PREVIOUS ARTICLE
When we photographed Mckenzie Raley’s Greenpoint home a few months ago, I was captivated by her cool, laid-back style. The founder of lingerie line Land of Women, and a model herself, Mckenzie names 1990s Catherine Keener as her fashion muse. Here, she shares five outfits she wore in a week…
Sweater: from Japan, similar. Trousers: Madewell. Belt: Vintage Donna Karan, similar. Shoes: Jenni Kayne. Lipstick: RMS Beauty.
“It took me a long time to realize that skinny jeans weren’t great for my body type. But then a whole new pant world opened up for me: Omg, trousers! Culottes! I’m riding that wave right now. When pants are relaxed, I feel relaxed. I’m really digging these wide-leg trousers. The tucking-in of the sweater is also a new phenomenon for me. I didn’t know you could do that and still look fashionable. But it’s totally a thing! I first saw it on a girl at a dinner party, and she had tucked a just a tiny part of her sweater, like a thumb’s worth, into silk pants.”
Shirt: Madewell. Jeans: Levi’s. Bracelet: Etten Eller. Purse: Loeffler Randall, similar. Shoes: Jenni Kayne.
“I learned a crazy trick from Instagram for breaking in vintage Levi’s. You sit in a warm bathtub for 15 minutes while wearing your jeans. Then take them off and let them dry until they’re just damp. Finally, put them on again and do lunges. It’s an experience but it feels empowering — you take this stiff material that wasn’t made for you and you make it for you.”
“When you’re bustier, if you wear an oversized top it can look too billowy. So, the knot thing is my go-to, to show more of a waist.”
Robe: Land of Women. T-shirt: Monogram, similar. Pants: Amazon. Loafers: Gucci from eBay, similar.
“As a model, I often work in Sweden, and the scale of women there is like me. People in the U.S. ask me how tall I am all the time (I’m 5’11” — 6’2” in heels); I loved how in Sweden, it was a non-issue. In stores, they have 2, 4, 6, but they’re not at the top of the pile. I was in tears the last time I was there. When posing for photos, I have a model trick — I smile with my eyes, not just my mouth. ‘Smizing’ is the funny term. You’re literally flirting with the camera, which can feel awkward because I’m pretty reserved. Clients will sometimes say, can we see a jump? I’m like… um, sure. I’m never into it, I come from a long line of non-jumpers. Once, they wanted me to do a dance party BY MYSELF and didn’t play music. We were in a giant warehouse with like 100 people watching. It was a little Zoolander-y, but at the end of the day, it actually looked good.”
Leather jacket: Veda. Dress: Land of Women. Purse: Cole Haan, similar.
“This dress is meant to be like the Joan Didion dress where she’s leaning against a Corvette. She’s wearing white, but I wanted it in black. My closet is 99% dark shades. The reason for that is, when I first moved to New York, I only had $30 in my bank account and I wanted to look expensive and wearing black was the only way to do that. When I go back to Minnesota, my family wears jackets that are green and pink and red and blue. They look great. And if I wear color, I do feel peppier. But wearing black makes me feel powerful. I think women SHOULD look intimidating, especially now.”
Leather jacket: Veda. Sweater: J. Crew. Pants: Aritzia. Boots: Urban Outfitters, similar.
“This sweater is from J. Crew, but I tailored it with my sewing machine. The machine was a high school graduation gift from my grandma. As a teenager, I’d make my own clothes. One summer, I hot glue gunned everything together — I had a jean skirt that would rip a little every time I sat down in class. Tailoring makes everything look better, whether you do it yourself or take it to a local tailor.”
Thank you so much, Mckenzie! We love you.
P.S. Five other women share their outfits, and a French bra trick.
(Photos by Ana Gambuto for Cup of Jo.)
