Babba Canales is always on the go. Before she launched her own marketing agency, By Babba, she helped launch Uber in Sweden (it was the fastest-growing launch city at the time, FYI) before moving to New York to help with their marketing strategy. While she was with them, she launched fashion partnerships with brands like Rag & Bone and followed up with a gig as director of brand marketing for Away. Remember their pink suitcases with Pop & Suki? Canales helped make that happen.
From Stockholm to New York, it’s evident that travel and fashion have always been part of her. While Canales finds style inspiration everywhere, she probably doesn’t notice all the people taking cues from her. Her glasses + dog + bangs combo is pretty hard to miss. She credits her distinct style to her layering skills—think essentials from UNIQLO like culottes and HEATTECH turtlenecks when the temperatures drop. After spending all day watching her put together incredible outfits (and redefine how to wear a bag and glasses), we talked with her about the best transitional pieces for fall, why bangs are an unexpected style hack, and the piece of UNIQLO she’s bringing to her wedding.
The best pieces to transition from summer to fall:
“My favorite season to dress for is probably early fall, when it’s still warm enough so you don’t need to layer, but not hot and sweaty. My favorite piece to wear in that season is a UNIQLO culotte with a long-sleeve shirt and all my accessories. The key is keeping the base of the outfit pretty basic and then adding in variation with your accessories.”
Go-to accessories make every outfit unique:
“I’m a shoe, bag, and glasses type of girl. I wear glasses every day. I love shoes with short and comfortable heels and I mix basic outfits up with different types of accessories.”
Bangs change everything:
“I’ve had bangs now for so many years. I’m a very practical person, and I don’t want to spend a ton of time on my hair. I felt like getting a bang was a style hack. It makes it look like I care, when in reality, I just woke up. [Laughs] What really, really changed my bang game was when I discovered Bumble & bumble sea salt spray. That’s the only product I use.”
Turtlenecks are a must for layered outfits:
“My favorite UNIQLO pieces are from the HEATTECH collection because they’re extremely comfortable. I normally have a 10- to 12-hour day and I really need to dress for comfort. My absolute favorite piece from UNIQLO is the HEATTECH turtleneck—it’s a great base. I love to wear a turtleneck under dresses or I’ll pair it with a leather skirt and no tights. I also wear a lot of the UNIQLO Ultra Light Down Jackets with a leather jacket over top. That’s my go-to layering for the fall.”
Why she still spends most of her day in an Uber:
“I started my own brand marketing agency based out of Spring Place in Tribeca. My day-to-day is really different. I have days where I’m just in back-to-back meetings or in an Uber all day. Then I have days where I’m stationed at my office. I spend a lot of time walking in crazy New York and trying to make it on time to meetings. [Laughs]”
But when she *is* at her office, she always has this one wardrobe staple:
“I think the UNIQLO Cashmere Collection is great for the office when you go from hot weather [outdoors] to super cold AC.”
The favorite style tip she’s picked up from the streets of New York:
“I love when I see women wearing socks. I like socks with heels—it’s so much more comfortable to wear socks. It’s also become a really stylish way to mix an outfit up; even with slip-in heels or mules!”
Why comfort is key:
“At the end, fit and comfort are so correlated with confidence. If something is ill-fitting or makes you sweat, or it just makes you feel like you can’t sit in a certain way, then you’re not focusing on your job—you’re wasting your energy on your clothes, and that’s the last thing I want to do. I want clothes that really can take me through my entire day with confidence and comfort.”
How a white cowboy hat is part of her wedding outfit:
“I’m wearing white the entire weekend [of my wedding in Sweden] and I have a few different looks: a more extravagant wedding dress, and a more dance-appropriate two-piece for the party. We have a hat theme one of the evenings, so I need to get a white hat! I want to do a really nice maxi white dress but with a big cowboy hat.”
Why UNIQLO will be making an appearance in her wedding weekend luggage:
“I always pack one pair of of my go-to culotte jeans. And then a UNIQLO black turtleneck, of course, just because when I go to Sweden the weather can be really unpredictable. I definitely love the UNIQLO cashmere collection for chilly nights, and the knitwear is perfect for going over any dress in the evening for a cozy but elegant look.”
