One night, at the Attic on Adams, I was in the bathroom re-applying my lipstick when a vibrantly gorgeous girl exited the stall behind me. As she approached the sink and stood next to me, I noticed her emphatically blonde hair, coral lipstick, and seriously colorful ensemble. I am one of those people who cannot resist complimenting someone if they really deserve it, so I turned to her and gushed: "Oh. My. God! You look amazing! I write this style column for the Toledo City Paper and OMG, OMG you HAVE to be in it!!!" Thankfully, she wasn't put off by my approach, which pretty much made me look like a 12-year-old girl at a One Direction concert. We agreed to meet up for a chat and photo session, where she revealed to me that despite her love for fashion, she didn't really care much for shopping. In fact, she hates it … but she explained how that actually works in her favor. Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you: Adia Conliffe.
Define your personal style.
No matter how normal I plan to look as I'm getting dressed, something weird always ends up happening. I've decided to embrace it.
You mentioned that you hate shopping—how does THAT work?
I always shop as fast as possible! When it comes to clothes, I'm all about love at first sight. If something doesn't grab my attention right away, then I move on and don't give it a second thought. But I feel like there's an upside to my impatience: most of the clothes I have, I really adore.
Has anyone influenced your style in a profound way?
My grandmother has the best wallpaper, always. When I was a kid she had this gold, damasked paper going from floor to ceiling in this tiny little room. It was holy … I mean, that's how it felt to me.
What is one look you wish would come back from the dead?
Afros! Cutting out my perm and growing out my afro was the hardest and best style decision I've ever made. So to all black girls everywhere: your natural hair is awesome.
Do you have any go-to items in your wardrobe? Things you wear over and over? If so, what are they and how did you find them?
A pair of sexy, close-toed heels that don't hurt my feet is everything. If I don't own this one pair of shoes, I'll always end up wearing some boring flats because they're more comfortable and more convenient.
You're certainly not afraid of a little color and sparkle. What would you say to someone who expressed a need to get out of a style rut?
Find out what color looks best on you and make it your signature. When you wear that color, you'll instantly look great. But you don't need to add sparkle to your wardrobe if that's not you.
