As all people do, Castilleja faculty each have their own unique fashion sense. Let’s find out more about a select few individuals’ styles and why they dress the way they do.
When asked to describe her fashion sense, Emily Landes, math discipline lead and teacher, said “eclectic grandpa.” She wears a lot of sweaters and cardigans, of which most tend to be muted colors because she “doesn’t like to draw attention to [herself].” Her desire to wear more simple clothing shows that she is a very practical person. Landes prioritizes mobility, as she bikes to school in the morning, and prefers light clothing so she doesn’t get hot by the end of the school day. In particular, she gets inspiration from her regular summer trips to France.
Christy Story, history teacher and 9th grade dean, began her fashion journey in the conservative environment of D.C. Working in a male-dominated environment, Story wanted to dress professionally, so she experimented with suits and clothes from the retail chain Ann Taylor. She talked about this time as “wanting to be a woman and feminine but not wanting to be objectified and girly and trying to find some line between there.” Since then, Story’s style has evolved to incorporate some other parts of her past, such as the 80s, which inspired her love for matching outfits and for vests. Even so, you can still find elements of her time in D.C. through items like blazers and slacks, but now they are both feminine and professional.
Biology teacher Zoe Clute’s outfits are a mix of “cottagecore and ‘Ms. Frizzle will see you now,’ which is a little bit funky science teacher.” She likes to wear clothes that make her happy, but which are also comfortable, so she won’t get tired from working with students all day. Clute especially enjoys wearing bright and fun patterns, swishy dresses, cozy coats, and boots that are good for walking—particularly as she walks from the train station. Overall, Clute dresses to “feel feminine and delightful.”
Christina Appleberry, school librarian, takes fashion inspiration from a blog called Advanced Style, where older women dress in wild and exciting outfits. Appleberry, guided by the blog, is “on the road to [a] quirky, bright, fun wardrobe.” In fact, most of her outfits are dresses with different patterns and a mix of prints. Appleberry likes to wear dresses and her signature pair of Converse and jean jacket, but she switches it up sometimes by choosing her clothes in the dark! Even so, she “[likes] to have something bright.”
French teacher Marie Martine Shannon’s style is self-described as “spontaneous.” Regardless, she creates her outfits with several key elements: blouse, pants, scarf, shoes, and perfume. Always, she wears blouses that match her pants, so she usually wears dark pants or jeans. Next, Shannon selects a scarf, of which she has many, to keep her neck warm. Shoes are her favorite accessory, but there are only so many pairs that are good for standing and walking around for long periods of time. Finally, Shannon dabs on her signature perfume. If she were to give a piece of advice, it would be to choose a light, unique scent to wear everyday, but be wary that colleagues will always know if you are nearby!
“I think the clothes that I wear are mostly defined by the things I do,” Nico Gallo said about his fashion style. Gallo, who is the Bourn Lab Manager, dresses so that he can move around but nothing so loose that it will “get sucked into a piece of machinery.” Additionally, he likes to wear darker, long-lasting clothes that won’t get dirty easily, so even if he does encounter any machines, Gallo and his clothing will be okay!
