Taking a breath and taking stock
Globetrotting graphic designer is experiencing a rebirth after finishing school and living abroad
KATIE JACOBS
CURATES her wardrobe the same way she does her art: clean, simple and mostly black and white.
“I don’t really get too wild with it,” she says of her artistic style. “And if I do, it’s in small amounts. And I also don’t use a lot of colour.”
At 25, Jacobs, a social worker originally from the Brampton-Caledon area, is experiencing something of a rebirth. After four years of school at University of Guelph-Humber, followed by almost a year and a half working with inner city communities in Charlotte, North Carolina, followed by two years in Ireland where she worked as an au pair and then a radiologist’s assistant, Jacobs finds herself here, in Hamilton, taking a breath and taking stock.
“I have always been creative — that’s something I’ve always just done and I enjoy doing but never thought to pursue it,” says Jacobs, who works as a resident adviser at Columbia International College during the week and a hostess at The Beverly restaurant on weekends. “And then in coming back home, the way everything worked out, I really had an opportunity to refocus and to really think about what I wanted to do and kind of, in this weird way, I had an opportunity to start over.”
Graphic design is her current pursuit, says Jacobs, who picked up calligraphy a couple of years ago and is attracted to typography in particular. As an avid traveller, she feels graphic design is a skill that can carry her to jobs anywhere
in the world. And when it comes to putting an outfit together, Jacobs’ style remains consistent. “My wardrobe is very, like, black, white, blue, grey, with sometimes like a pink shoe or red lipstick,” she says.
Hermitage Green is a favourite band out of Limerick, Ireland, but what attracted her most to the tee she wears here was the font, of course. She pairs it with black culottes from Zara, a black Vero Moda moto-style leather jacket and Truffle lace-up shoes from T.K. Maxx (Irish version of T.J. Maxx). She accessorizes with skinny gold rings from River Island, a New Look watch and a tiger clutch from Parfois.
MOST EYE-CATCHING PIECE
I have a really great jacket
from Zara. It’s a really nice (navy blue) watery material and it goes to the knees and it has a belt. It kind of has a little bit of an ‘80s vibe. And you can throw it onto anything and it instantly becomes fancy.
QUIRKIEST WARDROBE ITEM
It’s kind of hard to explain
but it’s made out of tulle fabric and it’s see-through and it’s a dress and it’s grey. And it goes to the knees and it’s high (on the neck) and then it kind of goes lower in the back and it’s just straight across (the shoulders). Sometimes I’ll just wear a black tank top and black pants (underneath it) but then sometimes if I’m feeling really wild, I’ll wear a white T-shirt and light-coloured boyfriend jeans underneath.
WARDROBE MUST-HAVE
A solid white tee.
Just basic, you can wear with anything. Zara and H&M are perfect for that.
BEST PURCHASE
I have a yellow tutu.
It is excellent and short. It goes to the knee and then it’s a bit higher on the waist and I just feel like a Barbie and ballerina and just fabulous all at the same time. I (wear it at) a birthday occasion or going out to dinner. Or if I’m just feeling really fabulous and I’m like, ‘You know what, Katie? It’s time to pull out the yellow tutu.’ I feel like if you wait for an occasion to wear it, you’re not going to wear it.
REGRETS BUYING
I bought this bathing suit
from ASOS and it was red and white striped with little watermelons and it was high-waisted with more of a tube top. I wore it a couple of times and I just feel like the high-waisted bottom just didn’t work. It looked great on the model but then when I think about it, I’m like, ‘No, it just didn’t quite work.’
LOVES TO SHOP AT
Zara and H&M.
And then I also love to check out thrift stores. I’ve bought some pretty cool pieces from thrift stores — Value Village in Brampton, specifically, is a gold mine.
RIDDING HER CLOSET OF
I used to have
so many random pieces that were great on their own but you couldn’t wear with a lot of things … the one-off that’s great for an event but you can’t wear it again. I want to be able to wear it again. I got rid of a dress that was polka dots. It was one of those wrap ones with the little cap sleeves and it was flowy and it was very cute but the polka dots just weren’t right.
SPLURGES ON
I really like shoes.
And I’m a size 10 and so … there’s just not a lot of options. The nice shoes, they’re like, oh there’s only five of them. So it’s very hard to find. So when I find a shoe that I like in my size, I’m like, I’m getting these.
CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT BEAUTY PRODUCT
I really like this lipstick.
It’s Smashbox (Be Legendary in) Bing. And then I also have a Kylie Jenner matte nude. I’m not a fan of Kylie Jenner but her lipstick is great — it stayed on all day and that’s key. It was just a nice matte nude that you could wear with anything and it stayed. Whereas red can be a little tricky with where else it goes.