The jewelry designer and TikTok star tells us why the most important style tip is all about being comfortable in your own skin.
We all buy clothes, but no two shoppers are alike. It can be a social experience, and a deeply personal one; at times, it can be impulsive and entertaining, at others, purposeful, a chore. Where do you buy things? When do you shop? How do you decide what you need, how much to spend and what is “you”? These are some of the questions we posed to the people featured in the “How I Shop” column.
I really love TikTok; I can spend about an hour on the app a day and feel as if I discover something new every time, whether it’s a delicious recipe I want to try or a super talented young innovator. artistic talent that I want to pursue. But I have to admit that, as a woman in my 30s, I sometimes have trouble connecting with the fashion side of TikTok, which can feel dominated by Gen Zers when rediscovering it. my youth Y2K style.
I don’t mean too dramatic, but the moment Carla Rockmore popped up in my For You feed, it was as if heaven opened up and a choir of angels started singing. This is an older woman who not only dresses well, but also in a way that clearly shows her personal style that doesn’t match trends or vintage. I immediately clicked on her profile and watched all of her videos documenting her enviably large wardrobe collection (with an enviably large wardrobe to match) . I can’t get enough of how she mixes old and new, even if that’s not my style – it’s so inspiring just to see someone live life to the fullest.
“See, this is the beauty of 54: You’ll get to a point, if you know yourself well, where you don’t have to be dictated by trends,” says Rockmore. “And the style you show off every day will still be you, whether you’re wearing the full Gucci maxi or the clean Jil Sander.”
Rockmore has been a designer for most of her career, most recently with her eponymous jewelry line. Like so many others, she only started creating content when the world went into a Covid-19 lockdown. A friend of hers, who runs an organization called House of Shine, taught Rockmore about three circles: One is your passion, one is your career, and the third is what your community is. need – where three people meet is where you will be happiest. When Rockmore started connecting with a community on TikTok, she says, that’s what made things so impressive for her.
“If I’m not creative, I’m not good. Like, I can also get in my shell and close the door. I always have to show emotion,” she said. “So here I was, designing and selling, and what I didn’t realize was that a large part of that was missing, with the teaching, the connection with other people. Social media does. that gives me. It gives me all three.”
I had to call Rockmore to find out all the secrets behind her style, from vintage shopping tips to incorporating trends into existing wardrobes. Her best advice, at least to me? You can’t be stylish unless you’re comfortable with what you’re wearing. Now, that’s what Rockmore can say, really blows me away.
“I’m not a boxed person, so I can’t really say I’m a minimalist, I can’t say I’m a maximalist, I can’t say that I’m Italian or French or whatever it may be. It’s whatever makes my crank – like, I do breadcrumbs. I’ve been trying to film five basic things. version that people need in their wardrobe – because supposedly some of my audience asked for it and I feel like I should give them what they want – but at the same time, it’s not is how my brain works. I was hooked; a cap is absolutely one of my essentials, but so are baseball caps, construction boots and maxi skirts.
