When many people think of LA style, they probably still picture bleached blondes, Botox, big hair, bright colors, and bad outfits. But like most things in LA these days, times have changed, and there’s a richness and variety depending on where you look. We caught up with a cross-section of LA’s most stylish people from Topanga to Silver Lake to Koreatown to discuss what style means to LA today. Next up: Sissy Sainte-Marie, a wardrobe stylist whose whimsical aesthetic has been rocked by Lykke Li, Felicity Jones, Paul Dano, and more.
SISSY SAINTE-MARIE
Stylist
THE STANDARD:
How would you describe your style?
SISSY SAINTE-MARIE: A minimal, whimsical Mobius.
Who are your style influences?
Women who—how do I put this—dress modestly, but seem DTF. I look to a lot of older women, and younger women who dress like older women, who don't lead with their sexuality, but don't abandon it either.
Prized style item?
I have wanted jewelry by Sophie Buhai for a long time, and I finally got a gold necklace of hers that I love.
How does LA inform your style?
LA would like me to be a lot more casual, but I'm not giving in. It's a car culture—why dress like you're going hiking? Also, it's a vast land with a large and eclectic population, so I feel like I can blend in while standing out.
How has your style evolved over time?
Hopefully into something elevated, refined, mature, and dignified.
What is a style choice of yours that you now regret?
Wearing cut off jean shorts past the age of 30.
SISSY SAINTE-MARIE: A minimal, whimsical Mobius.
Who are your style influences?
Women who—how do I put this—dress modestly, but seem DTF. I look to a lot of older women, and younger women who dress like older women, who don't lead with their sexuality, but don't abandon it either.
Prized style item?
I have wanted jewelry by Sophie Buhai for a long time, and I finally got a gold necklace of hers that I love.
How does LA inform your style?
LA would like me to be a lot more casual, but I'm not giving in. It's a car culture—why dress like you're going hiking? Also, it's a vast land with a large and eclectic population, so I feel like I can blend in while standing out.
How has your style evolved over time?
Hopefully into something elevated, refined, mature, and dignified.
What is a style choice of yours that you now regret?
Wearing cut off jean shorts past the age of 30.
How is your
style an extension of your personality?
Well, I never want to let anybody down.
What’s your favorite thing to wear?
High waists, high collars, mid heels, hoop earrings, and Escentric Molecule.
What’s your process like for deciding what to wear?
Trying on different combinations until I find the one that will make me feel the opposite of grumpy.
What do you love about styling?
Being part of a team creating beautiful images.
What are you finding most inspiring these days?
Women using fashion to express an apex of intelligent, conscientious femininity.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
Honestly, I try to keep the blinders on and give my internal Etch-a-Sketch a good shake every day. I like to go back to the well inside of me and gravitate to that which I gravitate.
What do you love about living in Los Feliz?
I like living near the park and the Observatory.
Any recs in the neighborhood?
The chicken mole at Mexico City.
Well, I never want to let anybody down.
What’s your favorite thing to wear?
High waists, high collars, mid heels, hoop earrings, and Escentric Molecule.
What’s your process like for deciding what to wear?
Trying on different combinations until I find the one that will make me feel the opposite of grumpy.
What do you love about styling?
Being part of a team creating beautiful images.
What are you finding most inspiring these days?
Women using fashion to express an apex of intelligent, conscientious femininity.
From where do you draw your inspiration?
Honestly, I try to keep the blinders on and give my internal Etch-a-Sketch a good shake every day. I like to go back to the well inside of me and gravitate to that which I gravitate.
What do you love about living in Los Feliz?
I like living near the park and the Observatory.
Any recs in the neighborhood?
The chicken mole at Mexico City.
