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Joy Sewing

Fashion Editor, The Houston Chronicle. Houston

Fashion
Joy Sewing

When we hit up Houston (and Dallas!) with THE OUTNET.COM last week, we must admit that our heads were buzzing with our own preconceived notions of the wild, wild West. Leave it to Joy Sewing, Houston Chronicle's beauty and fashion editor, to set us straight. "I can’t tell you how many New Yorkers I talk with who think we all wear cowboy boots and hats daily. I’m a native Houstonian and didn’t get my first pair of real cowboy boots until a few years ago. They are a beautiful pair of custom snakeskin boots I found for $70 at Texas Junk Co. But I only wear them once a year during our rodeo!" Yeah, so much for that.

But we can definitely attest that everything is indeed bigger in Texas. After studying up on Sewing's journalistic endeavours, we knew we had to bombard her with questions about one of her interview subjects in particular, none other than fellow Houstononian Beyoncé (!!!!). Sewing told all: "I first interviewed Beyoncé at her Houston home when she was still a teen with Destiny’s Child. She was surprisingly shy. Her mother, Tina Knowles, showed me all of Beyoncé's shoes that had been bejewelled with a hot glue gun." See? Even Queen Bey (and Miss Tina) have done the whole DIY thing once upon a time. Sewing captured our attention even further, when she explained to us, "Through the years, I’ve interviewed Beyoncé several times and I’ve gotten to know Ms. Tina pretty well. Both of them have been gracious to me and are always so down to earth. The last time I talked with them in person was when I interviewed Ms. Tina on stage for a University of Houston program to celebrate her achievements in the community. Her entire family, including a very pregnant Beyoncé was in the audience, and I was so nervous. The interview was easy, like I was talking with an old friend. Afterwards, Beyoncé turned to me and softly said, “Thank you” for helping to honor her mother. That meant a lot to me." It kind of goes without saying that these (pre-baby Blue Ivy!) anecdotes had us bowing down (see what we did there?) to Sewing.

Sewing, who clearly knows her way around an online shopping cart, even shared her very best browsing tips with us: "I browse first and load up my shopping cart with everything I want. It satisfies that impulse-shopping urge. Then I go back in a day or so to see if anything has gone on sale and I edit down the list to things I really can use, and afford." We also totally feel her on the perks of shopping online, "I like the autonomy it gives me, and I also enjoy the feeling I get when I pull into my driveway and there’s a package on my doorstep. It’s like Christmas!" In fact, Sewing perfectly illustrated the powerful sense of autonomy and agency that a piece can lend its wearer, when she shared the story behind her favorite shoe (and no, they're not the emerald green Giuseppe Zanottis that "Are like that pretty little dog that bites like hell." "[They're] Donald J Pliner burgundy military boots. I bought them online when I was in the hospital a few years ago. After being ill, I just wanted a package to open when I came home; a little pick me up. If I could get away with wearing those boots every day, I would. They remind me how strong I am."

Envy Joy's closet? How would you like a fully revamped wardrobe of your own? Yeah, that's what we thought! Enter now to win a total closet overhaul from THE OUTNET.com & The Coveteur. (Thank us later!)


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