Obsessed with the finer things in life like truffle honey (I'm now obsessed too), The Bedford Cheese Shop, and bow blouses, particularly her boxy men's Gaultier one, Kelley is among the worthy voices on the internet that were given an opportunity to avoid what might have been an arduous and anonymous climb up the traditional career ladder. She was designing with a couple of different fashion houses and feeling stifled when the idea of expressing herself uncensored on her blog, The Glamourai, first began. Today, befitting the name of her cyberspace venue, she shares her edgy glamour like a warrior in the new trenches of democratized fashion where someone with her "classic but not crazy out there" talent can be heard, advising people on what to wear and waking up each morning to hundreds of new emails from readers.
Originally from Austin, Kelly attributes some of her fearlessness with style to the eccentrics in Texas, where the customary rules of the fashion establishment don't apply. The women she is referring to are not afraid of big jewelry and one of her favorite things to do is take long drives on country roads to the places where ranchers' wives have sales. Passionate about adornment, Kelly designs and sells her own jewelry and won't leave the house without at least two pieces on, even to get the mail. She wore two extraordinary pieces - with an ageless vintage Geoffrey Beene dress from Feathers, her favorite store in Austin - made with ribbons, stones, plastic chains and rhinestones during her shoot. The necklace that I covet most is one that she will unfortunately not sell, made from a large antique Moroccan buckle that Kelley added lots of trinkets to. The massive bauble that she made from Christmas tree ornaments is a clever alternative to the Dries Van Noten one that inspired hers.
It was a revelation to Kelly that wearing something interesting can make your life more interesting. The discovery has shaped her life ever since, boosting her confidence and empowering her to open herself up to conversations with people everywhere, a big change after wearing school uniforms all her life when she was more focused on painting and interior design. Her love for interiors is unmistakable in her closet, which is organized by color and types as if she were planning rooms in a house. Her closet resembles the hundreds of shades of off-white candles around her home. Ivory jackets are followed by ivory trenches, khaki trenches and then "it goes into leopard," all so that her favorite mixing and matching of patterns can happen systematically, like when she wears the jacket that she would take if her house was burning down, an awning-like gold and black striped one from Beacon's Closet with sleeves that she embellished herself, worn with her signature blend of polka dot shirt and leopard print skirt.
The other item Kelly couldn't live without is a navy blazer from a little boy's suit that she bought for twenty dollars. She feels it ties everything together and it's the final touch to Miu Miu's tulip bell bottoms, tailored with a hint of '70s surprise, is an Erin Fetherston shirt with a painted bird print that reminds her of a Hunt Slonem painting, an Indian ring and her preferred pointy elf shoes that are vintage Helmut Lang.
I left Kelly thinking about how good slouchy silky pants look again. Even better, she buys them a couple of sizes too big - they're her idea of a sweatpant - and wears them with her convertible jacket with an asymmetrical hem that zips off or on depending on the length she prefers and is from a friend's company called Primary and heels. The same designers she consults with, Primary also makes the layered washed silk drapey dresses that Kelly demonstrated, tied into different shapes. In addition to an appreciation for Burrata and Humboldt Fog cheeses and papillons - her Bunny is unforgettable - keeping the candles lit while at home alone and the joy of discovering how each thing in your closet works with the other represents Kelly's message, a refreshing change from the predictable this season's must haves.
If you love Kelly, you may also like Karla Deras, Lori Goldstein and Mary Lee.
