“If good taste means anything to me at all, it usually means not having to make a huge fuss,” says Mr Jeremy Lee, chef proprietor of London’s Quo Vadis restaurant. This art of simplicity should apply to everything – from your wardrobe to hosting a dinner party. “Some of the very best food I have ever eaten at friend’s houses was when it was just a big plate of asparagus followed by a chicken pie and a great big bowl of potatoes.”

There’s nothing worse than trying to be tasteful and losing your sense of self. “Acting good taste is some sort of sad middle ground, without personality or individuality,” says the author and photographer Mr Michael Zee.

Behind good taste is an understanding of what makes something worthwhile. It’s this that makes the if-you-know-you-know details of brands such as Maison Margiela and The Row so sought after. Such signs of quality mean much more than flashing a logo with no idea of its history.

“When it comes to style, brands can absolutely be an indication of good taste, but it’s also knowledge about the brands that you’re purchasing,” says the stylist Mr Karlmond Tang.

“In past historical eras, there were specific styles that were considered to be good taste, and anything that didn’t conform was simply disregarded as not worthy of attention,” McLeod says. “Today, the more relevant question is whether architecture is good, because it improves lives and cities, or bad, because it makes people’s lives worse.” Apply the same principle to everything in your life for a truly tasteful approach.

Having “good taste” in music is an infamous indicator of cool. But the real key is in trusting your choices and putting time into developing an understanding of what you really like. “Good taste is subjective,” says Mr Paul Camo, creative director, DJ and founder of Margate Radio. “It’s a nurtured instinct and an aesthetic judgement. What is good taste to one person may not be seen that way by others. It’s honest, it’s subtle confidence.”

“Good taste comes from adopting what you see and what you like in your own way, adding your own personal touches to create something unique to you,” Tang says.

Tastes in fashion have become less about fitting into social norms and more about expressing yourself. “We couldn’t care less if you’re in a ball gown and tiara or a pair of jeans,” Lee says of his restaurant Quo Vadis. “But maybe not cut-off jeans. You have to draw a line somewhere.”

There’s the old adage that you can judge a person by how they treat service staff, but this extends to everyone in the room. “If you’re seated at a dinner table, you should show equal interest to everyone seated around you, not just the person you’re interested in talking to,” says Ms Sara Jane Ho, the star of Netflix’s Mind Your Manners and author of the book of the same name. “It’s about putting people around you at ease, making them feel comfortable around you.”

The people we admire the most are often those who pull off their own style, flair and personality with good-humoured nonchalance. “Folk who are comfortable in their own skin, almost like they make no effort at all,” Lee says. “Those that worry about good taste are the least likely to succeed at having it.”

And don’t worry if that means you make a few missteps along the way. After all, even Vreeland herself admits that “a little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika”.