Below is an interview Apparel for Authors posted on Instagram, which you can see in its entirety here. I love their mission and enjoy when artists speak about their personal aesthetic. I posted the actual interview below for anyone not on Instagram.
1. What do you wear to readings, conferences etc.?
What I usually do, which is a lot of dresses, because I dress for comfort and I find dresses liberating. Plus it saves me time, because less coordination and pairing. It's really lazy even though most people don't think of my style as lazy.
2. What are your expectations for how an audience perceives the way you dress?
I want them to see me - all of my weirdness and quirks and aesthetic preferences. Dressing is an art form, and it's a way to celebrate ourselves and our bodies. So I want people to see that. Easy and simple outfits art still art; it doesn't have to be elaborate.
3. Did the garment you chose to wear for your public event cost $, $$, or $$$?
It's usually a mix, since I buy most things on thrift or on sale - and I have been lucky to receive a lot of my grandmother's clothes. She had fabulous style and a fantastic eye, so I've gotten lucky that way. I'm all about great deals though (especially as I live on a budget like most people).
4. Where and when did you purchase it?
Out of the outfits here, the items came from: Beacon's Closet, Miu Miu in Florence during a sample sale, Forever 21, my mother, my grandmother, H&M, Lord & Taylor, Enz's in NYC, Pippin's Vintage in NYC, Brooklyn Flea.
5. What did you wear for your author’s photo?
A beaded dress I found at the Brooklyn Flea, although I sadly no longer own the dress. I had it for several years, however.
6. If financial, physical, geographic, and/or other constraints prevent you from participating and/or attending writing-related activities, what garments make you feel most like a writer?
Anything lace or velvet.
7. How does your identity intersect with the way you dress?
My identity is fluid, so I dress how I feel that way. Sometimes I feel boi-ish and dapper and sometimes I feel femme and ethereal.
8. What about accessories?
I love them. They are adornments for our souls.
9. How do you feel about conforming, reshaping, and/or subverting dominant expectations of beauty through dress?
I'm all about. We should dress how we feel comfortable. I refuse to wear heels or uncomfortable shoes, which I don't particularly look at as subversive, but it is an act of defiance and rebellion, especially as some work places still expect that.
11. Do you write about clothing?
I do. It's been such a huge part of my upbringing, as I was raised by women who used fashion as a means of identity - and rightly so.
12. What do you consider when choosing a particular garment?
Comfort and versatility and joy.