Guest Editor & Interview:
Jessica from What I Wore

We welcome and would like to introduce, Jessica Quirk from What I Wore as our July Guest Editor!  Jessica has such a strong readership and fan base; she almost needs no introduction.  She began her daily outfit snapshots in 2007, and has recently published her first book, “What I Wore: Four Seasons, One Closet, Endless Recipes for Personal Style.” We wanted to find out a little bit more about her new ventures (and more), so we thought we’d share our recent Q&A. b:  How did your book deal come about? J:  This is a great story! After a couple years of receiving questions from What I Wore readers, I knew I wanted to put all of the answers in one place.  I also wanted to incorporate my own illustrations.  That year for Christmas, my husband gave me a blank note book and wrote “Recipes for Style (the early title) by Jessica Quirk” on the first page. The next day, I started to create the outline. A month later in January I met my awesome literary agent and in early May I made a deal with Random House! It was a very exciting time in my life. b: What was your vision for the book? J: The book is like a cookbook for your closet.  I wanted to draw comparisons between how you stock your kitchen (buying ingredients that work together to create awesome meals) and how you organize your closet. b: What are some of your obsessions right now? J: Fashion wise – I’m loving neon yellow accessories right now.  Hobby wise – I’ve taken to my sewing machine and have been making a lot of my summer dresses… and even a few button up shirts for my husband. b: We love fantasizing about our dream closet.  If any retailer/designer could be your go-to closet, whose would it be? J: That’s a hard one! I think my own personal style is a nice mix of a casual jeans and tee shirt Midwestern girl (and a retro inspired lady like woman).  If someone told me I could only shop at Anthropologie, J.Crew and Kate Spade New York for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn’t object! b: What are your favorite vintage and steal pieces right now? J: On the vintage side of things, I’ve been scooping up 1950s and 1960s dresses… which can range in price depending on the condition of the garment.  On the cheaper side of things… I just helped with an estate sale and found a pair of wayfarer-like Polaroid sunglasses from the 1960s (I gave them to my husband!) b: What’s your number one shopping tip? J: Make sure everything you buy will work with at least three other pieces in your closet. b: Is there an item for which a shopper should never mind paying full price? J: It seems like everything goes on sale these days, but I advise people that they might want to spend a little (or a lot) more money on heavy use items like handbags, shoes, jeans and winter coats. b: Lastly, what’s your be-so? (For instance, one of ours is “beso thankful”) J: beso happy. There’s a silver lining in every cloud. Thanks Jessica! SHOP IT:  Check out Jessica’s top 10 picks to beat the summer heat!