When Selen first stepped onto the set in Rome, she didn’t just show up to film a scene-she absorbed the city. Not the tourist spots, not the postcard views, but the quiet details: the way sunlight hit marble columns at 4 p.m., the texture of worn cobblestones under bare feet, the quiet confidence of women in the Trastevere market who moved like they owned the air around them. That’s where her style began to change. Not because someone told her to, but because Rome whispered it to her-every day, in small ways.
Marble Skin, Not Filtered Skin
Selen doesn’t use heavy foundation. Not because she’s trying to be ‘natural’ for the cameras, but because she learned from Roman statues that skin doesn’t need to be flawless to be beautiful. Ancient Romans prized a glow that looked like it came from within-not airbrushed, not lit by studio lamps, but real. They used olive oil mixed with crushed rose petals to soften their complexion. Selen still does something similar: a drop of jojoba oil, a sprinkle of gold pigment, and she lets the light do the rest. Her skin doesn’t hide. It reflects. That’s the Roman way.
Draperies, Not Dresses
She doesn’t wear gowns. She wears drapes. One time, on a red carpet in Milan, she showed up in a single piece of silk, wrapped like a toga, pinned with a bronze clasp she bought from a street vendor near the Pantheon. No seams. No zippers. Just fabric falling the way it would have 2,000 years ago. People called it avant-garde. She called it honest. Roman women didn’t wear tight dresses to show off their curves-they wore layers that moved with them. The fabric whispered as they walked. Selen learned that movement is more alluring than structure. Her wardrobe now has six draped pieces, all hand-woven in Italy, each one a different shade of terracotta, ochre, or deep indigo.
Simple Hair, Strong Presence
She doesn’t curl her hair. She doesn’t blow-dry it into submission. Selen’s hair is usually loose, slightly tousled, sometimes pulled back with a single bone pin-just like the women in frescoes from Pompeii. Roman women didn’t spend hours styling. They braided, twisted, or let it fall. The key was control without rigidity. She uses a comb made of boxwood, the same material Romans used, and oils it once a week with almond oil. Her hairstylist once asked why she won’t let them use heat tools. She replied: ‘Hair remembers. If you burn it once, it never forgets.’
Minimal Jewelry, Maximum Meaning
Selen wears one ring. One bracelet. One necklace. Always. She’s not trying to be minimalist for the sake of trend. She learned from Roman aristocrats that jewelry wasn’t about quantity-it was about lineage. A signet ring carried a family seal. A gold chain might be a gift from a lover. Her necklace is a replica of a Roman fibula she found in a museum archive, engraved with a single Latin word: perseverantia. She doesn’t wear it for luck. She wears it because it reminds her that strength isn’t loud. It’s steady.
Footwear That Walks With History
She refuses to wear high heels on cobblestone. Not because they’re uncomfortable-though they are-but because Romans knew how to walk on uneven ground. Their sandals had thick leather soles, stitched with care, designed to last. Selen’s go-to pair is a modern take on the Roman socci: flat, laced, made from vegetable-tanned leather. She wears them everywhere-even to galas. Once, a stylist screamed, ‘You can’t wear sandals to the Oscars!’ She showed up anyway. The photo went viral. Not because she was shocking, but because she looked like she belonged. Like she’d walked those same streets for centuries.
The Roman Way of Silence
Most celebrities talk. A lot. Selen doesn’t. She learned that in Rome, silence wasn’t empty-it was powerful. The Roman elite didn’t need to shout to be heard. They spoke slowly. Paused often. Let their presence do the talking. Selen doesn’t do interviews unless she has something real to say. She doesn’t post daily. She doesn’t chase likes. She shows up when she’s ready. And when she does, people listen. Not because she’s famous-but because she’s present.
Why Rome Still Matters
Rome isn’t just a city. It’s a language of elegance that doesn’t change. It doesn’t follow trends. It doesn’t recycle styles from last year. It reclaims them. Selen didn’t copy Roman fashion. She listened to it. She let it teach her how to move, how to speak, how to be seen without begging for attention. That’s why her style doesn’t look like a costume. It looks like a continuation. Like something that was always meant to be.
What You Can Borrow
You don’t need to live in Rome to live like it. Start small. Wear one piece of clothing that drapes instead of clings. Let your hair air-dry once a week. Choose one piece of jewelry that means something to you-not because it’s expensive, but because it carries memory. Walk barefoot on grass or stone if you can. Let your skin breathe. Stop trying to look perfect. Start trying to look present.
Rome didn’t build an empire by chasing trends. It built one by holding onto what worked. Selen didn’t become who she is by copying celebrities. She became who she is by listening to stones, light, and silence.
Is Selen’s style based on historical accuracy or modern interpretation?
Selen’s style isn’t a museum reenactment. She doesn’t wear replica togas or carry clay lamps. Instead, she takes the spirit of Roman aesthetics-simplicity, movement, quiet confidence-and translates them into modern clothing and behavior. Her pieces are handmade, not historically accurate, but they honor the same values: durability over decoration, presence over performance.
Where does Selen source her Roman-inspired clothing?
She works with a small atelier in Florence that specializes in hand-draped textiles using natural dyes. The owner, a retired textile conservator from the Vatican’s archives, taught her how to fold fabric the way Roman women did. She also buys vintage bronze clasps and pins from antique markets in Rome’s Testaccio district. Nothing is mass-produced.
Does Selen follow Roman beauty rituals daily?
Not exactly. She doesn’t bathe in milk or rub her skin with crushed pearls. But she does use olive oil and rose petal infusions, just like Roman women did. Her morning routine includes a few drops of oil on damp skin, followed by five minutes of sunlight exposure-no sunscreen. She says it’s not about tanning; it’s about syncing with the day. She skips makeup unless it’s for a shoot, and even then, it’s minimal.
Why doesn’t Selen wear high heels?
She believes high heels change how you carry yourself-not for the better. Roman sandals let you feel the ground. That connection grounds you, literally and mentally. She says walking on cobblestone in heels makes you tense. Walking in flat, soft leather lets you move with grace. It’s not a fashion statement-it’s a physical philosophy.
Has Selen ever visited the Roman ruins for inspiration?
Yes. She spends at least two weeks every year in Rome, mostly walking alone through the Forum, the Baths of Caracalla, and the Villa of the Mysteries. She doesn’t take photos. She sits on steps, watches how light moves across the marble, and listens. She says the ruins don’t scream history-they whisper it. And if you’re quiet enough, you can hear what they’re saying.
