RUBY REDSTONE

How would you describe your personal style?

My style is probably (and hopefully) a reflection of my deep love for history and my enduring obsession with runway fashion. I’m not loyal to any particular time period, but I borrow most of my silhouettes from the late 1800s and the 1960s. I love patterns, colour, sequins, feathers, and embellishments of all kinds.

What are some of your favorite ways to incorporate vintage/second-hand into an outfit?

My taste and the nature of what I do means that many of my outfits are centered around a vintage garment–I actually find that I usually think more about how to incorporate contemporary items! I find that a full vintage look can sometimes read as costume-y, so I always like to have a pair of shoes that are grounded firmly in the present. Sneakers or a flashy pair of knee-high boots always work well! Half of the fun of making an outfit is considering how to best modernise the pieces from the past that I love so much, which means that I find myself pairing, say, an austere vintage nightgown with a brightly coloured fur coat or a Victorian blouse with some baggy jeans.

What’s inspiring your style right now, at the moment?

Manuela Pavesi, Edith Wharton and her New York, seeing everyone else take their new fall outfits for a spin…

Is there a vintage piece you’re currently on the hunt for?

Oh gosh, how much time do you have?! A great leopard print coat, a Swiss dot dress from the 1930s, anything from Prada F/W 2017, a Fair Isle cardigan, pillbox hats, some early 20th century overalls–I could go on.

What are some of your favorite vintage brands/designers or eras to shop?

As mentioned before, I’m a big Prada girl, so I’m always on the hunt for Prada and Miu Miu! I collect Victorian and Edwardian blouses and nighties, so I’ve also got an eye out for those. For special occasions, I love gowns from the late 1920s and early 1930s–those always end up being my splurges.

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Ruby Redstone is a fashion historian and writer. Her newsletter, Old Fashioned, explores the intersection of fashion history, contemporary design, and personal style. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and New York Magazine. She holds an MA in Fashion History from the Courtauld Institute of Art.

@rubyredstone

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