The Answers To My Closet
- Aug 28, 2025
- 4 min read
I get a lot of questions about my closet, where I shop, how I pick articles of clothing out, and what I keep an eye out for.
I'm gonna be honest, I start off by looking at the ugliest thing on the rack. I'll go for things that look a bit odd (that I reassure myself I WILL figure out later). I cannot tell you how many times I have grabbed some article of clothing while shopping with another person, being told that that was NOT going to work, only to have that same person be so confused that I somehow managed to make it work.
Right now, I have my eyes on these shoes by Double Standard NYC. I have shown many people these shoes on my phone and they all quite literally looked back up at me with a "wtf, Olive?" face. Play Ball Flats in ballet pink. Yes, they are ballerina and baseball inspired flats. Call me crazy but you have to trust me—these are iconic.
Another way I've gone about shopping is having a look in mind and for some reason, I am always inspired by the 1998-2006 series Charmed. Alyssa Milano and Rose McGowan's wardrobe is where I turn to first—here I look for silk tank top shirts, any shirt with some type of slit up the middle, cropped pattern shirts that aren't too tacky, long skirts, all lace camis, off shoulder crop tops, and anything with "flowy" sleeves. Something that gives off a statement yet could
be an everyday outfit. Sounds easy to look for—but let me tell you, trying to replicate a very specific late 90s, early Y2K witch wardrobe is surprisingly difficult. For these pieces, I turn to Depop, a great friend of mine.
I am also inspired by each and every outfit Sandra Bullock wears in Practical Magic, I love the silk, long flowing floral skirts, and the simplicity of her look. I mean Sandy manages to do that effortlessly but it IS a look.
However, if I had to give credit to one person who's truly changed the way I dress, it would be Fran Drescher in The Nanny. Fran doesn't just wear clothes—she commands each style to come together no matter what the pattern or color may be. Sequined mini skirts, bold animal prints, loud colors, sharp silhouettes: she dressed like every room was a runway—a true inspirational icon. A few years ago, I never would've touched some of the patterns, colors, or textures I do now, but Fran kinda gave me this permission to go bigger. I have coordinated camp, flirty, and powerful pieces since. Sometimes when I'm pulling together an outfit for the day—I ask myself what these TV personas would go for. Usually the answer is always wear it a little louder.
When it comes to purses, I'm picky. A purse has to be a little strange or meaningful to catch my eye. Accessories are just as important as the clothes themselves. They're like punctuation marks in an outfit—small details that can completely shift the mood or message of what you're wearing. When I was in Salem, MA a couple years ago, I ran into a rotary phone purse—I realized you could literally hook your phone up to it and talk through it. Sold. Another favorite is my Kate Spade red "snakeskin" heart purse—it makes such a statement. But one of my favorite bags I own is brown vegan leather with lettering that says: Protect Black Women by Cise. It's not just an accessory—it's a declaration. It's one of those rare pieces that completes me.
As for what I've got my eyes on lately? Bubble skirts, ruffle shorts, and for what seems to be making a comeback: skorts. Call it a Bratz revival, but there's something unapologetically fun about clothes that look like the Bratz dolls we obsessed over as kids. There's true power in playfulness too—and if I've learned anything from my closet, it's that you don't have to outgrow the joy of dressing up at any age.
A few years ago, I was big on dark academia and honestly—it was such an era. I was killing it. I have multiple suits and dress pants I use to wear daily, and when I get the chance to pull them out now, it feels like stepping back into a version of myself I never fully grew out of—and never want to. Fall is the perfect season to really pull this style back out. A blazer with a turtleneck, a crisp button-down with tailored pants—it's a kind of armor, but a chic one. It gives historian (what I should probably be going for!) It reminds me that fashion isn't just about trends, it's about identities we collect and revisit like chapters in a book.
But then, in the same closet, you'll also find cow print, mesh tops, so much lounge wear, and many (and I mean MANY) bucket hat options. I love adding a bucket hat to an outfit, any outfit, and flipping the front of it up. I saw a girl in New York City flaunt this look. I couldn't get over it, and I silently thank her every day for walking past me.
For themed events, I go all out: a full gown for a Garden Gala, or Barbie pink and white for Pride 2023, the summer the movie came out.
It's either dress like a Charmed One, a 90s rom-com witch, an academic icon, or a Bratz doll on a day off—there's rarely an in-between.
Because really, what's a closet if not a collection of selves we slip in and out of depending on the day? And I really think that's the fun of it. A friend of mine always jokes she's going to "rob my closet," (lmao) but I promise—what you're looking for is already in the drawers of your own.
Are we ever really trying to build the perfect wardrobe, or are we just learning how to find ourselves over and over again in what we already own?
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