“In this era, I'm all about oversized everything,” says Moda Operandi social director Kristen Grace Lam. “I like more masculine shapes. I tend to shop in the men's section a lot. I don't really show too much skin, but if I do, it's very purposeful,” she rattles off excitedly. “I love a good oversized silhouette, but I think now that I'm a little bit older, I realize I can't just wear oversized everything.” She plays with proportions and materials. She balances a bulky jacket with a micro mini skirt. A sparkly dress? Sharp tailoring. Everything fancy she offsets with something casual.
Career-wise, Lam is responsible for translating luxury e-commerce site Moda Operandi’s fashion ethos to their social media accounts. A knowledge of what’s current in fashion comes with the job description. In addition to her primary market desires (and aptitude)—namely long skirts and the Hailey Bieber Wardrobe.NYC coat—Lam is prone to falling down her fair share of vintage rabbit holes.. Currently, she’s hunting for the perfect racer jacket. “I know that there are leather jackets out there that just need some love,” she muses (see look three). The resulting assemblage of Lam’s interests and expertise always manages to capture that elusive “effortless” vibe. Below, Lam walks us through a diary of each look she wears in a week.
Look 1: Monday
Vest and Pants: Wardrobe.NYC; Shirt: Moncler Genius 4 Moncler Hyke; Shoes: Valentino; Sunglasses: Saint Laurent; Necklace: Maison Irem;
Photos: Courtesy of Kristen Grace Lam
“On Monday morning, obviously no one wants to ever get dressed. If you catch me somewhere on the street, I'm probably wearing some iteration of what I’m wearing here—a pair of really roomy trousers, easy stomper boots if it's gross outside, sneakers or even slip-ons. And then I'll [steal] my boyfriend's oversized T-shirt or long sleeve and a puffer vest or a puffer jacket or something. That's the Monday look. The necklace looks heavy, but it's very, very light and it just goes with everything. The more you wear it, the less shiny it is, which I like.”
Look 2: Tuesday
Jacket: Source Unknown; Shirt: The Attico; Skirt: Beare Park; Boots: Hereu;
Photos: Courtesy of Kristen Grace Lam
“Tuesday, that's my drinks-with-girls look. I'm really into leather right now, especially leather racer jackets. I've been making my boyfriend come thrifting and vintage shopping with me because I know that there are leather jackets out there that just need some love. I'm looking for those. I like to add the masculine piece to something that's a little bit more girly. I paired the beaded mini skirt with the oversized shirt and leather jacket. Going out with my girls, I'm going dancing. I'm going out for drinks. I need mobility. I need movement. This is TMI, but even with only half a drink, I just get so hot. I need to have layers. I need something that's airy even during the winter, but obviously I still want to look cute and sexy. So that's the vibe.”
Look 3: Wednesday
Blazer: Khaite; Shirt and Skirt: St. Agni; Gloves: Marine Serre; Bag: The Row; Sunglasses: Saint Laurent; Shoes: Celine;
Photos: Courtesy of Kristen Grace Lam
“Wednesday is my office look. We go to the office at least one day a week. So my third outfit is definitely the most polished and the most office appropriate, especially for the winter with the gloves. They are Marine Serre, of course—got them on the SSENSE sale. And I’ve got my bag from The Row that’s amazing; it even fits my laptop. I try to take such good care of it. The sunglasses are the same Saint Laurent pair I wore before. Honestly, if you can’t tell, those are the only ones I wear. They're perfect. The shoes are old Celine. They were my first designer purchase ever.”
Look 4: Thursday
Dress: Diotima; Jacket Christopher Esber; Bag: Mansur Gavriel; Heels: Stuart Weitzman; Earrings: Completedworks;
Photos: Courtesy of Kristen Grace Lam
“Thursday, we've got the date night look. It's more ladylike. It's a little bit more covered up. The dress is Diotima—I think she's the queen of crochet. The way she weaves crystals into crochet is incredible. I'm actually starting to [experiment] more with makeup but my daily, everyday makeup is what you see there. If I'm going out, I'll contour a little bit, but usually I start with eyebrows, eyeliner, blush, obviously some lip balm, and then some lipstick. And I would say depending on what the occasion is, I'll change up the color of the lip.”
Look 5: Friday
Tank: Agolde; Jeans: RE/DONE; Jacket: Wardrobe.NYC; Hat: 47Brand; Bag: The Row; Shoes: Vans;
Photos: Courtesy of Kristen Grace Lam
“Friday's my easy day—my no-wash hair day. So hats are always welcome. I have a lot of ‘47 Brand hats. Those are the ones that fit my head really, really well. I always gravitate towards denim, a white t-shirt or tank top, and an oversized overcoat, whether it's a camel coat—the one I wore—or a vintage gray one. The jeans are like 10 years old from RE/DONE. The jacket is the WARDROBE.NYC Hailey Bieber overcoat. They only had the medium left—the small would've fit me better—but I kind of love the oversized look. I'm wearing my checkered Vans that honestly, I have four pairs of, because I need at least a couple pairs on deck just in case something happens to the other ones.”
Want more stories like this?
Making the Case for Statement Outerwear
It's All In the Details
How to Dress for the Art World