i just couldn’t help myself! i had to get a quick shot of me in the interrogation room for this post. anyway, i was going to split this up into several parts, but decided to just DO THIS THING. so grab yourself a glass of wine and get comfy, because this is going to be really, really long. in fitting with the theme, i decided to add some photos of me trying to pick something to wear. geez, it’s like erin unplugged over here today!
what was your first vintage piece of clothing that you fell in love with?
i distinctly remember a red givenchy sweater that i bought at an estate sale with my mom. i think i was in the 7th grade. one day i decided to give it away and then for weeks after, i regretted it. now, i fall in love with vintage all the time, but no longer have a hard time saying goodbye. the thing with vintage (and clothing in general) is the impermanence of it. you rip it or stain it or else it goes out of fashion or you change your taste, so you can only enjoy it while it lasts.
when did you first start taking care in what you wore?
always! when i was a little kid, my daily routine would involve 2 – 3 outfit changes per day, much to my poor mother’s consternation. i was often heard complaining that i had nothing to wear whilst sitting in a pile of clothes. um, i basically still do the same thing today…
what’s your personal style philosophy?
i dress for myself because i want to look good. i try to find silhouettes that are flattering and i tend to go for simplicity. ideally, i would love the wear a mix of vintage and designer pieces, but i’m not at a place in my life where i can afford designer clothing.
what inspired you to blog???
well, i always cared a lot about getting dressed, so when i discovered sites like chictopia and weardrobe, i just started posting my outfits. there was just this sort of natural progression where blogging just seemed like the next logical step.
who takes your pictures?
my boyfriend. his name is brendan and he does really cool art and writes fiction as well. he will be making his debut on my blog next week!
do you ever get scared when you’re posing on your rooftop because i’m terrible with heights and i can barely even go on my friend’s fire escape and so i was just wondering if that’s an issue for you, because the photos come out looking really cool but it looks nerve-wracking to be up there.
i’m not afraid of heights. in fact, i like climbing, hiking, and biking up to high places very much.
do you always feel confident in your outfit choices or do you ever worry about what others think?
in order to leave the house in what i’m wearing, i do have to feel confident. but sometimes when i go out, i get self-concious if a lot of people stare at me. i just want to look good, i don’t want to be gawked at.
there’s a lot of cute stuff out there but i don’t feel like i have the confidence to wear it. any advice on what i can tell myself so that i just go for it?
sometimes we just allow ourselves and others to define who we are and how we should be. i think it’s important to remember that you’re allowed to change and do what you want!
where do you shop on the rare occasion that you don’t go vintage?
i will shop anywhere. mostly h&m, forever 21, j.crew, urban outfitters, anthropologie, nordstrom, modcloth.com, shopbop.com, rue la la, gilt groupe.
do you have a favorite designer(s)?
chloe, built by wendy, luella, lover, charles anastase, steven alan, wren, a.p.c., rachel comey, 3.1 philip lim, band of outsiders, marc jacobs.
if you had a bunch of money given to you to expand your closet, what would be your first (expensive) purchase?
i would buy a mulberry bayswater. i’ve always wanted one.
what’s the best purchase you ever made?
i have no idea. but i am always most pleased when i buy a cashmere cardigan. i wear them until they are threadbare and get holes because they are so warm and comfy.
what is your favorite color to wear?
i don’t have a favorite. i tend to wear a lot of neutrals: black, gray, navy, cream, white, but i would love to add more red and mustard yellow into the mix. or else maybe i’m just craving a hot dog? get it? ketchup and mustard? yeah…
are there any current actors/musicians/celebs who’s style you particularly admire?
this always changes, but i am currently watching alexa chung and chloe sevigny very closely. i also like to see what michelle williams and rachel bilson are wearing.
what would be the most unlikely thing we’d ever see you wearing?
um, i probably wouldn’t wear pink velour sweatpants with juicy across the butt.
what do you do for a living?
i write my blog, sell vintage clothing on etsy, and go to school full-time.
what are you studying in school?
liberal studies with an emphasis on multiple subject teaching (elementary school) and a minor in art.
what is something that you really want to achieve in the next year?
i want my blog and etsy shop to pay my living expenses. i have a strong feeling that this will happen in the next year, if not the next few months and i am oh so excited because i put a lot of time and effort into it and i think it would only be fair to get a little bit back in return for all that work!
what do you see yourself doing in ten years time?
wow, i have absolutely no idea. i can’t answer that. i’m studying to become a teacher, but i’m also really enjoying the whole world of fashion, so i’m leaving it open.
what would be your ideal blue collar job? me, i’d like to try out being a mailperson or train conductor.
i would want to do finish carpentry, like building furniture and other fine woodwork, but that job doesn’t exist anymore because they have ikea now.
what are your tattoos of?
i actually did a blog post about my tattoos here. there are even scans of where the original images came from.
if you could get your dream tattoo, what would your design be, influenced by whom/what and who would the ultimate tattoo artist be to do it?
see above. or click here.
what’s you favorite movie?
i can never ever choose favorites! this will be a mix of actual movie titles and directors that i love in no particular order: harold and maude, jean-luc godard, mean girls, spike jonze, heathers, woody allen, the dark crystal, federico fellini, the neverending story, alexander payne, welcome to the dollhouse, hayao miyazaki, the graduate, wes anderson. there’s too many.
if you were a character in a book or a film (or both!) who would you be?
anna karina in pierrot le fou or audrey hepburn in funny face. i’m not saying i’m like them, but i wish i was! if you’re asking who i’m actually like, i don’t know. my boyfriend always says i’m like giulietta masina in the nights of cabiria, which is quite a compliment to me!
what’s your favourite book?
i’m embarrassingly not very well-read when it comes to fiction. some of my favorite authors are arthur miller, kurt vonnegut, j.d. salinger, jeffrey eugenides.
what kind of music do you listen to?
some favorites in no particular order: the pixies, of montreal, the kinks, xtc, the breeders, cat stevens, tom tom club, the blow, weezer, radiohead, beck, belle and sebastian, the beatles, joni mitchell, air, bjork, submission hold. boy, some of this stuff really dates me.
i always associate a particular piece of music/tune to an era…do you have any favorite tunes, say for 30s, 40s, 50, 60s?
sons of the pioneers, woody guthrie, django reinhardt, thelonius monk, the beatles.
what song would you choose as the soundtrack to your life?
if you want to sing out by cat stevens for the harold and maude soundtrack. that’s kind of a joke. i don’t know how to answer that one.
what makes you laugh?
the other night i caught that episode of i love lucy where she does the famous mirror routine with harpo marx and i laughed so hard! seriously, that show is funny.
what makes you cry?
i cried the other day for like 10 seconds because i was overwhelmed with holiday plans and finishing up the semester in school. i love the holidays, but it gets stressful sometimes.
why do you love california?
it’s where i was born and where 5 generations of my family were born before me. it’s absolutely beautiful, with miles and miles of coastline, hot deserts, and majestic mountain ranges, of which you can experience all in one day. and there’s really good food, beer, and wine here.
where in the world would you most like to visit?
i haven’t had the opportunity to travel yet. the only place i’ve been outside of the u.s. is belize. i would love to go back to the caribbean, but i’d also like to see mexico, france, and sweden.
if you could only order one thing from a coffee shop for life, what would it be?
i want to say coffee with steamed soy milk, but seeing as i recently quit drinking coffee (we’ll see how long that lasts), i have to say tea with steamed soy milk.
if you could go back in time..what year would it be??
i would want to go back to prehistoric times and check out some dinosaurs.
if you could meet or see again anyone past or present, who would it be and why?
like jesus? i dunno… oprah?
