Introducing Kris

Kris is a recent empty nester and loving it, as she sets off in her mid-fifties on a journey of discovering what exactly it is she would like to do with the second half of her life; something, she tells us, “that will both fill me up with joy, love and peace at the same time as giving all of those things to others”.  After twenty plus years working for Nike, she made the conscious decision to retire and become a stay-at-home-mother to look after her two daughters. Now that those two daughters have finally flown the coop in their early twenties, Kris is weighing up her options for what to do now. The pile of books beside he armchair are her spiritual guides: How Will You Measure Your Life by Clayton Christensen (“Helping me define what I want to do for the next 50 years and should be required reading for every 21 year old”), The Fate of Food by Amanda Little, and   Recovery of Your Inner Child by Lucia Capacchione (“I've got a little work to do on that girl inside me”).

She lives in Portland, amongst a collection of things from everywhere she and her family have ever visited, and warns us against opening any cupboards too quickly. Describing herself as, “a mother hen, loyal friend, closet geek, thinker, reader, bad singer, pretend runner, decent impromptu cook, unskilled matchmaker and McGyver wanna be”, it’s going to be interesting to see what new identity she discovers in her empty nest to go with all these other ones.

Let’s start with having you explain your style to us, Kris...

Curated Beach Girl with notes of Car to Bar, Sport and a side of Vintage Muumuu.

Would your friends describe your style any differently do you think?

They say things like, 'How can you look like s**t one day and amazing the next? and 'I didn’t know you had curly hair.'

Thinking of your friends, what’s your ‘style/fashion role’ in the group?

I lead and dress them sometimes, haha.   However, I have different resources than my 4 besties, so its a little skewed. I give away a lot of clothing to them. The beauty is they all have equally cool skills that I do not so it works out in the end.

Who inspires you style-wise?

No one person really.  I know what I like and what will work on me and I will search to the ends of the earth for it and I like to have things that no one else has. I never wear a brand head to toe, I don’t like any obvious branding, stealth is better, and I sometimes will modify a piece physically to suit me stylistically or size-wise.

In the public eye, whose style do you admire and are influenced by?

Kelly Wearstler - it's like looking at an incredible store window display very time. Mind blowing

Kate Middleton - I don’t like her conservative style (does she?) but she wears apparel seriously well and the hair needs no explanation. Class all the way.

Courtney Cox - natural cool chick who always look great in any scenario

Rose Namajunas - I just really wish I could pull off the shaved head look, she’s ultra fit and thus looks good even when she’s boxing.

If you could ‘steal’ one person [in the public eye’s] closet, whose closet would you steal and why?

Probably Courtney Cox - SoCal beach girl who can dress up or down and likely has a lot of very cool items in her wardrobe that cost an actual fortune without screaming affectation.

Where are the other places you’re getting style/fashion influence from?

Travel

'50-'60s Hawaii movies/TV shows, Vintage Columbo TV shows, Vintage Surf movies/publications, Vintage Palm Springs anything.

Where are your three favorite stores to shop in for clothing/apparel?

The Style Room by Zappos - online

Aritiza - bricks & mortar and online

Shop Bop - online

What is it about these stores that make them your favorite/preferred place to shop?

Zappos - ease of order and return

ShopBop - variety and ease of order and return

Aritizia - price/value non branded classics that just cannot be beat

Does the experience of those stores matter to you too?

Aritizia bricks & mortar where I shop has virtually zero staff turnover and they know me. And they are all shapes and sizes but they all wear the brand well. They aren’t on their phones, they are genuine, attentive, easygoing, non judgmental, and my 21- and 22-year-old daughters and I can shop together and all find something that meets our individual style.

What other stores/spaces are you shopping in and why?

• Nordstrom - grew up on this one

• Nordstrom Rack - for a little bargain hunting occasionally

• Vintage Stores in any town

• Free People - a little boho pop in the mix

What are your top five favorite brands?

Rag & Bone Denim - the Dre fits me perfect, goes with everything, niche cool denim look without being obvious

Prada - its Prada. The black is true, the leather is flawless, the style is timeless without being too OTT

James Perse - soft jersey, high quality with beach girl vibes, color without saturation

Birkenstock - love all their collabs.  Looks good on my large calves without looking bulky

Diane Von Furstenberg - Vintage coolness and very good fabrication.  Every season has a few nuggets of greatness.

What are your top priorities when it comes to buying new items of clothing?

• Fabrication quality

• Fit for my short waisted shape

• Color

• Comfort

• Travel worthiness

And why do those things matter to you in the order they do? 

I don’t like cheap throwaway fashion, I am uncomfortable when something doesn’t fit my shape correctly, I like neutral colors with great saturation, and I like to travel without worrying about clothing maintenance.

How many pairs of shoes, any shoes, do you own?

30.

If you had to split them up into categories and write a percentage next to them [what, math!] what would that look like?

10 boots

5 heels

5 loafers

5 sandals

5 sneakers

What type of shoe would we typically find you in, if there is a ‘typical shoe’ for you?

Boots in the winter.

Sandals in the summer.

Loafers in the shoulder seasons.

And what are the most important things for you when it comes to buying your favorite kind of shoe?

Fit/comfort/look/weight - if the shoe is too heavy I won’t even try on.

What about your favorite brands for shoes? Who do you always end up going to?

• Ferragamo but only their progressive styles not the classics

• Old Nike LunarSandiator - the best shoe ever made (for me) - I have 6 pair

• Gianvito Rossi - Combat Boots 

• Prada - Chelsea Boots

• Birkenstock in classic suede

Why are these your favorite brands do you think?

The right mix of all things that define my style and all very versatile in their own right.

And what about your favorite shoe stores, again - on or offline? What makes them your favorite stores?

Nordstrom - great return policy

Zappos - online, huge selection, great/easy/free returns

ShopBop - edgier selection, collabs

Farfetch - cool European that can’t get in US

COS - online - classics with contemporary edge - Tee shirt Maxi dress, the best

Aritzia - in-store and online  - quality/value is very high