Samantha Garner likes to have fun with fashion. As a member of the Lexie Mountain Boys, an all-female a cappella performance art troupe, the 26-year-old Waverly resident likes to experiment. "We sing, and we have props, and we have costumes that we design." When she's not on tour, you'll find her touring various neighborhoods as a dog walker. Either way, you won't find this thrift store fan following trends.
Purple fleece jacket. Forest-green cotton-knit top. Blue sweat shirt. Black cotton long johns. Brown wool gloves. Black zip-up leather boots. Rabbit fur hunter's cap. Black fleece scarf. A canvas "Don't Mess With Texas" tote.
The jacket and boots were thrift store finds. Her top came from American Apparel. She found the sweat shirt at Urban Outfitters, and her gloves at H&M.; Both the long johns and scarf were purchased at REI. Her hat was her dad's from the '70s. She picked up the tote when she lived in Texas.
"I guess because I am a performer and an artist, I tend to just have my own style, and I don't copy many trends. I wear a little vintage, but I will go ahead and buy warm, cold-weather clothes because I work outdoors. When I go to shows or parties, I do dress up. I have a lot of knee-high vintage leather boots. I wear colorful tights. I'll sometimes wear knit legwarmers with knee-length skirts or flashy vintage dresses. ..."
: "My American Apparel leggings and knee-length pencil skirts. I live in those in the winter. I like TOMS shoes. I was obsessed with those for awhile. For the winter, I've been wearing Merrell snow boots. ... I have vintage Bob Mackie [pieces] that I collect ... I have a couple of suit jackets with big shoulders that are nicely structured. I have a closet of '60s and '70s dresses that are more collector's items. ..."
"Maybe once a week, I'll go to thrift stores around the city - and outside of the city for better finds because there are fewer art students who go there. I like to go to a store called Beacon's Closet in Brooklyn, N.Y. It's like a giant vintage store. ... My mom and I like to go to Marshalls for the good deals. ..."
"I have such an underground look. I guess it's influenced by the experimental art scene ... My style is so funny, but people like it. It's the way I've been dressing for so long. It's kind of not-on-purpose fashion. It's kind of non-style."