How Abi Hoffman Curates a Dream Closet Through Travel, Storytelling & Style Romanticism

Today on Style POV, I’m joined by someone who makes the everyday feel cinematic. Abi Hoffman is a fashion content creator, writer, and vintage curator whose work lives at the intersection of beauty, storytelling, and intention. Her aesthetic—what she calls “maximalist-minimalist”—merges structured silhouettes with rich textures, archival pieces, and those unforgettable flourishes that give fashion its emotional weight.

In this conversation, Abi shares how her background in music and visual storytelling shapes her unique approach to style. We talk about the art of romanticizing your wardrobe (without leaning into cliché), building a closet that feels like a deeply personal collection, and what it means to lead with intuition when it comes to dressing.

We also dive into:

• The philosophy behind her signature style
• Why some vintage finds feel like lifelong companions
• Her favorite designer brands for inspiration
• How travel shapes her fashion point of view
• The delight of vintage hunting (and how to shop online for it)
• Pinterest as a modern mood board
• And a glimpse into her upcoming creative project

Whether you're in the middle of refining your wardrobe or dreaming about your next great find, this episode is an invitation to slow down, go deeper, and embrace fashion as both art and autobiography.

full show notes: https://gabriellearruda.com/abi-hoffman-style-romanticism/

Where to Find Abi Hoffman

Substack: Abi Hoffman

Instagram: @abihoffman

Timestamps

01:40 – Abi Hoffman’s maximalist-minimalist personal style
05:01 – Three designer brands to love
07:59 – Romanticizing your style
10:31 – Relying on intuition instead of a styling process
11:57 – Style as part innate, part learned habits
15:43 – Sources of style inspiration
18:02 – The joy vintage hunting
20:13 – Vintage shopping online
24:07 – Traveling and style
29:52 – Pinterest as a style tool
33:13 – Abi Hoffman’s upcoming project

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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

Abi Hoffman

Gabrielle: [00:00:00] Today on Style POV, I'm joined by someone who embodies the art of romancing the everyday, not through soft cliches, but through texture, intention, and storytelling. Abi Hoffman is a fashion content creator, writer, and vintage curator whose aesthetic blends luxury with nostalgia in a way that feels entirely modern.

With an eye for rare archival finds, and a background in music and visual storytelling, Abi brings a deeply personal lens to everything she shares from her Substack essays to her beautifully composed Instagram feed. Her style is what she calls maximalist-minimalist structured silhouettes made unforgettable through rich fabrics, bold flourishes, and pieces that tell a story.

In this episode, we talk about what it really means to romanticize your style, how to trust your creative instincts, and what a gold Chanel mini dress can feel like a lifelong companion. We also dive into her love for travel, her approach to vintage hunting, and the beauty of building a closet or even a home that reflects who you really are.

Let's get into it.

Hi Abi. Thank you so [00:01:00] much for coming on the podcast. It is wonderful to have you, for viewers who are new to your work, do you wanna just give us a little bit of background about you and your personal style and what you do? 

Abi: Of course. And thank you for having me. I'm excited to talk to you. mainly for me, I do a lot of social media work and it's all based on aesthetics and personal style. Mainly pulling a lot of luxury, mainly vintage, and just kind of expressing myself through fashion like I do in my everyday life. It's basically just an elevated version of that for me, from a more, detailed visual storytelling aspect. 

So. I'd say my personal style is very, I like to define it as maximalist minimalist because I love to stick to very specific silhouettes that I know flatter my body type, and I like to embellish and I love embellishments in general with really beautiful, visually interesting materials, fabrics, and I love eye catching pieces that are [00:02:00] really a statement, but that you can wear all the time. 

Gabrielle: Your whole visual right now is beautiful. It's vintage, sepia-toned, romantic. How would you describe your aesthetic? Has it always been this, iteration? Where did it come from? Let's get the background on this, this beautiful personal style that you've cultivated. 

Abi: Thank you. Absolutely. I always say I think I was meant to live in Paris in the seventies. That is one of my favorite decades of fashion. The sixties and seventies when the couture houses really we're out there beginning of peak and mm-hmm. So I think that through that passion has really defined my personal style. I have such an appreciation for tailoring and like I mentioned earlier, just really beautiful fabrics, silks, just things that feel good on the body and also just have like a really beautiful visual.

So I would definitely say being a student of fashion in that regard has really influenced my personal style and just in general. I have the brands that I love [00:03:00] and whether it's I'm wearing that brand or it's just a homage or inspired by the DNA of that brand. for instance, with Chanel, I really, really love tweeds.

So whether it's Chanel or not, if it's a tweed piece, I immediately gravitate towards it. So stuff like that, um, definitely defines a lot of my personal style. Just really gravitating towards these very rich fabrics that just feel good, look good, and just they say something, they make a statement.

Gabrielle: Definitely. I love that, first of all. And um, I was reading your Substack and you mentioned this lovely book called The Beautiful Fall, which...

Abi: I was gonna bring it up. 

Gabrielle: Yes. It's awesome. I was like, oh my god, this is such an underrated book for anyone who hasn't read it. It's about the story. Yeah. About the story of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint laurent and their, uh, evolution as designers and kind of competitors at some point. So yes. Would you say that those were the houses that really inspired you. Is that where your [00:04:00] vintage love came from, kind of like learning the history of these fashion innovators? 

Abi: Absolutely. A hundred percent. I would say YSL, Carl Lagerfeld and Cristóbal Balenciaga were definitely my main inspirations when it came to really becoming knowledgeable about couture and specific.

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. 

Abi: And. It's just that book, Alicia Drake, I Love You. Yeah, that is such a good book. I recommend it to everybody, even if you don't necessarily have an interest in fashion. She just tells it in a way that really makes you escape into that world. Mm-hmm. And, ugh, I read it every year.

Gabrielle: It really should be , a show or a movie at some point because... 

Abi: I agree. 

Gabrielle: It tells their story so beautifully. And you don't even have to like, care about the design houses to be enraptured by their evolution. So what about those three brands really drew you in? Or what about those brands were just like it for you that that created that connection?

Abi: I think, well, in [00:05:00] specific, I would say the brands themselves and the designers I kind of relate to for different reasons. I'd say YSL for his colors, his Moroccan inspiration. I think he really took his heritage and made a beautiful, just beautiful homage to that, and it's very obviously authentic to him.

With Carl, I think that , he did such a beautiful job at creating these worlds, like each collection was a fantasy. The shows, the collections themselves, they always had such a strong storytelling aspect, and I think that's what I really appreciated about it outside of my love for what Coco did and with Cristóbal, I, he's just he's the father of Couture. Yeah, 

Gabrielle: I know. 

Abi: You know, there's just no other way to put it aside from the construction of his garments, like it gives me chills just to think about it. It's just that is art form that I really just admire about fashion to the highest degree. 

Gabrielle: Oh, I know the innovation there [00:06:00] was so incredible and I actually saw, ysl, um, Moroccan residents when I was in Morocco, and it was time ago.

 It's a worthwhile trip. You really see how he tells a story with line with fabric going from the individual fashion drawings to like the actual creations. You just see where they're pulled through. And that's like the storytelling aspect you're talking about. 

Abi: Absolutely. 

Gabrielle: Um, so I know we're gonna talk about your travels a little bit later on, but I would love to hear, how you tell your personal style.

What is your storytelling about? Do you feel like you have an overarching theme? Is it individual day to day, you're changing things up. I. 

Abi: I think it's honestly a mixture. I mean, I love to romanticize otherwise mundane things what we kind of overlook in the day. I am an extremely visual person, so I think that I express myself so much through art forms of photography.

 Because when I look at something, I tend to see a photo. Like I can always appreciate how a certain light is casting a [00:07:00] shadow and stuff like that, or how colors interact. And I think that's something that in my creative self has really been such an incredible privilege about doing a job as a content creator is it really allows me to already exercise what I feel every day.

Mm-hmm. And so being able to put that into a tangible form and be able to use that to express myself and be professional, it's just a really special thing I would say. Yeah. Like, it really goes down for me with visuals. Ultimately, I think that's how I tell a story best. I love to write as well, so I would say like between those two crafts, I definitely find that's where I express myself creatively the most and tell a story through, like I said, just like overlooked details and making them artistic and beautiful is definitely a huge part of my personal style in that regard.

Gabrielle: I love that. So how does one [00:08:00] romanticize their style, then? How would one get started with that? What was the process for you like? Because I mean, it's interesting as a content creator, you're like, peeking, we're all peeking behind the curtain, right? We can see your thought process. We're seeing how you evolve something where you're applying this fabric or that texture or drawing a different color story when you're traveling maybe to suit the environment a little bit more.

 So tell us a little bit more about your process. 

Abi: I think it's also an overarching theme that I've kind of tried to adapt in my mindset just in general is last year I had the opportunity to go to the Chanel show and it just reminded me that was something that, as a child, I would've absolutely died for that. Just having a childlike joy for things because I find it's so easy and I am extremely guilty of this, of just not living in the moment.

Whether I'm thinking of something in the past or I'm caught up in the future, like it's just so easy [00:09:00] to not think about what you're doing in your present moment. And I think that living in the moment is one of the most romantic things you can do. For me, romanticism is about the love and appreciation you have for your life, for yourself.

It's not about anybody else. It's about just being appreciative and also just recognizing the beauty in everything in an outfit that you feel good in. Like it's, for me, one of the best feelings is when I put on something that I'm like. This just makes me feel like I'm expressing myself to the highest degree.

It's something that I love and appreciate and I'm so grateful to have it in my possession. Mm-hmm. And I think that's absolutely kind of the DNA of romanticizing. Your style and your life is just really being loving and appreciative of yourself. 

Gabrielle: Personally, I think that what content creators who are successful and really paint this story do so well is they get a really clear understanding of what they value in style and what they can put to the side.

[00:10:00] Because with so much media, I. You know, we can consume so much and be like, well, I could never do that 'cause I don't have the budget, or I could never do that because, you know, they just pull it off better. Yeah. Do you think that like you've kind of honed those values down? So like, creative expression, personal joy or is that part of your process for romanticizing it to like value those things in the moment or in your overarching style?

Abi: A hundred percent. No, I would say I am grateful to be a very decisive person and I rely a lot on my intuition, and that definitely applies to everything. And with style 100%. If something is trendy and I don't resonate with it, I am not easily persuaded to invest in that sort of thing. So I definitely think I have taken so much time in my life to understand what I love in fashion and how I can incorporate that into my personal style and what feels like it expresses me. And [00:11:00] so I would definitely say, yeah, that really resonates. 

Gabrielle: So how did you get to know yourself so well? Was it always just going by your gut? Was it like your history of always being a visual storyteller?

Where's the inspiration coming from? Because you've clearly got it down pat now, like you know yourself. It's clear the story is coming through. 

Abi: I think it's 'cause I'm a cancer. 

Gabrielle: I love that. I love that. 

Abi: No, in all seriousness, I think that I have always had a strong determination to strive for authenticity, and I just can't. I've never been somebody who is very motivated to do things that I don't want to do, which is a good and a bad thing because it really motivates me to do the things that I love. It's definitely led me down into this career path is because I was so determined to do what I wanted and have my own autonomy.

 I would definitely say that it's somewhat innate, somewhat learned habits. [00:12:00] I've always been very passionate about certain things and very hardheaded and stubborn, and I've always wanted to pursue those things and do whatever I can to make it possible for myself. 

Gabrielle: Clearly you have good gut instincts. You're a creative person, you like to carry that through. Are you someone who likes to try trends? How have you melded that with a very, intrinsic and authentic personal style? 

Abi: I think it kind of goes back to what I was saying about maximalist minimalism. Mm-hmm. I rely on silhouettes that I love and that I feel suit me best. And so if I am trying a trend, it's always going to be kind of already embedded in the fabric of my personal silhouette, DNA or like, it's a fabric that I like. For instance, like rage of Miu Miu , the school girl, like stuff like that. I think it's really easy to kind of look at that and be like, oh, I can wear this full look and it's going to look great and it's going to be put [00:13:00] together.

And when that really became like the rise, I looked at it and I was like, okay, there are certain things I actually really love about this and I appreciate it. Would I wear the full look or like, would I be inspired to do something similar to that look? Maybe not, but I would pair it with an oversized blazer or I would wear like a chunky boot.

Like I'm just not gonna go the miniskirt loafer. Um, so I think in that regard, I will always be open to trying trends. I just don't think that they're Bible. 

Gabrielle: I think that's a really important point too, because ,we can feel pressure to try these new trends and that we'll be like left behind if we don't try the new miu miu look or adopt the new color of the year or whatever it may be.

Um, but you seem to have a really good balance of exploration, but staying true to your authentic personal style. How have you developed all these body silhouette, uh, cues that you have that like this silhouette works, this fabric works. 

Do you have any rules in mind or [00:14:00] processes that you work through when you're saying, okay, yes, I can do this. No, I can't do that, or I don't want to do that, which you know, is an important distinction too. 

Abi: Yeah, absolutely. No, I think. Trial and error. Honestly, like growing up, I loved oversized clothes and I still do, there's a lot of the times, I love like a very shapeless Rick Owens adjacent silhouette.

 I think it's such a vibe. But is it going to be like what I wear every single day? No. A lot of my dressing is also extremely mood dependent. Like I get dressed primarily on what I am feeling in the morning. kind of, like I said, trial and error has been a huge thing on like what silhouettes I like.

 Based on my body type, I have curves and so I like to accentuate. And , I've always been somebody who, I wouldn't say that I like dress overly conservative or overly the opposite, but I like to feel confident and. If showing skin makes me feel confident, I do it. If I'm not feeling it, I won't do it.

So like [00:15:00] I said, it's mood dependent, but I also, I think being a visual person, I can also look at something and be like, this might sound vain, but like, is this going to photograph well? And if I'm like, it may not. Then I might be a little bit, you know, persuaded to try something else out.

But I think so much of it, yeah, is just through my life experience and understanding my style and 

Gabrielle: yeah. So when you're building that outfit that day, you're pulling pieces from your closet. What is going on through your head? Do you have a theme in mind? Are you building it for the photo that you have to take?

Are you building it for the event you're going to, or is it kind of just a creative artistic expression of, I'm gonna do what feels right. 

Abi: I honestly, every day is so different, which like I love that about my life is that I get to do something different every day. I would say it's kind of a mixture of everything.

There are days where I will choose a bag or a shoe and center, an entire look around it. There are [00:16:00] days where I'll have an event. And if I'm not inspired, I will look at the invite and I'll look at the colors that are on the invite and I'll be like, okay, I'm going to be inspired off of like whatever colors.

Or if like a brand has a specific color, like if it's Gucci and Cora, I'll go for a red. It all goes back down to visuals. So whether it's a color, it's a piece. And then I think kind of the last thing when I'm getting dressed would be just mood. I definitely have a affinity for black, so sometimes more than not, I'm wearing a lot of black and I'll make it pop with an interesting fabric or pattern, or I'll add some color. 

 I think it definitely goes down to what's going on in that day, how I'm feeling more likely than not, even if I'm going to the grocery store, I'm putting on a fit. Mm-hmm. That's always how I've been. I just love to express myself and I don't feel like myself when I don't. 

Gabrielle: Yeah, that's, [00:17:00] that's an amazing sign to say that you have a really authentic personal style when you feel out of place, not putting on those clothes that feel true to yourself. And it sounds like you find this seed of visual inspiration and then it kind of blooms from there. Like whether it's the invite, the color, one individual piece, it all kind of sprouts from there and expands.

 So since we're on the topic and we're talking about your closet. I know you have a lot of vintage pieces. Tell us about your journey getting into vintage. Do you always wear vintage pieces? What's the draw there? 

Abi: Yeah, absolutely. One of my favorite things to talk about, I would say honestly, it kind of relates to what we were talking about with trends.

Mm-hmm. I think we do live in such an overly saturated time period when it comes to information and trends just being thrown at our face. I think that it's kind of a double-edged sword because I love how everybody can interpret trends and you know, you can take something, a piece and somebody can [00:18:00] style it the completely different way, and I love that.

But I think it did sort of originate from two things, like my love for those decades and also this desire to have something that is not necessarily easily consumable and the search of it, the hunt of loving a piece from Chanel 1993, spring, summer, and finding something from that collection, like it's one of my favorite things.

It's such an adrenaline rush. One of the biggest things is owning a bit of history, I think. It's just something that has always been so special to me. So when I find a piece from a collection or the piece itself makes me discover a collection that I didn't necessarily know about, like it's just such a intimate, special journey that you get to have with that piece of clothing and that's what I love about historical fashion in general, and it's just so fun to be able to own things from these different time periods. 

Gabrielle: Yeah, what it sounds like what we were talking about before is that part of [00:19:00] your style values is that unique piece, the story behind the piece, the process to getting the piece is really important to shaping how you feel when you wear it.

Like there's a different process. When you've scoured New York City, all the vintage pieces, and then you see it on the rack and you're like, you just know innately, like that's it. That's the one, and it all goes according to plan. That's a different process than let's say, like going into Gap and buying a sweater there, like there's a different relationship to that piece.

And I think that goes back to like how you talk about romanticizing your style is like you've put value into this process of choosing this piece. 

Abi: For sure. No, it's such an emotional process for me. It's truly something that not only do I express myself through, but I just love it so much.

And yeah, it definitely has such like an intimate relationship for me. 

Gabrielle: And so how did you come across vintage shopping? How have you become such an expert at it? Because I know when you start off, it can be a little [00:20:00] frustrating 'cause you're going in, you're seeing things outta your price range, or you're seeing things that don't fit your body or you know, whatever it is.

It takes a little while to like, understand the vintage landscape and to be patient enough to wait for the right piece. 

Abi: Right? 100%. I definitely am guilty of scouring the internet. I think that's my number one and I would say kind of the first vintage pieces I bought were more based on collections that I loved, and so I was taking my own search process and really curating it.

So I wasn't necessarily going into every store with the idea of like, oh, I'm going to discover something. I was like, I want one thing from this collection and I'm going to find it. Mm-hmm. Um, so that's kind of how it started. Now it's really hard to put me in a vintage store and me not walk out with something shopaholic indeed.

 Yeah, I would say it definitely started more targeted and then blossomed. [00:21:00] So yeah, in that regard, definitely kind of my own curation. I live on The RealReal and Vestiaire. 

Gabrielle: I know they're good. Right? 

Abi: Etsy and eBay and all of them just, yeah. 

Gabrielle: Okay. So you have to share, give us a vintage find story where you were just like, searching for it or called to it and where it ended up in your outfit.

Abi: Oh, that's a good one. That's like trying to choose a favorite child. 

Gabrielle: I know. 

Abi: okay. I would say one of my most cherished pieces is I have a Chanel velour jumpsuit from, oh God, I'm gonna butcher this. I believe it's either 94 or 96 spring summer. 

Okay. 

Abi: And I actually, you know what? No, that's not it. There is a gold mini dress and short bolero jacket from Chanel that I have from spring summer in 1997, which is the year I was born. Mm. And I absolutely love [00:22:00] that collection. And I was scouring Etsy. It was literally a model from the show who was selling it.

It's a sample, not even like off the rack. Mm-hmm. And so it's tailored to be the mini dress. It's not the store version. And I absolutely love it. And I wore it on my birthday twice now, and it's one of those pieces that will be in my closet even when I don't feel like wearing many dresses or skirts anymore.

Mm-hmm. It just is one of those archival pieces that I really cherish so much. It's this beautiful gold tweed. 

Gabrielle: well goes back to your tweed love. So there's a connection. So what about that beautiful Tweed Gold mini dress was the story behind it? What did it communicate that just, you know, lit you up? 

Abi: I think because Tweed is something I love so, so dearly, and I think it's often not necessarily put in like more mature shapes, but the majority of tweeds can kind of be a [00:23:00] little bit more conservative. And for me, like I love edging up a Chanel piece or something like that. Like I love to keep it young and that's how I kind of express myself and the contrast, the tension of like maybe a more mature piece with a miniskirt. And so the tweed in that type of silhouette that I already loved so dearly, it just had me written all over it. It was my favorite silhouette, my favorite season, Lagerfeld. It was just the boxes were checked. 

Gabrielle: So I know, it sounds like from what you've been describing is like you like to romanticize your style, but you don't like it to go too overly sweet. Like you need those bold, modern, or polished attributes to it, and that's probably why Chanel speaks to you so much. 

 How has, traveling, I know you travel a lot. If you watch your Instagram at Abi Hoffman, Yes. Uh, we, we see a lot of your travels, Japan, Vietnam. How has that influenced your personal style development, your [00:24:00] wardrobe building? Are you someone who likes to buy a piece every time you travel somewhere? How does it work?

Abi: I do. Oh, yes, I do. I was really lucky growing up. My parents really believed in the value of travel. They always said to me, it was the most important classroom. And so at a young age, I traveled a lot and I think it gave me such an appreciation for exploring other cultures, other lifestyles, and really getting to see the beauty in that.

And so it definitely has only gotten worse since I've gotten older and have my own abilities to do so now and yeah, I think that there's so much inspiration that you can find. It was my first time in Asia when I went most recently, and it was just a world explosion in my head. Like it was just so visually overly stimulating because there's just so much history and so much culture that I was previously not exposed to in my [00:25:00] face.

So it was so cool to just be inside of that world and. I was just admiring it, especially Vietnam. I really, really enjoyed my time there and I was really taken aback by how vibrant their fashion scene is and mm-hmm. There's all of these incredible up and coming designers and you can just walk in their showroom and they will make you something to your measurements.

And it's just that type of discovery for me is what life is about. Having the ability to do that makes me feel so privileged. And so I think that travel in that regard, like really just continues to keep me inspired and also lets me test my own boundaries and what I'm comfortable doing and what like, you know, it just gives you redefined perspectives.

I always feel like even if I'm going to Paris for work or if I'm going to Asia, like I come back knowing something different or I come back thinking something different, like whatever it is, like your perspective can always shift. And I love that about traveling. [00:26:00] Mm-hmm. And yeah, most recently I did buy this in Vietnam and I was really excited to just find a piece from my house.

That's kind of been my thing as of recent. when I moved into my new apartment in December, I just really wanted to furnish it with things that were from my travels, I, , was able to go into Coco Chanel's apartment in September and just seeing all of her collections from her travels and how she not only used them in her designs, but had all of these different decor and things like that in her house from like all these different places. And I don't think she had ever gone to Asia, but she was obsessed with dividers and the mm-hmm and um. Yeah, that really felt special to me and resonated with me. So I kind of put it in my head that I really wanted to find one.

So this is very special to me for very, very many reasons. 

Gabrielle: So for [00:27:00] anyone who's listening to this, it's a beautiful tri-fold, wall separator with a tapestry, inlaid into it, and it's beautiful and from Vietnam, so. But what I love about what you're talking about is kind of the expansion of self and how you, you start off as one person and you travel to this new location and you see new ways of doing things, new ways of, , expressing yourself, new creative attributes.

And then you pick up little pieces from that trip and like carry them through to the new version, the new story that you may tell all while kind of maintaining ideally the authentic personal style. Do you think that that ties into the romanticizing of your style, the aesthetic that it goes beyond just the clothes you put on your body, it can extend to the pieces in your home, the fabrics that like speak to you, the jewelry that you wear?

Abi: Oh, absolutely. I think everything in terms of design, interior, clothes, they're all just [00:28:00] like an expression. And when I. For instance, with interiors, when I'm designing my space, I look at it the same way that I look at an outfit. So whether it's like one furniture piece, I have a few vintage pieces a coffee table from Italy from the seventies by a really fabulous designer, Massimo Vanelli.

And I built like my entire living room is based around that. And then I have a really fabulous red velvet couch and I painted a room red just to go with it. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So I think that it kind of, what I was saying earlier about choosing one piece to style and outfit around is kind of the same way that I do an interior.

And I think that it's all , a romantic expression of myself and that's definitely goes back into why I think that I'm kind of more leaning into buying interior things when I'm on my travels because it's just another extension of myself, as you said. I really loved what you said by the way about that. It's a really nice way to put [00:29:00] it and is very romantic. 

Gabrielle: I'm all for romanticizing our style. I think it's such a good way to really tap into pieces that means something. You know that when you look in your closet or you look in your living room, you're like, that table meant something to me.

I'm always going to want it in my living room. It wasn't just, I'm gonna slot this table in because it was on sale and I could get here in two days. And that was all good. You're putting value behind it. So for someone who would love to romanticize their style or kind of curate their life a little bit more, what would you say is a good place to start?

Because it can be hard, right? We're used to instant gratification, like two day shipping. You know, kind of like following the trends. And in my opinion, I think that can like kind of cloud the value you put behind the pieces and the joy and kind of romantic, you know, dream style that you could have.

Mm-hmm. 

Abi: Yeah, absolutely. I think for me, a lot of where I base my first kind of step of inspiration for [00:30:00] something is Pinterest. Mm-hmm. I love just looking at visuals and seeing really what resonates with you. It's a lot of trial and error, I think it's understanding yourself on that level takes a lot of concentrated effort. so really understanding what speaks to you. If nobody else could comment, like, what do you want to wear? What do you want to do? I think that's the most important question we all have to ask ourselves at all times. Mm-hmm. Um, to live your most authentic way. It really just comes down to what really speaks to you.

As a person in your style, what do you love and who cares what other people think? 

Gabrielle: Mm-hmm. I think that's so important. And I love that you mentioned Pinterest. I think it could be actually a cool exercise. ' In previous content I talk a lot about style systems and rules and toolboxes, and that's all great, but sometimes going by your gut mm-hmm.

Um, is super important too. And it can kind of clear out some of the noise. And I wonder, what do you think about this? If someone wanted [00:31:00] to kind of romanticize their style or find that aesthetic thread of like. What they're drawn to is to like go on Pinterest, create a board titled just like Things that inspire me or Cool Shit, whatever you wanna do, and then just pin anything that sparks interest.

And then look at it like, what interior are you picking? What art are you picking? What people are you inspired by? And kind of pulling all these things together and looking at it objectively. Um. Mm-hmm. Because I think you already do that, you know, like you're naturally doing that and it just lives in your brain, you know?

Mm-hmm. But for someone who's a little earlier on, maybe they need to see those visuals together and try to formulate who they are. 

Abi: Right. And more often than not, honestly, I think that this will apply to the majority of people. The second you do something like that, you'll see patterns in what you like.

Mm-hmm. Visually, you'll see something will make sense with something else, or it will all kind of become like a puzzle that is visually [00:32:00] represented by you selecting these different photos or visuals. Like I 100% think it's such a good way to take that first step to explore your aesthetic. And even if it's all over the place, I think there's always just small things that tie together because your brain is just, you know.

Changing somewhere. There's connection. It's not changing 10 by 10. So it's going be, 

Gabrielle: and also like, you know, sometimes that's the unique thing is some two disparate elements coming together. Mm-hmm. That's what, like the fact you're drawn to both of those things that can create something magical. But what I'm getting from you is just that like you have a lot of seeds of inspiration, and I think that more people can do that, is finding little seeds that you can kind of plant and see what comes of them.

Like, what table am I going to use? What earring am I drawn to? How can I kind of weave that into a story or find something that's handmade and speaks to me or relates to one of my favorite books or fictional characters or [00:33:00] designers like. We live in a like cornucopia of creative inspiration and sometimes you just need to find what speaks to you.

Abi: Um, I agree. 

Gabrielle: Well, that leads me to, so tell us a little bit about your upcoming project. 'cause I know you're working on kind of a video series all about getting romance into everyday style. 

Abi: Yeah, so mainly it's going to be more writing based actually, but 

Gabrielle: Okay. 

Abi: Yeah, I'm gonna do more writing, more photo based versus video. I love video, but I definitely express myself best, I think, through words and stills. Um mm-hmm. But I want to just mainly kind of elaborate on what you and I have also talked about today and how you can really romanticize small things, but also clothing pieces. Um,

I definitely want to emphasize certain pieces in my own closet that I really love and the story behind them and just doing a bit more in depth on those types of things. 

Gabrielle: Yeah, just [00:34:00] finding the value and why they exist in your closet and what they mean to you and why you wouldn't swap them out for any other piece, you know? 

Abi: Right. It's, 

Gabrielle: I think that's how you really build a style that you love and feel good in.

And can not only inspire others like in your career but for the average person just inspire themselves where you wear it and you think, I feel so good in this gold tweed mini dress. It's perfect. 

Abi: I was speaking with a friend the other day and they had come over and they were looking at my closet and I'm very, as I'm sure anybody listening to this, will know by now very visually dominant. And so my closet looks like a boutique. Mm-hmm. And so they were asking me, they were like, if they're, God forbid, but if there was a fire, what would you take? Mm-hmm out of your closet? 

Gabrielle: Uh oh. 

Abi: And 

Gabrielle: that's a mean question. 

Abi: Yeah. But I literally said my 6-year-old Bottega Venetta puddle boots. And I'm not even joking. They are by [00:35:00] far out of anything in my closet, aside from my vintage. Like that would, that would break my heart. Yeah. But those shoes I wear at least three to four times a week. They're by far my most worn shoe. I will never replace them, and I am pretty sure I will be wearing them until I'm 80 or they fall apart and I will go get them repaired immediately, so, 

Gabrielle: exactly.

Abi: Yeah. It's certain things you just have like a emotional tie to 

Gabrielle: I love that. It's kind of cool to just look in your closet and whether you're a writer, 'cause I love to write too, or a filmmaker or a musician or whatever it is, kind of go in and be like. What director would this closet be a part of?

Like, who would it, would it be a Wes Anderson or would it be a Godard or, you know, like what soundtrack does this invoke? Or if I'm getting dressed, what character am I thinking about? Or what story would this person walking into the closet be? Like, if some strange writer walked into your closet, who would they create?

You [00:36:00] know? Um. I'm gonna have to, but I just, this one I know, right? It's a hard question. And you know, depending on what season you're in, it might change, so. 

Abi: Right. Oh, I love that though. 

Gabrielle: So, where can listeners follow your work? Anything you'd like to promote? I know you have a wonderful substack, you have great tips on finding vintage fashion and kind of uncovering those treasures.

Abi: Yes, thank you. absolutely. My substack is just my name, Abi Hoffman, and my Instagram the same. I keep it straightforward and easy, and those are the two predominant platforms that I really use on a regular basis. So especially Instagram, that's my true love, but. Okay. 

Gabrielle: Okay. That's amazing. We'll make sure all those links are in the show notes. Uh, I wanna end on a fun question if you're open to it. 

Abi: Of course. 

Gabrielle: Okay. So if you could raid any designer's showroom, who would it be and why?

I know it's hard 'cause it's only [00:37:00] one, but.

Abi: It really is hard because if I had the option to select 15, I truly would. 

Gabrielle: Wouldn't we all? I mean, 

Abi: I know 

Gabrielle: they should like make this a thing 'cause I would like to do that too. 

Abi: Agreed. I would say at the moment. And it feels very moment specific because it's a brand that I think expresses one of my moods. It's very feminine. I would say Chloé by Chemena Kamali has absolutely just taken my breath away every single season she's done so far.

I think it's been three now. Mm-hmm. And I just absolutely love what she's doing and it just speaks to, I think, so many different expressions of femininity and it is very, classic term, romantic. Mm-hmm. I like that you picked up earlier on. My romanticism is definitely not all pink and butterflies. It's a lot of edge.

No, it's a lot of grand, it's a lot of [00:38:00] black. Mm-hmm. But I think that in itself is very romantic and so I love the way that she's really created, just even these looks with chiffon and these like tall leather boots and these like heavier jewelry. Just stuff like that. I think she really does a great job at tension of femininity and also adding in these kind of street wear elements. And so I'd say, yeah, I would absolutely rob the Chloé Show. 

Gabrielle: Take it all. I'll have just one of everything. Please. 

Abi: Would be gone. 

Gabrielle: I to. Yes. No, I love that you picked Chloé though, because I think Chloé is a great example about how romantic styles and romanticizing your style does not mean it has to be pink or frilly or floral.

It can be this evolution of texture. She does texture, balance so well. Interesting focal points, elements of silhouette that you can move and breathe in. And that has a story within itself, um, that [00:39:00] goes beyond just like, well this is girlier or this is feminine. 

Abi: Right. 

Gabrielle: I think that's like the perfect note to end on.

Thank you so much for coming on the podcast. It was a joy to speak with you. And, um, I can't wait to hear all about your Substack, romanticizing your Style and Life series. 

Abi: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. 

Gabrielle: Alright guys, until next time,