Percia Verlin on Style, Social Codes and Finding What Works

In this episode, I chat with Percia Verlin about the journey to discovering an authentic personal style. We discuss the differences between fashion and clothing, the impact of social media on style, and how community and environment influence what we wear. Percia shares insights from her personal experience with thrifting, TikTok, and how various locations have shaped her style. We also dive into practical tips on pattern recognition, the importance of functionality, and strategies for individuals trying to rehab their closets and find their core style. Tune in to hear thoughtful advice on how to dress in a way that feels true to yourself.

All about Percia and what she offers: https://linktr.ee/percish

How to Build a Boyfriend Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ_fgV1vBd0

Full show notes: https://gabriellearruda.com/percia-verlin-style-pov/

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Disclaimer: The Style POV Podcast content is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own. Gabrielle Arruda is not liable for any errors or omissions, and listeners use the information at their own risk.

Transcript

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Hi, everyone, I'm Gabrielle Arruda, host of the Style POV podcast. And today I'm super excited to welcome Percia Verlin, who is a fashion enthusiast and YouTube and TikTok long form and short form style and fashion content creatorIn this episode, we're delving into a variety of topics.We'll discuss what initially drew her to fashion how her own personal style journey began.

 Percia will share her thoughts on the distinction between fashion and style, and how her surroundings and communities have influenced her wardrobe choices.We'll also explore her view on trends, the impact of social media on fashion, and how different locations can affect your personal style. So without further ado, [...0.5s] let's get started. […1.6s]

[00:00:00] Hi, Percia. I'm glad to have you on the podcast. I'm super excited to just talk style with you and the whys of how we develop an authentic personal style. So thank you so much for coming on. So I was thinking that we could start with what drew you to fashion and what started your own style journey because you have such a unique point of view.

Percia: Thank you. I would say I am into fashion right now because TikTok forced my hand in some ways. I started making videos on TikTok in 2020 out of boredom, which I think a lot of people did when they were stuck in their house. And A lot of my earlier work was like, so moody, very much I was in suburban New Jersey for that period of time, which I had never lived in the suburbs before I've been in cities all my life.

Percia: And so it was very like atmospheric, I would say. And then eventually we did move back to Brooklyn, got a great COVID deal. And yeah, I was getting back into getting dressed in a public [00:01:00] way because, you spend so much time at home that you're I think you do feel disconnected to the purpose of getting dressed every day.

Percia: And then when I moved back into the city. And wanted to have that feeling, I started documenting it a little bit and just Pavlovian response. I was getting so much more attention when I posted about that sort of thing than when I was doing my really moody, like random shots of Prospect Park.

Percia: I say this, and I think people think of it as a negative, TikTok operates like a game, and it stimulates you in the way a video game does. So your brain lights up when the same way people talk about Instagram or Facebook and it's time is that, your brain lights up when you are getting positive responses and more likes and more views and comments and follows and everything.

Percia: So you search for that high. And I remember actually very specifically making a video being like, Actually, it was a Ferris Bueller inspired video [00:02:00] where I was like talking to camera like moving around my house and I said in the video, I was like, I'm not becoming a fashion channel. I am not going to make fashion content.

Percia: I 

Percia: don't know 

Percia: what that means. I'm not involved in the industry in any way. To this day, I'm not. And I was like, I think I'm just making videos about clothing. 

Gabrielle (2): What was that separation like clothing and fashion? Do you think that plays on like the media stereotypes of what we think of as a fashion insider or what we think of as like clothing?

Gabrielle (2): Or what was that delineation for you? 

Percia: I think it goes back to this strong belief I have in being in different spaces, essentially. And I don't personally live in fashion spaces. Like none of the people I know were into fashion in that way. They all have style, which a lot of people, I think at this point, delineate between fashion and style.

Percia: A lot of them have personal styles that are very specific to them that I know I'm very familiar with, what my friends like to [00:03:00] wear but they don't pay attention to the industry. They don't shop very much or a lot of them thrift their clothes. Like I do. My mom, who is a clothes horse, like through and through has never walked into a name brand store.

Percia: on purpose. One time she bought me something from Reformation and didn't know what it was. She's very boutique oriented. She, she loves It's I

Percia: found this cute shop. 

Percia: Exactly. She was like, oh, there's some cute stuff here. I was like, mom, this is Reformation.

Gabrielle (2): It's big 

Percia: yeah, but it was years ago, but it was so stuff like that. She's just she's not paying attention, but she is one of the most stylish people I know and I just think that there is a big cultural difference.

Gabrielle: Do you think that your mom's influence of being like very focused on finding like it sounds like she finds the right piece for her, like she doesn't really care where it comes from. It's all about the piece and the clothing. So do you think that influenced you as well, like where you were drawn to that idea of Let me find a piece that resonates with me or let me understand why I'm [00:04:00] drawn to this and I don't need to follow 

Percia: I mean she has influenced me a lot Even though our styles are actually very different and I think that caused a little bit of strife between us at a younger age But she was always buying things Vintage.

Percia: Buying things secondhand. She came to the U. S. when she was 19 and she took to it right away, which a lot of people from immigrant families, it's not so much the culture in other countries to thrift your clothes. Like proudly, I would say there's not as much as a vintage scene. It's, especially for people who are coming to the U.

Percia: S. and like looking to assimilate or want to be accepted by the culture. You there's a feeling like you really want your kids to have new clothes. And. My mom didn't really have that feeling. She was always a little bit counterculture. And I remember we went to my uncle's wedding.

Percia: I was like 13 or something. We went shopping for the dress that I was wearing and it was vintage or secondhand or whatever it was. And my mom said it like very proudly to her mother, my grandmother. And she was [00:05:00] like, I can't believe , you brought your daughter to this wedding and someone else's clothing.

Percia: Like why would you do that? Very dramatic. But I grew up thinking that was normal and like a great way to find clothing. I would say my mom, she's not like anyone. She's not divorced from trends because also when you buy if you buy new clothes even from a boutique a lot of times their new Seasons are trend conscious and she definitely will add pieces in Seasonally or yearly that are more modern or can be more trendy.

Percia: But she always makes it look like herself Yeah She has some sort of core style to her so that she can add in pieces and style them in a way that always looks really cohesive to the rest of the stuff that she's had, even if she's had some other stuff that she, Is vintage or that she's had since the 90s or whatever it is.

Percia: She does a really good job of incorporating. 

Gabrielle (2): That's awesome. That's I feel like the whole point of like personal style is developed that core that feels like [00:06:00] super authentic. So let's talk a little bit about trends. Like, how do you view the trend cycle? How do you view it as like trend influence versus trend dominated?

Gabrielle (2): Or do you have like a. on how much of a wardrobe should be dedicated or focused to that.

Percia: I think trends are fun and I think they should be fun. The negative side of trends I think of course is the churn that you can buy a trend for don't shop on Shein, but I don't know, 15 or whatever. I know it's very cheap.

Percia: I don't know how cheap. And then you get sick of it and you discard it. 

Percia: Not to say 

Percia: that I've never, I've bought a trend for sure. And then after a couple of months been like, this is not working for me. And I think that's the enjoyment and the negative side wrapped into one, which is. It's fun to try new things and sometimes they stick and sometimes they don't, but you could say that of, almost anything like a hobby or a sport, a new type of exercise.

Percia: You buy all your little [00:07:00] gear and then you try it and then it doesn't really work for your lifestyle. People do that sort of thing all the time. I just think that the clothing industry specifically is obviously such a huge polluter and they make their money off of. off of this sort of pressure. So I typically thrift almost all my clothes, but I definitely like to thrift trends if possible. There are some, I would call them more micro trends, which are like a specific item from a specific store. You can't thrift that. You just can't. So it disqualifies me from those things. And I actually think that is to my benefit because When something is so specific and so recognizable to me, it's almost always a bad idea.

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. It's so hard to tell then with that piece too that if it's actually something that you really resonate with or if it's something that like you've just been bombarded with from on TikTok or something that like you're like drinking the Kool Aid type situation.

Percia: Totally. 

Percia: And you know what the one I've been thinking of recently? If you can recognize them, the garden [00:08:00] here clogs. 

Percia: Yeah. They're like brown, 

Percia: kind of rubber, little rubber shoes. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah, they're like actually made for gardening. Yes. But then they like popped off and everyone's 

Gabrielle (2): Oh, these are actually chic.

Gabrielle (2): And they have Bottega vibes too, 

Percia: it's like a perfect storm. 

Percia: And I like them on other people a lot. And I'm not offended. by the fact that they own them. Also because I think it might be a little bit like Crocs, like maybe it's at the moment and then you're like, these are weird and ugly and then you put them in the back of your closet, but then you realize that they have a really good functionality to 

Percia: them.

Gabrielle (2): And they're like cool in an ugly way. I, like I get the vibe. I don't think they're going to make me look like a supermodel, but like it's a cool vibe. 

Percia: Yeah, the ugliness. is the point. Yeah, so yeah, you're right. Anyway, I think like stuff like that, it's so specific, it's not a trend as much as it is a hot item.

Percia: I'm not offended by it. I'm not personally going to buy them. But 

Percia: I think c'est La Vie.

Gabrielle (2): Do you think that New York and you switch from New Jersey to Brooklyn and obviously Brooklyn has such great vintage. It has so much [00:09:00] access, you can pretty much find anything you want in a vintage store.

Gabrielle (2): Do you think that furthered your personal style or how you viewed clothing? Because there's so much access. 

Percia: Yeah, I grew up in Philly, so I was in Philadelphia until I was 20, when did I graduate college, 21. And then I moved to New York, and then I was really only in New Jersey for 6 months, which is funny actually, because New Jersey has great thrift stores, and at a fairly reasonable price compared to New York.

Percia: However, I don't drive, and it was the pandemic, so my access to those thrift stores, I think we only went to one the entire time we were there. My partner is from New Jersey. So I was always like, let's go thrifting in New Jersey. Like I've never really done suburban thrifting.

Percia: I've almost always done. 

Percia: Sometimes you find a deal too, like you can find like a, designer sweater for 20 bucks. You're like, what? 

That's the dream. That's what keeps you coming back. It's like a treasure trove. What actually I think was a little bit of a cataclysm for me though?

Percia: I was thrifting in [00:10:00] college, especially in college when you're like not making any money. It just makes so much sense to thrift and Philly thrift stores, there's definitely a scene there's a vintage scene and there's a thrift scene 

Percia: In New York I was I had a job where I was nannying half the time and then I had a audio production job that's I work in audio production and I it was like a couple blocks away from a three story Salvation Army.

Percia: Whoa, and I could only go every day at the end of the day from five to six, right before it closed. I would leave work, walk over, spend like 30 minutes there. But because I could do that with such frequency, that was really, I think, peak.

Percia: for me in terms of starting to gather pieces that I think were one, like higher quality. Like I thrifted some of my first cashmere pieces from that Salvation Army and two, just like seeing clothes and having to decide what was for me and what wasn't with such regularity, I think really helps you define your eye.

Percia: And. It's a great little [00:11:00] exercise, I think, if you're near a thrift store to just go to one thrift store over and over again. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. You really start to learn just how clothing works, too. Yeah. You're, like, paying attention to so many different styles and there's so many different decades, too. You can be like, ooh, we see the shift in clothing construction here or, oh, this is and that's especially apparent now if you compare clothes today versus 30, 40 years ago.

Gabrielle (2): It's crazy. It's so funny. Yeah. Do you think that your perception of clothing and style change from each location that you moved? Because everyone thinks of New York as like pages of Vogue, but I really think there's a much more emphasis on individualization. And being like effortlessly unique and that could be perceived or, New York does like to like, pat itself on the shoulder a little bit sometimes when it comes to Oh, we're so good.

Percia: I think the funny thing about New York is that actually find it to be very neighborhood specific. So what people are wearing in Bushwick is very different than what people are wearing in [00:12:00] Chelsea. Yeah. So on and so forth. Where I live in South Brooklyn, it's a lot of working people, families, people who have lived here for a long time.

Percia: There's actually a really nice confluence also of different immigrant populations. 

Percia: And I find that where I live, at least, there, is not so much a unified fashion style. 

Percia: And 

Percia: I really like that. I think that you can actually see some pretty individualistic outfits down here. And I find that to be very inspiring because when I go to Bushwick, I'm just Oh, like we're really, it feels competitive in a strange way.

Percia: But also if you go to Chelsea, it feels competitive but in a different way. Competitive in almost more of a body conscious way. Yeah. Which I also find to be somewhat off putting. It's did you go to Pilates today? The answer for me is gonna be no. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. I think it's also I wonder if it's like an age or Like socioeconomic influence as well.

Gabrielle (2): Because Bushwick is a lot younger than it used to be So you're gonna get a lot of people like straight [00:13:00] out of college who are like trying to find themselves and maybe a little bit More into tik tok fashion trends, so it's like 

Percia: yeah It's like kind of I would say the other side of the coin from like dime square or the Lower East Side 

Percia: which Lower East Side now is very young

Percia: I'm like, what are all these 20 year olds doing here? And then also sometimes you see the Bridge and Tunnel crowd on the weekends, fashion as a form of identification is like, such a fun game, even if you're wrong and obviously you're not, you're never going to know the right answer, but it's such a strong form of community and communication.

Percia: So it's so fun to walk around New York and be like, Oh, this person lives here. Like this person is 30 and has been like, Oh, the Lower East Side has gone to the dogs. Yeah, this person like just came, moved from the Midwest to come to NYU. That stuff is so fascinating. 

Gabrielle (2): I love that idea.

Gabrielle (2): Do you think that we are influenced heavily by our community or our neighborhood? And, New York is like a great example of that, right? The neighborhoods are very delineated in style, in [00:14:00] architecture, even in the branding of certain stores and stuff around you. You're, and the types of people who are drawn to the Lower East Side would maybe not be drawn to, Bushwick.

Gabrielle (2): Or the person who likes Bushwick. to live in the West Village maybe isn't going to be drawn to Park Slope. Like they're different elements. How do you think that impacts style? 

Percia: I think it depends on who you are. My personal take is that it impacts your style a lot, like almost 70 to 90%.

Percia: Of where you live and your community impacts what you wear. 

Percia: I don't think that's true for everyone I think there are some people that obviously have such a strong point of view With their clothing that they're not going to change it no matter where they are But I don't find that personally true like when I lived in Philly and I think about this now when I go to visit my Family that still live in Philly if I lived in Philly, I would dress differently I don't think I would trash my whole wardrobe, but I would change maybe the styling I would maybe buy a couple of different clothes I would just I would do it in a different way [00:15:00] because ultimately I do Find that am trying to relate to the other people around me Always to a certain degree. Through my clothing 

Gabrielle (2): I also think of it like a volume knob because like I live in Brooklyn sometimes and I live in Seattle and they're Very different stylistically like even when I do color analysis on people in Seattle, sometimes they're like But like, how do I wear this in Seattle? Are these Seattleites.

Gabrielle (2): Where there's no sun. Exactly. And people wear very grounded, basic. Earth tone. Yeah, exactly. But, it's a volume knob. And I think Eventually, you find your individual range that you you're like, okay, I turn it up to like between the five and seven and that's my home base.

Gabrielle (2): But when I go to Seattle, maybe it's down closer to five. And when I go to New York, maybe I can push it to an eight. And it's about figuring out those levels of like, all right, this is still me, but I'm like, I feel in New York, it's like a little bit easier to just wear something a little more outlandish or a little bit more.

Gabrielle (2): Off the beaten path and people aren't going to [00:16:00] be like that. That's interesting. Like sometimes I feel like I wear a very normal outfit in Seattle and people are like. Yeah, like you look so cool. I'm like, you're so dressed up today. I'm wearing a sweatshirt. Like, how can I be 

Gabrielle (2): so dressed up in a sweatshirt?

Percia: I have heard about that phenomenon. I also find that just like by utility sake in Seattle, it rains more and people go hiking a lot more. You have a lot more access to nature. So people are going to naturally wear different things because maybe they own a lot more outdoorsy clothes and then that sort of trickles into your day to day clothing.

Percia: Whereas in New York, 

Speaker: there's like a standardization almost, like of like group thinking of in relation to style like in New York That's the interesting part about it is maybe on a community level there's a standardization or this kind of like community thought of this is Within our wheelhouse, but if you zoom out, like Seattle I can picture what someone is wearing in Seattle and like a big chunk of the population will be wearing that outfit in New [00:17:00] York.

Speaker: It's like an individualization. Do you think that New York is like a creative Mecca and has so much like interesting things to do. You can pretty much find anything you want there. Do you think that impacts? People's individualization, or do you think that it's like kind of chicken and the egg where some people just who are interested in personal style or creativity or expression or individualization end up in New York because that's the place you go?

Percia: I think it is the former, but because just because of the size of New York City, you can find so many more subsections, so many more specific communities that dress a specific way or do a specific thing. Again I don't want to, this is my messaging that I don't want to beat this with a dead horse or whatever the saying is.

Percia: But I think that the community that I'm talking about, let's say it's bike messengers. There's a community of all sorts of bike [00:18:00] people in New York, bike freaks, bike messengers, and you dress a specific way because You need a specific bag to comfortably bike around with stuff in your bag. You need a specific pair of pants, a specific little hat, there's, there is really a lot of functionality.

Percia: And then that functionality obviously creates social codes that then you operate within. But I do think a lot of it is rooted in functionality. And again, like you have people who do these exercise classes, 

Percia: Then they have to wear certain clothes to that exercise class, and then they go get coffee afterwards, and then people think, oh, this is what, people who do this exercise class wear, and then I wear the same thing, and , most of these things I really don't think are that random.

Percia: I think a lot of times there is some sort of undercurrent of a lifestyle and an action that people are engaging in that then moves them towards dressing a certain 

Gabrielle (2): way. Yeah. I also think New York is way more utilitarian than people actually realize. Yeah. Like when you go there, you're like, oh, people are like running up subway steps and, 

Percia: no, I think that's like probably the most, not everyone takes the subway, [00:19:00] which I know exists, no one I know doesn't take the subway, but the, yeah, just the fact that the way you have to move around the city can be so challenging and so cool. Long, just the commutes can be very long depending on where you're going.

Percia: I think people dress accordingly and that's also, I think, how sometimes you can find tourists. Is that tourists are not always dressed to get around the city in the way that you would think would be the most Comfortable, especially I don't know, tourists in Central Park. You're like, oh, are you going to wear that all day?

Percia: Power to you. 

Gabrielle (2): I feel sorry for your shoes. 

Gabrielle (2): They're going to look pretty, pretty gross at the end of the day. 

Percia: You just have to think about these things. 

Gabrielle (2): You mentioned social codes and I think that's a really interesting concept. Do you think that because of social media and like online access that our social codes have been influenced in a way that like might not have been natural before?

Gabrielle (2): Because. We have so much more input coming in. 

Percia: That's a really good question. So I think, [00:20:00] I struggle to say it's not natural, I would say it's internet informed. But I don't know, being on the internet all day is a lifestyle. 

Percia: That's true. I would know.

Percia: I'm on the internet all day. And I think spending that much time on your phone is a type of lifestyle. And so that lifestyle still informs your style. That's going to be my little backdoor into maintaining my theory. But I do think things can be divorced from the meaning they might have otherwise.

Percia: But I think The new meaning is that you saw it online. 

Percia: And You want to be like people that you might not even be physically in community with but you might be Digitally in community. 

Gabrielle (2): Like an identity like you find an identity and I think that's interesting too because some people don't have the community that they would naturally seek available to them.

Gabrielle (2): Some people, may be New York in their mind, and that's like what they identify with, but they don't actually live in New York. So they find a like minded community online that has a similar vibe, a similar perspective. How does [00:21:00] one tap into, the meaning behind style?

Gabrielle (2): Cause is meaningfulness what we should be seeking in our style?

Percia: I don't think anyone has to do 

Percia: anything. 

Gabrielle (2): That's totally fair. Totally fair. 

Percia: I'm sorry. 

Gabrielle (2): No, I love that. 

Percia: I had this, actually we can talk about this later, but I had this argument recently with my friends when she asked me, she sent a picture to our group chat, like this outfit, what do you guys think?

Percia: Does this shirt and these pants clash? Cause they were both like patterns. 

Percia: The top was a tie dye and the pants were stripes, but they had a similar color. So they were both like blue and white. And my one friend was like, I love it. And then I didn't say anything because I didn't love it. And I didn't want to, I don't know.

Percia: I was like, if you like it. I don't know, whatever. It doesn't bother me at all. And. Then she specifically said, waiting for Percia to answer. And I was like, I don't like it, but I was like, I don't like it for me. Yeah. And then we got in this very Sort of, again, a theoretical conversation, because that's always where I want to take things.

Percia: Where I was like when you're asking for someone's [00:22:00] opinion, I don't really believe in objectivity of fashion taste. 

Percia: So I can only say whether or not I personally would wear it. But that's not totally true, because sometimes I see outfits that I like that I would never wear, but I'm still like, that looks great.

Percia: I just, I don't think that can be all encompassing. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. And that's an interesting point, too, is are we giving up kind of ownership or meaningfulness when we ask for other people's opinion? Should we really be the only arbiters of our style at the end of the day?

Gabrielle (2): Do we feel good in it? Do we resonate with it? 

Percia: I think a lot of 

Percia: people don't know. 

Percia: And that is why they ask for opinion or they look for outside perspectives. And I think that's also, this isn't what I'm saying. It's like anything goes. 

Percia: And I totally understand why you're like I don't have a personal feeling about this. I'm not sure whether I like it or not. I don't know what's right. Yeah. I would love for someone else to tell me what's right. But I also have been in the, Not so much anymore, but a little bit more when I was younger 

Percia: where I 

Percia: would be trying things on and then I would go to [00:23:00] someone else and I'd be like, what do you think about this?

Percia: And they'd be like, I love it. Or you should wear this shirt over that shirt. And then I took their. advice and felt uncomfortable. Just because they told me that this was better. I didn't believe it or I didn't feel it. Yeah. And so it ultimately wasn't that helpful or it led me in the wrong direction for me.

Percia: But I'm also like how could they know what's right for me? Only I really know that. Yeah. And so I do still ask for advice from my partner all the time. I find that usually I'll be like, I'll go in, be like, do you think this is right? Should I do this or should I do this? 

Percia: Or 

Percia: do you think this is working or no?

Percia: And he'll tell me yes or he'll tell me no. And it's usually when he tells me no, it's like I already knew it, but I just needed a second push to do something else. 

Gabrielle (2): And he knows your 

Gabrielle (2): values probably, your style values, 

Percia: we know each other very 

Percia: well. People do things unknowingly all the time, or without thinking very hard about things. And I don't, I really don't think you need to. I think you can think, I like this, I don't know why, I don't know what it means, and I [00:24:00] don't know what it's Communicating and you can wear it and the fashion police is not going to come for you.

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. Yeah I know that's like the nice part about style though is it's pretty low stakes like yeah Just try something like and it doesn't work donate it to Salvation Army, let it find new people, but your day to day is not going to be like crushed by a bad outfit or an exploration that doesn't feel great. 

 You are a stylist how do you advise someone who's like in the weeds with fashion or your friend who like was like, I don't know. Like, where would you start off there? Because sometimes we want an answer, right?

Gabrielle (2): Or sometimes we want to figure out, not necessarily why this works or why this doesn't, because as you said, it is up to the person to decide, like, how I want to present and show up to the world. But what do you do when you're in the weeds? When you're just like, I hate everything. Yeah. Nothing is working.

Percia: I do. Usually when I talk to people who are in a more generalized style rut. I asked them to show me specifically what is working for them. Even [00:25:00] if that's they only one outfit out of everything in their entire closet. I like to have some sort of starting point. Or they send me stuff that they don't have that they like.

Percia: And then it's funny because, again, I think I might just be over analytical, but I'll go through someone's Pinterest with them and I'll be like, Oh, you like when pants have a little bit of a crop. So they float above the shoe. You can see like an inch of ankle and then the shoe starts like here. 

Percia: And they're like, Oh, that's what I like.

Percia: Yeah. Like they, they see that they like something, but they, I think there's a little bit of pattern recognition that is like the next step. And I find that people have a little bit more trouble with that. 

Percia: And I think I just find that pattern recognition satisfying because otherwise to me it's chaos.

Percia: And so I think that's why I'm constantly, I am trying to find meaning and I am trying to put things in categories and because that's just how it calms me down. Otherwise, if there, if I can't figure out what anything means and I don't know where things are from and it, I think I find it [00:26:00] overwhelming.

Percia: Generally, that's what I try to find. I'm like, what shapes are you drawn to? What are the styles? 

Gabrielle (2): Core elements that kind of translate throughout or different elements that can be repeated That also give you like reasoning behind your choices, too. You're like, oh, that's why I like this outfit so much It has a similar shape.

Gabrielle (2): It has a similar style sewing techniques, or it has similar fabric weights. That's the cool part about fashion though, too, is there's so many elements. You could give two people the exact same outfit and how they would present to the world of how they styled it individually and all those little details could be so different.

Gabrielle (2): So how do you find when you're styling people what is your process 

Percia: usually I like to get some materials up front, whether that be, outfits, their own outfits and I'll be like, send me things that you really like, send me things that you hate and then send me pictures of outfits that you're like, unsure about for whatever reason.

Percia: It doesn't have to be those three things, but the more information for [00:27:00] me, the better. And then I'd be like, send me some aspirational information, some brands that you really like or influencers or a Pinterest page, like what is inspiring you? Candidly, usually they come to me because. My clothing is what is inspiring to them, which is obviously really helpful to me because then I'd be like, Oh, you want to dress like me?

Percia: I can dress you up like me. Yeah. That's probably the easiest thing in the world. However. Like you said, my style, I'm not like, oh, my style is so individualistic, you could never do it. I'm just like, no. My style I have literally my head on my body with my shoulders and my hips. So it's just never gonna look exactly the same.

Percia: It's never gonna work exactly the same. Et cetera, et cetera. But obviously there's certain things or shapes that I think people are attracted to that can be replicable. So after, usually we go through and I really do just talk through what I find are the trends. I think you like these things because it fit and it's [00:28:00] difficult to talk about this sometimes because you really are.

Percia: Yeah. Talking about people's bodies. 

Percia: And I don't know how you usually feel about this, but it's a really tricky subject. And sometimes I do want to talk to people, I'd be like, do you have any concerns? Are there things that you're like, problem area? A lot of times I usually have female clients and a lot of times people are like, I don't like my boobs.

Percia: That's a big complaint I hear all the time. Like I want to wear certain things and I feel like my boobs are in the way. And so we talked through that and. I, candidly, don't have the biggest boobs, so I don't always know because that's not my experience, like what I would do in that scenario. But if they provide me outfits that they like versus outfits that they don't like, I'd be like, okay, it seems like if I have enough data points, I'd be like, I think I can zero in on the fact that these types of shirts work better for you than these types of shirts.

Percia: And then we can go from there and I'm not, and I wouldn't, again, I don't say [00:29:00] that. Objectively, but I'm like, this makes you feel most comfortable. Just based off of the examples you've shown me. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah, it's a fine line, right? It's hard because, you're essentially trying to have them recognize those patterns, but it's also a super personal thing. Like you're asking someone to look at your body objectively and sometimes give you advice that feels new or different or just like a little scary.

Gabrielle (2): Oh, I never thought about fabrics that way. Or I never, I don't want to draw attention to this and I'm struggling with this. How do I make That less of a focal point in my outfit, so I feel more comfortable in my clothes, 

Percia: right? Hope it's really useful for that for me to be like I think you should be wearing structured tops that like stop At you know a certain position on your length like paired with a waist That comes up to a certain I don't know there's like specific things you can say but I think It's tough to go out in the world and then recognize those things also In the wild.

Percia: [00:30:00] Yeah. And be like, this is the thing she was talking about. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. It's like they need a little bit of a trial and error period where they're like, okay. And I. Let me see how this actually works on me in the world, like, how do I feel, cause, you can give advice, but until they actually try it out and walk into the world and see the results of switching those proportions or switching those, structured elements for something softer or vice versa, it's you can only take them so far, right?

Gabrielle (2): Yeah, 

Percia: You just have to see, I'm like, write everything down, write the measurements. Like it doesn't have to be like this sort of spiritual process of trying to like discover who you are. I'm like what fits you good? Yeah. Yeah. What feels good to wear. 

Gabrielle (2): I think that's also like a personality thing. There's so many ways to build an outfit.

Gabrielle (2): You have people who like intentional contrast. You have people who want to create illusions, there are thematic dressing and so based on that, I'm going to ask you, what do you think of dopamine dressing? 

Percia: Can you define it for me? 

Gabrielle (2): TikTok did a good job, [00:31:00] but it's basically dressing exactly how you feel, like dressing for the rush of getting dopamine and not worrying about color analysis or body shape or anything and just choosing what like sparks joy or what gives you a good feeling.

Percia: I think that's totally fine. I think if I was to tell someone to do that who was really confused about their wardrobe, that would mean nothing to them.

Gabrielle (2): I know. I 

Gabrielle (2): agree.

Gabrielle (2): I think it's like a lovely concept, but I think people like it, it only works for a certain period of time. I think too, because like after a while, like the same pieces may not give you the same dopamine or, and it may create like a, cycle of just being like, let me redo this, let me find more, let me, I need a new dopamine rush now.

Gabrielle (2): That's true. 

Percia: Yeah, I didn't think about that. Yeah, because it's also newness often gives clothing more excitement. And so when the newness wears off, you have to chase that high by buying more clothing. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. 

Percia: And also then you're relying on your clothing to give you that feeling just in general.[00:32:00] 

Percia: And so I think that can create like 

Percia: dissatisfaction. 

Gabrielle (2): I also think it's hard when you're in the weeds, too, for somebody to just dress what Sparks do, and you're like, but I don't know what Sparks joy all I know is what I'm looking is just I don't like this.

Percia: That's what I was like, that's oh, like it'll come to you or but I think it makes people feel like they're lacking actually. Oh, but just wear what makes you happy. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. You're like, but I've tried that and it's not usually working.

Percia: Yeah. We're like, I don't know what makes me happy with clothing or also being like clothing doesn't really have to make you happy. Clothing can just be like a tool to help you feel confident and appropriate for 

Percia: your environment. 

Gabrielle (2): And there's different phases too of your life and how you view style, there are certain phases in your life where like maybe utility takes the forefront, maybe like a uniform becomes part of your daily life and you just have to be like, this is part of my style and it's learning to recognize that and that's why, I don't have any issues with dopamine dressing it, but like sometimes I think it's like setting people up to fail that if they don't have that [00:33:00] you know I don't know what sparks joy or my wardrobe is constrained and I can't open me dress Like I can't just put on that like sweater because I have to wear this to work You know that it makes style feel less inclusive almost Because you everyone has style like you're just it's like everyone has a voice everyone, what you're wearing?

Gabrielle (2): It just depends How intentional it is, and 

Gabrielle (2): where you're gathering those elements. What advice do you have for people who are trying to find a core style, or clothes that just work, feel good. 

Percia: Again, I really think that documentation helps a lot instead of just being like, oh, I know, yeah, I have five outfits that I like and I just cycle through those every day. 

Gabrielle (2): But I'm like, okay, but what are those five outfits? Take pictures of them. Which. Oh yeah. What are the items, write down like the sizes, write down the length of the pants, like which shoes go with what, like I'm, I don't know, this is what works for me, obviously it doesn't work for everyone, and it sounds boring, and like why do I have to do this sort of [00:34:00] work for my clothing, but I'm like I think it can be so illuminating because even if it seems very obvious to you or simple, I would always suggest like taking pictures, writing everything down, and then when you look at it in that lens, you can also, I think, find patterns way more easily. 

I'm like a broken record with people, I'm like, take daily outfit photos. I know it seems silly and I know you it's a, it's like a hard habit to start building, but once you start doing it just noticing oh my gosh, like, why do I look so much better in this outfit than this one?

Gabrielle (2): Or why do I like this so much more? What's the energy, what the hem lengths, what's the fit? You just, you're able to see the data more objectively. and you're able to reflect back on like, how did that actually work for my lifestyle? Maybe I'm drawn to lifestyle reasons to develop a core fashion.

Gabrielle (2): You're in Seattle and you hike a lot. So of course you feel good when you wear the hiking shoes and, or you're in New York and you're running up the, taking Biking, up and down Brooklyn, like you need [00:35:00] clothes that will suit that. So it's like you need that data, I think is a great starting point.

Gabrielle (2): And when people are in the weeds, I think that collecting that data It's a hard thing to do because emotionally sometimes if you're in the weeds and you don't like your clothes, you're like, I don't want to see a bunch of photos of it yet. I'm not there yet. I'm like, just collect it, put it in a folder, don't even look at it yet.

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. How do you feel like people should start pattern recognizing? Do you think that a stylist can help with that or do you think people can do it on their own? What is your advice on that? 

Percia: Obviously a stylist can help with it, but I believe that people can do it on their own. If they're really.

Percia: feeling motivated to do it. I do think it's hard obviously to look at yourself with a more objective lens than someone else can do. And you might hear things that you wouldn't necessarily say to yourself, but you could also ask a friend for help and see if they might be able to give some advice in that sense too.

Percia: But I do think for the pattern recognition. Things can be as simple as how long are the pants that I like [00:36:00] just talking about inseam. How high waisted are the pants that I like? How long are the pants that I like? Really simple questions. Are the tops that I like structured? Do they sit in a way that is not body conscious, or do they have their own structure, or do they cling?

Percia: Do they flow? Are they soft? Are they hard? I think you could probably put together a 10 question questionnaire, and follow it fairly easily and still get a good amount of information from it, which is like, how tall are my shoes? How long are my pants? How long are my shirt? Just things like that are really sound banal, but I think do really give a good deal of information.

Gabrielle (2): Definitely. How would someone go about looking at their wardrobe then? Do you have any advice for like, when you stare at your wardrobe and you're like, What should they do? Should they In terms of re 

Percia: Yeah. In terms of rehabbing? 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. Cause most people's clos most people's closets are the root of their problem, I feel like.

Gabrielle (2): Yes. It's you bought a few too many trends, a [00:37:00] few too, garden house clogs that you haven't worn yet are still there in the box, 

Percia: I'm doing this actually with my partner right now, which I also made a YouTube video about, and I think I called it like, How to Build a Boyfriend.

Percia: Which I did really just for the title, because I thought it sounded funny. One, because we've been partners for years I've never called him my boyfriend, and we're also engaged. 

Gabrielle (2): The B's, yeah, 

Percia: the B's sounded good together. Anyway so when we did this process, Immediately, I was like, we should start with cleaning out your closet and I agree, cleaning out your closet can be difficult.

Percia: He went in and took everything out in 10 minutes. He knew exactly what he wasn't wearing. I don't know if that's true for everyone, but , he was like, I've not worn this. It's something still had the tags on it. He was like, I think it was a gift. Sorry to whoever this gave this to me.

Percia: I haven't worn it. So he had a really clear idea what. He wasn't wearing. 

Percia: I think I if you don't have a clear idea of what you're not wearing I have been doing this series. This is a much longer Process, but it [00:38:00] can be effective where I essentially randomized my closet So I put all my clothing in random order.

Gabrielle (2): Oh, no I mentioned that it basically tricks your brain into not going for default 

Percia: Yes, and I've just been taking the first shirt that

Percia: is in the line, quote unquote, and then when you wear that shirt, you put it at the back line and next day you wear the next shirt. Yeah. If you're, like, looking down the barrel of your next clothing item thinking Oh my god, I don't want to wear this.

Percia: It's probably a good indication that you don't want that. I'm struggling with this a little bit only because I have items like right now, the pants that I'm wearing for this interview are not sit down pants. Okay. 

Gabrielle (2): We'll wrap up soon.

Gabrielle (2): We'll wrap up soon. 

Percia: But that's what I had to wear today based off of this little thing that I'm doing. But I'm like, that doesn't necessarily mean I shouldn't own them, but they're not. everyday pants, but is it worth owning pants that you don't feel like you could wear? Sometimes there's stuff that's just obviously I'm not going to wear a ball gown.

Percia: If I had a white [00:39:00] tie dress, I'm obviously not going to wear that every day either. So there's some things you have to take into consideration. I think you could probably, if you do this. separate things into like occasion dressing. 

Percia: And if you work at an office, for example, you can separate these things into like my weekend clothes or whatever, my office clothes, my going out clothes, and then 

Gabrielle (2): Segmentation. I think that people think you have to have this like core style and every piece has to get like capsule wardrobes have been drilled into us, where you have to use these same pieces. Over and over again, but segmenting your wardrobe is a natural progression it's like it's good to understand like these are tops that I wear out These make me feel good when I am in this situation They're not my everyday pants But then it's about filling those gaps too because if you only have pants that you can't sit down in then that's like that different problem You are suffering un You're gonna get in trouble.

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. So it's like a balancing point. It's okay, and then sometimes it's just recognizing what you actually have in your [00:40:00] closet. I feel like people are pretty out of touch. They're like, Oh my God, I forgot I had this. So I love that randomization aspect of this is a challenge. Like actually force yourself to try everything.

Gabrielle (2): You have to go through everything. 

Percia: Yeah. And my mom used to, when I was a kid, the way she would get me to clean things is that she would take everything out. There wasn't like, go into your closet and clean it up. There's now everything that was on the shelf is now on the bed, is now on the floor, or on the bed, and you need to decide what goes back in.

Percia: And not everything goes back in. So just the physical act of actually physically having to take everything out and put it back in. Sure, you could probably still cheat, but you'll probably be cheating a lot less than if you just go and rifle through. 

Gabrielle (2): Any last advice for people who are finding their style? We'll make sure that your YouTube is linked in there. You do such cool videos about process and the whys and finding that core. Plus you have awesome style yourself, so I know people will enjoy seeing it, but last bits of advice.

Percia: Thank you. I think [00:41:00] my last bit of advice is Just thinking as clearly as you can about how you like to feel in public spaces 

Percia: and I would say that's the only sort of emotional tip I usually give, which is like literally how do you like to feel? Are you a social person? Do you like to show a little skin?

Percia: Do you like to be a little risque? Do you like to be in the background? And I'm not, I would never be like, now you have to break out of your box. No, I'd be like, okay. Are you introverted? Be introverted. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. That's your box for a reason. Embrace it. That's your box. 

Percia: But I also have friends who are introverted who do like to show skin.

Percia: Like none of these things are like cookie cutter. 

Gabrielle (2): No, it's your own box. I think that's an important factor.

Percia: But I think if you really sit down and be like, how do I like people to look at me? Or how do I like just to feel out and about? That's can be a good starting place. And maybe there is a world in which.

Percia: Your clothing has no effect on how you feel in public spaces? Yeah. In which case, [00:42:00] power to you. Yeah. Just wear whatever is 

Percia: most comfortable. 

Gabrielle (2): I feel like those people might not be watching or listening to a style podcast. They're probably just like going about their everyday, grabbing their coffee and being like, what?

Gabrielle (2): Style? There's something new? 

Percia: Which is 

Percia: in itself its own style.

Gabrielle (2): It is, of course. I think we, that's the thing people forget is everyone has style, like literally everyone. It just matters like it's how intentional it is in terms of how you feel about it. There are people who like put a lot of value on how they present to the world and every day they wake up and part of their routine and how they feel more like themselves and how they feel in a place in the world is how they put together an outfit. And there are people who just go about it and are like, okay, this is a shirt. I'm gonna put it on and go out into the world. And that's what it is, neither is good or bad. It's just how you operate. What works for you. Yeah. Yeah. And it's about learning about yourself too and figuring out which, what type of person are you? What is your box?

Percia: Yeah. Sometimes your box says, my mom bought this for me. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. And that's fine. That's totally 

Gabrielle (2): [00:43:00] cool.

Percia: A lot of the clothes I have, my mom bought for me too. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. Exactly. Moms are an untapped style source, sometimes they're on to something. Although, sometimes they're not. 

Percia: Results may vary. 

Gabrielle (2): Yeah. It was so nice to talk to you. I love hearing about your conceptual ideas about style and thank you so much for coming on and we'll make sure that all your links are in the show notes for people who want to have more percia

Percia: thank you so much. This was great. 

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