When it comes to Alexa Chung’s style, observers tend to throw around terms like “superpower.” The London It girl, after all, is able to make even the most off-kilter ensembles eye-pleasing, setting off countless trends in her wake. But as Chung took to the London streets yesterday, she seemed to suggest one source of inspiration for her sartorial wizardry. While she was sheathed in all of her staples—a cool-girl black-and-brown shearling thrown over her shoulders and a pair of on-trend leopard-print ankle boots on her feet—Chung’s accessory seemed to be channeling a British style icon from another era. Holding tight to a straw tote bag, Chung was unwittingly unearthing Jane Birkin’s signature ’70s boho goddess accessory.
Birkin—who, like Chung, was a huge inspiration for modern liberated female style in her heyday—made the humble handwoven carryall seem as luxurious as the Hermès leather handbag that bore her name. Whether she paired it with a thigh-skimming minidress in Cannes or floor-sweeping denim bell-bottoms at the marché, Birkin’s go-to tote brought a rustic, functional beat to her oft-replicated ensembles, making her the defining bohème bombshell for an entire generation. Chung’s similarly summery accessory game is a style hack worth imitating—and serves as a welcome reminder that warmer climes are just around the bend.