Style Profile: Kate Sloan, Singer-Songwriter

Occupation: Singer-songwriter

Shirt: Some people at my school started this group that was like a mini-eBay kind of thing, so we were bidding on items and I got this for like $3 dollars.
Dress: From a place called Twylite.
Belt: My mom gave me this. It’s vintage from the 80s.
Doc Martens: My friends all pitched in to get them for me for my birthday.
Bag: From King of Kensington. I bought it for Pride.
Bracelets: I really like the rainbow bracelets. They just go with everything.

Why is fashion/personal style important to you?
When I was younger, I was really insecure, & I felt like my appearance
didn’t reflect my personality, & wasn’t showcasing who I was. I
started to dress up because I wanted my outer shell to match all the
electricity & vivacity I felt inside, & now I feel confident that it
does.

How would you describe your personal style?
The name I’ve given to my overall style concept is “neon pinup”. It’s
sort of a mix of quintessential 50s bombshells & 80s teen queens, with
a little bit of androgyny & British schoolboy thrown in for good
measure.

What are your style influences/inspirations?
Indie musicians like Regina Spektor & Bryce Kulak, who make up
story-songs about these incredibly eclectic characters. There’s this
one line in a Bryce Kulak song that goes, “a shifty-eyed girl with a
purple knapsack that stuck out in a crowd,” & that definitely has
inspired me many, many times.

Favourite designers?
I think Emilio Pucci has always been incredibly courageous with colour
& pattern, which I admire a whole lot. Betsey Johnson is also a
mastermind of visual decadence. My favourite independent designer is
Rhiannon Toast of Toast Clothing – her stuff is so whimsical, cheery &
inventive.

Favourite brands?
At the mall I always head straight for H&M or Fairweather. They do
reasonably-priced pieces that are genuinely classy & make me feel like
a modern-day princess.

Where do you like to shop?
I am a big vintage fan. Value Village is my holy grail for cheap
treasures. Kensington Market also regularly amazes me, especially
Flash Back & King of Kensington. Another Kensington shop, Twylite,
doesn’t focus on vintage, but I have dresses from there that I bought
3+ years ago that still continue to frequent & inspire my outfits all
the time.

Whose style do you admire?
I’m crazy about Gala Darling’s pairing of sweet elements, like pink
florals, with tougher elements, like a black patent leather corset
belt. Tricia Royal’s penchant for ridiculously bright colour
combinations & urban chic makes me sooo happy. Dita Von Teese always
looks fantastic, even though it’s a tad unrealistic to try to live up
to her standards of constant flawlessness.

What was the last cool thing you bought?
I was at the King of Kensington a couple weeks ago & there was this
pair of bright red sparkly boxers on the counter, waiting to be
priced. On a complete whim, I added them to my pile of purchases &
bought them for $5 dollars. To my immense surprise & delight, I have been
wearing them as shorts pretty regularly since then. I LOVE them!

What is your next must-have purchase?
I’m currently on the mad hunt for a vintage bowler hat, à la Liza
Minnelli. Preferably I’d like one in my favorite colour, royal blue,
because I want to do something different & make strangers smile at me
on the street.

What can’t you live without?
In terms of style – black leather boots, colourful stretch belts from the 80s,
black liquid eyeliner, & my purple velvet blazer. Beyond that – as
long as I have a piano, my Moleskine, & internet access, I’m pretty
happy.

Is there anything you would never wear?
Whenever I answer this question, I always end up breaking my own rules
way later (e.g. maxi-skirts, crop tops, leggings worn as pants). However, if you ever see me wearing sweatpants with text on the back, it’s safe to assume my body has been taken over by aliens.

What are your interests and hobbies?
Music (piano, guitar, ukulele, singing, songwriting)!! I also write a
lot, keep a delightfully kindergarten-esque art journal, volunteer at
Genderfork.com, & starting next year I will be one of the
co-ordinators of my school’s Queer-Straight Alliance.

Can you tell me a little bit about your music?
I kind of developed this style that was a mix of folk and musical theatre, because I’m really into musicals and I’ve always been a big Broadway geek. So, it’s sort of like theatrical folk.

What’s your idea of a good time?
A night at the Bad Dog Theatre! Improv is one of the great passions &
joys of my life, both watching & doing. When I’ve had a rough day or
want to forget something that’s going on in my life, nothing helps me
more than a little comedy therapy.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I have an intensely embarrassing love for awful late-90s pop music.
Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, O-Town, A-Teens… Gimme it all, I’ll eat it
up.

What’s your current obsession?
I’ve reeeeally gotten into art journaling lately, so I’ve been making
frequent trips to my local art store to buy big bags of things like
gesso, gel medium, inkpads, watercolour pencils, & metallic Sharpies.
The art store happens to be less than a block away from my favourite
Value Village, which is a bonus.

What is your favourite city?
Honestly, I positively adore Toronto & I’m so glad I live here. People
are personable, interesting, & have great style. I’ve been to New York
a handful of times, & while I loved the energy, I missed my hometown
much more than I thought I would.

Last good book you read?
Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman. I particularly love his
deeply philosophical essay about how The Sims holds up a mirror to our
idea of reality. He’s brilliant & hilarious.

Last good movie you saw?
Lately I’ve been renting all the John Cusack movies I haven’t seen
before & overdosing on his pretty face. As cheesy as it was, I enjoyed
Serendipity quite a lot.

What music are you listening to lately?
Regina Spektor (I’m a hardcore old-school fan from back before she was
famous!), John Legend, John Mayer, Daniel Bedingfield, The Softies,
Danielle Ate The Sandwich, Fleet Foxes, Stacey Kent, Bryce Kulak, The
Weepies, Chris Garneau, & old Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong duets.

What would you like to do in the future?
I have so many ambitions that I want to pursue in my life. Ideally I’d
spend my days painting, writing, & setting up cool pro-queer events &
groups to support queer Canadian youth, & then at night I’d go out &
perform at clubs & cafés. Music is definitely my main passion but I
don’t think I could ever be satisfied if I limited myself to only one
avenue of expression. X

Find out more about Kate and her music here

GO BACK to previous page