“When you dress nice, you feel better about yourself and then you do better. So that’s why I always try to dress nice at school. Because when you have confidence, you’re more likely to feel better about yourself and then you can focus solely on what you’re doing.” -Drue Barker
Drue Barker, Salt Lake City born and raised, equates dressing up for an average day of school with the feeling of self empowerment. On the day of the interview, Drue kept it mostly monochromatic, dressing in a long black North Face coat, black distressed denim from Madewell and some rubber Chelsea boots from Jeffrey Campbell. All of these items were accented by a colorful pink and blue top from Free People.
Personal Style
When it comes to her personal style, Drue explained that what she wears tends to represent her personality more than anything. “I’m fun but I’m kind of serious at the same time. I try to pick things that I would feel comfortable wearing for both sides of myself,” she said.
This mix of fun with a more adult look really came out in that day’s outfit: all black with just the right pop of color.
Not only is she serious about her look, but many would also call Drue an especially serious student; she is currently taking the prerequisites needed to study medicine later on in her academic career.
Shopping Preferences
When shopping for wardrobe essentials and basics, Drue’s list of favorite spots include Madewell, Anthropology and Free People. Drue also admitted to being an avid online shopper, saying, “I online-shop, like, everyday. I don’t buy things everyday necessarily but I visit a site daily.”
Drue also underlined the usefulness of the group of Salt Lake City boutiques at 9th and 9th for when she’s looking for more unique pieces that department stores may not carry. “Katie Waltman and The Children’s Hour are both boutiques where I look for things that I can’t find in bigger stores; things that stand out more, and something I wouldn’t buy on a normal day. I basically look for statement pieces.”
Shopping Tips
For Drue, height has long been an issue when shopping, particularly when buying jeans. “It’s the worst,” she said. “Most jeans are geared towards people that are 5’5″ and up and I’m 5’2″ and so they’re too long for me. I either have to get them hemmed or roll them up almost every day. ”
She has been able to find solutions to this problem. Drue pointed to Madewell as being an excellent place to buy denim for both sizing and quality. “I like Madewell [denim] a lot because they come in petite sizing. And they’re pretty stretchy and soft and the sizing is very true to size.”
Drue had a rather interesting answer when asked what her last purchase was; though given her height, maybe it isn’t so surprising. “I was just in Las Vegas with some friends and this is so embarrassing, but because I have a small stature I can actually fit into kid’s clothes so I bought a kid’s sweater from Zara,” she said. “It’s pink and fuzzy and very cute. If I can fit into it then why not?”
Style Influences
Style seems to run in the family. When asked who her largest fashion influence was, Drue responded, “Honestly and truthfully, my mom. She’s super hip and I live at home this semester so I can go into her closet and pick anything to wear and it would just look like I bought it.”
Fashion Trends
Adidas “Superstar” sneakers were a trend which Drue pointed to right away with disgust, partly because they made her think of the shoes you may rent on a night of bowling. “The Adidas shoes that look like bowling shoes–I hate them so much. They are the most unflattering shoes ever, and even for boys too. I especially hate the shape.” On the other hand, Drue is a rather big fan of the current “boyfriend” jeans trend.
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