How would you describe your personal style, and how has it evolved?
I want to come up with those three words for my style, but I think a friend would do a better job assigning them to me than I’m going to do right now. But I’ll give it a whirl, or at least what I’m going for: 90s, 70s, classic, workwear, masculine, baskets. In 2017, I did a session with Lacy Phillips about manifestation advising, and the one thing I wanted to discuss with her was style! I admired her style so much, and she tried to help me pinpoint what it was about her and the other style expanders I had, which were very different from her. She noticed the throughline was masculine. I had been raised by a mom who loved dressing me in bright colors and pink dresses, and I loved that too but wanted something unique.
I went to high school in the early 2000s, aka the worst era of dressing (that is now back), but even then I loved the bohemian vibe of Mary-Kate Olsen and Sienna Miller in the 90s but felt like I wanted to update that and didn’t really know how to in my early 20s. So I ended up wearing a lot of trends. Lacy helped me see more structured, simple silhouettes and expanded my idea of what dressing meant. The other biggest influence on my style came when I moved here. Of course, the climate is different, but also the way I spent my time was different. While in NYC, I was out during the day; here, I change outfits multiple times. The weather goes from hot midday to cold at night, and I’m not walking as transportation, so I can wear heels and boots. So I now dress for each activity. I don’t believe in activewear, but I have outfits I wear hiking that my friends call regular clothes just worn in.
Do you see any connections between how you dress yourself and how you decorate your space?
Sure do, I’m a bit afraid of color in my space and wardrobe. Color feels like a commitment. Especially in a studio apartment, it feels like if I choose a color for, say, a big rug or couch, that’s all I’ll see since it’s just one room. So I’ve kept the colors of the space pretty neutral, but that’s boring, so I then incorporate color in the art I have and the textiles and parts that are more easily changeable. Similar to clothes, where my basics are neutral.
I also got new style expanders when I moved west. My friend Christine Nguyen was a huge influence on my style, especially the first year. I only had a carry-on suitcase then COVID began, so she let me borrow clothes and gave me her hand-me-downs. I love her style, from everything from home to design to clothes, so I would copy her outfits. Then, a few years later, I was able to evolve that and develop my own aesthetic by simply noticing what I liked and finding patterns. I became close friends with designer and founder of Ozma of California, Heidi Baker, and her simple, well-made raw silk pieces became a staple of my wardrobe. I began working at LoQ and meeting the designer and founder, Val, who has also influenced my style. And I began going to garage sales, flea markets, and vintage stores where I got the vintage basics like a good French workwear jacket, a military liner jacket, and military pants. And then I’d structure these classic, masculine pieces with something feminine and bright like The Series! And I think the intersection of those two is where my specific personality has landed. Lately, I’m finding inspiration in outfits from the dudes I have crushes on, meaning oversized jean jackets and baseball hats and oversized t-shirts and baggy pants. But you can’t take the girly girl out of me, so under it all is a flowy pink dress, a crop top, or an A-line skirt.