@junclarekim
Heels or Flats?
Heels! Always!
I am 5′2″ so anything to make myself look taller is a yes. Even when I do wear sneakers I will ALWAYS add insoles for that extra elevation – it is such a confidence booster even though people probably can’t tell!
Heels also just add a touch of sophistication to any look, and I’m quite happy to sacrifice my comfort for a particular outfit where necessary!
Heels also just add a touch of sophistication to any look, and I’m quite happy to sacrifice my comfort for a particular outfit where necessary!
What is the first thing you do when you wake up?
The first thing I do is spend some time with my dog while enjoying the sunlight coming in from my bedroom window before I have to get up and tackle my responsibilities. I’m especially grateful that I can enjoy this time a bit longer now that we’re self-isolating here in Australia!
What is your favorite thing about Instagram?
My favorite thing about Instagram is that it allows me to indulge in my creative side. I love curating my feed and truly enjoy the process of editing photos! Even though it might not look as aesthetically pleasing to others, I am happy as long as it looks good to me!
I also love that I can express my views on the platform, and really delve into uncomfortable truths. I am the type of person who will say what others won’t, and it’s been quite liberating to express that through my platform, regardless of how small it is.
I also love that I can express my views on the platform, and really delve into uncomfortable truths. I am the type of person who will say what others won’t, and it’s been quite liberating to express that through my platform, regardless of how small it is.
How do you combat some of the negatives that come with Instagram?
I will admit that I used to get very caught up in the numbers in my youth, as I equated them to the whole idea of ‘popularity’, and took it somewhat personally. But as I grew older, I stopped seeking validation from social media, and started to appreciate its value as an outlet for myself, as well as a great side hustle to earn extra income. To be honest, approaching social media from a monetary and purely business-related perspective, meant that engagement just meant money, rather than validation – and in a weird way that really helped me to disassociate my personal feelings from it all!
How would you describe your Instagram aesthetic?
My theme has undergone a lot of changes over the years – it used to be very colourful and displayed a lot of my personal life. Nowadays I would describe it as a much more monochrome and neutral feed with some colour accents here and there, which are usually different shades of green (my favourite colour). Content-wise however, it is a lot less personal than it used to be, and at the moment I am trying to publish more fashion, beauty and lifestyle content. I am a sucker for beige tones at the moment, which is very off-brand for someone who used to be alllll about color – but it’s been really nice having this change of pace!
Where do you find inspiration for your Instagram photos?
I honestly find most of my inspiration for my Instagram photos on Instagram itself! The ‘save’ function is a godsend – if I love an outfit or a particular photo I will always save it and refer to it later when planning content or taking photos!
Other times I will draw inspiration from Pinterest, and will once in a while use a photo from there directly on my feed if I really like it!
How did you create your personal style?
I think around a year ago I really started analysing what types of clothing and colours suited me best. It really involved a lot of experimentation with different colours, fabrics and silhouettes. Previously, I would pretty much buy anything that I thought looked great, without really tailoring it to my own figure and without consideration to how it would fit into my wardrobe and overall style. Nowadays I’m definitely a lot more selective with what I buy, and have tried to become a much more conscious shopper.
I narrowed down my personal style by literally trying on all my clothing, as well as pieces I wouldn’t normally reach for in stores, to see what I liked and disliked. I also took inspiration from fashion bloggers and played around with styling until I found what I really loved. From there it became super easy to differentiate what just looked good in photos online or physically in-store to what would actually fit cohesively with my preferred style whilst flattering my figure!
Describe your perfect outfit.
This is such a difficult question! But if I had to choose one… my ideal outfit at the moment would be an interesting statement skirt, paired with a simple top, a pair of heels or white sneakers, a blazer and a shoulder bag to top off the look. Depending on the hardware present on my outfit and the overall tone of the outfit, I’ll also add silver or gold jewellery, as well as a belt where necessary to pull the look together!
Who takes your photos?
It’s usually just whoever I’m with at the time; but I am also no stranger to using my tripod to shoot content myself. These days though I actually prefer using my tripod as I can take as long as I need to create what I’m visualising in my head. It’s also a lot easier to get the poses right as I sometimes find it daunting to pose with someone watching!
The only downside to using the tripod is the social anxiety I get from strangers walking around and watching me pose – but I guess that’s something that can’t really be avoided!
Do you have any fashion rules that help to guide your personal style?
Absolutely!
I always like to have a statement piece of clothing or an accessory that sets the overall tone of the outfit. I also like to think that different clothing items bring a distinct energy to an outfit. For example, a pleated mini skirt will bring a completely different atmosphere than a pair of trousers would, the same way knee high boots would be considered much edgier than white sneakers.
So my process usually involves first picking out either the statement piece that I would like to style, or picking what sort of energy I want my outfit to have and choosing items accordingly. After this is done, I’ll pick out some ‘plainer’ pieces of clothing that can complement the statement piece, and then add jewellery and other accessories like belts and bags to top it all off. Sometimes I’ll have two statement pieces in one outfit – maybe like a cool skirt and a bag to match – but I will try to ensure that they bring the same atmosphere to the outfit and also make sure that I’m not overshadowing the main piece!
One other thing I would consider is adding my own twist to the look in some way. While this is usually achieved with my eyeshadow, I’ll try to ensure that something about my outfit screams ‘me’ whether this be branding or a certain colour/fabric/pattern that I’ll incorporate into the outfit!
I always like to have a statement piece of clothing or an accessory that sets the overall tone of the outfit. I also like to think that different clothing items bring a distinct energy to an outfit. For example, a pleated mini skirt will bring a completely different atmosphere than a pair of trousers would, the same way knee high boots would be considered much edgier than white sneakers.
So my process usually involves first picking out either the statement piece that I would like to style, or picking what sort of energy I want my outfit to have and choosing items accordingly. After this is done, I’ll pick out some ‘plainer’ pieces of clothing that can complement the statement piece, and then add jewellery and other accessories like belts and bags to top it all off. Sometimes I’ll have two statement pieces in one outfit – maybe like a cool skirt and a bag to match – but I will try to ensure that they bring the same atmosphere to the outfit and also make sure that I’m not overshadowing the main piece!
One other thing I would consider is adding my own twist to the look in some way. While this is usually achieved with my eyeshadow, I’ll try to ensure that something about my outfit screams ‘me’ whether this be branding or a certain colour/fabric/pattern that I’ll incorporate into the outfit!
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