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[title]Jenni Radosevich, 29, DIY blogger (ispydiy.com) and author of I Spy DIY Style, Lower East Side
Her personal style: “Someone once described me as ‘girl next door meets Lower East hipster,’ which pretty much sums up my style—except I don’t listen to emo music. Hip-hop all the way.”
Her inspiration: “I love following Fashion Week and injecting the trends into my style. And since I can’t always afford to get the look, I find ways to re-create [it myself].”
Favorite stores: “Whenever I see a piece of jewelry or embellishment on clothing that I love, I head to M&J Trimming (1008 Sixth Ave between 37th and 38th Sts; 212-391-6200, mjtrim.com) to get the goods to re-create the look. The store is a mecca for DIYers. The Dolce Vita (149 Ludlow St between Rivington and Stanton Sts; 212-529-2111, shopdolcevita.com) boutique has some amazing shoes and clothing. Their wedges are some of the highest yet most comfortable I have ever worn, and the dresses are perfectly flirty. Bird (220 Smith St at Butler St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn; 718-797-3774 • 203 Grand St between Bedford and Driggs Aves, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-388-1655 • 316 Fifth Ave between 2nd and 3rd Sts, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-768-4940 • shopbird.com) has some of the most droolworthy items. Most cost an arm and a leg, but a girl can dream, right? Although the thrifting in New York is nothing compared to Wisconsin, where you can fill a grocery bag for $5, I will say that every time I walk into Buffalo Exchange (504 Driggs Ave at North 9th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-384-6901 • 114 W 26th St at Sixth Ave, 212-675-3535 • 332 E 11th St between First and Second Aves, 212-260-9340 • buffaloexchange.com), I come out with something new that I wear to death.”
Favorite salons: “After I finished my book, I wanted a change, so I chopped off seven inches [of my hair] and went lighter with the stylists at Arrojo Studio (180 Varick St between Charlton and King Sts; 212-242-7786, arrojostudio.com). I loved it, but now I’m back to growing it out. I was ghostly white before this shoot, so I booked a spa day at Acqua Beauty Bar (7 E 14th St between Fifth Ave and University Pl; 212-620-4329, acquabeautybar.com) through Lifebooker (lifebooker.com) and got the best spray tan I’ve ever had. The mani-pedi was pretty perfect too.”
Her signature accessory: “That would have to be my glasses. I wear them every day, and yes, they are real. I have at least 15 different pairs, four of which are currently in heavy rotation.”
How she describes New York style: “One of the fantastic things about New York is that there is no one style. Pretty much anything goes. I do think certain neighborhoods have specific looks—for instance, midtown and Williamsburg are on opposite sides of the spectrum. I know when I head uptown, my glasses will draw comments.”
How her style has evolved: “At nine, I was rocking a whole lot of tie-dye, neon, friendship bracelets and puffy paint, which ironically have come back into style. I love that I was making these looks back in ’92, and now I’ve made a career out of creating the updated version two decades later. The other thing that has stayed fairly consistent is my skirt length: The shorter, the better has always been my theory.”
WIN IT! We’re giving away five copies of Radosevich’s new book.