How Atiya Walcott Found Her Personal Style Through Theater, Movement, And Movie Wardrobes

0:00The following podcast is a dear media production. Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of Let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. Today's guest is truly one of my fashion heroes. Her name is Atiyah Walcott and she is a Chicago based fashion creator who has built a following around her wearable yet very eye-catching style. But it's not just her style that will stop you in her tracks. All of her styling videos are shot and shared in a format that I promise will make you stop mid-scroll and hit save instantly. Her styling videos are beautifully cinematic. They're filmed in her stunning home with 20-foot ceilings, and each shot is crafted with the precision and creativity of honestly a seasoned film director.

0:44Every time I see one of her posts, I feel like I'm seeing a gorgeous mini-movie about fashion. If you don't follow her before you start listening to this episode, I highly recommend it. She's one of my favorite follows. In this episode, Atiyah and I dive into what goes into blending her love of theater, movement, and fashion. The journey of finding her niche and building a brand that is instantly recognizable through a thousand scrolls and her style inspirations that range from her mom's closet to even pride and prejudice. I hope you guys love the episode. Let's go get dressed with Atiyah Walcott.

1:19Welcome to Let's Get Dressed. Thank you so, so, so much for having me. You are what I like to call one of my fashion heroes. So I am absolutely thrilled to have you on the show. Your content is content that I truly look forward to seeing every time you post. It's just so creative. And I really admire creators that like have a niche and like an aesthetic that's true to them. And you're one of those people. So equally as thrilled to have you on the show today. Thank you so much. I feel so honored. That was like so sweet. Keep casting me up. Like we've got 50 minutes of me gassing you up. So that's what I'm good at.

1:54That's what the show's about. Gassing up my girls. I love the show and I'm so happy to be here. Thank you. I mean, this outfit I love. Walk me through it. What are you wearing? Okay. What I'm wearing today. So the top is this blouse that I love and wear all the time. It's from me and Em. And one of the best parts of this job is meeting new brands that I otherwise wouldn't have heard of unless they didn't reach out to me, honestly. It doesn't happen all the time, but with this brand, it did. So this is me and Em with a little cashmere Everlane scarf on top. This hat I'm obsessed with. It's like my current fixation.

2:28I just throw it on every outfit and I'm like, now it's complete. It's called, the brand is called Russ and they are out of Spain and they do knitwear primarily, but I love this hat. And then what else? A pleated skirt from Aritzia, fried and true classic. And then some And Dolce Vita heels. So good. Me and Em is very underrated, in my opinion. So underrated and so chic. So chic. But not pieces you would find everywhere. You know what I mean? They seem unique and like just clearly designed there. And I just love everything they do. Very design heavy. Definitely like a little bit higher of a price point.

3:03But you're paying for that design aesthetic. It's not just, you know, a simple pair of trousers. It's like a pair of trousers with a great piping on the side. Like there's something different. I too have only heard about them because they reached out to me. But since then, I've been a tried and true fan. Tried and true fan. And then also I agree the price point is pretty high, but I will say great quality. So if you like one of their pieces, anyone listening, definitely save it. And then I think it's a great investment. What do you think? Completely agree. Completely agree. I saw just the other day, they had this beautiful...

3:34Their fall winter lookbook is really good. And I was just looking through it the other day. there's like a great like hunter green vest moment with like a matching pair of like green corduroys. And I was like, yeah, that's exactly what I want to be wearing. Like that's it. They do a good job of curating the look completely. I'm like, I'll take it exactly how you styled it. And you know what? I find that really rare these days. There's not a lot of places that I'm looking and I'm like, I want that whole thing. They do that very well. I agree. And I work with a lot of brands that do a lot of like great basics.

4:03And I do see, you know, some of them, of course, it's like the same piece on each website. So I do think me and them is doing a good job of differentiating themselves in that department. You are not someone who I would immediately peg as like a basics girl. I would love to know, like, where are you going for basics? Because I always come to you for like the look, the moment, like what am I wearing to like a fancy thing at night or like a place that I want to wear a standout outfit. So where are you actually looking for basics? Okay, so I want to be really candid. I don't even do much shopping right now just because of the nature of the job.

4:35But the basics that I love, Banana Republic, I love their basics. They sent a cotton tee. I'm like, this is the cotton tee. Like this is thick. It's so nice. I put it in the wash and it's still nice. And the stitching is the same and it's not falling out. So yeah, I would definitely say Banana Republic. Aritzia. So I counted this pleated skirt as a basic. So that's not necessarily a basic, but it is just a gray skirt, but it's really well made. It's thick and it's nice. But yeah, like, and I'm like, this me and Dem, another basic, not a basic. The like, what's the word of the trim on the end? Like a doily.

5:10Ruching. There's like so much going on. But I also, I'm curious your thoughts on this again, as someone who is like, you and I thrive on like the cereal overdressing. I've found as I've gotten older that everyone has their own definition of a basic. Like that is so true to me, these like rich brown, like almost chocolate brown corduroys, a basic. But to someone else, they might be like, that's so far out of my realm. I think as you get older and you like figure out what your closet is and like what it's, how it speaks to you, it's like figuring out what that, what those basics are. Definitely what your like core wardrobe is.

5:47And then you build with accessories and stuff off of that. I want to get into how you get dressed every day because again, And as a viewer, I get to see these like incredible, almost like cinematic moments that come to life on Instagram. But for you, what is it like going into your closet in the morning? How are you getting dressed? Are you picking a piece or is it like a vibe? I think it's both. I think it's much easier to pick a piece. And I hope I have a piece. If I have a new piece, I'm like, yes, it's going to be so fun. Today, I got dressed just with all clothes that I have, you know, no new pieces.

6:18So I knew I went with the vibe. I was like, I want to be chic and elevated. but still comfortable. And so I started with this me and Em top. So that was like the piece that I did choose. And then I tried on like 10 different outfits to, you know, like style around this. And I'm sure at one point I even took off this top, put on a different sweater and it was like, go back to the first look. It's always the first outfit that looks the best, you know, it's like. Completely agree. It's always that first thing you pull out that you can try on a million other things, but you're always going to be like, why?

6:50Why did I stray from that? Let's go back to that. Why did I stray from that? You know, your gut knows from the jump, but you're always like, and maybe I can do something better. But you know what? A big pivotal moment for me was not having to reinvent the wheel every time you get dressed. I think I saw that quote. Someone was like, I don't have to reinvent the wheel every time I get dressed. And I know I strive for that every time. So I'm like, you know what? It's okay. Pick a skirt and a sweater and a scarf and go. we were talking about that two weeks ago on the pod. I can't, I've lost track of time, but we were saying that I was like, you know, sometimes in the morning, I feel like I really like feel that pressure to like put on a look or like look my best.

7:27And it's like, it's fine. Not every day is going to be your greatest hit. I hate that feeling of going through 10 outfits in the morning. We all have those mornings. You had it this morning. I'll probably have it this week, but it's the worst feeling. Cause then you leave the house feeling like stressed from that moment. And it's like in those moments I have to breathe and be like, it's okay. Everything's fine. like worst comes to worst, put the jeans and the tee on. No one's like judging you while you're walking out the door. It's okay. You know, Calvin Klein threw some jeans and a tee down the runway.

7:53That's what we're doing today. You know, if they can do it, so can we. Yeah, exactly. They can do it. So can we. But something gives me the feeling that like what you're wearing now is your versions of a jean and tee. 100%. You are so right. And like, which circles back to what we're saying that everyone has their different set of basics. This is like my basics. I love an elevated basic. And I actually have, we have a rack of clothes that are mine that lives in our living room because our studio is our condo. So I feel so bad. Tim's such a trooper, but we are about to like film a condo tour and we're going to like hide all the clothes and the shoes that actually live out in the space.

8:29You got to give people the fantasy. I mean, come on, can't just be in the living room. But I need to hear more about the space because I think that space for me was one of the first things that I was drawn to in seeing your content. And something I really love is seeing creators on the internet have this thing that feels like their staple. It's like, okay, I'm swiping through. And all of a sudden I see this like beautiful sage lime wash wall, and I know it's you and I'm like tapped in. So is that your home? Did it look like that before? I know that you on YouTube have done a lot of renovations.

8:59Like talk to me about space that you're creating in. So we are creating in our home. It's a condo. And since this is our home, we can do whatever we want. We're out of apartments, which is awesome. And so we saw the condo online and we were actually living in LA at the time. And then I was like, we need to live there. Like if we created content out of that space, it would be iconic. And the wall was white and it's just a normal condo in Chicago, which is sort of like an industrial style loft. So that's the space. The wall itself, I knew we were going to paint that green since 2022. I knew the paint.

9:35JH Wall Paints, Lime Wash color 128. 28. If you want it, go get it. It's a great paint. And so we've had that picked out since 2022. I saw it on TikTok. I love you, TikTok. Thanks for all the inspiration. And then I knew we were going to paint it down. And then once we did, I was like, we should add molding. It would look better. And Tim was like, these walls are 20 feet tall. We can't add molding. And I'm like, we will add molding. And then we did it together and lived with a scaffold in our apartment that was 20 feet tall for three months, which was chaos. It was awful, but it was worth it because I really think now it's an established sort of look and set and is recognizable and more and more brands want to work with us because of it.

10:21So it's like the greatest investment we ever did was building that wall, which probably took us like three to five months to complete between painting and putting up all the molding. I love that you have that eye for seeing that because when I look at your content, you very much have an eye and a niche that you've fallen into. And of course, whenever I have guests on the show, I go all the way back and you weren't always doing that. And that goes for everybody. Everybody has to kind of find their footing. I even think about Emily Mariko, who was not posting what she's posting now two, three years ago.

10:55She was posting something totally different. And I get very excited when I see creators find their niche and excel in it. So I want to know what that experience has been like for you over the past few years of, you know, okay, getting dressed, sharing your life, but there's a very strong artistry to what you're doing now. Tell us a little bit about it. It definitely was a progression that evolved naturally over time. It evolved to what it is today, which I would say is a fully functioning advertising business almost. But initially, I was looking for something to do every day. I was actually in grad school trying to find my way in life.

11:32I knew I was an artist. I studied film in undergrad and theater slash acting in grad school. And I started posting in my underwear and a t-shirt. Okay, let's be fully candid. My oldest TikToks are the first OOTD actually is me saying, I just saw a quote and the person said, don't take yourself too seriously. So I was taking content so seriously, but on YouTube doing a totally different thing. And I thought, what do I do every day? And I thought I wear clothes every day, like every day I'm in a t-shirt or something. So I thought, okay, I'm going to start posting my outfit. And the very first outfit, which is still out there today, which is kind of mortifying is me in some Hanes, like boxer brief underwear, underwear from Target and like a t-shirt and that's what I my first like 20 videos were me in those Hanes underwear and a t-shirt right I just was forgetting to put on the rest of the outfit but slowly over time maybe after like 30 videos I was like let me try on my outfit I mean I do have nice clothes like I don't have to wear pajamas like I could wear a sweater and some jeans so I started doing that and then every day I would just say my name's Atiyah Walcott and I'm not I want to be in fashion but I'm not that fashionable.

12:46So I've decided to post an outfit every single day. And I think I probably created about like a hundred videos with that speech. And after a hundred, the outfits were such that people were actually commenting, you're baiting by saying you're not fashionable. Like I didn't make the change to I'm incredibly fashionable solely by choice, but people were reacting negatively because they were like, this is clearly a curated outfit. Like you're clearly you trying? Why are you saying you're not fashionable? Is it just so people comment, you actually are fashionable? So I made the switch to I'm incredibly fashionable.

13:21And it was so sweet. The reactions, you know, the people who had been watching were like, I love to hear you affirm yourself now. And now I work in fashion adjacent, you know, I'm like an influencer. So I wouldn't say, you know, I work at a fashion company, but It's really, really, really nice to get up and work as sort of making ads, these wonderful artistic videos that Tim and I love to create or brands. It's truly a dream come true. A quick break from today's conversation to shout out the sponsor of today's episode, Birdie Gray. Winter wedding season is officially upon us. And if you are still looking for some of those last minute items like PJs for all the girls, maybe a little white dress for the after party, maybe something for your bachelorette, I highly recommend checking out Ferdie Gray.

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15:21Cotton's The Fabric of Now campaign is challenging everyone to make the natural choice. to give yourself enough room to breathe so that you can be more intentional in your everyday life and in what you wear. To me, cotton as a fabric, it just feels like a giant hug. It's the thing that I go towards every single morning when I'm getting ready to tackle my day because it's the thing that makes me feel most like myself. It feels like a second skin. Plus, it goes really well with everything in my closet and just makes dressing a breeze. It's breathable and soft and comfortable. and honestly it feels like doing that thing that you need to do for yourself to get grounded after maybe say a really hectic month for me that's going out in nature and whatever it is for you it's that feeling of getting back to yourself I love to go out in nature put my phone away leave my laptop at home be with my loved ones and totally unwind I feel completely recharged after I do those weekends and it feels so natural for me it feels so good to leave those things behind and just get to the center of myself.

16:24Maybe read a good book, play a couple board games. That's really when I feel like my most self. And it's the same way that I feel when I'm wearing cotton. So cotton is asking all of us to recharge in your own way. Maybe that means putting your phone down for a few hours a day or just going out with your friends for the night and being really present. Whatever it is, you do you. Find that thing that feels natural and makes you feel good. Cotton is the natural choice. Discover the fabric of now at thefabricofourlives.com. let's get back to the show. I liked in the beginning that you said that you're in advertising.

16:54I like that. People ask me what I do. And every time if I'm like with my husband and someone asks, I can see him look at me because he's like, how is she going to answer today? Yeah, it's like, and what do you say? What are your normal like spiels? It usually depends on who I'm in front of. If it's someone our age, I'll be like, I'm a fashion influencer. I create a lot of content, a lot of educational content. I have a podcast where I talk about styling and getting dressed every day. And like, I'll go on and on and on until I feel good about myself. If it's like someone that's a little bit older, that might not that might like make a face when I say influencer.

17:28Sometimes I say I'm in fashion marketing. And then they're like, Oh, for who? And I'm like myself. And then they're like, I'm freelance, you know, I run an agency. No, totally. That's exactly how I market it, you know, to my in-laws who are older, like my grandma, who don't really understand the social media space, I definitely say we essentially make advertisements for brands. That's a great way of thinking about it. I've seen so many incredible creators really run their social media accounts like a business. And those are the ones that I gravitate towards the most because you can see they're pouring their heart and soul into it and they really take what they do seriously and make it fun and make it engaging.

18:04And I think that's important. I love that that resonates with you because that's definitely how I am as a creator. And I started this really with the intention of doing this as my job. And I stumbled into fashion is what clicked for me. I guess that's what I loved. I didn't know it right off the top. I feel like I found something for the first time that I thrive in. You know, I've like, I went to film school. I was not good. Like, you know, some people make these movies and they could submit them to film festivals. Mine was crap. And then I went to acting school and I thrived in some areas, like movement class, A plus student, but like scene work, B student.

18:40I just was not bringing my best self to other endeavors in life before this. It wasn't the puzzle piece that fit. Exactly. And I remember when I was younger and I genuinely, I really believe, and you're such a testament to that, like the power of manifestation. You were saying, okay, I might not be fashionable, but then all of a sudden you got to be able to switch and say, I'm a T.O.L. Scott and I'm incredibly fashionable. And I hear that every day on my TikTok and Instagram. And it's amazing. when I was younger, I had so many odd jobs. I worked at Teen Vogue in entertainment. I worked in the fashion closet.

19:10I worked for Ryan Seacrest for a while. I worked in PR. I bounced around and nothing really felt like my thing 100%. And now looking at my career and looking back at that, I took one little element from every single experience and put it in a blender. And all of it applies to what I do today. And it's interesting to hear you say theater and movement were things that you loved and like that you said movement specifically was something you excelled at. If you watch your videos, your videos are cinema. There's something incredibly cinematic to them. Because I'd love to hear how going to school for cinema and theater and the arts has played a role in your fashion career now.

19:50What I studied, studying theater, studying film has impacted what we do so much. And I think our end goal is actually still to be filmmakers. And every day we add a little bit more filmmaking or a little bit more of a cinematic element to the video. But I will say my husband who shoots all of my content, he is a movie lover. When we met, he had this wall of DVDs and I just looked at him and I was like, we're going to work out. I've seen all of these. We're both movie lovers. And then I studied film. So I think that's why that cinematic energy oozes through. I think it has to do with the set design.

20:26And I think it has to do with the lighting and Tim brings the lighting. I feel like I brought sort of the set design and more of the vision. But yeah, before I met Tim, I was shooting on my iPhone. So I have to give props to my husband. Everyone always asks, we shoot on a Lumix S1 if anyone wants to know. I hope you guys are taking notes. I was like, take notes, everyone. I think that is why it's so cinematic. But I think because Tim and I are movie lovers, I think it like oozes through. It's not so intentional. It's sort of something we can't avoid more so. And then I think there was a time period where I was afraid to take myself seriously.

21:05So I would try and be like, I don't know. I was afraid to almost be like elevated, to be chic, to be refined. I think I'm much more comfortable acting goofy. And so I think taking myself more seriously enabled the art to become more cinematic and to become more serious. I wasn't trying to be funny. I was trying to create art. And it's okay if you take it seriously, even if it just lives on Instagram, quote unquote. It's okay if it lives on Instagram. That's a fabulous place to live. But there just really is a new landscape. So we do really make little mini fashion movies. And so yeah, the combination of Tim's camera, our vision, and then taking ourselves a little bit more seriously has created more of this cinematic feel that I think resonates with people and with brands.

21:51Something that keeps popping into my brain that you've said earlier in this episode that I want to like dive into a little bit is that you said when you first started doing content, you didn't feel fashionable at all. And then as you got into it, you now are addressing the way that you are right now, which is like impeccable, like a truly refined, beautiful, elegant taste. Was there something in that time that was helpful to get you to narrow down to what your personal style is? That's a great question. I think what has transformed my personal style from when I started sort of during the pandemic to now is really stepping outside.

22:30So when I started, it was the pandemic. We were at home. So I was creating outfits and art only to live on the internet. So I could wear a pair of red tights and like a top and I could wear an outfit that you could never wear walking around in a store, going out to dinner with a friend, going to an event with your parents. So now that I'm in Chicago and it's 2024, I go to events with my parents. I go to the store. I go out to lunch. I have lunches with friends. So the outfits I wear that I actually feel comfortable being seen in outside of the house are now the outfits I put on the internet. So it's the combination of sort of that avant-garde style that sort of inspires me and speaks to me with wearable clothes.

23:12So I think it's more of like a wearable art is what I do now. And I think that's what is now resonating. Yeah, I feel like that first image that I shared in an AMA of you when you and I first connected, like I can immediately go back to it. It was like a beautiful kind of like draped white top with you were wearing like a navy v-neck sweater over it. And this beautiful full like black midi skirt. And I totally understand what you're saying here, where it's like have those pieces that feel really wearable. But all you really need in an outfit to stand out or make a statement is one good piece. Like it's one amazing piece.

23:49Amazing thing. It doesn't need to be like the most complex outfit where it's like you're putting on a crazy top and a crazy skirt. Like I found that some of my favorite outfits are an amazing blazer or an amazing top and just a pair of jeans under it. Or like what you were styled that day, which was like this beautiful, flowy, very romantic skirt. with something that feels polar opposite, which was like a very traditional v-neck sweater. It was like cashwear. I know exactly. I was wearing this little tank top underneath. And the tank top is sort of like, it's just a white tank top. Yeah, but it has this odd neck.

24:22It's from Meshki. Has sort of this asymmetrical neck with Banana Republic cashwear sweater on top. So super soft. But that skirt, which is sort of the hero piece of that look, is my favorite garment of clothing. It's from a brand called Metapolady. They are from Turkey. but I love that skirt and I love that you only need one hero piece it's sort of like this me and them blouse that I'm wearing that had like just these green pointed kitten toe heels with that look I just love that it resonated I love that well I think you know for me and I loved what you were saying earlier about you know fashion being the thing that you do every day like what can I share every day that I do and for me that's really why I fell in love with fashion and why even now like my greatest passion is sharing how to get dressed every day because we all do it.

25:05I don't care if you're a fashion lover. You have to get dressed every day to represent yourself in the world, no matter who you are. And I think a look like that is so universally understood because things that everybody has in their closet, and it's just like one tiny level up to make you that much more fashionable. That doesn't feel like this crazy avant-garde trendy thing that I have to like sell you on or like share with you. But it's like, hey, instead of a black pair of slacks, try a skirt, try a green pump, like try something that just feels a little bit more dynamic and interesting and see how you feel.

25:34See how you feel because you might not feel so out there in it, but it still is a strong choice, you know, like the pop of greener or something simple, but a strong choice like that. There are no rules in fashion. And that is one of my favorite things about fashion. Where are you getting fashion inspiration from? Even like thinking about, you know, that era where you were finding your personal style a little bit, Like, were people in your family fashionable? I always like to kind of go back through kind of someone's history and be like, where did that spark come from for you? Definitely, I would say my mom is fashionable.

26:07She has a more maximalist aesthetic than me, but she has a major aesthetic. She is very well dressed and she really cares about fashion. And I remember growing up, she would buy all these vintage shoes, like vintage Manolo Blahniks, vintage everything from eBay. And it's because that's what she could afford. She was a lawyer. She was doing well, but I think she wanted to present at work. She worked in downtown Manhattan. She wanted to present really well. She wanted to look very fashionable. So I definitely owe a lot of my fashion sense to her. And as I rewatch things like The Real Housewives, I'm thinking, oh, that Stella McCartney bag.

26:44She saw that back in 2005 on this show, and that's why it was so popular. So I just love the way that film and television has also informed my style and I see how it's informed my mother's style and just people's style in general. And for my style, I think that I used to watch a lot of period pieces. So now I'm realizing how that influence is in my aesthetic. Like I pretty much dress like modern clothes styled in the way that a woman from a different era would wear them. Okay. Give me a movie like off the top of your head. What's a movie that you're like, I dress like that. Like I want to say Pride and Prejudice, but like this hairstyle, which you can't see right now, for example.

27:23But lately, I'm addicted to plopping my hair on my head. It's like I want to wear my hair down or just in a ponytail, but I almost feel incomplete somehow. But I'm realizing like, OK, if I watch Pride and Prejudice, I see that they all have their hair pinned up with sort of like the tendrils framing the face. So that's why I'm obsessed with that look. The scarf, I keep draping the scarf. I love Atonement. Different era. Love you, Keira Knightley. Different era. But like the fashion in that green dress changed changed my life. The green dress? Changed my life. Never forget it. Never forget it. Goosebumps.

27:54I'm so glad you got it and relate. And I actually think that to this day, every time a new season comes out, I feel like a designer is trying to iterate on that dress in a new way. They're always trying to get back to the essence of the green dress and atonement. I'm big on costumes, though. I can see that. And I can like feel that in your ethos. I do think that so much of what we wear is inspired by what we see in TV and film. It's that mixed with how we want to feel. I think I used to get inspiration actually from other influencers and I used to feel like inferior, like because they would dress more avant-garde than me.

28:25How could I do that? Like, then I realized, you know what? You grew up how you grew up. I went to like boarding school outside of Boston. My mom's a lawyer. Like I do, I am drawn to a corporate, like a button up to a pleated skirt. I'm drawn to that sort of business attire. So I just sort of accepted like I am who I am. My influences are my influences. My aesthetic is my aesthetic. There's value there. It will resonate with people. You don't have to be, you don't have to dress like people whose aesthetics you love, you know, I can appreciate without replicating. I actually feel like after this conversation, I'd start telling people to watch old movies and look at the fashion and see what inspires you and see if there's something that you can pull from there that isn't just maybe a copy paste of what you're seeing in the world today.

29:08It's like everybody has something that resonates with them. And I remember seeing Audrey Hepburn in that Givenchy dress for the first time and being like, oh my God, my whole world has changed. And the way that I see myself in the mirror is forever changed. The grace that I want to show up in the world as, that's it. So I think everybody - I love that word grace. I think everybody needs to have one word that they feel connected to as they're getting dressed and showing up in the world every day. It can be whatever it is. Everyone has their own mind as grace, whether it's in the way that I dress, the way that I greet people, the way that I make people feel like that's what I always want to embody.

29:44You definitely exude a graceful energy. I see that. My word is chic, which is funny because I'm not always chic. I just want to feel chic, whatever that is to me. And I like that word because you can, that can be something different to every person. I always feel like if I want to look chic, that I'm always trying to level up, that I always want to feel my best self. 100%. That's like me all the time. My husband and are going to go work on our condo after this. Always, always renovating. And I'm going to put on like a sweatsuit. I still want to feel chic. It's going to be a chic. I was going to say, wait, what's your chic sweatsuit?

30:16Tell us now. Oh gosh. I, one, I just got this like little Calvin Klein sweatsuit, which it just matches. If something's matching, I feel more elevated. Monochrome, keep it matching, keep it slim. A monochrome moment. It's going to be the same color as this. It's a monochrome little sweatshirt. And then I'll put like a cute sports bra and then I'll wear my PPE mask. And then when my husband comes around, I'm like, hey, I'm just painting. Like I'm so extra. I, God bless him because I really am so extra. I'm so, so much personality. I appreciate that so much. I love people who embody their full personality.

30:50I love when it comes out in the clothes and I, I appreciate that so much. I think we need more of that in the world. Heck yeah. Yeah. I want to go back quickly to this like pride and prejudice way of dressing. Cause I love that you said that because you know that I'm always obsessed with your like tights and sock selections. You always have like beautifully colored. That's your thing. Like every time I'm on your channel, you've got, yeah, you've got like an epic pair of socks on. You've got like a beautifully colored pair of tights. Where are you finding all of these? I'm sure people will want to know.

31:19You can get them from Mango. I wish it was so much more exciting because on Mango, you can get them in green, blue, every color you need right now. And then the other place that I've gotten them is Amazon. Gosh, I wish I had, I wish it was like Wilford. Like I just have like not any anywhere interesting, but really mango. And then lately I've been, I want to wear my red and my blue ones, but I've been like just wearing these black ones. They just feel more refined to me, but I'm like, I'm going to find a way to incorporate the colorful tights. But yeah, that's definitely like a brand identity.

31:49I just feel more put together when I feel those tights on. I can't explain it. And then maybe I'm less self-conscious if I don't have a fresh pedicure or something like that. Me every day. It's always function. I feel like function is involved in all of my looks like this hat. It really is raining today, but I still wear it when it's not raining. I want to ask you because you do live in a colder area than I do. I'm in Los Angeles. But do you think that you're not styling the red and blue tights as much because it's harder to wear color in the winter? A lot of people have been asking me about this.

32:19Like, how do I keep color in my wardrobe without having to invest in like a really expensive coat that like has great colors to it? How do I keep the colors going for the winter colder weathers? Well, definitely the tights. Definitely keep the colors going in the tights. It's the perfect pop of sunshine in the winter. But you know what I've realized since moving from Los Angeles to Chicago, my entire color palette of my wardrobe has changed. I wear only grays, blues, blacks, and whites, and earth tones now. And it's so interesting. And I guess part of it is not wanting to stand out. I think that does play a role.

32:54When I just moved here, I remember I had like a lime green, like all clava that I was wearing. And I'm like, no one is dressing like this. So I'm standing out like a sore thumb. So I think on a subconscious level, you don't want to stand out. And then yeah, brands don't make a lot of non-expensive, colorful outer coats and stuff like that. So I've never thought about why in the winter you just wear dreary colors. I don't know if it's like your mood is a little more dreary. So you dress, you know. I also think like obviously weather permitting, like wearing black, it's like if you get stuck in the rain or snow, like it's just the easiest color.

33:30But I'm very pro, like throw in a colorful scarf, throw in a colorful pair of tights, like do something to keep that color therapy going. Because I really think that that if you are someone who gets like the seasonal depression and doesn't want to wear black all the time, it's like keep the colors going in your wardrobe will be really helpful. Definitely. I love to throw in colors with my glasses. And I feel like My mom has so many colorful glasses. And yeah, that's another good way to get a pop of color in there. We always close out the show by asking if there was one thing in fashion that you could change right now, what would it be?

34:00I feel like everyone says this, but slow it down. I know eventually one day I want to start a brand. It is not conceivable to me for me to show two times a year or even more than that, any resort or anything like that with like 30 pieces or 30 outfits. That is insane. And on the one hand, I understand there's a market and a clientele that they're specifically marketing to and selling to who will buy a new outfit for every dinner. But on the other hand, how do people have the creativity? And I think that that's why a lot of burnout is happening and why a lot of the big fashion houses, they have a creative director for two years and then they're leaving because like us millennials and then the Gen Z that's older, we grew up with a different energy, which is not just like hustle and work through the pain.

34:46It's sort of stop and self-care. So that's what I would say is just slow it all down. Why are we making so many clothes? How many? I could find 50 versions of one thing at any given point of time in the day. I sell them. I'm saying all that just to go home and sell like 50 versions of the same gray sweater, but we're all trying. I'm going to refute that by saying that there's something for everybody. Everybody needs to get dressed every day. Everybody needs to find a style that works for them and fits them and is in their price range. And I think if you're being of service to people and helping them get dressed.

35:21Beautifully put. And I'm glad that you and I get to help people and be in service of that way because your alpha can really impact your confidence and your mood. So I just love what we get to do. And thank you so much for having me again. It was the best time. So glad that we got to do this. Thank you so much for being in studio all the way in Chicago. though I appreciate it so much. Oh yeah. Thank you for having me.

36:12Thank you.

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