1. When do you feel at your most attractive?

Jasmine Henry

1. When do you feel at your most attractive?

When I'm wearing a loud floral kimono and heeled clogs with nothing else. Hair piled high on my head with smudged black eyeliner and dark lipstick.

2. Do you notice women on the street? If so, what sort of women do you tend to notice or admire?

I stare at everyone.
I'm envious of the tidy women who can wear white.
I feel empathetic toward women who look uncomfortable or unhappy in their clothing.
I have feelings of awe toward women with particularly elegant style, especially if they're capable of making a simple outfit shine.

3. What are some things you admire about how other women present themselves?

I admire women who create personal style despite socioeconomic disadvantage. Working-class women who know which colors and silhouettes are flattering.

I started dying my hair cobalt blue about 4 years ago. It transformed my skin into porcelain and made my eyes pop.
I may have been born with strawberry blonde hair but dark blue is the most flattering color on me. I may dabble with Indigo or Peacock blue dyes, but I'll never be unfaithful to blue hair.

I care about the numeric size printed on a clothing tag, and I'm more likely to buy an item that's vanity-sized. I absolutely despise this fact about myself.
I think women who purchase an item that fits and flatters without getting caught up in the clothing size are more evolved than myself.

I always, always wear my pants pretty snug. It's a matter of preference, really. I still wear a lot of skinny jeans and I like flares a lot, I can't make myself get into boyfriend jeans.

I wish I was willing to play around with baggier bottoms, like paperbag pants because they're really pretty universally flattering.

I read "I'll Drink to That: A Life in Style" by Betty Halbreich during a very long bus ride. It wasn't a conversation, but it was transformative. This memoir, written by an 86 year-old personal shopper at Bergdorf Goodman felt like a conversation.

Betty Halbreich's book taught me the value of pairing a jacket with a casual outfit to look like a polished boss lady and many other lessons about timeless style and caring for clothes.

Well. My 31st year has brought a lot of challenging lessons, and I've learned the value of slowing down and being more careful. I'm learning to stop burning the candle at both ends when it comes to relationships, work, and finances.

I've mostly quit wearing bras, so I have an absolute TON of black camisoles and black thongs for my base layer. I've read that millennial women are driving lingerie retailers out of business with our preference for soft bralettes and such. I'm not remotely busty and it took me 30 years to realize I didn't need a "good bra."

I collect ankle booties with a block heel and real clogs.
I like wearing bold pants, so I've got an absolute ton of simple black tees and sweaters for pairing.

Finally, I'm amassing quite a collection of statement jackets--camo jackets, windbreakers, moto jackets. I couldn't be happier about that!

I purchased my boyfriend a red Louis Vuitton belt which he adores and wears at least three times per week.

How much time do we have?
Boyfriend jeans
Sherpa fleece pullovers
Ultra high-waisted jeans
Clear heels
Adidas
Neon
Overlined, nude-colored lips
Aggressive facial makeup contouring

My Mother is a fundamentalist Christian who wears ankle-length skirts, birkenstocks, and floral prints. I like to say I've swung the opposite direction, but it's not strictly true.

As I get older, I notice elements of my Mother's style in the way I dress. My hair texture is usually naturally curly, and I wear minimal makeup and jewelry. We've both got mad love for gem tones, clogs, and sweaters.

My Mother and I are very physically alike, especially as I age and I know she's never felt good in her skin. Our relationship is the opposite of close, but I wish I could take her shopping and help her find things she felt confident in. I really appreciate the perfect set of legs you gave me, Mama.

My sister is two years younger than myself, and we've mutually influenced each other.
We certainly stole many clothing items from each other. She's always been quite athletic and she's taught me how to wear sportswear and athletic shoes.
I've taught her the fine art of kimonos and big hair.

A big bang moment occurred when I was 14. I was sitting on a park bench by the waterfront, reading a book on a warm June day. An incredibly creepy old man walked up and started taking my picture. He told me I was beautiful. I felt paralyzed with fear and acted like I didn't mind having my picture taken to avoid upsetting him.

In that moment, I decided I was an alternative girl, like my friend Caroline's older sister who wore Metallica tank tops. I thought I'd get as many piercings and tattoos as I possibly could, as soon as I could. I wanted to look tough, so men didn't bother me any longer.

I had something like 31 body piercings by my 18th birthday. I had three quarter sleeve tattoos by 20. Today, at age 31, I have 2 piercings and loads of tattoos. Alternative style feels natural.

And for the record...men still bother me.

I wake up political, and I sleep naked. Tattooed women are inherently political.

Women in our culture lack a certain degree of agency and getting tattoos increases that phenomenon. Men openly discuss my body in public, in front of me. Someone coined the term "tatcalling" to describe excessive attention. People have a lot of questions for heavily-inked women, like "did that hurt?" or "what does it mean?

The rest of me is pretty political, too. I show as much skin as I want to, and I rarely wear a bra. I refuse to wear heels to work if I'm traveling to a conference. I went to grad school for way too long to wear heels for 8 hours. Women colleagues whisper to me "I wish I wore flats," and I tell them "it's a gamechanger. Wear flats to work."

Tall, strong, rectangular.
A firefighter in a Las Vegas bar once asked me "why are your shoulders so big?"
Plus, I have legs for days and days.

Rebellious, curious.

Filtered and softened by years of therapy.

My hair is clipped up into a curly birdsnest, like Helena Bonham Carter's coif with bobby pins and a scrunchie.

I'm wearing an oversized solid black hoodie, a camisole, a thong, and tight camo pants. I'm wearing aviator prescription glasses, like Gloria Steinham.

I put on makeup probably 12 hours ago:
Doucce Punk Volumizer Mascara in Black
Belle En Argent Lip Color in Smoking on Screen
Seraphine Botanicals Luminizing Primer
IT Cosmetics CC Cream in Fair
Revlon Blonde Eyebrow Pencil
Tarte Sex Kitten Liquid Eyeliner in Black

It's really pretty unimportant in the greater scheme of things. I work from home and I only left my house for 10 minutes today, to purchase a kombucha bag of spicy peanuts from a convenience store.

However, I feel myself--I feel attractive and confident if a friend showed up at my door or I had a surprise video call for work.

I live in a rural area that's mostly filled with retirees. I mostly discuss clothing and fashion online, on communities like Reddit.

I've been breaking institutional standards for clothing since my mid-teens. I bristle at rules.

My parents and their church have very definitive standards for modest, feminine dress. I've rejected those.

My professional career in IT technology started in the Bible Belt. I remember a female mentor telling me to wear a navy blue skirt suit with hose to job interviews. I scored an interview, and I wore black slacks with an orange printed top. They hired me.

I think I have great style and poor taste, and I'm very comfortable with that.

To me, "taste" speaks of someone who dresses in a way that's conventionally pleasing. I imagine they have a well-organized closet full of Brooks Brothers shirts and merino sweaters. A tasteful person's clothes always fit, and their clothes never offend.

Someone with style has a well-defined aesthetic that may exist well outside the boundaries of convention or what's acceptable. A stylish person dresses to express their inner self and make themself happy.

I have a pair of ankle booties with a very, very high heel. They're purple, sparkly, and designer. They fit correctly but they're just not put together very well and they make my feet hurt. I've worn them maybe 3 times.

I bought my ex-husband a $280 Norwegian sweater for Christmas one year. I think he wore it once. Some people have no taste.

An oversized black top with excessively long sleeves is a rad visual trick. I'm not small by any means, but I appear small in an oversized black hoodie.

I've been wearing brandless oversized hoodies and expensive athletic shorts with a 2-inch inseam for years. An XL or XXL hoodie completely obscures the pants, and the resulting look is a jarring amount of pale white leg.

Last year, Ariana Grande wore that outfit in public with her ex-boyfriend Pete Davidson. Now, it's all the rage among college-aged women and also quite controversial. Someone on Twitter described the outfit as "shitwalking" and that's the kind of description you just don't forget.

I really honestly don't.

I enjoy looking at expensive wallpaper online and fantasizing about home improvement projects which never ever come to life.

I'm a decent classical pianist and a competent cook. I've got a green thumb, but I mostly grow succulents and water-rooted plants.

4-inch block heels are my armor or maybe my security blanket. I'm 5'8'' tall, and I feel confident walking into a room at 6-feet tall.

I would absolutely say I know what I like--I wear about 4 different colors and exactly two types of print. I rarely vary my silhouettes, and I have a distinct type of style silhouette for lounging, casual, semi-casual, and formal occasions.

I also know exactly what I like when it comes to dating, food, music, entertainment, and work.

My Mother sewed many of her clothes and thrifted the rest. My Father wore workwear, like Carhartt, Timberland, Dickies, and Caterpillar.

I'll be endlessly grateful that my Mother taught me how to sew. I won awards for sewing in my teens, and today I really understand how garments are put together. My Mother's never had the money to buy well-made clothes, but her sewing lessons taught me how to assess garment quality.

There are certain lessons my parents couldn't teach me, because they weren't white collar professionals. I had to learn how to navigate dry cleaning and tailoring very quickly when I graduated college.

I'll never quit wearing black eyeliner on my lower lid. False eyelashes make me feel invincible. I've never mastered eyelash glue, I'm so glad they started making magnetic eyelashes.

No matter what, I've always felt pretty good about my legs, so I always showcase them in some way.

If I'm getting really dressed up, I'll typically wear a floor-length gown with a very deeply plunging neckline. I'm tall and flat-chested, so a deep v-neck maxi gown is easy to pull off.

Comfortable is a matter of fit and flattery--most often, we're uncomfortable when clothes are too snug in some places or we feel they're exposing our real or imagined flaws. I think comfort is also about dressing appropriately. A comfortable outfit can be bold, but it's not overtly inappropriate in a way that draws more attention than you want to receive.
Confidence is such a personal concept. I think women put unreasonable rules in place about what's flattering. I read in Betty Halbreich's book that almost no woman loves her upper arms. I wish we could all forget these silly rules so we felt confident more often. I think confidence can be found in clothes that make us feel beautiful and powerful.

Style is the art of using silhouettes, colors, and textiles to create an image. A great outfit involves well-constructed outfits made from high-quality fabrics to create a functional, dramatic look from head-to-toe.

the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the trees and water and mountains.
Strong, hard-working women.
Alternative girls, everywhere. God is an alternative woman.

Unnatural-looking makeup which dramatically changes the appearance of a person's face.
Khakis and boat shoes, honestly.

My outer eye is pretty oblivious to other people's feedback. I'm often critical of my waistline and the way my clothes fit over my waist and shoulders. It doesn't take much effort or hair product to clip my hair up into a very loud, curly statement updo.

I consider how I feel and what I'm doing, and pick an outfit that conveys an emotion--like strength, warmth, or success. My tops are an afterthought to my pants, and sometimes my pants are an afterthought to the shoes I plan to wear. I always wear three clothing items, so a jacket is generally the last item I pick.

it depends on the day. Sometimes I want my clothing to blend in while still being representative of my style. Other times, I'm dressing to show off a pair of shoes I love or convey a certain image.

"Dressing" is a step above "getting dressed." To me, dressing involves putting some thought into a cohesive outfit the night before to make sure I look well put-together. After dressing, I'll put at least a little effort into hair, makeup, and jewelry.

I 'get dressed' on days when I don't plan to leave my house, and that's really just about covering myself.

I rarely have the opportunity to dress up, but it involves bold choices. Floor-length dresses, short dresses, and false eyelashes. I often try to coordinate, or at least not completely clash, with my partner if we're dressing up.

Timberland boots with a 4-inch heel.
Light wash or camo-print skinny jeans.
Black turtleneck.
Dark plum-colored moto jacket.
Rings on almost every finger.

"Me" is long, clean silhouettes. Aggressive shoes with a chunky heel. A lot of black. Oversized sweatshirts and short-short-short shorts.

"Not Me" is preppy, nautical, overly feminine, bohemian, modest, or understated.

I was raised by fundamentalist Christians with very strict rules about modest, feminine fashion. I don't think I wore pants in public before age 12.

I used style to rebel at 16. I had a wardrobe in the trunk of my first car, a Dodge Intrepid. I'd put on the shortest skirts and knee-high leather boots as soon as I was out of my parent's eyesight.

To this day, I loathe any clothing that feels like something my Mother would approve of. I'll never wear a midiskirt, a peter pan color, or pastel florals.

I briefly dabbled with bleach blonde hair and spray tans in my early 20s, which I paired with short skirts and black tops. My style was different, but my clothes were the same.
I wanted to prove to myself that I could pull off mainstream sex appeal. I felt out-of-place, and my fake tanner broke my skin out horribly. Within a few months, I was back to my natural pale skin and darker hair.

I work from home around 340 days a year, so I don't have to do "professional" often.

When I'm at work conferences or annual meetings, I put on a black sheath dress underneath a cropped moto jacket. I wear puma athletic flats and a chunky, bold necklace.

My female colleagues tell me they're jealous of my flat shoes. A C-Level female executive pulled me aside last year to tell me I'd inspired her to put pink streaks in my hair.

Alternative personal style and tattoos are becoming far more accepted in tech. I spent my early 20s covering my tattoos and around age 28, I stopped. Today, my hand and neck tattoos can't be covered.

At this point, blue hair and a strong work ethic are exactly what's expected of me in my workplace.

No...

Camo skinny jeans, a black cut-up metal band tee, a moto jacket and sky-high heeled booties. I've been wearing iterations of this outfit for many years because it makes me feel confident, powerful, and beautiful.

Not once, not even as a female raised by fundamentalist Christians who wanted the same privileges my brothers had.
I've never been fully comfortable in my skin, but I've always been comfortable in my gender.

Probably the early 90s. I know many ultra-stylish people like Vogue's Suzy Menkes hate grunge. To me, grunge feels like home. I was raised in the rural Pacific Northwest, close to Kurt Cobain's home town. Grunge is a way of life here--the climate is hard, the economy is hard, and people are tough. My friend's Dad danced at her wedding in the same red flannel he wore to work as a commercial fisherman.
In addition to gorgeous grunge, the early 90s brought us amazing Riotgrrl style and Kinderwhore.

Occasionally.

I'm not always happy about how my skin or body look, but I never regret my style.

Helena Bonham Carter
Nancy Spungen
Courtney Love
Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Early Gwen Stefani

Always.

Lagenlook. It's so bulky and there are so many earth tones.

Transparent, full-length dresses.
Cropped band tees and jersey pencil skirts.
Low-rise jeans.

No, I just get dressed and people are either attracted or repelled.
I live in an area that's predominantly white, upper or middle-class retirees. Older men have the best reactions to my look. Some look horrified or disgusted, some smile at me, and the majority look confused.

You don't need to wear flowing empire-waist tops to hide your midsection. Don't hide anything.

I don't cover my crotch with a tunic-length top when I wear leggings, and the world keeps spinning.

If you think you can't wear heels, you may be wrong. High-quality heels that are made well and fit correctly are worth the investment and hunt. Don't buy heels online unless you know your size in that brand.

I think perfume is an accessory. I wear Amor Amor by Cacharel.

Cover my white-blonde eyelashes in black waterproof mascara and perform basic skincare activities.

I've actually started moisturizing at 31, mostly due to getting high-quality moisturizer samples in subscription cosmetic boxes. It's important.

Also, I take fastidious care of my teeth. I'm privileged to have good dental insurance for the first time ever, and I see a dental hygienist every three months. She taught me about dry-brushing my teeth very gently, using a soft feathered toothbrush.

I don't wear much makeup, but I need a few products on my face to feel confident. Right now, here's my 2-minute routine:

Black, waterproof mascara
Tinted moisturizer in "fair"
Blonde eyebrow pencil
Oxblood-colored lipstick

I play with makeup, a little. Some days, I'll do my eyebrows in blue and put some highlighter on my face. I'm learning more "dewy" makeup techniques to appear youthful and glowing.

Skinny pants.. Simple tops. Statement jackets. Chunky jewelry. Dresses.

My Timberland Camdale 6-inch boots in "wheat nubuck." They're like the original Timberland work boot worn by rappers, with a 4-inch heel.
To me, these boots communicate a real toughness. The color reminds me of my blue-collar Dad's carhartt work jacket.

My boyfriend bought me a black velvet wrap dress a few years back, printed with golden chains and red roses. It's both elegant and trashy, like me. It's never fit me right. I think cheaply-made wrap dresses are hard to wear, especially if you're not an hourglass shape.

I keep this wrap dress because he emptied his checking account to buy it for me in a really grandiose gesture of love. I had to buy our lunch afterward, and everything else he needed for the rest of the week. It was incredibly sweet of him.

Also, I've been telling myself for two years that I'll take it to a tailor and have it converted into a sheath.

Really high-quality shoes never disappoint. Go to the designer outlet mall and try on expensive shoes to find a pair that really fits.
Moto jackets.

No regrets. I've no closet hoarder. I have perhaps 2 bins of clothing I don't wear any longer, and that's too heavy of a load for my tastes.

This question makes me uncomfortable, because if I say "a giant black sweatshirt," I'd be walking around half-naked!
I have a pair of high-waisted, light wash denim which I wear about twice a week, they weren't costly. They just fit so well, I'd hate to throw them away so I guess I'll keep them.

No fast fashion or impulse buys from discount stores. Never purchase anything that isn't perfect--my weight hasn't changed in almost a year, and I never manage to get anything tailored.

I bought a pair of Gap jeans when I was 18 years old. Dark wash, straight leg, mid-rise. They were either $60 or $70, and it was by far the most expensive piece of clothing I'd ever purchased because I was raised very poor.
I don't own them and I don't really know what happened to them. I think I actually wore them all the way out.

I bought a bright yellow cardigan when I was 19. I got so many compliments in this cardigan.
It taught me that you don't have to wear all-black, all the time to look alternative or edgy. "Alternative" is a vibe, and bold choices can look a lot more fresh than the same old black stuff.

Pleather pants that don't stretch out to infinity after 6 hours of wear.

My house is currently sparkling clean and freshly-bleached, but my clean clothing is sitting in a mountain of baskets. Some of it's folded.
I wish I was a tidy woman who lived in a spare studio apartment with a perfectly-organized clothing rack. I'm not that woman, though.

My boyfriend bought me a particularly chunky gold chain for my birthday last year. It's a Cuban link, 24 karat gold plated chain, I believe it's 12 mm. It's the first piece of high-end men's jewelry I ever owned, but it really goes with everything.

I bought a black maxi dress last summer at a discount store for less than $25. I wore it constantly.

I window shop online, endlessly. I live about 2 hours from a mall, and there are very limited retail options in my rural town.

Every other month or so, my boyfriend and I make a 4-hour journey to a designer outlet mall where we buy shoes, bags, underwear, and his denim.

I get a fashion subscription box every month and it's been really great for a few things, like my knee-length winter wool coat. I'm not sure the service is a good choice for staples like denim and sweaters, though.

I wear cacharel amor amor perfume which smells clean, and a little like grapefruit. I smelled it on an exotic dancer in the deep south maybe a decade ago, and I loved it. I've worn it ever since.

I want to portray an image of confidence, strength, individuality, and independence. I think my clothing portrays the woman I want to be.

Money always matters. I don't have the money to buy certain items I'd like, such as Prada sneakers or couture track suits.

I think there's more pressure than ever for young people to flex a certain social status with designer belts and shoes. I blame it on how musicians impact popular culture, honestly.

20 years ago, musicians dressed like their fans, wearing plaid shirts and department store denim with Nike shoes. Today, musicians wear Versace and Balenciaga.

I know this is all oversimplified, and culture doesn't exist in silos. You can't separate music and fashion. However, I miss the days when musicians dressed in a way that reflected their roots.

A black, full-hoop nose ring and Cacharel perfume. My tattoos are a lot of accessory on their own.

My college roommate Lizzy told me "you're a very flamboyant woman" when I was 21. She's right. My frame, my style, and my bold silhouettes are

I remember feeling really slick at age 2 in a "101 Dalmations" swimsuit. It was aquamarine with a silly waistline ruffle.
The memory is definitely augmented by photos, but I loved that fucking swimsuit.

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