Open Closet: Therese Jacinto
This is the first entry in what we intend to make a series: The Open Closet Series, where we give you a behind-the-scenes look at the real IRL (and digital!) closets of real women whose style we admire, exploring their approach to curation and getting dressed. Think “The Top Shelf”, but for fashion.
Our subjects may have beautiful closets for us to ogle at, but what’s even more important to share is their insightful perspectives on personal style: what it is, and what it isn’t.
We’re starting with Therese Jacinto (aka @craftandcouture), Indyx’s very own Creative Director.
Explore Therese’s full digital Open Closet on the Indyx app or on the web.
Tell me, what are you most trying to achieve when you get dressed?
For me, it's to feel like the most at-ease, best version of myself. I want my outfit to reflect my personal point of view and that it tells you something interesting about me.
My style adjectives are classic, curious, and chill. So I always have those three words in the back of my mind when I'm composing outfits, it’s my guide towards that feeling I’m trying to achieve. It's always a mix of functional, timeless, and unexpected elements—and, the chill factor is big for me. I put a lot of emphasis on it because I can't be confident if I'm not comfortable.
So, it sounds to me like it’s more about how you want to feel versus how you want to be percieved?
I feel like it's one in one in the same for me. How I feel is how I want to be perceived.
What method (if any!) do you use to physically organize your closet, and how does it help or hinder you as you get dressed?
I love this question. I actually had the opportunity to design and renovate my closet about two years ago, so I really thought a lot about how I would organize it.
I wanted to balance an aesthetic display with functional storage while maximizing every square inch so I did a really thoughtful mix of open and closed storage. This really entices me to shop my own closet. I’m a Creative Director, so I’m very visual!
For example, the first thing you see when you walk into my closet is a floating shelf display. I really wanted an accessories island, but I didn’t have the space for that so I had to improvise by installing a cabinet underneath the shelf. I use this most prominent space in my closet mostly for bags, because I love them. I’m really a handbag girl through and through. It's often the starting point of how I build my outfit, so it’s the first thing I wanted to see.
Beyond handbags, I’ll also use that display as sort of a revolving spot for me to “visually merchandise” my own closet. I love having that space that constantly changes through the seasons or according to whatever I’m feeling at the moment. It’s a point of reflection and inspiration for me. I’ll change it up every once in awhile—say, nicely fold the sweaters that I’m wearing the most at the moment here in winter, or place accessories that I want to remind myself to use more and mix that all up with some personal decorative objects. Having them set out beautifully helps me a ton.
The rest of the closet is very functional. So, most of my others stuff is hung, just because that’s easier for me to keep neat. The only things I fold are sweaters, and things like t-shirts or underwear, and those are all hidden away behind closed storage so they don’t add visual clutter if they’re not perfect. I have also arranged my closet so that everything is positioned in the order I usually get dressed. Start with the handbag right when you walk in, then undergarments, tops, bottoms, and finally outerwear at the back.
Finally, I have a few hooks that I use as a reminder to wear things that I maybe haven’t worn in awhile. In general, I really find that when things are displayed beautifully, it motivates you to want to use them and make the most of them. If it looks like my own personal boutique, I'm more enticed to stay and play in my own closet versus going out and shopping. That’s why it was so important to me to balance functional with aesthetic when organizing my physical closet - and, in how we designed the Indyx app as well!
What is your process when you’re getting dressed in the morning?
As I mentioned, a lot of times for me it starts with the handbag. But it can also be a coat or a beautiful pair of shoes. I’ll pick one thing I’m feeling at the moment and then build the rest of my outfit around it, of course taking into account more practical things like my plans for the day and the weather.
Other days where I’m just not feeling particularly inspired I’ll open up the Indyx app—it’s exactly why it’s so great to just have a bunch of outfits saved. I’ll go into my outfits, which I tag by season and occasion so it’s easy for me to filter. I’ll grab a pre-made outfit idea and then maybe just swap out the shoe or another accessory to make it feel 100% appropriate for whatever day I’m about to have.
Then the last thing I do is figure out my hair and makeup because it's totally an extension of an oufit. It’s another tool that can enhance the overall look through proportion and contrast. If I'm wearing a very voluminous outfit or if I’m all covered up, I’ll usually tie my hair back. Or if I'm wearing a lot of neutrals and it feels a little dark and serious or very minimal, I’ll add a red lip for a burst of energy.
What's the oldest piece in your closet and why has it stuck around so long?
The oldest item that I still have that I bought for myself is a vintage nylon Prada backpack. I saved all my money from working at a cafe to buy it when I was in college, and that was over 20 years ago. I bought it secondhand, so it’s even older than that!
I love it in part just because it was such an iconic 90s /Y2K piece, which is my favorite era in fashion. There’s that scene in 10 Things I Hate About You where Bianca says “There’s a difference between like and love. I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack”! It was the first luxury designer item I ever purchased, and it grew with me over the years—I used it for school, my first job and even as a diaper bag when I had my daughter. I still use it to this day. Even [my daughter] Natalie borrows it! I think I was drawn to it because it is such a practical piece and combines modernity with ease.
I don’t know if I could ever part with it because of how the purchase marks my independence. It’s sentimental in that way. It’s also the thing that really kicked off my own journey of discovering that I’d rather save up for one thing I really wanted versus buying a lot of less expensive things. My Prada backpack was clear proof that approach worked and to this day it’s a great reminder in my closet to just save up for those special things.
I also think this Prada backpack is what started my love affair with handbags. They are basically functional art. Plus it’s something you can’t really physically outgrow, so it’s my preferred fashion item to invest in.
What's your favorite piece in your closet? What's the story?
It’s so hard to pick just one because I think I've been doing a really good job of curating. I love everything I buy!
But if I had to pick one right now, it's a The Row blazer that has been on my wishlist forever and I snagged it on sale over the Holidays. I love Blazers and this one is just the perfect one for me. It's classic, but it’s curious. It's very chill at first glance. It reads like a simple black blazer, but it has arm cutouts that allow you to style it in so many different ways. I feel like I got a top, vest and a jacket all in one. And, I’m a treasure hunter through and through, so if I can get it for over half off? That really lights me up and makes it even more special.
What piece do you struggle with and why does it challenge you?
For the longest time, I didn't think I was a skirt or dress kind of person. I think it might have been because I spent my entire childhood in a skirt and polo shirt school uniform. They never made me feel what I wanted, which was to feel strong yet at ease. They always felt too precious or sexy to me. So, skirts and dresses in general were challenging—and, I probably went through a few versions hoping they would feel like me but they just didn’t.
But, I recently discovered that I can feel like myself in a skirt or dress. I just had to find the right ones. And it’s very specific! They needed to be more modern, relaxed silhouettes with either technical materials or really interesting details.
So, those struggle skirts are no longer in your closet?
Yeah, I’m pretty brutal. If it’s just not working, it’s out of my closet. I learn from it. But, I don’t keep things around to struggle with. It took me awhile to figure that out—but, I’m 40 now and that’s when I finally figured it out.
[Editors note: Therese is very special in this way!]
What’s the piece you regret the most and why?
About 10 years ago, I bought THE Balanciaga moto jacket. It’s a leather biker jacket that—at the time—was on the top of every fashion magazine’s “things you need in your closet” list. I fell for it, and bought one on The Real Real.
I barely wore it! Maybe once. It was such a thick leather, and was so fitted that I felt like I was wearing a straight jacket. I couldn't move my arms and I couldn't wear it. The cut and style also really fell short on that chill factor.
It was supposed to be an investment, but it just didn’t work for me. Needless to say, I sold that one not long after back to The Real Real. That hurt. But, in retrospect that was one of my biggest learning moments when it comes to style. I was drawn to the statement but the silhouette wasn’t for me. Only I get to decide what is a “must” in my closet.
What is your approach to closet curation? How do you know when something is right?
I love this because I've done a lot of thinking about this lately and people ask me this sometimes and so I'm like, how do I answer this? Here’s my best shot:
The very first test is to check whether an item hits all the marks of my three style adjectives: classic, curious, and chill.
Beyond that, you want to know that it’s versatile enough to be styled a million ways, for multiple occasions. I love to cook so I’m going to use this analogy: it’s important to really consider how it would fit in with your existing “pantry” of ingredients. How is it going to play with what you’ve already got to create different “dishes”, or in this case outfits. A closet should be mostly filled with really good essentials (pantry staples) and then sprinkled sparingly with “spice” (trendy things). When the balance is off between staples and spice, I can really feel it. It doesn’t feel easy anymore to make outfits.
Indyx is a great tool to play around with an item you’re considering to make sure it plays well with the other “ingredients” in your closet. But honestly a lot of times it’s more of a feeling for me. At this point, I can feel whether something has the attributes that make it a really solid—but still not boring!—staple for me.
Alternatively, how do you know when it's time to move on?
Like we just talked about: if I’m really struggling with something, like all the ‘wrong’ skirts I owned before)…that’s a big sign. At this point, I can feel pretty well what works for me and doesn’t. What feels right. And, if it’s not intuitively working, life is just too short to expend brain power and closet space trying to force it. So, I move on.
The other thing that’s a big red flag for me is comfort. That was one of the big issues with the Balenciaga jacket. And, that’s the reason that I actually only have two wool sweaters in my closet: I generally find them too itchy! Life is also too short to spend it being uncomfortable in your own clothes.
What do you think most people get wrong about style? I welcome your hottest takes
Lots of people mistake style for stuff. Style is a manner of thinking and feeling. It’s knowing yourself well enough to be confident in your own point of view. It's not really about what you buy, how many things you have, or how expensive those things were. The stuff is just the ingredients! It's so much more about how you put things together. It’s about the critical thinking to understand yourself, understand your true likes and dislikes—and, to have the confidence and curiosity to figure out how to project the real you to the world through clothing.
To extend the kitchen analogy…imagine you hosted a dinner party and presented your guests with a platter of raw ingredients. It doesn’t matter how lovely or high end your ingredients are. Wagyu beef, organic farm-to-table vegetables, the full nine yards. Nobody would look at that and say “Oh wow, you’re such a good chef!”. Because you haven’t cooked! It’s the same thing with style. It does not matter how expensive or even well curated your closet is. If you don’t understand yourself and how to combine those ingredients into a nuanced dish…then you’re not cooking, you’re just collecting ingredients.
Explore Therese’s full digital Open Closet on the Indyx app or on the web.
Devon is a co-founder of Indyx and currently leads Growth for the company from San Francisco. She enjoys admiring other people’s gardens and sleeping in with her French Bulldog, Reggie.
