HELLO!
WELCOME to the third FRIENDS & OF FRIENDS OF FRIENDS CLOSETS. This time we raided the singular artist Jiha Lee’s closet.
One of my favorite things about Jiha is she does not hold back. Including her stunning style. Read our Q&A below. And along the way, see how she styled the Riley Jacket Top in blue plaid and the Wylie Button Down in black.
And yes, Venn diagrams and tweed blazers are involved.
xoxoxoxxoxoxo
How do you pick what to wear for the day?
I ask myself: Where am I going? Who do I want to see me, who do I want to hear me?
Do you have a formula for dressing?
I build from the shoe up—that is the foundation.
I have two pairs of the same ankle boot in black and brown and a pair of black penny loafers that are in permanent rotation because they are all multitaskers.
I feel most like myself when I’m wearing something that has a strong blazer option, so it’s rare for me to go out without one. If I skip it, I always miss the extra pockets.
Do you like clothes? Do you like fashion? Do you see one as different from the other?
I love all of it.
Clothes are worn.
Fashion is a collection of stories, time, place, dreams, desire, etc. written in clothes.
Style—that’s what I’m most interested in, our personal interpretations of fashion, spoken through our own clothes.
Style vs comfort?
This is a trick question!
I wear driving gloves for comfort (I have arthritis) but get called out for my “style,” in the grocery line.
Whichever you choose it will always be interpreted as style.
How has your style changed over time?
I’m far more discerning about the media references and cultural icons I play with now than in my youth.
So I’ve cleared out all the clutter and recently realized that Jarvis Cocker has been smack dab in the middle of my Venn since my 20’s. So in my 40’s I’m kinda getting back to that sort of impulse for a tweed blazer, messy hair and slim jeans.
I’m more realistic about what I’m willing to maintain/take care of, so I rely on my little personal uniforms more than ever for ease— but that also feels so eccentric to me in a way, so like Mr. Rogers, I’m always excited to get dressed.
Is there someone’s style you admire? Why?
Patti Smith bc she seems to dress 100% for herself.
