Style Files: Christina, From Barbiecore to Sewing Class

This episode of Style POV is part of the Style Files segment — where listeners come on the podcast to share their real, evolving style journeys: the wins, the messiness, the growth, and all the surprising turns in between.

Today, I’m chatting with Christina, whose story touches on everything from childhood fashion memories to the Barbie movie’s influence, sewing school adventures, and navigating personal style through shifting body changes and life stressors. It’s thoughtful, creative, and incredibly relatable — especially if you’ve ever felt like your wardrobe was a tornado of clothes and not enough yes-pieces.

A quick note: if you're watching the video version, you’ll notice my footage looks a little different than usual. That’s because my original audio was completely unusable (yes, podcaster panic moment), so I re-recorded my parts afterward. Same questions, same energy, just with a slightly different setup. Thanks for rolling with it.

I think you’ll love Christina’s warmth, curiosity, and the way she’s approaching style as both self-care and creative expression. Let’s get into it.

Full Show Notes: https://gabriellearruda.com/style-files-christina-from-barbiecore-to-sewing-class

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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

Gabrielle: [00:00:00] Hi everyone, and welcome back to the style POV. This episode is part of the Style File series where listeners come on to share their personal style journeys, the triumphs, the messy middles, and the magic of figuring it out all along the way. Today I'm joined by Christina, who is such an insightful, inspiring perspective on style, creativity, and learning to trust your own eye.

Before we dive in, I just wanna give you a quick heads up. If you're watching the video version of this podcast, you might notice that my footage looks a little different than usual. That's because my original audio had some technical issues and was totally unsalvageable, so I rerecorded my parts afterwards.

Same questions, same energy, just better sound. Thanks for bearing with that slight shift. . Now let's get into Christina's style journey. I think you're gonna love this one. 

Hi, Christina. I'm so excited to have you on. And so I just wanted to get started with the question about where does your style journey begin? 

When were you first super inspired or excited by fashion?

Christina: Oh boy. It's been on and off for years. I would say the most recent [00:01:00] style journey was probably like a year and a half ago or two years ago. Really, I'm gonna go further back and just talk about like childhood, because I've always been interested in clothes and what people were wearing, I never liked going shopping, but I always liked seeing what people wore in movies.

And I loved to draw as a kid, like I would draw little dresses on. fairy princesses and my mom would be like, oh, that's so wonderful. And she would encourage me because she also, she sews herself. And so it was something that she and my sisters they always loved, going shopping together.

I didn't like the shopping piece, but I loved, how they put together outfits and how great that. They looked and the other women in my life, I just always thought that they were so beautiful and sophisticated. And so that was just like I was drawn to it because of them. My sisters are nine and 11 years [00:02:00] older than me, so there's a big age gap and so I always got to see what them and their friends were wearing, what makeup they were doing, and I was really excited to 

do that someday. And then once I got into like high school, I'd say that's when it really took off for myself because the very important Gossip Girl that series was just like awe inspiring for me. And I went through a huge, Blair Waldorf phase of colored tights, headbands a very conservative look with pops of color everywhere.

It was very 2010s and it was a blast, I was just gonna say most recently it started with the Barbie tour,

Gabrielle: Okay, so wait, I wanna pause for one second. 'cause I'd love to hear, so you have Gossip Girl and you have more recently Barbie. Was there, one initial inspiration or one movie that you were like addicted to as a kid or as a young kid that all started this? Were there any inspirations like that?

Christina: Oh, I was a huge [00:03:00] fan of Beauty and the Beast. I think it's just 'cause I also love to read and that was like. Every little girl who's a brunette who loves to read just as like bell, but that yellow dress was everything. 

And I don't know about any particular TV shows or whatnot. I. I will say maybe Gilmore Girls, because I did watch it live with my sisters and my mom,

I really loved like what Lorelai was wearing. Not necessarily all of her casual clothes, but I always liked when she dressed up 

Gabrielle: You were just into fashion, like you were appreciating it, whether it was coming from movies or your older siblings, like that was something that really inspired you. And Blair Waldorf was such an icon. I remember seeing on screen and being like, oh my gosh. 

Wow. Way to craft a character.

I think she got us all started on headbands too, and, color tights for a very long time. We can thank Blair for that.

Christina: have loads of headbands and in college I did pull back on them. 'cause my friends were like, you're wearing a lot of headbands. I know I need to [00:04:00] take a step back and then try something else. But then most recently when they came back I was like, you know what, I'm gonna wear headbands again when I want to.

It just won't be with every outfit.

Gabrielle: That's good. So during these phases, and especially like in the getting into the Gossip Girl phase, were you feeling, good about your style? Were you liking the inspirations? How were you getting dressed each day?

Christina: Oh boy. I would try things on and create a mess in my room because I just put something on, stand in front of the mirror, think, okay, this is looking right, or it's not looking right. If it wasn't looking right and then just throw it. And so my poor parents, they just would see a tornado and unfortunately I haven't really gotten out of that.

Mentality, but I do try to like, pick up a little bit more after. But likewise, it's just a lot of trial and error when I put pieces together. And it was always like that. So I would try to add a few things on whether it was like accessories or let me add this sweater. Okay, this sweater's [00:05:00] not hitting the right place.

I don't know why it's not hitting the right place. 'cause I didn't have the terminology or the vocab. I just had this feeling that it wasn't. For

me. and so then I would just, just try and try again. And I also had , my high school best friend, she like always loved to dress up in school too, so she was like very dressy.

Like she wore like high heeled ankle boots, . And I didn't have the high heeled ankle boots, but I did have the ankle boots and the ballet flat. 

Oh yeah, that was a 2000 stable ballet flats and flares. 

Christina: Yes, definitely. 

Gabrielle: So, it sounds like you're a very artistic person. Like you really like to play with things and get creative and you're trying lots of different things and a kind of messy middle, was emerging, and like you're loving your headbands, but you're not always loving the final look.

Is that accurate?

Christina: Yeah, that, I would say that's pretty accurate. I think also being in high school your body changes and that is also

A whole thing too. And so there's certain things where you're trying to execute [00:06:00] like the same look and . It's not coming out the same way that you would want it to be 

I am not necessarily like Leighton Meester's size and I never was. I mentioned this to you just briefly in the interview, but like I started to have some health problems with PCOS in high school, and so there's always been like a weight fluctuation that's been part of my style journey. And so there was definitely a lot of frustration when I would try pieces that maybe the outfit worked completely like a few months ago and then I try it again.

Either. I gained some weight or I lost some weight, and then suddenly it's not working again. So I think that being able to be intuitive with trying different pieces has allowed me to find some peace, even amidst those challenges, because then I can just be like, all right, if it's not gonna work this month, maybe it'll work again in a few months, 

Gabrielle: Yeah, you had to build in that flexibility because it's like you have to be able to be flexible to approach it one month to the next. It's not always [00:07:00] Okay. I know exactly. This is my stable outfit or my uniform. I know. I can pull on that. , how are you feeling about your wardrobe then?

Did you feel like a little chaotic during those years ? Because it can be hard, your wardrobe and your style. You're loving, it. You should be like. This safe space, right? Like it should be that space where you just go in and you look at it and you're like, yes, this is me. I know I can put this on.

I can feel my best. 

This is like an easy yes piece. Did you feel like you struggled finding these easy Yes. Pieces then?

Christina: Oh, for sure. There would be like. Some things that were easy. Yes. Pieces such as like the headband. I think that's why I relied on it because like my head's shape was never changing. Or if I was wearing tights, like they would stretch and they would mold or like certain shoes. So I think I found a lot of comfort in the accessories because

they were always consistent.

Whereas like when it came to a particular top or like a skirt, there would be time periods where I was like, this skirt is everything. [00:08:00] It was like this corduroy skirt that was a hand-me-down for my sister and I loved it. And then suddenly it didn't work anymore.

And then I was so frustrated because I was like, this is so cute. And to today, I haven't found the right fit for it. But I'm hoping that I'll be able to make one like that eventually

Gabrielle: Definitely. I know. I am so excited to hear about your sewing classes. We're definitely gonna touch on that soon. But I wanna circle back because you were talking about accessories and you mentioned that you also started your style journey with the Barbie movie, and I feel like that is such a good inspiration for all the accessories and like creating that vibe of a look.

Can you talk a little bit about how that inspired you?

Christina: Oh yes, definitely. So like I've always paid attention to styling and costume design with movies and tv and it's like one of my really close friends from college, we bonded over period pieces because we're like the costumes, we love them. But. Specifically with the Barbie [00:09:00] movie. I was just seeing the press tour that Margot Robbie was doing, and I was like, wow, this is so fun and very playful.

And I know that some people had been doing playful press tours where they were matching the vibe or the ambiance, but I think it was really neat that. Her stylist was able to take like direct like recreations from these classic dolls across different decades and either do a direct look or reimagine it to today.

So take the inspiration, but maybe change the silhouette a little bit. And then I saw people online who were like, finally, she's in her colors. And I was like, colors? Oh, that reminds me. I think my mom told me I was a winter when I was growing up, and then I was like, let me go down this rabbit hole, which is actually how I found you.

Gabrielle: Oh, that's so funny. I think everyone's mom or in our age bracket is self typed us. At least one point. I think my mom was like, you're in the autumn family. Our whole family is autumn. It turns out they're wrong. They're actually all springs but they were like.

Way back in the day, they even had people who like [00:10:00] came to your houses and like my grandmother had someone come to their house and be like, your palette is this. 

You should have olive green wallpaper. and orange Tupperware, so you know, color.

Now has a strong history where all of our parents tried to type us at one point or another. So. you found Barbie, you were vibing with the looks. Her looks on the red carpet were just fantastic. 

They were, I love the reference points too, because it was just really cool. Like I had that Barbie in the black dress with the ponytail and the red lips.

Like I had the classic Barbie. It was a Christmas gift. and I remember seeing her on the red carpet. I was like, oh my gosh, I feel like a little kid. 

Like she is just Barbie in a box. Perfect. And so colors started to filter back into your life. Had you been using winter colors at all, or was that just something that like lived, somewhere tucked into your brain?

Christina: I had it tucked in my brain. I did a little bit of it in high school because I think the 2010s really or at least the late two thousands, early 2010s when I think back of what I wore, [00:11:00] there was a lot of cool tone clothing. There was like a lot of color blocking there was a lot of like vibrant contrast and I was like, okay, this really, I thought it worked for me.

And then in college there was this shift happening where there was still a lot of vibrancy because there was like that sort of twee movement,

And I was still utilizing that, but then I was like, Ooh, I like these warm tones too.

And I got into makeup and I was doing a lot of warm tone makeup because I was like, I love the sparkle. I love this. Gold look, and I didn't feel badly about it. I thought it was fun, and there's no regrets because I think it's fun to look back and see how it evolves and changes it. It was then in the late 2010s, early 2020s where I just felt like I was in a funk because everything was muted.

Everything was like this monotone, like tonal look. And I just suddenly felt like I was out of [00:12:00] style, that I was frumpy and I was no longer like relevant. And that was really frustrating because I was like, I'm still like a young woman and even if I'm not a young woman, I still don't wanna feel that way.

So I, that's why I was happy with the Barbie movie, as silly as it sounds because it was bringing back that vibrancy. And I was like, okay, we can see that someone can still be in style or on trend or what have you and still bring out all these different colors, which I know it, it doesn't matter when it comes to personal style.

If you wanna wear colors, if you wanna be muted. But

there is a lot of external pressure to stay updated.

Gabrielle: Yeah. And it's hard when you're shopping. Like we've all been into the dusty colors for a while now, and it can be tricky when you're going to a store and you're like, even if I wanted to buy this, I just don't feel like it's right for me. Like you go to the store after store and you're hitting all these muted colors, it can feel a little disheartening.

You're like, will I ever find my perfect piece? Does it even exist? , so did you feel like your [00:13:00] trends were important to you during your style journey, or can you talk a little bit more about that? 

Christina: It's not like I followed them to the T or anything because there were still trends from the past. I'm putting these words together about like color blocking and things like that because I now have been building my vocab, but

know what the. That was then I was just like, I like the piece.

I can buy it in, stores it, this looks good. I can make it work. And then suddenly I was in the stores, I was trying on stuff. I was like, this is not doing anything for me. Especially with everything being so boxy. Like oversized and boxy. I don't mind like a looser fit. Like this dress I'm wearing is like it skims.

But if it was completely boxy, it doesn't do anything for my frame. And I think that was hard because I just saw that all the trends were like limiting my ability to express how I wanted to express myself.

Gabrielle: Yeah. So at what juncture were you looking for [00:14:00] these vocab words or looking for explanation as to okay, I know the dusty colors aren't quite right. I know this boxy blazer trend isn't gonna be my friend right now. Was that the trigger point or were there other elements, encouraging you to seek that information?

Christina: I think it was really that point because I just had to figure out. What was I looking for if I was online shopping because I couldn't find anything in the stores? What was the vocabulary that I needed? And then, because I was looking for the vocab that then turned into all these different style systems, because it just seemed, the internet algorithm is how it worked.

I like that I'm able to develop a vocab because like it allows me to be able to figure out like what is going to be helpful for me as I continue my style journey.

Gabrielle: Okay, so I think you told me that the first style system that you encountered? 

was actually color analysis. So did you go down the rabbit hole? Did you decide to get typed? What was the process there? 

Christina: Complete [00:15:00] rabbit hole. My husband still teases me about today it's now a joke in our household because I just was like watching all these YouTube videos and I was taking pictures of myself, like with natural lighting and trying different things.

, it's hard because where I am, there's not really a lot of opportunities to be typed in person. I would have to travel to a bigger city. And I was like, oh, there's a lot of like online opportunities, but ai, it just wasn't feeling right. Anyway. My husband, he actually has an artistic background himself too, and I was like, just look at me.

Am I cool toned or am I warm tone? He says' you're cool toned 

But you've got like warmth to you 'cause you're a light olive 

so there was that. And then at the college where I work at a community college. There is a fashion program there, which is pretty unique for a two year school.

So there is a fashion program [00:16:00] there. And during a professional activity week, the. Fashion professor who like leads the department, she did this session called like Find Your Power Suit. 

she brought out the new swatches and we just got typed into the main four seasons. 

When I did that we were like in a group where it was half of us looking at each other this color. But she had us also test our I guess not our eyesight. It has to do more with, can you see the differences in color?

Gabrielle: Yeah, because there's a different spectrums and your visibility is like important. because being able to tell the difference between a warm yellow and a cool yellow, honestly, even when you find your season, a lot of people are like, you don't need to know color theory. And I'm like, you're right.

But it's super helpful. 

to be able to train your eye to see the colors. If you could tell, Hey, that's a super warm color, hey, that might be not be close to one of my neutrals, so I totally understand that.

Christina: So she also did bring up, things about color theory in terms of tones and [00:17:00] shades. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is great. I wanna learn, because there was one woman who was having difficulty getting typed and I was like, I've got my ideas.

. So I was like, can I go to your one-to-one session? With the fashion professor

and she said, yeah, I don't care. And so I did that and then turns out she was a winter as well. 

It looks like lower contrast in her face because she has like lighter eyebrows, but she has darker salt and pepper hair. If she ends up watching this I think that you're a beautiful human. But it was so neat to see like how those colors really brought out like a vibrancy in

Christina: her skin. And then the professor was like, oh, you're really into this, there's a styling class that you could take with the students. I was like, oh, really? And so that's what I did this past spring was take a styling class. And then we did the same activity, but with a different professor and my classmates, who, most of them are like 18, 19, and here I am, like a 31-year-old [00:18:00] in the room with them.

They typed me as a spring, which threw me off.

Gabrielle: Or the why's? What did they like about spring versus winter? Because like they're both high contrast, right? 

Christina: I think it was the high contrast, because we weren't doing any of the subtypes.

I had this realization that. If I am neutral, cool or neutral warm. Ultimately I need brightness 

which I have seen that before, like when I would do like costumes and like theater or because I like did community theater when I was younger, or if I danced or if I did like this fun, dramatic look it was always part of it. It just confirmed that at the contrast, I would love to actually get professionally typed beyond just the four seasons. But I do think that was fun. And of course that led me down to the other rabbit holes of Kibbe and Kitchener and 

Gabrielle: So it sounds like style has been a very, fun exploration and creative [00:19:00] outlet for you, especially when you started to learn about these things that like, you could see, you could apply some of your interests from when you were younger, like talking about the plays and all the movies, just that love of completing this enchanting look or vibe.

What do you think was instrumental in shifting you from or taking that step to be like, I'm gonna take the class. 'cause not everyone will do that. It takes a great person to be able to like, heck, I'm just gonna go to this community class. I'm gonna dive in and I'm gonna, do colors.

And it seems like you have such a gusto about it and I just love it. 

So do you, think that's just your personality or, 

Christina: I really love learning. I just always love learning. I've always loved to learn about anything and everything since I was a kid, which I think really benefits me in keeping life exciting. 'cause there's always something new to gain out there. But also my particular role, like in my job at the college is a bit high stress.

Because I'm under like a grant program and I lead it and there's always this external pressure of the grant. The grant. And so I, and plus, [00:20:00] there's like outside external stressors with family and their health problems. I was like, I need something that's for me, like

just me. And I think that's why I did it, because I was like, I'm finding that this is relaxing me.

I get to disengage my brain from all of the other things I normally am thinking about, and so I can shift my focus and do something that is completely different and then grow. 

Gabrielle: That's so cool. It sounds like you have just filled this little part of your brain where it could be yours and you like take possession of it and be able to see something like, this fulfills me in a different way than maybe my job or my friends, or whatever elements there are. in your life.

There's just this like little creative outlet for me. Did you feel like it was a different environment when you were draping at home and consuming content versus when you stepped into the class?

Christina: I think it was definitely different

for sure. Because also, besides being graded, that's a

[00:21:00] different mentality. I also had to put into words my thoughts of as to why I thought X, Y, and Z. Why was a particular look like, how would it work together? Why were these certain elements

 Work for this body type, or why would it work for this person at this stage in their life? And we did all these different exercises where we'd be giving these scenarios of this person is X years old, they're in this type of environment, they're trying to achieve this type of thing.

Have free reign, put an outfit together,

like mood board wise. And that was like a fun activity that we do every class. . One of my favorite assignments were, was we had to help one of our loved ones or friends redesign a look of theirs, that they would normally do a daytime and an evening.

And so my best friend from college she lives in New York City, I live. Not in New York City.. And we did this over the phone [00:22:00] and I was like, take pictures of things and I got to help her rework this outfit her daytime outfit and then 'cause she worked like her work outfit. And the evening one, I was able to get this blazer of hers that she has not been able to make work. I was able to make it work for her. I was like, why don't you try it with this dress? 'cause she kept trying it with pants and she's a lot shorter than I am. And yeah, it was really fun.

And she was happy because she got loads of compliments when she wore it, and it looked really good. But she's only worn it once. And then she just moved recently, so she did apologize. She's I'm sorry, I donated the blazer.

Gabrielle: That's okay. She figured out how to make it work with your help, which is huge. That's so cool. So a question, when you were asked to create all those why's for the assignments, did you find yourself carrying that through to your own style too? All of a sudden when you're getting dressed, like asking those why questions?

So let's hear a little bit more about that.

Christina: Yes, I definitely was thinking more intentionally of [00:23:00] what's my why? So if I'm going to this family event, why am I wearing these certain clothes? If I am going out grocery shopping, why am I wearing these clothes? If I'm going to a pumpkin patch, like why am I doing it? And it's for work specifically, the different situations like. What's my audience? Because if I'm working with the students one-to-one, I have to present myself very differently than if I'm working with upper administration or external partners. And I just had to think like, how can I make , an outfit work for me in the different environments? If I'm gonna be facing different people in the same day, because I do know that when it comes to nonverbal communication, like your clothing is part of it.

Of course it is. What did you find out about merging all those styles together? Were there any takeaways? 

I don't have a solid takeaway yet because I'm still exploring it, but I have found that in [00:24:00] certain settings that I feel like I can be more expressive at in my current work. I were to maybe meet with some like external partners who, it depends on the external partners too.

Christina: Are they community agencies? Or are they government officials?

So if I was meeting with like someone from the government, for example, maybe I throw on a blazer with this to just add a bit of formality.

Gabrielle: But then again, maybe I take the blazer off if I'm meeting with a community partner there's different like unspoken standards of professionalism,

It's cool that you could view it from the lens of this one piece can help transition it from an authentic outfit to the different, domains that you need to live in.

Gabrielle: So color was feeling good. You're gaining all this style knowledge. 

It's, such an interesting journey so far. So how was it being a stylist for your friend then? 'cause you have all this new knowledge.

Christina: Oh, it was great. I love it. And I've also done it for random people now.

Like I went to, like a Marshalls or [00:25:00] a TJ Maxx, I was like looking at it and this lady had said, oh, that looks really cute. I had, didn't have it try on.

I just picked it up and then she said, I'm going on a trip. I'm going to the UK in January. I'm trying to find clothes to wear. And I was like, I went to the UK in January, and I just helped her pick some like clothes up. I was like, this would look great with your eyes.

Gabrielle (2): How you're like putting it forward, all your knowledge and education, just let's share it with everyone. That's the best story I've heard in a really long time. It's just so nice to be able to give someone that and have that shared Yeah. Fashion, is great moment.

Christina: And I want her to have a fun trip and to feel good in herself, like while she's there and feel

comfortable. So

Gabrielle: it's such a powerful thing when you feel good in your clothes. So colors were being figured out. You felt good with that. What kind of came next? You've done the styling classes, the color classes. You're on a roll. What's happening now? I.

Christina: Simultaneously I was like going into the Kibbe system, which that has [00:26:00] just been a struggle for me. I'm not gonna lie, so I'm five 10, so I know that there are three. There are three that I can be.

And dramatic is not one of them.

So since then I've just been waffling back and forth between flamboyant, natural and soft.

Dramatic, and I still cannot figure it out at the moment.

I think that maybe it's flamboyant, natural, and then perhaps because of like, including other style systems that perhaps there's certain elements of flamboyant natural that just don't work as well on me, or I don't feel as comfortable in them, but like I know that I really do like a neckline that's more open,

a common feature for both of 'em,

Gabrielle: Yeah, I know. And then it can be hard to parse through because there's like overlaps between some of the actual recommendations. And then sometimes people are like, it's just a vibe. Are you free spirit chic, or are you diva chic? And you're like I'm not totally sure. 

Every system doesn't work for every person. [00:27:00] 

in the moment. Sometimes it ha you have to go back to them at a later time. Did you find the styling class, influenced you on how you viewed Kibbe or at all on the other style systems? I.

Christina: It wasn't necessarily that class per se. It wasn't just the only focus, but one of the lessons was about, , the fruit shapes. And I suppose I erroneously thought that I was an apple till like my one fashion professor's no, you're not an apple at all.

There is clear waste definition right here. She like pointed right there and I was like, oh boy. I think it's harder to see it for yourself than it is for others. And I think that's been my main takeaway. And I think that's why people online are always so like adamant of yeah, I know because I can see it.

Gabrielle: We should definitely discuss that because I think it can be helpful and hurtful at different. junctures in your style journey to be like getting that feedback or asking for feedback. in general. Because some people are so confident online and they're like, you are this, and then you spend six months exploring it and you're just like wait a second.

All of a sudden you're like, [00:28:00] no. I'm definitely not that, and you're like I should have just spent a little bit more time. or focused on my own point of view. So did you find the groups helpful or were they just something that you didn't use very often? at this time?

Christina: Intermittently. It depended on like my mood.

Some of the groups I found really helpful and others I was like, I think you are just falling into stereotypes. It is still very individual and I know that with the systems, like there's these structures, but at the same time like with any theory, there is no perfect execution of it.

If you think about academic theories and take whatever. Field you wanna pick. It doesn't have to be fashion, it could be sociology, it could be psychology. Whatever theories that exist, there's never a perfect ex execution of it. And I think if I keep that in mind, it's like I don't have to be perfect at Kibbe or I don't have to be perfect at Kitchener in order to still find value in some of the things.

Like I know [00:29:00] that there is width in like my upper body. I know that vertical is important. I'm learning how to. Create vertical through color or not breaking the line, or intentionally breaking the line. What that does, and I think that is like just as valuable or even more because

then you can create an effect that you wanna create with it.

Gabrielle: Absolutely. I think it's about customization at the end of the day. Like we get so fixated on the name of that thing we are, or like I need the answer. And what we fail to recognize is that these are all different frameworks that will provide you more or less information depending on where you are at in your style journey.

So if you're super early in your style journey and you hate everything you wear. A system like Kibbie might completely open up your eyes 'cause you're like, oh my God, I never thought about clothes this way.

But if you're more progressed in your style and you're feeling really good about the choices you're making and you just want some subtle improvements or some subtle shifts, you may not need the whole [00:30:00] like kit and caboodle. 

You may not need every recommendation. You may not need to study the text.

Like it's, a Bible that's gonna lead to fashion, perfection. And I think the approach of, hey, this is one tip on how to use fabric, or this is one tip on how to understand vertical on is changing how you approach style, 

then that's great. But I don't think you need to nail down necessarily if you're diva chic or free spirit cheek.

It's okay to be like, 

Christina: some moods. I wanna be free spirit chic and other moods. I wanna be diva chic. And it's I wanna have the freedom to move between those two.

Gabrielle: Yeah, and it sounds like you're really creative too, and you really enjoy like the head to toe looks and crafting a thematic outfit that has a vibe and personality and allows you to feel like you feed into that creativity that you love to cultivate. So. you're finding all the style systems, 

it's changing some things.

Now you mentioned you started sewing classes, and I wanna hear all about that. 'cause I love a good style sewing journey.

Christina: Oh boy. This is very humbling, this one for me. But before I go into it, I do wanna [00:31:00] say quickly about the head to toe look and themes. I love a theme. I just love a theme. I love a theme party. I, it's the theater background you get to try on different things.

And I was just like, when you said that, I was like, oh, wow, I'm thinking about this theme day and. High school or this theme idea that we did as a party with friends, just all of that. So the sewing class, it is three hours once a week, and I've had two sessions so far, so I'm still very brand new at it.

It's apparel, construction fundamentals. So I'm learning how to sew to create garments, and I know that by the end of the semester I will have made besides all the different samples of different techniques I'll have made a tote bag, pajama pants, a skirt, and then the big project is a shirt dress

with all the differents. 

Gabrielle: Yeah. That's like the culmination of it all. I'm not gonna say don't be [00:32:00] terrified. 'cause sewing many things that can be a little terrifying. But it's like a fun, terrifying, and I will say just give yourself enough time because as someone who is sewed under pressure before, it usually doesn't go. very well.

I remember like crying over welt pockets in college being like, why can't I understand the steps of a weld pocket? at 4:00 AM trying to get my homework done on time?

Christina: Oh my goodness. I had a very humbling experience on Monday with my class because I've used a sewing machine in the past, but it's been a long time. And so we were, being taught like, this is how you throw the sewing machine because this is like a lot of. Basic beginners that are in this, myself included.

And then as I'm working on one of my samples, I went to a different sewing machine. I was like, oh, I have to thread this. And I just got to the point and I was looking at it, and I was doing the things I was like, and the last step is, and I just sat there.

Gabrielle (3): And people don't realize, like just when they stare at a sewing machine that you're like, you have to [00:33:00] pull it in through here. It goes back there, then it comes back up. It loops down there, it goes back. down, it goes around here. It's like, super confusing the first time you do it.

Christina: So they're fast. So I'm very slow with it. Because I am still learning how to do it. The hand sewing is not as difficult for me because I like to cross stitch and like I've done that for years. So that's not as big of a problem. It's the machine sewing, which is gonna be the rest of the semester.

 It's a humbling experience, but ultimately I'm glad I'm finally doing this because I've always wanted to learn how to sew, like always, 

Gabrielle: that's good. It's really good to learn those new skills and it can be so freeing because at first, you're like, you have a new appreciation of clothes, right? Like you look at garments now and you're like, whoa, okay. This jacket took a lot of time. Look at all these beautiful interfacings and look at the lapel shape and how perfect is. that Buttonhole?

Like you really see clothes differently, and it also teaches you how clothes work as well. There's things that. You think will be easy to do in [00:34:00] your head. Like a welt pocket, there's a million well pockets on every trousers, try sewing a well pocket, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh my God, 

I never knew there were 16 steps just to get this flap looking correct.

So what were your goals or what are your goals with sewing? Is it something that you just wanna have as a hobby? 

Is like sewing gonna be an opportunity to both express like that amazing creativity you have while also giving you the clothes that you really need or what you're thinking about it? 

Christina: I would like to do all those things that you just said, like a hobby, obviously. But I would love to be able to tailor my own clothes,

like that's what would be ideal.

I also think that because there is also a lack of tailors in my area. It's also out of necessity because it's like, if I want to have pieces that are gonna be like, tailored to myself, like who's gonna do it? So partially that I would, I've always dreamt of going into a thrift store, finding some clothes, and then just like making them look great for me.[00:35:00] 

But I have no idea how to do that yet.

Gabrielle: If you just keep practicing and sewing and honestly, you'll go from I assume you guys are cutting patterns that are already created. You're not draping your own patterns. Correct. So you're.

Christina: is like the third level of the class. So I'm in level one. So like when I, right now we haven't even. Approach the pattern yet, like we're doing all the different seams with the different, like half inch seam allowance or inch seam allowance and all the, all these different pieces. I think we're gonna start the pattern next week for the tote bag and,

 There's three different courses I could take. One of my friends who's in the class she's also an employee at the college. She took it backwards. Because she actually has sewing experience . So she took draping first, and now she's in the class with me, and it's like she's a TA in a way, because a lot of people can be like, wait, [00:36:00] I need help with this, and the professor's already helping with someone

else, and then she can come and be like, okay, this is what you do.

Gabrielle: Man, you're kind of making me wanna go back to sewing class. This sounds fun. It's cool that you guys can do that together too, but it's like this fun hobby, but it also has a super impactful end result. And the thing is too, that the more you sew, the more you understand how garments are made, and the more you'll 

see when you're out shopping, the flexibility and the limitations of what you can do to a garment. And I think that's incredible knowledge, especially for someone who wants to go into a thrift store and let's say. Can I make this dress have a wider neckline? Can I make it fit my waist? better? 

Can I fit this to my body shape? It gives you a new perspective because I think a lot of people just think, oh, a tailor can fix it. Boom. And once you learn to sew, you're like, well, a tailor could fix it, but it's gonna be so complicated that we might just wanna start from scratch.

Gabrielle: So it's really a cool journey for you because it's gonna give you new perspective on shopping. 

as well.

And I hope it kind of improves your shopping experience too, where you have a finer detail for eye and an understanding of construction [00:37:00] where you can have a more positive shopping experience.

Christina: I hope so too. And the one other thing I was going to mention is even with my own wardrobe I've realized I have all these t-shirts that like, I love the design on them, but I.

And I just wanna change them.

 So like I will actually wear them, they're just sitting in my closet 

and it would be great to just make better use of it because I'm really like, thoughtful about the fact that with the environment I wanna wear what I have.

Gabrielle: And it's such a huge part of that, where you can really put the care in or you can mend things or you can tweak them to fit you. It's, really empowering actually, and I just think it's, so cool. So. how are you feeling about your style today? Where do you wanna take it? How is your wardrobe looking?

Share us an update on today and into the future.

Christina: Okay. Today I'm feeling pretty good because this past summer I always felt like summer was a difficult season for me [00:38:00] when it came to clothing because I really love layers. I love a drapey cardigan. It's long. I love the textures of it. Like fall and winter and early spring are great. And then as soon as it gets like hot and muggy, I just don't know how to dress for myself or I felt like that.

And then this summer I really dressed differently and I was able to find like light weight layers or I dressed more in dresses. And I was like , I don't have to wear shorts. I felt like I had a big style win this summer.

And I was really happy about that

because for years, summer was like this pain point of I just felt like I couldn't find anything that just felt good. And I'm excited for fall because it's my favorite season. Moving forward though, my next thing I wanna do is try to really cultivate what my wardrobe is going to be.

And get rid of the pieces that just don't work. I've got this dress I bought that the color does nothing for me. Maybe I could change it so [00:39:00] the fit would be better, but the color doesn't do anything, so why am I keeping it? So I really just need to pare things down because I just wanna have less. And when I'm doing the clothing tornado, I wanna be able to have fewer things to throw around.

Gabrielle: I feel you on that one. I do wanna circle back first to summer 'cause I wanted to ask were there any good themes used in summer? Because I think it's so empowering too, that you were like, I don't have to wear shorts if I don't like shorts. Like I can wear dresses. That's awesome. I fully endorse that idea.

But were there any themes? 'cause you mentioned that you like a good theme. Were there any themes that you were embracing that really have been hitting the mark, or just open creativity that like fulfills you? 

Christina: It's really the open ended. It's hard because there's so many different, cores, like

mermaid core. Sometimes I feel like I get limited by the the micro trends are happening,

like with like quiet luxury.

I was like, yeah, that's fine. I found that there were these similar to the long drapey [00:40:00] cardigan.

I had these like lightweight, I guess there's some type of polyester blend, but they were like made for summer and for spring, and they're kimono and I also, for a while, like I was given them as like a gift and I couldn't figure out how to make it work.

And then one day I was like, I'm just gonna try it in a bunch of different ways. And then I found that they fit really well with a few different dresses and so I could rotate it out and literally every time I wore that particular piece, it didn't matter which dress it was with, I always got complimented.

 You look so cute today. This is such a great outfit. Or then I tried to one that was similar and I was like, wow, I'm finding that this formula is like working for myself and I could wear it to work and still be work appropriate and find the elements I love from the wintertime, but just make it summer instead.

Gabrielle: Yeah, it seems like boldness, a little bit of creativity, uniqueness, all of that kind of speaks to you.

Christina: Yeah, I do. I do really like [00:41:00] that.

Gabrielle: Yeah, if you express yourself really well in style, like you just get a vibe from you and all the way you speak and the way you carry yourself. It's just really cool to see. 

So what is your plan for your style moving forward?

Maybe you need to closet audit and you need to start a pile of these pieces don't really work for me. And get your drawing and sketch pad out again and be like, here are things I need to save. 

for or start. Sewing, get your fashion designer going on, and what am I gonna do to this t-shirt to make it fit my bold creativity?

So talk a little bit about what's next.

Christina: Yes. I already started a pile of things that I definitely wanna get rid of. And I think my next pile is going to be, this is what I wanna try to revise and challenge myself to change, like test my sewing skills.

That's like the next piece. I do wanna figure out what my Kitchener essences are like.

I think I might reach out to Andrea and ask for her assistance. I jokingly have said that I just have ingenue essence.

Because I have a [00:42:00] round face and like for years people are like, I got a baby face. Even today, like with my friends, when they're, they joke around about like having a baby face.

I'm like, no, you just have ingenue essence. 

Gabrielle: They're like, what rabbit hole are you in now? 

But yeah, you should. Andrea gives such interesting, reports. I love seeing the reports in the, group of people sharing the results from her. in the Facebook group. 'cause it's really cool to see that people have so many essences and that there's little elements that can start to explain, like, oh, that's why I gravitate towards this, or that's why I can only do a little accessory of this, 

or I have this little bit of ingenue and I never really realized this is why, like those details, or this is why like the type of neckline, it can be cool like a final puzzle, 

piece to match. everything together. And it might help you with your sewing too, because you might find that certain techniques suit you. You'd like to learn more about this technique versus some other ones. 

Because maybe if you don't have dramatic, you might not look, be looking at hardcore tailoring or structured elements or bindings and you [00:43:00] might be veering more into draping and a little bit more romantic, but it's really cool to see. So I think that's just wonderful that you've explored all these community resources and you're like looking for the knowledge and it's just really inspiring. 

I love that. It's probably like my favorite quality in a person 

I'm just inspired by you. and your pursuit of knowledge.

So what advice would you have for anyone else on their style journey?

Christina: Oh I appreciate that. I feel really inspired by all the people that are in the community too, who are like trying, and they put themselves out there all the time. I don't post in the group that frequently, and it's not because I don't care or anything, I'm just like, Ooh, putting myself on the

internet. It's the internet. That, that's always just a challenge itself. So like I really respect that people are taking all these chances. I think that. People need to get out of their heads when it comes to the systems. And just remember that like what we talked about earlier, that you can take pieces of it

and make it work.

So if you're building your vocabulary [00:44:00] and finding out that this particular element of the system works for you and you can be more intentional with your clothes, that might help you find more peace with your wardrobe and within like your body and all of that. I just think that people need to trust their intuition and. They also should look back at their childhood too, because I think that when you're a kid, you're drawn to things that bring you joy

 And then try to harness that as an adult.

That, that's, my advice. 

Gabrielle: I think that's awesome advice. First. of all, I think everyone should take what works for them and leave the rest, and that's a hard lesson to learn, but it seems like you were just, boom, that's it. Done. Which is like really impressive, first of all. And second of all, it's really cool to think about your childhood because we can see through your journey, like you've had these instincts, you've had this love of fashion, you saw that you're sketching, 

and drawing and having this creativity and playful moment with style, like it was all stacking and reaching this kind of

pinnacle moment for you. I'm taking control of my style. I'm [00:45:00] gonna learn to sew. I'm gonna learn to make these clothes work for me. 'cause if I can't find exactly what I want out there, or I need to be a size smaller this month or a size bigger, I'm gonna, have to have the power to do that. 

I just wanna say. Thank you so much for coming on, and I hope you update us with your sewing journey and how the shirt dress goes. And just, one last tip, if you do start those t-shirts. One don't do one you love first because. 

there may be a little bit of a learning process on that. I had to learn that the hard way.

Start with one that you're just like me. It's okay if I mess this one up.

Christina: Ah, that makes a lot of sense. It's like when I taught my friends cross stitch this happens every time I was teaching people how to cross stitch. They would do basic things and then suddenly they were like, I am inspired and I'm gonna pick this really complicated giant project.

And then they would abandon it.

I was like, no, don't do it. But every single person, like once they got into it, so I just

have to remind myself, don't be that person. Start small. It's baby steps.

Gabrielle: [00:46:00] Exactly. Sewing is just all about little baby steps, and stacking the knowledge that you gain and learning how to tackle the new challenges it likes to throw at you. But I am so glad that you shared your journey with us, so thank you so much for coming on.

Christina: Yes. Thank you for having me. I really had a blast. I'm excited that you're doing this podcast. I'm really excited that you invited the listeners. I think that everyone brings something so unique to the table and I feel really inspired by the other, like listeners and followers in your group.

So thank you. 

Gabrielle: And that's it for this episode of The Style Files on the Style POV. Until next week, guys, see you then.