A Modern Classic Lifestyle: The Aerin Lauder Way of Living Well

While creating my own modern classic lifestyle I have taken inspiration from a few elegant ladies, both real and fictional, but if I had to pick one person that I draw most of my inspiration from it would have to be Aerin Lauder. A lifestyle of soft presence, quiet luxury, classic sophistication, modern elegance, flowers everywhere, and a life that feels curated and not too try-hard. While I may not have Aerin’s lifestyle budget or beautiful estates in The Hamptons, New York, Aspen, and Palm Beach, the good news is that one doesn’t need her budget to curate a lifestyle of living well as she does. One only needs to implement the principles of timelessness, elegance, calm, and discernment.

Aerin Lauder’s lifestyle philosophy centers on finding luxury in everyday moments, prioritizing comfort and beauty at home, maintaining well-being through skincare, eating well, and exercise. She advocates for using beautiful things daily, embracing personal style, and embodying grace and hard work.

This year I plan on focusing much of my life in these timeless elements and plan to use Aerin Lauder as my main inspiration. In many ways she is basically my 2026 word of the year and I will be sharing quarterly on the blog on how I have curated my lifestyle using these principles in everyday life. But for today, let’s explore how to create a modern classic lifestyle of living well as inspired by Aerin Lauder.

• Adopt The Core Philosophy of Effortless Elegance

Aerin’s lifestyle is polished, but never loud. It focuses on choosing fewer, better things. Neutrals first, softness second, beauty always. If it feels too fussy, simplify it. Curate everything with an attention to detail and quality. Think timeless, tailored, and sophisticated.

• Curate An Understated, Feminine, Timeless Style & Wardrobe

Think: Hamptons meets Paris with a dash of Upper East Side. Incorporate items such as silk blouses, cashmere sweaters, tailored trousers, ballet flats, loafers, feminine heels and one or two great structured bags. Incorporate colors such as white, ivory, beige, navy, and soft florals. No harsh contrasts, no loud logos.

• Beauty is Soft, Polished, and Natural

Aerin’s beauty is about femininity and looking like your best self everyday. It’s about healthy glowing skin over heavy makeup. Cream blushes, neutral eyes, defined brows and soft nude lips. Healthy hair that is slightly undone in soft waves, low buns, or simple ponytails. Also a delicate scent of florals, musk, or fresh woods.

• A Home That is Stylish, Calm, Light, and Layered

Aerin’s spaces feel airy, feminine, and collected over time. Some of the essentials are often natural textures of linen, wood, elevated silver or gold pieces, ceramics, and always fresh flowers. To curate this style one needs to edit ruthlessly and display meaningful objects, books, art, and heirlooms. There should be nothing overly trendy or cluttered. And as an extra tip, one beautiful tray can instantly elevate any space.

• Daily Rituals: Quiet Luxury in Motion

This is where living well really begins. Simple details such as making your bed beautifully each morning, a ritual of skincare and fragrance (even at home), tea or coffee in a proper cup, and setting a beautiful table for a meal are all simple ways to elevate each day. Things such as walks for fresh air, errands done calmly, eating well (not extravagantly), choosing quality experiences, winding down intentionally with changing into comfortable but elegant clothes, soft lighting, music, an herbal tea, and a scented candle are quiet luxury rituals that can be incorporated into everyday life easily.

• Warm, Gracious, and Composed Energy

Aerin’s elegance is as much about how she shows up as how she looks. Cultivate politeness, practice proper decorum and being on time. Host simple but beautiful gatherings and send handwritten notes or thoughtful gestures. Have the energy of being calm, warm, observant, and unrushed. Keep things in life simple and practice restraint and kindness.

• A Mindset of Taste Over Trends

Mindset is the one element that is creating the whole experience for everything we do. Creating a mindset of taste over trends is about developing your own point of view, saying no to things that don’t align, investing slowly over time and having your life feel cohesive, not chaotic. Luxury isn’t excess, it’s clarity.

Having an Aerin Lauder inspired lifestyle isn’t about perfection or excess, it’s about intention. It’s choosing beauty that feels personal, rituals that bring calm, and spaces that tell your story quietly and elegantly. It’s the grace of simplicity, the warmth of tradition, and the confidence to live beautifully in your own way. When you slow down, edit thoughtfully, and surround yourself with what genuinely delights you, everyday life begins to feel effortlessly elegant…and that, more than anything, is the true luxury.