfort. She will wear the stilettos, but only if she has a car to the restaurant, she loves an up-do, but no more than 7 bobby-pins. If she feels out of place, she might reach for something more muted, a little oversized, something that buys her space. She could be considered risk-adverse, with the exception of when she’s with a more risk-taking friend, as this will give her the gull to take a risk in tandem: a low back, a micro-mini, a sheer dress that exposes more than it conceals, a bold lip or smokey eye. She’s not afraid to experiment, but prefers it to feel like a celebration, not reinvention. Her style reflects who she projects to the world: the center of attention who has a steady hand.

A huge part of her identity lives in the realm of personal grooming. Her skincare routine is meticulous, not indulgent, but precise, built from years of research, quiet observation, and a desire to refine rather than transform. She finds satisfaction in small rituals: the exact placement of her lip balm in her purse, the clean oval of her manicure, the just-visible tint of a cream blush buffed into skin. She doesn’t want to look perfect, she wants to look composed. When she feels most like herself, it’s not because of a dramatic outfit or a daring trend; it’s because her part is straight, her skin is clear, and the silhouette of her outfit mirrors her mood.

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Silhouettes & Fit

Her style is composed from a studied blend of contrasts, each brand she reaches for shaping a different facet of her expression.

Ralph Lauren is her origin point—the heritage backbone of her wardrobe and the standard to which all other pieces must answer. Tailored, minimalistic basics are the foundation her personal style grows from. This is not worn to be preppy, she is preppy by nature, and these silhouettes create an aura of inherited elegance; refined and feminine. ,There’s always a trace of country club chic in her proportions, even when the setting is nowhere near a tennis court.

Réalisation Par provides the flirty skirts, sheer camis, and vintage-inflected ease that soften her sharper pieces.

The Row offers structure and aspiration: minimalist refinement, pursued through secondhand sources and well-timed seasonal sales.

Miu Miu lends moments of low-rise prep, tenniscore eccentricity, and playful rebellion when she feels bolder than usual.

Sporty & Rich is the little sister in her wardrobe, the playful thing who wears terry cloth headbands and layers fitted tanks with pleated varsity skirts, full of energy and the occasional graphic slogan. This adds a sort of firecracker-popsicle-in-the-sun kind of careless happiness, which in turn brings out her personality and adds levity to her closet.

Fabrics & Textures

She selects fabrics the way others pick music—based on mood, weather, and tempo. In truth, the Boyish Coquette is incredibly sentimental, and will keep certain items in her wardrobe for the memory it brings her, wrapping herself up in whatever atmosphere she feels. The overly-worn, now vintage (it’s from her high school boyfriend) jersey, the white tee shirt that has a couple paint stains and never leaves the house. Silk that feels like water are worn from morning to evening, in pajama sets to evening wear. She likes materials that hold up across the day—structured enough to feel considered, soft enough to move with her. Texture is never decorative, but it is deliberate.

Color Palette

This palette speaks in cool-toned, low volume.

Her palette is muted, repetitive, and refreshingly specific. She builds from a base of cream, alabaster, and iced latte beige—clean neutrals that feel like fresh air and undoubtably have been treated with fabric softener. Inky navy is worn in place of black, adding depth without density. She folds in accents of blush rose and pale blues and yellows, cherry red as punctuation, alongside olive and bold cobalt blue.

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• Outerwear is loose, rarely fastened, bomber jackets, windbreakers, and trenches are worn open and with movement in mind.

• The masculine layer is either under or over, it’s never both.

• Nails are clean and shaped into soft ovals, usually in pale neutrals or a French finish, simple, unobtrusive, and deliberate.

• Rings are minimal and meaningful. Worn on the same fingers each day, rarely changed, often touched.

• When garments are tied, the knot is loose, whether at the waist, neck, or wrist.

  

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1. Celine by Hedi Slimane — Fall/Winter 2021 Ready-to-Wear
Look: Chocolate leather mini-skirt and cropped jacket, paired with equestrian boots, taupe wool cap, and chain-detailed purse.
Composed yet mischievous, discipline in silhouette, but very cheeky in exposure, sunnies, a pop of red would make this dashing.

2. Ralph Lauren — Fall/Winter 2016 Ready-to-Wear
Look: Liquid silver strapless column gown with a soft metallic sheen and sleek, molded structure.
She keeps gowns like this bookmarked for future fantasies. Perhaps a dinner, perhaps a girls night, the outfit is a study in restraint, grace, and light caught mid-turn.

3. Ralph Lauren — Fall/Winter 2000 Ready-to-Wear
Model: Gisele Bündchen
Look: Textured charcoal turtleneck with a croc-embossed brown leather pencil skirt and chocolate leather boots.
This look defines her winter logic, cozy but sharp, tactile but sleek. The mix of soft knit with leather mirrors is a fabulous combination that allows her personality to come through in textile form.

4. Ralph Lauren — Fall/Winter 1995 Ready-to-Wear
Model: Kate Moss
Look: Charcoal grey mini skirt suit with double-breasted blazer and sharp white collar.
This is the blueprint of the Boyish Coquette! . She’s preppy, but not saccharine; tailored, but oh-so feminine.

5. Miu Miu — Spring/Summer 2022 Ready-to-Wear
Look: Cropped cable knit sweater layered over a blue oxford with a micro khaki pleated skirt, raw hem, and classic leather belt.
This is her irreverence distilled, preppy, undone, confident. She’ll never wear it this bare, but she loves the ratio: one part polish, two parts mischief.

6. Yves Saint Laurent — Fall/Winter 2000 Ready-to-Wear
Model: Mini Anden
Look: High-gloss brown leather shirtdress with exaggerated fox fur coat and sharp black stilettos.
There’s an echo of the Boyish Coquette in this drama, she admires it like a painting. This is something she would wear to channel her inner siren, when she has achieved her full feminine power.

7. Ralph Lauren — Fall/Winter 2000 Ready-to-Wear
Model: Renata Maciel dos Santos
Look: Black wool trousers, sheer black knit over a crisp white button-down, red belt, and oxblood patent heels.
This is her idea of quiet power. Nothing shouts. Everything fits. The red belt is the kind of subtext she lives for.

8. Calvin Klein — Spring/Summer 1999 Ready-to-Wear
Look: Powder blue silk pencil skirt and matching semi-sheer sleeveless mock turtleneck.
Minimal, icy, precise—this is how she imagines herself entering a room she’s not sure she belongs in. It’s armor in the form of elegance.

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The Boyish Coquette is a visual student, with a bit of a scholarly touch, and just a kiss of harmless white lies. She owns The Beautiful and the Damned by Fitzgerald, but the spine remains as perfect as the day she first bought it (collectors edition, with a gorgeous cover). If you ask her what she’s reading, she’ll tell you she’s working through The Artist’s Way, but truthfully, she prefers flipping through a well-designed coffee table book or thumbing through old Vogues. She likes the idea of being seen as a reader, but more often she’s rewatching Gossip Girl with subtitles on, sipping iced matcha, and deciding which earrings go with her afternoon walk. She’s recommended The Creative Act: A Way of Being to at least three friends, but has never quite gotten around to that deep reading session she daydreams of having. She is very intellectual, just prefers to download content rather than annotate.

She gravitates toward media that balances beauty and melodrama: La La Land, A Star Is Born, 10 Things I Hate About You, these films are her favorites and if she had them in a DVD, it would be scratched to hell. She loves films where the styling is intentional and the romance is emotionally excessive. She loves learning about the actors and their lives; she is certainly a quiet lover of celebrity culture. She wouldn’t call herself a fangirl, but she knows who’s dating whom, who’s wearing what, and which stylists are behind the best airport looks. Her Instagram saved section is filled with shoots by Cass Bird, Nadia Lee Cohen, and Zoey Grossman, especially after seeing them tagged in SKIMS campaigns, or seeing them on the magazine covers plastered through The Shop in SoHo. Her taste isn’t academic, but it’s highly referential. She notices everything, and saves only what aligns to her.

Visually, she’s drawn to contrast: soft light on concrete, minimal interiors with worn corners, a perfectly crumpled Oxford on a Brutalist chair. She collects inspiration from Paris street style, She is a benevolent trend-follower, she never overdoses on novelty. Instead, she assembles a quiet tableau of influence, half pop, half personal. Her aesthetic is lived-in, not loud; stylish, not studied. She doesn’t need to explain what she likes. She just lives it.

Diptyque’s Fleur de Peau suits her perfectly: soft musk and iris wrapped in ambrette’s quiet grit. It smells like clean skin after a swim, or the inside of a favorite magazine left open too long. Nothing floral, nothing sweet—just texture, light, and a little heat. It clings close, more memory than perfume, the kind of scent you notice only when she’s already walking away.

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In the end, her style is not a performance but a practice: a daily ritual of refinement, restraint, and low-simmer seduction. There is discipline beneath her ease, a quiet rigor to how she grooms, edits, and presents herself to the world. Athletic but unhurried, sensual without spectacle, she moves like a thesis on effortless allure. Every detail, socks bunched, hoops glinting, is an argument for the beauty of restraint. She doesn’t perform; she appears. And that, precisely, is the point. Wink!

With great personal aesthetic,
Alexandra Diana, The A List