MEET LINNEA
#InHerShoes / 2021
Ok yes, our shoes are real cute, but what's even more cute and cool and stylish and inspiring are all the badass people in our shoes. So this year, we decided to pass the mic to some longtime supporters and CS connoisseurs, and asked them to help bring our shoes to life. The challenge? Style one shoe three different ways and tell us a little bit about yourself while doing it. The result? As expected, incredible.
Keep scrolling to see what Linnea (@linnea_white on IG) gets up to in our Brocade Marlos.
Who are you and what are you about?
Hi, darlings! I'm Linnea, the shop owner and stylist of Darling Boutique (@shopatdarling), aka she/her living on a pastel rainbow. I'm the owner of a brick & mortar (and recently also online!) consignment boutique featuring curated secondhand + handmade. We carry contemporary brands, vintage, high end designer secondhand as well as over-80 makers. I never really planned on being a shop owner (hi, fellow English majors!), but my love for playing dress up since I was a little girl and love for secondhand and handmade led me here. And I couldn't be more happy to be on this entrepreneur journey!
Where are you from & where do you live now?
Born in Ithaca, NY. Formative childhood years in Manassas, VA. High school season in Virginia Beach, VA. Charlottesville, VA since 2006! I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010 and was so enamored with Charlottesville, I never left! And now an omg-is-this-really-my-life?! small business owner on Charlottesville's Historic Downtown Mall.
How did you find out about Charlotte Stone?
Instagram! The amazing @michellenorrisphoto was how I found you all originally! And once I saw the incredible designs and colorful, quirky aesthetic, I was HOOKED.
Describe your style in three words.
Whimsy, wit, wonder.
What inspires you?
Oh, so much! Story-telling is deeply important to me. Both sharing and receiving. The ocean is also deeply important to me, and endlessly inspiring—something about the rhythm and paradox of the consistency of an ever changing wide open space that gets me every time. I also grew up going to craft fairs and antique malls/shops with my mom, so traveling and thrifting are always inspiring—not just to see and be inspired by other retailers and people in my industry, but to get lost in the stories of pieces made by hand or worn by time.
On an average day, you’ll find me in:
A pastel outfit, most likely a dress—just add glitter.
When I’m not working, you’ll find me:
Romping around town running all the errands a busy entrepreneur can fit in outside of "work" time and finding balance to have all the fun, too, like nail appointments (nail art is an obsession), thrifting/vintage shopping, winery hopping and restaurant dining (Cville has some of the BEST wineries and restaurants in VA and beyond!), brow/hair appointments, an ocassional facial (because self care), dance cardio in my living room, or hanging out at home with my cutie brand new husband and my old cat, Kittypoopbutt.
Who or what inspires or influences your style?
I'm super inspired by those that take risks with style, and a sense of playfulness and whimsy to getting dressed. The more I've leaned into dressing for the mood I want (I'm creating a whole style academy around this mindset!) and playing dress up with a sense of wonder when I feel uninspired and dull, the more fearless I've been with my personal style. Of course there's days when I leave the house and have a "is this too much?" moment... but then I just remind myself I get dressed for myself, not for others. And all that matters is how I feel in what I'm wearing! Oh, and all things Copenhagen Fashion Week and Copenhagen designers. OBSESSED.
Who is your style icon & why?
Iris Apfel has always been a style icon for me. After watching the documentary, Iris, I fell in love with her approach to style. One time she commented (aka her social media person) on a post of mine and I couldn't stop talking about it for weeks. Here's one of my favorite quotes of hers: "Great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself." - Iris Apfel
Do you have a girl crush?
I have a quite a few Instagram girl crushes!!! 1. @heartzeena—I just want to be her best friend 🙂 2. @flybynight—Everything Laura does is magic. 3. @panache—see #2. She made me a custom pet portrait for my cat Kittypoopbutt, and we became Instagram friends. 4. @nxcv.a—the absolute cutest with the absolute raddest style. 5. @frollein_herr—okay you get it, I have a lot of girl crushes! Because women should celebrate each other!
What are you watching or reading or hobbying right now?
Well, I got married in September, so honestly, my biggest "hobby” the past few months was wedding planning and sourcing all the flowers and decor since I had a mostly DIY wedding. It was so much work, but I loved it so much. And my husband helped with so much of the decor—he built our arbor and all our signage and even helped me with our disco ball baby’s breath chandelier cuz he’s the best ever.
I also have been loving Ted Lasso and Only Murders in the Building. Oh, and Halston was also an incredible recent watch.
What three things could you not live without?
So I let my husband answer this one... because I felt it would be most accurate 😉 "Cheese, chocolate, and wine" All food related, he knows me so well!
What article of clothing are you living in right now?
My white glitter platform Doc Martens honestly. I found them secondhand and FREAKED OUT. I’ve always wanted all white Docs and the glitter was an added bonus. They are so ME and so comfortable for long days on my feet at the shop.
What “traditional” styling rule do you love to break?
I think no wearing white after Labor Day is the most unimportant style rule of all time. Winter Whites are my jam. Creams/whites are my neutrals, not black! All year round cuz DO YOU!
What is one weird fashion trend from your youth that you kind of wish came back?
Beaded chokers and jelly shoes, but honestly, I think that whole 90s/Y2K style thing is back stronger than ever!
What is one thing about yourself people might be surprised to find out?
I didn't always have colorful style, and I didn't always wear pink!
It all started with a lot of pink and frilly collars and puff sleeves as a kid... but it all shifted in high school and college. Let’s call it an innate desire to want to fit in, to be accepted. So my style did. I was a chameleon for the environments I was in—daring to not stand out.
Something changed when I became the sole owner of my shop, Darling, in 2016. When I went out on my own, maybe for the first time in my life, I created my own environment and cultivated my own style. I basically picked up all the pieces of me I’d lost along the way. I let go of the need to be accepted and fit in all the time. So there was a lot more pink and puffy sleeves and socks and tights and big collars and hair clips.
I found myself again through style in my late 20s, and now here I am, 32, and dressing like I did at the beginning.
I was made to stand out. And I’ve never felt more confident in who I am. So stand the heck out. What is “fitting in” anyways?!
IN HER SHOES
Meet Caitlin
#InHerShoes / 2021