If you’ve seen her walking around the MUDD building in her bright green pantsuit or sporting multi-colored hair in carline, you know—Dr. Kelly’s got style.
Long before she was Westridge's Director of Lower & Middle School, Dr. Zanita Kelly was transforming her dad's tops into dresses and idolizing Lisa Bonet's Cosby Show style. Her passion for fashion only grew with time, and today she's the proud owner of a huge, sometimes well-organized closet. Check out Dr. Kelly’s top tips for fun, functionality, and personal expression.
1. FIND INSPIRATION ON PINTEREST
I have a Pinterest board called ‘My Closet.’ So that's just one of my guilty pleasures, is going through Pinterest and pinning outfits together that I'm like, ‘Oh my God, that would be so cute, or I have something like that.’ It also helps me when I'm shopping, which is something I love to do.”
2.TAKE MONTHLY THRIFTING TRIPS
I've also learned to be more environmentally friendly, because there are a lot of inexpensive clothing options, with H&M and Forever 21. And a lot of those stores have made fashion accessible, and the pricing really friendly. However, one of the problems now is that they're finding clothes in the dumps, and they're filling up the trash heaps. So thrifting has become a new pleasure of mine. I absolutely love it.”
"I'm telling you, [I go thrifting] at least once a month because it's something that my granddaughters like to do.”
To Fancy Thrift Stores
The thrift stores that I really enjoy are the ones that have the luxury items in them. There are thrift stores on the West Side. Just because you can get those [luxury] items and they are gently used.”
3. WEAR SIMPLE ACCESSORIES
For the most part, I keep my jewelry simple, but I do change out rings quite a bit. And bracelets. I think those are fun.”
"It's just a way that I start my day; it really helps my attitude. Some people are fine with just kind of grabbing whatever and going, but I like to put a little thought into it. Because it's fun for me. It sets a tone and a mood and an experience.”
4. GET MANICURES AS SELF-CARE
I get my nails done at least twice a month. And the pedicure, too. It is a part of my routine for relaxation.”
5. CHANGE YOUR HAIR
Look, the hair changes quite a bit. And I just think that's part of the fun, whether you want to color or go shorter or go longer now that [more people are into] extensions and wigs and things like that.”
“So I think it's all a part of how you want to express yourself.”
6. FIT YOUR OUTFIT TO YOUR MOOD—OR YOUR ASPIRATIONAL MOOD
If I'm in a mood, if I wake up and I'm like, ‘ugh,’ then I'm going to put something on that bright color, or really soft fabric to just kind of help me remember that this will pass. It will be fine.”
7. FIND PIECES THAT MIX AND MATCH
For my professional life, I need to think about things that are just going to easily mix and match and go together. Jackets, pants, skirts, those kinds of things.”
8. GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED THE NIGHT BEFORE
I have no time in the morning to be thinking about [fashion]. So the night before I'll think about it and also have an organized closet. And of course, I have my Pinterest board. So the way that I planned my outfit is to just kind of flip through my Pinterest board. And I'm like, ‘Oh yeah,’ it'll remind me about a color combo or something that I have in my closet.”
9. EXPERIMENT AND BE OPEN TO NEW IDEAS
Dresses are my new thing. Because one, no buckles, no buttons, no zippers, no straps…you can just style it with a jacket or a belt or boots, or dress it down with a pair of gym shoes. So I love a good dress.”
“It just feels like it’s already done. And then the rest is gravy. Like all the accessories and things are just icing.”
EVEN IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
“When I try something different, [my grandchildren] are like, ‘What are you wearing?’ and I'm like, ‘I'm wearing what feels good.’ So I started wearing these camouflage pants—the green camo—with it, and a blue-white striped shirt, and then a solid jacket. And that was very risque for them. Like, ‘Why are you mixing these patterns? And these colors? Like what are you doing?’ So they were my critics. But I'm actually helping them understand that, hey, you know, take a risk, it's okay to have your own style.”
10. WEAR FUNKY PJ’S
So I do have some very dramatic [pieces] at home—muumuu type things with large prints on them and things like that, which I just find are really fun.”
I do have a lot of the fuzzy jammie thingies because I'm always cold initially and I like sitting outside in the fire and that kind of stuff. So I've got a lot of fuzzy, you know, but they’ve gotta have funky cut. I've got the bell-bottoms and things that wrap and tie!”
“Yeah, gotta look good, even when you're sleeping.”
BUT MOST OF ALL, BE CONFIDENT AND DO YOU
If you feel good and if you feel comfortable in your own skin, you can pull off anything.”
Credits:
All photos taken by Lauren Cho unless otherwise stated.