It was the 1998 Oscars and Sharon Stone walked the red carpet in a silk skirt…and a white button down that she plucked straight from her husband’s closet. It was a flawless fashion moment that still makes the list of best Oscar red carpet looks. For this month’s Double Take column, we took inspiration from Lady Stone and went straight to two creative Austin gals—interior decorator Kim West of Well Dressed Space and wardrobe stylist Cristina Facundo to see how they would style this classic piece. They donned the Foxcroft, a crisp white blouse from Nordstrom (always one of our go-to shopping stops), and explored East Austin’s El Chilito and a few piñata shops along the way in honor of Cinco de Mayo, one of our team’s favorite occasions. Tonight, you will probably find both of these gals sipping tequila. Kim says it best: “Any excuse to drink it, and I’ll take it!”
photography by wynn myers
A long-time vet of the fashion industry in NYC, where she worked for Jil Sander and Marc Jacobs, interior decorator Kim West moved to Austin with her husband and adorable daughter, Lulu, two years ago and started her design business, Well Dressed Space.
She felt inspired by the iconic Sharon Stone when it came to styling this white blouse her way—”I remember so vividly when she [Sharon] styled her lavender silk Vera Wang skirt with a white shirt from the GAP…it was fashion magic. I love the balance of masculine and feminine influence in dressing and what better place to start than with a white shirt.”
Kim paired her white blouse with a silk skirt by Bill Blass—”I have owned it forever…the color is delicious and the styling is ultra feminine. Her brogue kicks are from Madewell. “I’m a brogue lover and have been since my days at Jil…it all goes back to the girl/boyish juggle of me.”
Vintage jewelry will always have a spot in Kim’s wardrobe. Her top 3 style essentials for Spring are:
–Skargorn tees (they are perfect!)
-Gem-kissed sandals from Marni and Miu Miu
-Antique paste earrings from Bell & Bird
We caught up with wardrobe stylist Cristina Facundo at East Austin taco stop El Chilito. “I love how people in Austin are so effortlessly stylish. My personal
style was influenced by growing up in Austin and attending music festivals and street fairs as a child,” she says. “These types of events continue to inspire me today.”
Cristina likes to think of a white shirt as a blank canvas. “If I want to dress it up, I can pair it with a skirt and a statement necklace like this one from Kendra Scott,” she says. “If I’m going out, I can pair it with some boyfriend jeans, a top knot and some red lipstick.”
Cristina’s favorite thing about being a stylist is that her job changes every day. “Some days I am collaborating with editors and planning the next fashion spread in a magazine, while other times, I am consulting with a designer on their latest collection. Regardless of daily tasks, my main goal is to bring my client’s vision to life through styling!”
Cristina found this neutral shoe and straw bag from a garage sale. She loves to shop at a mix of stores like RedBird Boutique, Etcetera, Etc., and anywhere that carries vintage like Prototype or Feathers.
Her top 3 Spring Style essentials:
1. A great hat! I love Goorin Bros. on South Congress. They shopkeeper, Kitty, can take one look at you and pick out the best hat for your face shape!
2. Jumpsuits—I can’t stop buying them. They are so easy to dress up or down. When you find one that fits, buy it!
3. Birkenstock Sandals—I love how they are coming in lots of different textures and colors.
