“For most of my life, I had no relationship with style and clothes,” says author Kirthana Ramisetti, whose novel, The Other Lata, came out last month. “Trying them on always made me feel bad. But fashion plays a central role in my latest novel, and while writing it, I realized I deserve to find clothes that make me feel good.” Today, Kirthana shares five colorful looks, plus a mother-and-daughter ritual and style tips from the Girls5Eva costume designer…
Dress: Siempre Más. Earrings: Haru Baru. Purse: Stardusted Studio. Necklace: Grand Bazaar NYC flea market. Flats: Seychelles, similar.
“For the longest time, I focused on what didn’t fit, versus what pieces might actually look good on me. I dressed for utility, even to the point of looking shapeless. A small part of me always thought, ‘One day, I’ll figure clothes out when I’m a smaller size.’ Then while writing my third novel, I realized I don’t want to wait anymore. I got this dress last summer but never wore it. I recently got it tailored and realized, Oh, it does work on me. I’m excited to slip it on for date nights.”
Cardigan: Cable & Gauge, similar. Dress: Siempre Más, similar. Boots: Kelly & Katie, similar.
“I’ve lived in New York City for 20 years. I thought about the reason so many people, including myself, move to this city: to reinvent ourselves. So, I decided to give that to my character, Lata, in The Other Lata. She starts using the email address of someone who shares her name, and attends parties and gallery openings in their place. She uses fashion as a passport to enter these circles.”
Top: Serena&LYN. Pants: BBJ Los Angeles, similar. Loafers: DSW. Purse: Lola Mae. Scarf: gift, similar.
“I really admire the costume designer Matthew Hemesath and his work on Girls5Eva. I actually sent him a cold email about how I wanted to write about a forty-something woman finding her personal style. He was so lovely and gave me great advice. His #1 tip was to embrace pattern clashing and wear unexpected color combinations. Matthew says brighter colors naturally make you feel confident, and pattern clashing works because then they act as neutrals.”
“Matthew’s tip makes me think of The Mindy Project, where Mindy Kaling’s character always wore eye-catching designs that clashed but worked well. This orange top isn’t something I would’ve worn in the past. Pairing it with black pants makes me feel grounded, but one day I will work up the confidence to wear it with a colorful skirt.”
Top: Shirt + Trend, similar. Overalls: Serena&LYN. Shoes: Converse.
“My other strategy was to find a mentor whose style I admired. They don’t have to look exactly like you, but maybe have a similar shape and skin tone; then identify what you like about their style and emulate it. I love the way Natasha Rothwell dresses, especially the pieces she wore during her press tour for How To Die Alone and her costumes in The White Lotus. To me, combination of these colorful overalls and sneakers sing Natasha Rothwell.”
Kurta: Diza via Westside, similar. Jeans: Macy’s. Purse: Adrienne Vittadini, similar. Scarf: Meliflous. Flats: DSW.
“I pull on a kurta with jeans whenever I want feel comfortable, and I’ve been wearing them since high school. My mom passes down many of hers to me, which I love. I always tell my friends that my mom and I trade two things: book recommendations and kurtas. One of my favorite memories is when we both listened to the audiobook of Prachi Gupta’s They Called Us Exceptional and afterward had a really meaningful debrief.”
“I’m still figuring out clothes, but this whole experience made me understand why people get so much joy out of putting outfits together. I’m excited to experiment with more looks that push me out of my comfort zone, and give myself the freedom to wear pieces that I always shied away from in the past.”
Thank you so much, Kirthana! Congratulations on your new book.
P.S. More people share their weeks of outfits, a pastry chef with the best jumpsuit, and a plus-sized babywearing advocate with five pretty looks.
(Photos by Julia Robbs for Cup of Jo.)
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