Style Questionnaire from Sartorialist

Job?
Student.  Very exciting.

Best Sartorial advice from your parents?
Comfort first.

Style icons?
From the street, from art, from history, from architecture, from friends, from strangers, from everything.  Celebrities all have their ups and downs, but Anne Hathaway is more and more consistently astounding, especially this dress she wore to the Venice Film Festival.

Describe your personal style.
Some days I will wake up and put on a little cable knit cardigan and a full skirt, other days I will wear an oversized boyfriend sweater and funky pashmina.  Other days I will wear all black with a frilly poof of skirt popping from my waist, going for that’s-what-looked-most-delectable-in-my-closet-this-morning-i-dont-care-if-i-look-like-a-too-short-too-curvy-ballerina.

I build my daily look around…
What I had for lunch a week ago, the movie I watched the night before, the weather, that story we talked about in class, and yes, who I am going to see/might run into by “mistake”.

Personal Style quirk?
I have way too many pairs of the same skinny cords from J. Crew.  Scarves and tights (mostly black).  And grey sweaters.  I own I think about 7 grey sweaters and counting.

Favorite designers?
It varies by season.  Chanel.  Donna Karan. Vera Wang.  Atelier Versace.

Most cherished item?
I have sentimental connections to a lot of stuff in my closet.  Most cherished changes daily.  But I hate the feeling of losing jewelry.

I feel best wearing?
Something I don’t have to tug at, something beautiful or striking, something that has a story behind it.

The first thing I look at in another Sartorialist’s outfit is…
Contrast.  How certain things work with the others, meaning color, proportion, texture, weight. Bold patterns. Color combinations. Silhouettes vs Body shapes.  And how closely it looks like they followed what the mannequin had on.

I always break this fashion rule:
After you are dressed and ready, always take one accessory off.  I never do this.  My subtlety or outrageousness can vary if it feels like it.

I never break this fashion rule:
Love what you wear and how you wear it.

Never caught wearing…
Leggings as pants!  With a long tunic shirt or a mini dress, yes, but with a regular sized Tshirt?  Absolutely not.

Most underrated item in menswear/womenswear?
A black t-shirt that you can throw anything over/a multi-season cardigan that travels well.

Dress to impress who?
Myself.  I like getting compliments, but I don’t wake up in the morning thinking, what can possibly get me the most compliments from people? That said, there are a few specific people who I really love to get compliments from, and yes, I do think about what I wear depending on who I might need to impress that day (for an audition/interview/presentation).

Shine your own shoes?
I own no shoes that need shining.  But if I did, I would.

Favorite stores?
Target, Gap for basics, and, I admit it, Urban Outfitters.  They have wicked sales, and if you mix it up the right way, it’s easy to avoid looking like a page in their magazines (or a photo from a blog complaining about the prevalence hipsters).

Your next “must have” purchase?
Dresses.  I recently rediscovered just how nice it is to be able to just throw a dress on over a chunky pair of tights and go.  And to that list chunky tights–any tights, really.

I only buy __________ in Europe.
The entire grocery store.  I love Tuc crackers.  They started carrying them here, but oddly enough, only the salt and pepper and the paprika flavors.  And for a while, France was the only place I could find chocolate special K.  That changed too.  Coke is better over there.

I skimp when buying …
Everything is relative…your skimp could be my splurge.

I splurge on…..
If I could, I would get fantastic dresses.  A good dress is hard to find but once you do, quality is important because I wear it over and over again.

Favorite item of clothing?
Please don’t make me answer this question.  Ever.

Guilty pleasure?
Get Rich Or Die Trying by 50 Cent and eating Easy Mac.

Perfume?
Badgley Mischka–masculine and perfect.  DKNY Red Delicious–spicy and warm, like hot cider.  Juicy Couture–fresh, clean, but still some extra non-sickening sweetness.  Tartine et Chocolat– so french, but NEVER stays on all day.  A simple rose perfume, and Gap Dream More–perfect cheap every day body splash.

Skincare?
Cleanse with either Mario Badescu’s Acne Cleanser or L’Oreal Sensitive Skin Go 360 Clean Cleanser (the little scrubby is so much fun!), then Cerave moisturizer.  If I need more moisture, I use Clarins’ Hydrating masque but it has started making my face burn so I may reconsider that…

Most stylish city (Milan, Paris, London, New York, other)?
New York City is everything, the good (a lot of that), the bad, and the ugly (a lot of that too).  But Paris is pure chic everywhere you turn.

When I was in high school I wore?
Let’s find out together, shall we?

Sports?
No, thank you.

Favorite fashion magazine?
Elle.  And if I feel like wasting money on paper I only look at once, European mags.

Favorite vacation spot?
Cities!  I need to always be doing something, it’s just how I am.  Take me on a vacation to a resort and all day I will be either cooped up on my computer or asking every which way what I can do next or planning what I have to do to get ready for the next big event when I get back.