Quad Style: Sarah Eikenberry

Meet Sarah Eikenberry - a second year from Andover, Massachusetts, studying Comparative Human Development with a minor in German.

Here Sarah is wearing boots by Dear Frances, tights most likely from CVS, dress from Reformation, and bodysuit (Le Fou by Wilfred) from Aritzia. 

How would you describe your personal style?

That’s a really hard question. I think it often changes depending on time and location because I use my surroundings to inform my style; I’m preppy in Maine, edgier in Brooklyn, and ultra-feminine in Paris. For my everyday style, though, I think I tend I go for a combination of Cher from the movie Clueless, Ralph Lauren ads circa 1980, and the unachievable coolness of a French It girl—with a touch of sex appeal.

Where do you find style inspiration?

Like most people, I find a lot of it on Instagram; I follow designers (@Dior, @Prada, ) magazines (@Voguemagazine and @VogueGermany), Style/design blogs (@HighSnobiety, @she_comes_in_technicolor, @knighttcat) and stores ( The Reformation, Outdoor Voices, Solid & Striped) along with a few models like Duckie Thot,  Mariacarla Boscano, and Nadine Leopold. Beyond that, I try to get as many September Issues as I can (Vogue US, France, Italy, and UK are a must) and use that as a starting point for a year’s wardrobe. I also love looking at vintage clothing on 1st Dibs in addition to constantly perusing the websites of my favorite stores.

Where do you like to shop?

I’m obsessed with The Reformation; I could literally buy all my clothes there. Aritzia is one of my main staples as well, supplemented with finds from bigger department stores like Bloomingdales or Saks (most often bought during their sales). The Outnet (Net-A-Porter’s Outlet site) is a great place to find designer steals—I recommend looking there for cozy cashmere sweaters. A lot of my favorite clothes come from my mother, either hand-me-downs or from her ‘90s wardrobe, and even my grandmothers/ great-grandmother.

Do you have any fashion regrets? What’s your biggest fashion faux pas?

While middle school in general is one big regret, my pre-teen fashion choices are particularly questionable. I wore only Abercrombie or Hollister (and Juicy Couture sweatshirts that said things like, “You Gotta Choose Juicy” on the back, of course) for about three years. I thought I looked so good in my too-tight v-neck (massive pit-stains included) with a fair of flared khakis messily tucked in to my folded-down brown uggs. Update: I did not. I was also into giant necklaces at the time and refused to take them off, even when we ran in gym class.

Here Sarah is wearing the boots by Dear Frances, tights again from CVS, and skirt (Sunday Best) and top (Talula) from Aritzia.

What is your relationship to fashion? Why is fashion important to you?

I live by the saying, “dress well, do well.” Fashion is a means of creation, of self-expression, and of self-definition. Rather than play dress-up with dolls as I did ardently for the first half of my life, I now dress up myself. In addition, the clothing I wear serves as a tangible memory; I think of my grandmother when wearing her cheerleading sweater from 1949, I am reminded of my father when wearing the antique necklace he bought me in Hong Kong. Most of my clothes remind me of my mother, since I do most of my shopping with her, and having her presence around, even in the form of fabric, is soothing to me, especially now that I live far away from home.

All images courtesy of Kiran Misra. Check out her photography portfolio here.