Interview with Jae: Part Two

I already shared with you part one of this week’s interview with Jae here. Now it’s onto the second half, which features perhaps one of my favorite interview responses of all time (the last question). Enjoy!

What’s a typical day outfit for you, and night outfit?

As for handbags, that’s easy since I only have 5.  Yep, count em – 5 and I don’t plan on ever buying another one.  My day bag is a Hermes Rouge Garance Birkin.  My dinner/night bag is my Hermes SO Black Kelly Pouchette.

I work at a super awesome, casually attired, Cali-based firm where I can wear jeans, short AND flip flops to work.  Personally, I tend to stay in business casual dresses or jeans with a blazer and scarf.  Yesterday I wore a nude Phillip Lim (the only 5F designer I purchase because he’s high quality) silk dress with black seamed stockings and black patent Louboutin Decolletes.

I don’t go “partying” anymore and if I do go out at night, it’s usually to the Met/ballet/benefit/dinner party.  Depending on whether I’m in SF or NYC, I will dress appropriately.  SF is super casual so I’d wear my Bill Blass ruffle blouse, Paris/Moscow Chanel jacket and J Brand zip jeans (ALWAYS get jeans with a zipper–they are so flattering!) and some 120 Pigalles to a dinner party.  For NYC, it’s a bit more aggressively fashionable where people do try and want to look like they try, so I’d wear my halter neck black Balenciaga dress (so thinning!) with nude seamed stockings and sculptural Alaia wedges.

What are your most treasured possessions?

My memories.  Everything else is replaceable.  However, I probably take care of my Birkin the best since I never put her on the floor or take her out in the rain or take her anywhere dirty.

What are your other hobbies? It seems like you have a passion for food and fast cars.

Ah, the cars.  That is my significant other’s passion.  He’s really very simple outside of the car fetish.  I couldn’t force him into a Prada suit if I tried.  He’s happy in his Comme Converses and Nudie jeans.  He only has 1 watch!  Personally, I hate the red car because it tends to give me migraines and it’s over the top flashy.  But I LOVE the black hatchback, since it was my dream car since I was young.  Who doesn’t want to be a Bond girl?

And paradoxically, I do love food.  But something has got to give and it’s certainly not going to be my UK 6 super tailored Burberry suit.  I became devoted to learning about ingredients, recipes, techniques because I decided that if I’m going to use some of my daily caloric consumption on it, it better be worth it.  So my hobby is throwing insanely elaborate dinner parties because people don’t expect someone like me to be able to cook.

OH!  And since I turned 30 this year, I’ve become obsessed with a new thing called “Ulzzang” make up.  Fake contacts to make your eyes bigger.  Fake eyelashes.  Contouring makeup and big hair.  For my birthday, I looked like I was 15!

What’s the best advice you think you could offer a reader about fashion? How about somebody who is just getting started buying luxury goods….what would you advise them?

My fashion dogma is to save up all season and buy one incredible item on sale.  We all already have SO much, so what you continue to add on needs to last for the next 20 years. It’s better to have 10 incredibly iconic items than hundreds of useless mass produced scraps.  You do not need 10 pairs of jeans.  You only have one a$$.  You do not need 50 sweaters/cardigans.  You only have 2 boobs! Don’t be an over consuming woman who “has a bad day at work” and goes to H&M to buy something to make herself feel better.  Take a deep breath after work, walk it off and then on a day your have just for yourself….buy something incredible on the 2nd-4th floor at BG when it’s on sale, natch.