018: Their Ways of Wearing

Marjon Carlos, Michelle Li, and Tahirah Hairston on the one thing we have in common

In spite of being jam-packed brimming with people, New York City can at times feel achingly colossal, particularly during phases of blue. However, unlike many cities in the world and certainly in America, it is also tom-thumb tiny in a manner that is comforting. Certain people we pass regularly, even if we are strangers, our own personal landmarks on the commute to and from home, little daily reminders of our interconnectedness elsewhere scarce or lost.

And it would make perfect sense that here in New York City, I would encounter three distinctly different women, brilliant women, with whom I would share something significant. Though the fashion industry is quite the monolith and the current order of fashion rather hegemonic (white peasant skirts, check!), New York is an outlier. There are of course, transient beings in this city who follow the trend book, but there are an overwhelming number of people who reject what is fashionable today for what makes them feel good. We are a city of intuitive dressers.

If you read my last dispatch, you know that I have a thing for a particular and peculiar JW Anderson dress from Jonathon Anderson’s spring 2020 collection. While Loewe, creatively manned by the Irish designer, has been overwhelmingly well-received, his own project, JW Anderson requests of a certain appetite, especially stateside. The clothing isn’t devastatingly sexy, purses take the form of pigeons and (my personal favourite, I blame Beatrix Potter and the Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle) hedgehogs, shoes veering on clownish. It can take a little sorting through to understand it. So it was remarkable to me when I came across not one, nor two, but three women living and working in New York who also owned the exact same mint-chocolate chip dress as myself, from a collection that didn’t “break the internet” and appear on every “must-have” list, but nonetheless it and more exactly The Dress resonated with four women – Marjon Carlos, Michelle Li, Tahirah Hairston, and myself – in their own corners of the city.

This is what I love about this city, little weird coincidences that delight. I loved seeing how the dress took form on them, how they made it their own, the same dress looking so unlike on its wearers. I wanted to know more about their individual relationships with the dress, how they work it, and how it has moved with the ebbs and flows with their lives, and they were lovely and gracious enough to share!

Marjon Carlos, journalist, podcast host, and brand consultant

The origin story: I bought it during quarantine. It was on major sale, and I was so drawn to the print and drape of it all. I had nowhere to wear it, of course, but I knew one day we'd be out of lockdown, and when we were I wanted to dress for an entrance back into the world.

Breathing new life into it: I haven't worn it in a while, to be honest. I'm thicker now than when I originally bought it, so it fits differently. But now that I'm talking about it, it may be an opportunity to wear it differently? More as a top over jeans or something.

Heels high and low: I've really worn it with these A.W.A.K.E. Mode cutout heels of mine, but I think loafers could be so cute.

Celebrating life: I had a really amazing shoot in this dress with my girl Shana Trajanoska during quarantine. She got me feeling creative again and it was the beginning of our friendship/creative partnership. I also wore it to my girl Gabby's birthday lunch which was a sweet moment to celebrate.

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Michelle Li, stylist and writer

A pillar of personal style: I bought it on Farfetch using some leftover credit that I had. I was immediately drawn to it because this was my favorite JW Anderson collection. I love the way everything was styled on the runway, and this collection is a pillar of inspiration for building my own personal style. 

Guest appearance: I wear it probably 2-3 times a year, I like to bring it out for special occasions because it is a little bit dramatic. It's nice for weddings and events, but I struggle to wear it for everyday occasions. 

Keep it simple: I like to style it really simple with a black heel, sometimes I'll incorporate it with something sparkly and rhinestone as an homage to how it was styled on the runway. There's so much draping and patterns going on with the dress that I don't really want to mix in any new colors or prints. 

A familial recollection: I associate it with a wedding I went to in Brooklyn with my brother. That was the first time I wore it out to something where a lot of people would see me and I was so nervous that it would look weird or I would stand out too much. But my brother (who is an engineer and not a fashion guy) said it looked "cool" and I immediately felt at ease. 

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Tahirah Hairston, journalist and content strategist

A lesson on yearning: I remember being obsessed with the dress once I saw it on the runway. I loved the way it was styled and how off-kilter it was; it felt like a forever piece. I knew then I’d likely not be able to afford it, like a lot of things I see on the runways. But I always make a mental note and keep a folder for when I’m looking for things on resale sites. I have found things I’ve wanted five years later and for me it’s a true testament into whether I really yearn for something. I’m rarely interested in buying things right when they drop, both because I usually shop secondhand and also because I’m not really an impulsive shopper. I ended up finding this dress on FarFetch (I’ll also keep alerts), and got a really good price. 

Whatever comes: I’ve worn it to weddings, to dinners, to plays, to run errands, to the ballet, on vacation, it’s really works for anything which to me is the epitome of a forever purchase. I wear it whenever I want to I don’t feel like thinking about what to wear but I want to feel fabulous and bizarre.

A little goes a long way: What I love about the dress is that it doesn’t need much. If I’m going for a more casual look, I like to do Birkenstocks, flip-flops, my Nike air rifts, some silver jewelry, and a tote of some sort, I really like the Brigitte Tanaka bags. If I’m dressing it up, I like to do Manolos or loafers with a feather-y bag and I’ve been looking for brooches to add. Also, I’ve been eying one of the JW Anderson Puffin bag which I think would be perfect with this. 

Special memories: Honestly, every time I see it hanging in my closet I get a little giddy. But, a specific memory is I saw this play Teeth and after had dinner at Le Bernadin, which I’ve been wanting to visit for some time. It was a perfect night and I felt fabulous. I also took the dress with me to Mexico City, which is my favorite place, last summer and I wore it a bunch.

Until next time!