Name: Andrea
Age: 24
City of Residence: Christchurch, New Zealand
Pithy Title for your hybrid of Signature Style
Erm … cute and colourful vintage chic?
Brief Narrative on your Personal Brand of Sartorial Fashion:
I love colour and prints – particularly plaid, polka-dots and gingham. I am inspired by 40s and 50s looks most of all. I hardly ever wear black, and I hardly ever wear trousers. I see fashion as a way of injecting colour, creativity and joy into everyday life. Oh, and I usually only buy second-hand or vintage clothes!
How old were you when you figured out your sense of style?
It has been an ongoing process. I have always dressed ‘weirdly.’ In high school this meant bell-bottoms, ponchos and headscarves. In university, this meant long leather jackets, lace gloves and corsets. I feel very comfortable with the style I have now, however. I started wearing a lot of vintage in 2008, when I was 22, and I learned quickly that 1950s styles suited my personality and body shape very well. And I haven’t looked back! I feel very comfortable with my style now.
Who is your style icon?
There are a few. Piksi from wardrobe_remix is definitely a big inspiration for me, as are many more of the lovely bloggers whose blogs I follow. I am inspired more by real people than by celebrities – although, having said that, I do love Zooey Deschanel, Audrey Hepburn and the character of Chuck from Pushing Daisies. I know, I’m a walking cliche!
What’s your best piece of fashion advice for women?
Wear what makes you happy!
Where do you shop when you want a bargain?
There are lots of wonderful op-shops (thrift stores) around, and I buy the vast majority of my clothes from these places. So I suppose everything I buy is a bargain, really! I actually feel terribly guilty when I buy a new garment at full price, and nearly always regret it. I like to hunt for treasures in thrift stores, and I also like to know exactly to whom my money is going – not always possible when buying from a ‘first-hand’ store.
Where are your top 5 places to shop overall?
- Tete a Tete Vintage, Hereford St, Christchurch
- Two Squirrels, Cashel St, Christchurch
- Savemart, Battersea St, Sydenham, Christchurch
- The Great Opportunity Shop, Riccarton Road, Christchurch
- Toffs Recycled Clothing, Gloucester St, Christchurch
What body issue do you dress around, and how?
I’m a bit self-conscious about my bum and thighs, which is where I carry my weight. I wear a lot of dresses and skirts and I always emphasis my waist, which draws attention away from the problem area to a slimmer part of my body. I feel terribly frumpy if I don’t accentuate my waist in some way – I guess if I had a rule, that would be it.
Of course, on my more confident days I also like to accentuate these curvier parts with a pencil skirt. I guess it just depends on how I’m feeling.!
Andrea – are you ever lovely! Adorable get ups. Thanks for sharing these guest fashionistas Reachel!
xoxo MMW
Thanks so much, Reachel! The feature is lovely.
I just noticed that I repeated myself in one of the interview answers – I said “I’m very comfortable with my style” twice. Whoops. Although I guess it shows that I really am super-duper comfortable with it. 🙂 Tee hee!
All the best to you and your new baby.
Hello, Yellow!! Love it.
Andrea-
Your repetition is only a tool of your writing prowess to bring emphasis to your core values (even if it was unintentional). Thanks for sharing with us!