Who is she?

• Name: Kathryn

• Works as a: Graphic Designer

• Age: 28

• Kathryn’s style described in her own three words: “Dark, kitsch, and long (“I try to look as long as possible”)”

Portland Style Icon

Kathryn and I met 3 years ago at a Christmas party. Her old Hollywood style drew me in. We’ve been friends ever since. 

I’ve come to know her as a Portland style icon. 

One of the [many] reasons I bow down to Kathryn’s style is due to her massive range. While I adore the 1960s beauty queen garb, she also rocks the “bassist in a punk band” look, too.

How did Kathryn's style evolve into these two stark ends of the spectrum? I had to find out.

Clothing As Armor

The Baggier The Better

Clothing didn’t always come easy to Kathryn. She used it more as an amor than expression.

That’s because from a young age, Kathryn didn’t feel comfortable with her body. 

She explained that her body size was larger than average and that the clothing available to her did not match the vision of the clothing she wanted. 

She wore baggy clothes in hopes of hiding her frame.

“I wore parachute pants, sweat pants, big overalls, and men's t-shirts in 2nd grade. Everything was baggy.”

Clippings from an old Deb magazine. Images sourced from Tutus & Tiny Hats.

TGFD (Thank God For Deb)

That all changed when Kathryn entered the 5th grade and discovered a store called Deb. Deb was life-changing because it offered the kind of clothing a junior wanted to wear in an inclusive selection of sizes.

Deb made style accessible for girls like Kathryn. 

“I think my life would have been really different if Deb didn’t exist because it made me feel the same. They had all the same stuff in both sizes [junior and plus], baby tees that said ‘Sassy’ on them and leopard jeans.”

Kathryn was able to find clothing that she liked and in her size.

“My favorite outfit would have been around 5th or 6th grade when glitter pants were a thing. The first day of school, all of the girls had their glitter pants on. I had glitter pants, too, and that felt good because it was the first time I really embraced fashion and let go of the baggy clothing.”

The funny thing is, Kathryn’s style hasn’t changed drastically since those glitter pant days (hence the bassist in a punk band looks we see today).

“If I saw that same [Deb] Union Jack shirt in a thrift store today then I would totally get it.”

From Life Change to Style Change

Here Comes the Bride

Soon after college, Kathryn experienced the biggest adjustment period of her life. She got married and moved across the country. Quite literally. She moved from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon.

Kathryn describes this period of her life as one of personal redefinition.

Struggling to adapt to her new life, her “weird and cringey” clothes reflected this.

She found herself wearing clothing that didn’t quite fit, or were downright inappropriate to be worn public. Pajamas as clothing anyone? Hey, we’ve all done it.

“When I think about that time in my life I remember feeling manic and not great about it.”

Back To Her Roots

Kathryn and her husband’s time in Oregon was short-lived. 

Moving back to Maine a year later helped Kathryn regain her sense of self. She started a new career, had the support of her family close by and, of course, already knew her favorite places to shop.

It was during this time that Kathryn began to pay attention to clothing fit and material.

“I still don’t really know how to pinpoint my style, but I feel good about it.”

Finding Her Style

An Odyssey

Kathryn’s process for discovering her style was an odyssey marked with trial and error. 

She bought many items without trying them on first. 

PSA: PLEASE TRY ON CLOTHING BEFORE YOU BUY >>>

“I will say, I think it’s cost me hundreds of dollars to do it this way but I have learned what looks good on me and what doesn’t through experimentation.”

She Has a Great Memory

Kathryn is an expert at internal note keeping and has an acute eye for detail. She is great at noticing what she likes and doesn’t like in clothing and logs it for future reference. 

These skills allowed her to swiftly iterate her style and improve future shopping trips.

“I used to pick up a sweater because I thought it was cute and liked it, but when I brought it home, I’d go to wear it and realized that the sleeves were too long or the neck was too low, or the material was tacky. 

Then the sweater would hang in the closet forever and I would have to admit that I’d never wear it and get rid of it. 

I learned to memorize what I hated about it and what to look out for next time. Now I think I’ve finally figured it out.”

She Makes It Work

Buy It Cheap & Alter It

Kathryn is empowered by the idea that style doesn’t need to be expensive. Her favorite places to shop are second-hand stores (we have that in common). Give her $5 and she’ll find a put together a flawless look in no time.

“I will very rarely pay $5 for a single piece of clothing. If I’m at Salvation Army and they want $8.99 for a sweater I’ll think to myself ‘is this half-off day?’ I’m competitively cheap.”

Kathryn also loves customizing and altering her clothes. And the great thing about doing this with inexpensive clothing? It’s completely stress-free!  If something goes wrong during the alteration, she’s out $2. 

I delight in Kathryn’s sense of vision. Her love for a bargain feeds her creativity. She sees the raw materials and wields them to work for her.

On Keeping Her Closet Fresh

Limit Your Space

Kathryn is a recycler. She is consistently curating her closet and cycling in new pieces frequently. 

As a fellow thrifter, I can understand Kathryn’s chronic need to hunt for that one-of-a-kind piece.

Yet, although Kathryn regularly buys new pieces, she is mindful of her limited closet space.

“The shelf life of a piece of clothing for me is 3 - 5 months.”

This also impacts her seasonal projections when she cleans out her closet.

“When I go through my closet, I have to project what I am going to want in the coming season because I have a very small closet with limited space. I think about the next 4 months and consider what is taking up space and what really deserves to be there.”

Kathryn cycles clothing back to the community through the Salvation Army. Donate responsibly! >>>

Developing a Personal Style

Guts, Tears, and Sweat

Kathryn doesn't adhere to trends. She wears what she wants. One day she wants to be punk band grungy and the next polished and glam.

“For me, I trust that I will know it when I see it. It’s worked for me in the past, and I trust this same sense will continue to work for me in the future.”

You Have to Trust Yourself

How many times have we heard this from Seeking Inspirato features? It always seems to be a feeling they talk about. The black-and-white version of me fiercely wants Kathryn to write out the steps she goes through when deciding whether or not a shirt is her style.

But that’d be pointless. Her process will be different from Sheila’s, Elise’s, or anyone else because she has unique criteria that she’s developed over the years.

Think of all the times Kathryn brought something home and ended up never wearing it–the data on why those pieces didn’t work are stored in her head and accessed whenever she’s deciding on a new piece.

Kathryn does meet the 3 cornerstones of personal style:

• The 4C’s: Kathryn has a strong understanding of what color, cut, cloth, and comfort looks best on her. [This is the formula behind finding pieces that will work for your body type and style].

• Resiliency: She got back on her feet after her time in Oregon when she didn’t love her style. That time in her life helped define who she is today.

• Vulnerability: Kathryn’s style ABSOLUTELY says “this is how I want to look”. She has no problem getting outside of her comfort zone to try something new.

While these elements remain the building blocks, there is personal criteria we all set the more experience we have with clothing. What do you think?

Kathryn “Classic” Outfit Example

Credits:

• A huge thank you to Kathryn and all of the Seeking Inspirato participants for sharing their stories in hopes of inspiring other women.

• All of amazing photography work was completed by Webb Photo in Portland, Maine.