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Hannah Spencer - Style and Fashion · She’s Smart

0:02
Hey, everybody. Welcome to She's Smart. I'm your host, Maria Robotham.
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I'm so excited about today's guest, Hannah Spencer from 19 Pieces.
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As a fellow stylist, this conversation was such a treat.
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Hannah has built an incredible business around the idea that there are 19 core
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pieces that everyone needs for a versatile and stylish wardrobe.
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We dive into all things fashion and style, the power of good tailoring,
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why a great coat can change everything, and how to make your closet work for you.
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If you love fashion, you're going to love this one. There are lots of great tips.
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So get cozy as we connect, learn, and laugh together on She's Smart.
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Music.
0:54
Yes. Should I make it closer? What do you think? And we're recording the whole thing too behind.
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Perfect. You have notes. I have to have notes. I'll forget everything.
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Are you the same where you have to write things down to remember them? Yes.
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I have a paper. I use only paper to write down all my calendar.
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That I really respect. Like my dad was always a note taker.
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Post-its everywhere with to-do lists. So I'm very much like that in life because
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I'll forget everything. I don't trust myself.
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I tell the kids, look, you got to write it down for me. So I remember there's too many things.
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If it's not in the calendar, forget it. Like I won't remember.
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No. There's too many things. And as I get older now, it's even worse.
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I'm going to have a neurologist on because I really want to understand what
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the hell we're supposed to be doing.
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How much Sudoku do I need in order for my brain to function properly?
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You know what? That's true. Like, what's the baseline?
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Okay, we have to get to styling. Okay, so when 19 pieces, where did that name
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come from? Good question.
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So when I was growing up, I always loved the number 19. It was like my number.
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It was my lucky number. It was my sports number.
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Okay. And it was always on the back of my jersey.
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Growing up, that was like my number. So when I started my business,
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I always wanted to incorporate that number.
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And then I realized that you need 19 core pieces in your closet to create a dynamic closet. Okay.
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So now you want to know what they are, huh? I do. I do want to know. Number was five.
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That's my number. That's a good solid one. Still is. I feel like we all have numbers, don't we?
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Yeah, I think so. And I think in numerology, it's very interesting to go and
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look at what those numbers mean.
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They fascinate me. You should look at what five means. I kept my water polo
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cap because it had the five on it. Are you a big swimmer?
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I swam and played water polo. So cute, water polo. How niche is that?
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I'm from California. We all did it. Oh, really? We started the first women's
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water polo team for our high school. That's so cute. Back in 1993. 1993.
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Go Proud. Go Mets. Okay. So core closets.
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Two tank tops, one legging, one athletic sneaker,
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one trendy sneaker, one boot, one trouser, pant, one sweat pant,
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one dress, one skirt, one cardigan, two t-shirts, two denim,
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one non-denim, one pump, one pair of sandals, one jacket. Yeah.
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Okay. I feel like you can mix and match with those quite well.
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You can mix and match with all of those things.
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Everything should go together. It's a good place to start. Start off from there.
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Yeah. Especially with someone who, like, I'm sure you've gone into closets like
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I have where they've women who have just had done having baby.
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They're not in the workforce anymore. They're doing something different. It changes.
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And I've gone into a closet where there were two pieces of clothing and she's,
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what the hell do I do? Yeah.
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Yeah. And usually sometimes you can figure out some way of putting something
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together within their closet the best of your ability. But you'll likely need
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to add a couple of key pieces that you can wear again and again.
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They're just core pieces that are made from a good material.
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They do you favors when it comes to silhouette, neckline, so on and so forth.
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And you can't lose when you wear them.
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What piece would you tell a client to spend money on?
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Things that you're going to wear every day. A coat. I really like coats.
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Coat for sure. Because it can change everything.
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A hundred percent. You can be in full sweatpants. Like a sweatpants.
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Just came out of the gym and throw on a beanie or a hat and a gorgeous coat.
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And you're done. Run errands that look like you're not sweating and gross.
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A hundred percent. It's all about accessories at the end of the day. Extra pieces.
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I feel that a lot of people like to wear dresses because it's one piece, right? It's easy.
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I think we need to educate people on how to put different pieces together and what works and why.
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Yes. Like it could be a color scheme that relates to each other.
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It could be a textural vibe that goes together.
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But pairing pieces together is what makes fashion.
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And that's your take on it. So that's what I think is that's exciting for me
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to open people's eyes to the concept of what's possible with these garments that they're buying.
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There's not just one way to wear them. There's so many.
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So when you go into a closet, what do you start with? Do you take everything out?
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Do you have them try everything on? Usually what do you do? So I usually do
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a quick skim through everything and the things that are tired and I don't care
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how they fit, they're just not going to work.
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I put them into a pile. These are things I don't need you to try on and I don't
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need you to keep them. If you have a special reason to keep them,
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let me know. Otherwise, let's just do away with them.
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And then I go to pants because I think pants and the fit of pants is so crucially
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important that if overlooked, you're losing your whole outfit there. Yeah.
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Do you find that people go too short when they buy pants? Yes.
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And especially with the new trends that come out, like people are so lost with the.
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Length of pants and the pant-shoe combination. Yes. You know what I mean? Yes.
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I feel like that is also a very hard thing for people to get.
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If you have too heavy of a shoe with a heavy pant, then you're just bottom heavy and nobody wants that.
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Nobody needs that. Nobody wants that. Nobody needs that. That wasn't the goal.
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I love that you go to pants first. That's smart.
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Yeah. And then I see when we narrow it down to a pant that can work,
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whether it's everybody keeps so many damn pairs of pants.
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It's unbelievable. They have their old pants from several styles.
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They have their skinny pants. They're never going to fit into those pants again.
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There's definitely a pile of those somewhere.
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And we got to sort through these. If you want to keep some fine,
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we'll put those in a pile. But let's not make it visible for your everyday.
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Let's put them away so that you don't have to look at them when you're choosing things.
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Because I think that what's right in front of you is the most important part.
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It doesn't have to be this many things. It can just be a few things that are solid.
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And like I said, you can't lose when you pair them together because they're all good pieces.
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Absolutely. Have you found that when you go into people's closets,
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there are specific things that they constantly purchase that don't work?
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I think a lot of people buy the same thing over and over, different colors,
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and it doesn't offer them any diversity in the closet. It doesn't.
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It's basically just wasting money because you're not offering yourself another
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outfit or another way to look different?
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Because everybody wants to look different so much. They struggle with the idea
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that there's an event coming up.
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They want to look new and fresh. How do they introduce something like that with
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what they have in their closet?
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So I think that if you learn how to work with your items and what works together,
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you'll be more successful each day when choosing your outfit.
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You've got to try things on. And Everyone, please remember.
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Not all of us are fit models. Oh, God. Can we talk about tailoring?
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Yes. Let's talk about tailoring. It is extremely important.
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Not everything fits everybody. You can't have this notion that when you buy
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something off the rack, it's going to be lengthwise appropriate.
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Or waist. Or hip. I'm hippie. I have a smaller waist and bigger hips,
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and I have to get things pinched.
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And it really does make an enormous difference. Yeah.
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So if you have these shoes that won't go with these pants, consider making a
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little hem, taking it up an inch or so.
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See how that interacts differently with your shoes and see if that works,
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makes you feel better about it. I find alterations change everything. Me too.
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Absolutely everything. Like we, I have the same, yeah, I have the same issue.
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I have a booty and a small waist and I end up going. It's not a bad thing. It's not.
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I am finally so proud of my bodong. Yes. Own it. You know what? I own it.
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Honestly, this one girl made fun of me in dance class and she told me I had
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a big butt like when I was eight.
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And I always was upset about that until I knew how to dress myself.
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I totally know what you're saying. Absolutely. It's all about how the illusions
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of fashion and the illusion.
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If you wear X, it's not going to do you any favors. But if you wear it like
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this. Everyone's different.
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I found that as you're working with clients, every body is different.
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And the more you do it, the better you get at putting things on certain body types.
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And there has to be a reason. There has to be a rhyme and reason why you're
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pairing things together. Every...
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People are like, do you wear blue with black? I'm like, yes.
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Yes, it makes sense. It makes sense. And there has to be like a correlating factor.
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If I'm going to wear blue and black, maybe I'll lean into that with a black
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belt or a black shoe or a black something else connecting the blue and black
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together so that it looks thought about. It wasn't just thrown together.
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Yes. I bet your clients find that once they start working with you,
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they go into their closet and because of how you've helped them,
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they pull in anything together. That's why.
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That's my goal. My goal is for them not to need me. Yes.
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And just call me if they need me, like if there's an event or they need a refresh of their closet.
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But ultimately, they shouldn't have to call me when trying to pair things together
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because the goal is to teach them why things go together.
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Exactly. You're not born with these abilities. People are good at different
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things. How did you come into styling? So I've always, you know what's funny?
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Back to the pant-shoe relationship. I remember when I was growing up,
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tapered jeans. Oh, yes. Honey, tapered jeans.
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We would peg them. Peg them. Yes. Peg them. Pinch them and roll them up.
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We call that pegging. Oh, pegging. I never heard that term. Maybe it's a California phrase.
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It's the same with the shirt. Oh, we had the scrunchie tie. Oh, yeah. 80s baby.
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It was the best. It was the best. But figuring out my shoes with the tapered pants was so hard for me.
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And I just struggled with it. Then fast forward.
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I got older. I got into fashion. I just figured out how to wear things.
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It was just my skill in life.
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Then I realized I wanted to go to school for fashion. So I went to Parsons.
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I did fashion design. That was what I thought I wanted to do.
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I got into the fashion design world and it wasn't it.
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Behind the scenes, fashion design is not. It is not glamorous.
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It is a rat race. I distanced myself from it. And I found my way into styling my friends and,
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I think what I possess is a vision in my head to see outfits go together before
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seeing them on somebody.
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Do you ever find that you're like, wait, I know what I'm going to get you.
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I know what you need. Yeah.
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And when I see it, this is what it is. Yep. And then it happens.
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You find it. And then everything falls in place. And it all falls in place.
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But there's a feeling there. Yeah, there's a feeling. I know what this needs,
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but don't just give me like a day or two. You need to like marinate on it.
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Yeah. That's always difficult when clients are like, let's find it now.
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I'm like, I don't work like that. I don't. It's there. You got to give me a
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minute to make this right.
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Yeah. And then it takes time. That's the other thing.
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Like styling is very time consuming. I have to curate a selection of clothing
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where if this very important piece isn't going to work, where I pivot from there.
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And if this size doesn't work or this silhouette isn't really working,
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where I pivot from there. I have one chance to bring you a huge selection of
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things, and I have to be able to navigate through that. It's not all going to work.
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I love the pieces that they don't think are going to work, and I'm like, just trust me.
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I think that's my favorite. And then they're like, oh, my God,
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this worked. And you're like, yeah, that's why you hired me. I know. Exactly.
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No, it's true. It's true. It's like, this is what I'm good at.
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Have you ever found out a client who was like, no, I'm going to do it my way,
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and then called you and was like, why didn't I listen to you?
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Yeah. Clients can be attached to things. You know what I mean? Like a style, a trend.
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And it can be hard to...
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Break somebody's feeling about the outfit.
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Yeah. You have to be careful, too. If something is really speaking to them,
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I really do try to make things work.
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But if it's not working, it's just not working. You know what I mean?
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You can't fight it. I can't make it. I was working from one of the lodges up in Vermont.
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And my friend of mine, her kids also ride. And she was next to me working.
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So we're literally sitting at the bar. So we're sitting together.
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And I'm FaceTiming a client because I had to go over some stuff.
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And in the middle of the call, I was like, absolutely not. You're not wearing
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that. And my friend was like, can I have your job so I can talk to people like that?
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But I feel like there's such a skill that comes with that. You have to have
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that personality where you're able to like deliver some news.
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I'm here to make you look and feel your best. And I think over the years,
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because it's been 15 years now that I've been doing this, I have become like always nice. Yeah.
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But I don't hold back. I remember when I first started out.
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I was like really nice about things let them
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keep stuff do all that and then over the years I'm just like you're literally
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paying me money yeah this is not working because you know what I can't
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walk out of the house like that I gotta get better at that because I let them
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keep it but it's in a pile off to the side oh I'll take things with me yeah
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I'm gonna take this and you're never gonna see the best bags that I got they
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come in like a six-pack plastic bags and I'm everything that I take it with
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me. Oh, you gotta send me those bags. Oh, you need these bags. You need these bags.
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And then if they love the bags, they just, sometimes they need to do,
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they'll do the real, real or posh mark or something.
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Bags are great. I'm going to send you the bags. Did you start styling when you were in Brooklyn?
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When I was in Brooklyn, I was working in the fashion industry designing.
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I was working for RockAware, BabyFat, like urban brands like that.
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I was slapping the R logo onto the jean pockets in the bag. It was amazing. It was my heyday.
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Like, Jay-Z is my... He's my...
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Ultimate celebrity. I just love him. I hope he doesn't get caught up in any bullshit. Me neither.
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Just please. Not Jay-Z. Just not him. Not Jay-Z, please. God.
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God. Who can we trust these days? Jesus.
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No one. You can't trust anyone. It's crazy. Back in the day,
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we didn't have to like celebrities based on who they were as people.
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No. Thank you very much for making that comment because it is so true.
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I'm like, Now I have to think about who you are as a person,
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what your morals are. Yeah. I can't just listen to your music and not know about
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it. Everything's so public.
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Everything is so public. It's crazy.
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It's with everything. And now you have to, like, vet people and make sure they're
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cool enough. You know what I mean? Because then if you talk about them,
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then you're canceled. Yeah, exactly.
15:23
Nobody's allowed to sing a Diddy song anymore. I'm singing Diddy song.
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I'm sorry. I'm still singing R. Kelly's song. We're at home doing it. R. Kelly.
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Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Listen, I have, I liked his music.
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It wasn't about what he did. We haven't canceled Michael Jackson.
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Exactly. I say this all the time. Also, Vinny and I, my husband and I came out
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to R. Kelly for our wedding.
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Fiesta, the after party. Like this is, it's just who we are.
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It's part of your history. It's part of my history.
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It's us. I love that that was your song.
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I love weddings. I know weddings are fun. That's why they made the Wedding Crashers movie.
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I get it. That was one of the greatest movies of all time. I love all of that stuff. Old school.
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Isn't old school so? So we used to joke that Grayson, our 10 year old,
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was going to be Frank the Tank.
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We call my dog Hank the Tank. His name is Hank. Isn't that so funny?
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So do you still think Grayson is going to be? Yeah, yeah. He's that kid.
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Yeah. A jokester? He is a total jokester. And he's very self-aware.
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He's also really good at snowboarding. That's awesome. Are you a snowboarder?
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No. I've skied since I was five. I'm a skier, too.
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Why are ski boots from? They're the worst. There's no new technology with ski
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boots this entire time with, like, warmth and stuff like that?
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Why? I don't know. They just refuse.
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Wait, is this our new million dollar shark tank? Here we come. I'm ready for it.
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I've always wanted to invent something. So when I was little,
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I've had this entrepreneurial mind my entire life.
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Like I've always found something I want to invent and I never invent it.
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But it's just fun for me to think about it. But you made jewelry.
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I did make jewelry. And it was part of that whole vibe. I wanted to create what
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was in my mind from scratch.
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Do you remember this thing? Maybe it was East Coast, but it was a commercial that was for invention,
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submission, corporation and they had
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this guy it was like this cartoon character of
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this guy like whittling down the stone wheel like
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making a wheel for the first time and having this it was a
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caveman he was whittling down this wheel making it
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into a wheel which sparked the car and blah blah so i was like huh what's my
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problem that i've been having my whole life is that my handbag always falls
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off of my shoulder when i have a coat on yeah like a heavy coat it falls off
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i'm carrying too many things. I have to hold it as it's on my shoulder.
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Sometimes I don't have the crossbody. Mind you, I was like 19 when I did this.
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I went there and pitched my idea. I called it the H-strap, Hannah, like H-strap.
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And they were like, yeah, sure. This is great. Give us $9,000 and we can move
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forward with it. So then I realized that like.
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This whole invention thing was not as easy as it seemed. I had to like have
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a prototype, things like that.
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But I just, I've always had that kind of mind. So I've always tried to fill
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something that isn't there.
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And I think that bleeds over to my love of styling because it's introducing
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people to something that's there. They just don't see it there yet.
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And if you see it already, you're like, no, I can make this happen. Yeah, yeah.
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You're just like, just hold up. Give me like a few minutes and we're going to
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make you see this differently in a new light.
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I think that's what life is all about, seeing things in new light,
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taking on a new view of things. Oh, I love that. Yeah.
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What is a go-to outfit formula that you have? If you're every day, what would you throw on?
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I tend to abide by three pieces to an outfit.
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Okay. So if you put a bottom and a top together, add one more thing that speaks to those two things.
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So that's what I tell people. There should be one tying factor that relates
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back to those two pieces so it creates an outfit. Does that typically answer your question?
19:11
But I think my go-to outfits depend on the temperature, where I'm going.
19:15
I really like putting a sweat pant into an outfit because I can be comfy like today.
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I can be appropriate for whatever I'm doing, but be comfortable.
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And I think that people love being comfortable so much, but don't know how to
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do it and look nice. Exactly.
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Like they don't know how to transfer or pair a more casual pant with a more
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structured top, for example, which I find adorable.
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I love that vibe. You have to own it, though. It has to be something you believe in and you own.
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So if it's just not necessarily your vibe, then we'll move on.
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A trend isn't necessarily for everybody. Yeah, I agree with that.
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I think that trends are ever changing. And if one is just not working for you, it doesn't have to.
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You don't have to force it. But I like that because I find that your style goes
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towards those little pieces that set apart an outfit.
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Whether it's trendy or classic, that is where you get your bright spark.
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That's what I find, like just in seeing what you do. Yeah.
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And I love that because I think every stylist does things a little bit differently. Which is great.
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And you can see it, right? You're like, oh, I think that was her who did that.
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And her who did that. And I love that there's a little trademark.
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Definitely. I think that's really important for branding purposes,
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too. I definitely have an edgier vibe to me.
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My upbringing, my background in styling, where I've worked throughout my life,
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I just have an edgier vibe.
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And I like bringing that to the forefront because with clothing,
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I think everybody has a style, whether they know it or not.
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And bringing it out so that they feel good about what they put on and they're
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saying, yeah, that speaks to who I am.
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That's feeling good in your clothes. That's feeling right. That's owning an
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outfit. It doesn't hit the nail on the head if you don't own the outfit.
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Yes. You know what I mean? The way you walk. That swagger is real. It changes.
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It does. If you don't feel comfortable in it, you can see it.
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Yes. It's almost like when a girl walks in heels that are uncomfortable.
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Yes. I'm seeing it right now. You know what I mean? Oh, I'm envisioning like
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almost like a duck. Yeah.
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And the butt's out a little too much because there's no comfort in it.
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And you can't bend your toes. Yes. and they just don't know how to get their gait with the shoe.
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And so it could be a million-dollar shoe.
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It just won't work. It could be a million-dollar outfit. You could still feel,
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this is not me. Yeah, exactly.
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And then you lose. Because then you're also the confidence drops again.
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Agreed. You can't wear that. That wasn't you.
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There's different ways to look at everything, I think, too. If you had a Western is very in-right.
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Do you want to lean all the way into Western with the fringe and the hat and the boots?
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No, but you can take aspects of it. You can take little pieces.
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Little pieces. This, a little bit of that.
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It's like cooking. You've got
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to. It's like cooking. Get out of the right ingredient. Calibs properly.
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Some people want more salt, more pepper. Exactly. Some people like it bland. That's right.
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What is a misconception about having a stylist, do you think?
22:13
My style, my personal style, and my client's style can be completely different.
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And my job is to curate clothing for them to look like themselves, not look like me.
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So that's one thing that I've heard a lot because my style is my style,
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but I'm only a stylist if I can cater to what your style is,
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what her style is, what his style is.
22:38
And some people I love like buying them whatever I wear, too.
22:41
Some people are like, give me that, that. I'm like, great, this is perfect.
22:44
But then other people are like, I would never wear that. And that's fair.
22:48
I think that I dress in a way that's a little bit funkier than the average person,
22:51
but that's what speaks to my personality.
22:55
I want to play a little game. Yeah, let's play.
22:57
So I'm going to give you a scenario and then tell me what you would grab and
23:02
I'll play it too. Okay. Ready?
23:04
You're going to date night at Gabriel's.
23:07
Okay, what piece of clothing am I grabbing? Yeah, I'm wearing.
23:10
At Gabriel's, I'm going to wear probably a nice long flared pant jean.
23:17
Yeah, like right now. Right now. Yeah. Okay. I'd probably put like my new cowboy boots on with it.
23:23
I can't. And like a nice sweater with a belt and like a faux fur coat.
23:28
Oh, I love that. What would you do? I would be in, because it's our date night,
23:32
so I wear my friend's joke that I just grab crop tops. It's true.
23:36
I love that. So I would do probably silk pants, platform heels.
23:42
Crop top blazer. I love that.
23:44
Yep. That's lots of gold. And how different are these things?
23:46
Right? But you feel like you're cute.
23:48
Exactly. And I can go sit at the bar at Gabriel's and care. Yeah,
23:51
I know. The Gabriel's bar is so cute. I wish it was bigger. When do you go? On Thursdays?
23:55
No. Friday nights are dating. Oh, yeah. I mean, it's winter now.
23:59
We can't guarantee weekly. We're just gone.
24:01
We're in Vermont. I know. I'm getting really tired of my outfits in Vermont.
24:04
But let me tell you, like, busting out the veil outfit is not appropriate in Vermont.
24:09
You have to also be appropriate when you get dressed in the places,
24:12
your context is everything.
24:13
I'm dressing two clients for Sundance this weekend.
24:17
And I want to make a reel about what fashion details scream Sundance, scream cold weather.
24:23
A little suede fringe, a little faux fur, a little fedora, a shoe that's terrain friendly but cute.
24:30
Look at some boots. I'm telling you. I've got some cute ones. I know.
24:34
But it's also the moon boots, the pant-shoe combination there.
24:37
Absolutely. What do you do?
24:40
When I'm in my moon boots, I'm always in a tight-fitting pant. Oh, okay.
24:44
If it's not a... Is it a ski pant? It's not. It's like a base layer. Oh, okay.
24:50
I'm in my ski pants. That's the only way, though, right? I'm normally in my
24:52
ski pants, but then I'll do like a base layer.
24:55
If I'm going out to dinner and I'm still in my moon boots, I do a black base layer.
24:59
And then I'll do an undershirt Henley tucked in because I like that tightness.
25:04
And then I'll throw in like a cardigan over it and then a big jacket.
25:08
Oh, cute. Like then layer it up.
25:10
Layers is the key to fashion. It's a way you do it. It's just,
25:12
it's a learning curve though. You have to be able to not be afraid to layer.
25:16
Yeah, and get used to it. Yeah. And be like, look, in the spring,
25:19
like you've talked about this.
25:20
You wake up and you're in like six layers. And then in an hour you're in four.
25:24
And then two. Yeah. And then you're back up. Yeah.
25:26
And that's why I say spend money on a coat. Because coats are thrown on every day.
25:32
You take them off. they make an outfit so nicely they seal
25:35
the deal they really do and a lot of the times in winter especially
25:38
you can't see what's underneath so throw that coat on yes and you have your
25:42
outfit right there let's go spring for this one because it's hard for shoes
25:46
because everyone's just in boots right now here because we're in the east coast
25:50
if you're in california it's different right or florida you're doing a presentation
25:53
but it's like today's business formal what do you wear.
25:57
You know what I'd do? I'd take a slip dress that I have already, maybe.
26:03
A nice sweater or a blazer over that slip dress.
26:07
Throw a boot underneath to give it that crossover from winter to spring.
26:14
And then you have those three pieces right there. I love it.
26:17
The blazer, the silk dress.
26:19
Casualize that a little bit with the blazer and a boot. That's perfect for now.
26:23
I would go full monochrome pants. Yeah, I love that, though.
26:26
Like with the turtleneck. That's my favorite. Yes.
26:29
Even a mock because I sweat a lot. I love a mock. I know. A lot of people do.
26:32
Like, listen, I have this client that's, I can't wear this. It's too tight up
26:35
in there. We got to get something either dark in color so nobody sees it or
26:39
with something over it so that if I sweat, nobody does. Yeah.
26:42
That's why I like the sleeveless turtlenecks because they look like a turtleneck
26:45
under a blazer, but you're not like super hot.
26:48
And there are some good ones. And then it works. Like the big open blazer,
26:53
you know, the low button with the high neck. I love it so much.
26:58
Proportionally. It's a great earring. Great earring. Like just leaning into that monochromatic.
27:04
You got to lean into it. I love it. Yeah. I can see it. Me too.
27:07
Now I need to have a presentation. Like 70s style? Yes.
27:09
Oh my God. Let's go do that. Let's go present something. Who needs us?
27:14
The H-strap presentation. Let's revive that. I still think it's useful.
27:18
With comfortable ski boots. Yes. Thank you.
27:21
Is there not a market where people would... They look like a moon boot,
27:23
but they're a ski boot. And they're the same size. No, no one does it. Honey. It's not okay.
27:28
All we need is the base of the shoe.
27:31
And just the ankle support. Yeah. We're going to have to prototype this.
27:34
I'm on it. All right. It's summer.
27:36
You've been unexpectedly invited to a wedding. What are you wearing?
27:41
I'm going to find a heel and make sure it's not, first of all,
27:44
is there grass? That's right.
27:46
Great question. There are grass. There are a lot of times there's grass or sand.
27:50
Yeah. Okay. So then let's work from the bottom up. Yes.
27:55
So a wedge I don't love right now.
27:59
I may be like up in a raffia, some sort of. So pretty.
28:04
I can see it right now. Like some sort of nice color. And then I'd probably
28:08
grab either a little black dress that I have lying around, which isn't the easiest thing to have.
28:15
I think a little black dress sounds much easier than it is. It takes forever
28:18
to find the right one. It does.
28:19
I finally found one from Zara, actually. I love it. I love it.
28:22
I should post about that, right? You absolutely should.
28:24
Yeah. I feel like I could wear it to a red carpet or a holiday.
28:28
It's so easy. That's great.
28:30
Anyways, a little black dress or a sundress. And I would try and make the sundress
28:34
become a little bit fancier by making an earring, bring it to life,
28:38
maybe a bigger earring, a more dazzly earring.
28:43
Yes. Make sure you have the right shoe for the terrain.
28:46
The dress can be a sundress that you wear on a daily basis, but you can make
28:52
it dressier by accessorizing the right way. I love that. What would you do?
28:56
I can see it. It's in my wardrobe. I have this.
29:00
It's been there for years. It's from Victoria's Secret. Yeah. Oh, my God.
29:04
Does that still exist? Yeah, Victoria's Secret exists, but they don't make clothes
29:07
anymore. It is a dress that's probably...
29:11
I don't know, 15 years old? And it's navy blue, and it's spaghetti straps with
29:17
a deep V. You can make the V longer or shorter.
29:19
And it's just straight pleats all the way down.
29:22
It is the most double-layered, most 70s vibe. I love a 70s vibe. Chunky heel and jewels.
29:29
And you can go full deep V if you're feeling scandalous. You can lift it up
29:32
if you're in a less appropriate situation for that.
29:34
And then a great bag. I love that. And that kind of thing is versatile,
29:38
too. If you wanted to casualize that and wear it with boots and like a T-shirt
29:41
underneath and make those.
29:43
I have worn it to the music at the Levitt Pavilion. Exactly.
29:48
Like just outside. I literally wore it with sandals.
29:51
And I wore it there. And everyone was like, huh? I'm like, this is the best
29:54
dress for this. You guys, you have no idea.
29:55
That's what people don't see. They see it in one way. They're like,
29:58
let me see it on the way that like maybe it was on the model or on the website
30:03
or how they're displaying it at the store.
30:05
You have to be able to be a little bit more open-minded, have flexibility,
30:10
and see what happens. Those are great pieces.
30:13
And then you are invited last minute for coffee.
30:17
That's when I'd throw on my cute jeans that I don't have to necessarily wear a heel with.
30:23
I might put on a cute beanie. Yes.
30:28
I'm compartmentalizing this. I'm like, okay, I'll put on jeans.
30:31
I'll put on a graphic tee with a cardigan. Cute.
30:34
Like a cashmere cardigan, graphic tee, and maybe like a moto boot,
30:39
Chelsea boot, something like that. Oh, I love that with the cardigan.
30:42
Yeah. I love that look with the cardigan where you're like London punk on the
30:47
bottom, but you're like kind of Connecticut on the top. Yes.
30:50
And it's such a good break in juxtaposition with the two. Yeah.
30:55
That's what I enjoy doing. Right. Stuff like that. Bringing in,
30:59
like adding a new take on things. That's true fashion.
31:02
Like somebody who wears a Prada suit, not that I don't want a Prada suit,
31:06
but if you buy $2,000 Prada blazer, it's not going to take you into this fashionable
31:12
world. You have to learn how to wear it.
31:15
Yes. So it's that's why a stylist is needed, because you can have all these fabulous pieces.
31:21
But if you don't know how to wear them, they're going to fall flat. Yeah.
31:25
They're not going to be worth the investment. Absolutely.
31:28
And just watching someone else doing it doesn't always resonate.
31:31
I always get a little frustrated when I get people send me like,
31:36
oh, this person was wearing this.
31:38
I'm like, she is six feet tall and has no boobs.
31:42
You are five, six and you're a D. Exactly.
31:46
It's not going to hit the same way. Now, we can kind of get that vibe.
31:49
Yeah. If you like that color scheme or the textures, like, we can play with that.
31:53
We can definitely play with that. And I'm so over the constant comparison.
31:59
There are ways to find your own style without being like, she was wearing this
32:04
and she was wearing this.
32:05
There's also no rules. Who are you? There are no rules. No rules.
32:08
Except no linen right now, please. No linen right now. Unless you're in St.
32:11
Barts. Yes. Bring your linen to St. Barts.
32:14
You can wear white after labor day wear white i
32:17
invite you to wear white after labor please wear white after labor day
32:19
white is so beautiful as long as you are not
32:22
a messy person yeah you can drop things or yeah a
32:25
lot of people are they're like no white on top i'll
32:28
drop like jesus these people need bibs they need
32:32
bibs my mom's like dropping things too i'm
32:34
like all right you need a pattern you just need a need a pattern
32:37
and then that won't even show you won't even see it
32:40
there's a way around everything oh my
32:43
god i love clothing i know me too what is a favorite item in your wardrobe right
32:47
now well i feel like i've talked about these cowboy boots now three times i
32:51
just bought them and i feel excited about them being part of my wardrobe because
32:57
they're going to offer me a daytime shoe that isn't a heel or a sneaker.
33:02
So I can wear it with my jeans. So it's filling a box for me.
33:06
I needed a shoe that I can wear on a daily daytime basis that isn't a sneaker
33:13
because I don't own a Chelsea boot.
33:15
I have a moto boot, which is good with certain jeans.
33:18
This opens up a new avenue for me. And you can also wear it, dress it up. Exactly.
33:23
And they're brown, which is interesting. I don't own brown shoes. I realize that.
33:27
Oh, how fun. Yeah. So I, like with all of my winter whites and all of my creams
33:31
and beiges and tans, yes.
33:33
It's so pretty together. And that's what color combination is so overlooked with people.
33:39
And don't be afraid of the colors. No. I love the color. And the patterns. Yeah.
33:43
Like your top, I love. This is so fun to wear right now. So good.
33:48
And you can layer, you blazer, whatever.
33:50
Yes. It's been blazered. It's been sweatered. It's been cardigan.
33:53
All the things. I love this ring. That is just amazing. Vintage.
33:57
These are vintage. I love a vintage. This is vintage. Yep, that looks it.
34:01
And where do you get your vintage? My mother.
34:04
So lucky. Also Hudson and King. So Hudson and King. Hi, Olivia.
34:09
Hi, Olivia. Is a rock star. She does all vintage jewelry.
34:14
And I was wearing yesterday on the pod a vintage Givenchy jade necklace that I bought from her.
34:24
That sounds really nice. Her pieces are so beautiful. She does the most amazing curation.
34:28
And then another awesome vintage store up in Katona is called Ups. So I wore.
34:32
In Katona. I bought a strapless blue. Yeah.
34:38
Petal tiered t-length dress from
34:41
there i had a wedding in last july and i'm
34:44
like i'm fully gonna wear this i'm like it needs to be belted i need to do this and
34:47
do that the designer was the costume designer from marilyn monroe do you follow
34:53
vintage splendor no but i need to she's down in southern california she vintage
34:57
splendor she is a mastermind of all things i think her entire closet is vintage
35:02
in consignment i feel like that's the way to go You know?
35:05
When I lived next to Berkeley, we would go and buy denim from consignment stores on the weekends.
35:11
So fun. It's like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. There's nothing here.
35:14
Where do you shop in Connecticut? I don't.
35:16
I don't. I literally don't. I buy my jewelry from Anne. Yeah.
35:20
Yeah. That's all you need. I buy my pieces from Anne and Olivia,
35:23
and then I just dive into- This store and that store. Yeah.
35:27
I think that retail is figuring this out now.
35:30
For one, you can't always return stuff. No. No. And two, all the retail stores
35:35
are. You can never return stuff.
35:37
Oh, yeah. And now you're being charged for returns.
35:40
And so you don't have anything in store that I can go try on.
35:42
We have nothing. No sizes. There's nothing.
35:44
So what am I supposed to do? I think in the future there will be a different
35:48
thought process behind opening a storefront.
35:51
Maybe it's just a size run.
35:54
Maybe it's just a couple of items to go and feel.
35:57
Maybe it's a different avenue with inventory and shipping. Like just something
36:03
has got to change because after COVID, the curbside method started to happen.
36:09
People started really ordering way too much and returning.
36:12
So they had to cry. And nobody has anything in store because nobody was going
36:15
to the store. So they felt like they didn't need to.
36:18
So people are like, where do I get this in a pinch? I'm like,
36:19
it's really hard. You're not going to have your size. No.
36:23
One of your size, the color you need. Let me ask you the questions before we
36:25
go. Okay. So the first question is, what is one piece of advice you would give your younger self?
36:30
I would say to just trust my thoughts. trust my ideas.
36:35
I wish that I had maybe been more confident about myself when I was younger.
36:41
Maybe it was my ability to do things that I was good at.
36:45
But I'd say trust what you're good at and lean into it and try and figure out
36:50
a way for you to blossom within that.
36:55
And I did, but I think it's important to find what you're good at and notice it.
37:01
And have that confidence to keep going. Because it's easy when you're a little
37:03
get shot down pretty quickly. I remember crying in college for my professor not liking something.
37:09
It was very hurt, but it was very necessary. You have to be able to take criticism.
37:15
What is one item or fun thing on your bucket list?
37:19
I'm very outdoorsy. I love nature and animals and stuff like that.
37:23
I would love to do something in like Iceland and Antarctica, something like that.
37:28
Thank you for being here. This was the most fun.
37:30
I am so glad that I got to hang out with you. We have so much in common.
37:33
This was destiny. to me. Yep.
37:35
Yep. A lot of. By the way, everybody, we have crossed paths like six times and
37:40
have friends in common and have literally never met in person.
37:43
No, but I feel like this was only a matter of time forever.
37:47
Conversation is fluid. We have a lot to talk about. A lot of history.
37:51
I don't know. It's just like a three hour podcast.
37:53
It's something about creatives. You just start diving in. Yeah. You understand it.
37:59
Thank you so much for joining me today on She's Smart. New episodes drop every Thursday.
38:04
Don't forget to subscribe and share. Stay cozy.