The TEll// By Thrift & Tell

Welcome to THE TELL//BY THRIFT & TELL: a celebration of fashionable women who dress as smart as they shop.

This week’s guest on THE TELL// is interior designer and freelance writer Ariel Okin. At first glance, when looking at Ariel’s gorgeous interiors and celebrity client list, including Lena Dunham, you might think that she is constantly dressed in head-to-toe designer pieces. Quite the contrary! A woman after my own heart, Ariel believes in mixing highs and lows in her closet, investing where it matters and saving where it does not. Whether it is H&M with The Row or Elderstatesman with Zara, Ariel weaves together pieces to create one cohesive, classic look. When it comes to investment pieces, Ariel is no stranger to the world of consignment and shares her favorite spots to buy and sell below. It is such a pleasure to have Ariel be part of The Tell. When I started this interview series, my goal was to feature women who were smart, entrepreneurial, tasteful, and, of course, embodied the T&T way. When the ultra-chic Ariel reached out to me to collaborate, I was both flattered and thrilled that such an accomplished woman would seek out the opportunity to be part of this series. She has quickly become a friend of T&T and I look forward to more to come with Ariel. (I am currently plotting how many shoes I’ll need to sell to hire her to help me with my apartment refresh!). I hope you enjoy this interview and look forward to many more to come.

//Your style in 3 words: Classic, tailored, understated.

//Staple Outfit: High waisted cropped jeans, fitted shell tank, blazer and loafers.

//Style Icon(s): Lee Radziwill, Aerin Lauder, Tonne Goodman, Tory Burch

//Your First Big Purchase: A navy cashmere coat with white mink trim on the collar and cuffs.

//Do You Still Have It? Yes! It’s my most worn piece in the winter.

//Best Fashion Advice You Ever Received: Become friends with your tailor. (I’m 4’11!)

//Types of clothing you invest in: Special occasion dresses, knits, blazers, shoes and bags.

//Types of clothing you save on: Layering pieces like shells, tanks, etc. I love J.Crew’s shells – particularly the cashmere ones – they fit like a dream!

//Your greatest extravagance: Weekly blowouts. Nothing makes me feel prettier than great hair. I could be wearing workout clothes but if my hair looks good, I feel good! I think Ali Webb from Drybar is a genius for that reason. Also my skincare – I’m a bit of a product collector.

//Brands That Will Stand the Test of Time: Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera , Chanel, Hermes – classic heritage brands.

//Favorite High Street Brands: Zara, Asos, Mango, Rixo, H&M.

//Favorite Designer Brands: Iro, Emilia Wickstead, La Ligne, Zimmermann, Ulla Johnson, Elder Statesman, Toteme, The Row.

//Favorite High-Low Brands to Mix: My whole closet is a high-low mix!

//Favorite Places to Shop Consignment: The RealReal, Ina, Happy Isles.

//Favorite Places to Consign Your Own Closet: The RealReal, Linda’s Stuff.

//Currently Collecting Dust in the Back of your Closet: 90% of my clothes because I am 9 months pregnant!

//Your Closet Tried and Trues: Citizens of Humanity Rocket high waisted cropped jeans, Gucci and Stubbs & Wooton loafers, cashmere and cotton shells, big cozy cashmere wraps for scarves in the winter and lots of knits, Iro blazers.

//Best investment you ever made in your style: Handbags – clothes can be a mix of high and low, but good bags are forever investment pieces. (Shoes, too!)

//Style Choice From Your Past That Haunts You: My hair style the first semester freshman year of college!

//“It seemed like a good idea at the time” a.k.a Purchase you most regret: Fortunately, nothing I can think of.

//Closet From Which You Would Like to Borrow: Lauren Santo Domingo, Gen Sohr.

//Last Time You Splurged? I went on a big skincare haul when I was in my first trimester, switching to all clean products. I found some new forever favorites in Indie Lee and Vintner’s Daughter!

//Currently Saving Your Pennies For: A Blazé Milano blazer – I have been coveting them!

//A Deal for the History Books/Your T&T Personal Best: A navy and white crepe Valentino dress I bought at a vintage store in Nice when I was 16. I still have it.

//Trend you wish would go way?  Crop tops – not my thing!

Fill in the blank:

//A woman should invest in- skincare, handbags and a great tailor. //You’re never too old to— do anything! //A woman can never have too much— whatever makes her happy. // True or False: More is More- It depends on your definition of “more”! //Fashion is- cyclical. //Style is: inherent.

Currently Loving:

//Music: I’ve been playing a lot of oldies lately – The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, The Beach Boys – the good stuff.

//Print: All the shelter mags, all the time.

//Food: I’ve been baking Ina Garten’s cinnamon blueberry bran muffins on repeat for about three weeks now – they are delicious with coffee for an afternoon snack and make my kitchen smell so good. Also all the summer stone fruit!

//Drink: Iced decaf lattes have been in heavy rotation at current.

//Film: I really want to see Good Boys – it looks hysterical.

//TV: I love Hillary Kerr’s podcast Second Life, about women who made interesting career pivots and how they got to where they are. I listen to every episode!

//Instagram Handle: I love watching the progress over at Emily Hertz’s house by my friend Clary Bosbyshell, a talented designer in Atlanta! They are @bornonfifth and @clarybosbyshell. It’s looking so gorgeous!

//Designer: La Ligne. Really excited to get some new threads post baby!