In My Closet: Caroline Stanbury

A peek into a fabulous London mum's closet

Caroline Stanbury, a mother of three and the head of the luxury e-commerce site gift-library.com, has a lot going on in her closet. Her shoe collection (which her husband jokingly refers to as the kids’ college fund) is filled with sky-high heels, trainers, and delicate ballet flats. But her penchant for killer stilletos is only exceeded by her fondness for bags—the Hermès Birkin in particular, of which she has many. Wise to her ways, Stanbury’s husband often opts for a handbag when it comes to gift-giving, as was the case when she received a pink Chanel 2.55 on Valentine’s Day.

But it goes without saying that with magnificent a wardrobe as that comes great responsibility. For the most part, Stanbury does away with more than a few pieces each season, often donating them to charity. However, the sheer size of her arsenal doesn’t diminish the lasting value (whether sentimental or otherwise) of certain pieces. A red dress given to her by friend Diane Kruger she could never part with. The same thing goes for the short sequined dress she wore on her last night out before giving birth to her twins.  Stanbury also considers the classics—Alaïa dresses, Chanel jackets, and Hermès bags—as heirloom pieces to keep for her daughter. 

At the moment, her daughter is the arbiter of her own style, though she does spend time trying on her mum’s glittery Louboutins. Unsurprisingly, Stanbury has more control over her son’s looks—often shopping at Bonpoint to achieve an old man aesthetic that she moderates with a youthful pop by throwing in some Superga shoes. It’s this sort of mix-and-match fashion culture that makes Stanbury love London—despite the fact that she remains true to French fashion house Hermès by confessing Paris to be her favorite fashion forward city.  —Fiammetta Egalini