In January, I created a style guide to help everyone in LA who was affected by the fires. One of the most essential sections of the guide is the personality pieces. It’s important to get the basics, of course…but I wanted to emphasize the personality pieces too. These are the pieces that help your outfit go from good to great…they bring joy to your basics.
You need the sauce (I did not coin this term). The basics are the pasta, and the personality pieces are the sauce.
A pasta without sauce is just…noodles (my 3 year olds favorite dinner). The sauce make it a pasta.
Sauce really has two key elements:
The personality pieces—the quirks, the bold pops of colour, the textures, the souvenirs from your travels, the vintage pieces from your parents closet
The styling—a touch of chaos, a little imperfection, an element of undone, some juxtaposition
Together, they tell your story. They offer a deeper context about who you are.
Let’s dive into the personality pieces. The goal is that even one new piece unlocks countless outfit possibilities for you. While the piece might not feel 'timeless' (or at least not in the way we typically think of timelessness), it should feel versatile—and to me, versatility is what I lead with when deciding if something is a piece I can wear and restyle for many years. It’s a piece that pairs seamlessly with your tailored items, but also complements your more casual pieces. A piece that maximizes your wardrobe and helps make your outfits uniquely yours.
These are my typical personality piece suggestions when I am helping a client: