043: JALIL JOHNSON
lives in Martiniano glove flats and pearls.
I’m back! In New York, that is, and also with another edition of Habiter. What a joy it is to be in New York City. The French are excellent at baguette sandwiches and making cigarettes seem chic, but I sure did miss my friends, my apartment, and the roughly 80% of my wardrobe that didn’t join me on my trip.
To celebrate my return, I’ve placed myself on a good, old-fashioned shopping freeze. Not just because I’ve been living a bit large lately, but also because a reunion with my closet feels like a nice time to rediscover it. So often my instinct is to try and patch up a wardrobe hole as soon as I see it but in shopping, like in life, perhaps it’s wiser to pause in an uncomfortable void than fill it with a quick fix? Lately, I find that time and space do wonders for decision.
So instead of replenishing my closet, I’ll replenish my mind, and hopefully yours too, by diving deep into the highly personal wardrobes of the highly chic people who agree to show them to me. This week I spoke to the singular Jalil Johnson.
If you keep track of the fashion flock’s comings and goings, Jalil may have popped on your radar already. A fixture of the party and street style scene, Jalil is an ambitiously joyful and polished dresser. His style draws from a pool of elegant references, from Jackie O. (who he calls his North Star) to Tippi Hedren à la Hitchcock’s The Birds. His Substack, Consider Yourself Cultured is a lovely source of inspiration and an extension of his sartorial world. I asked Jalil to tell me what he’s been living in lately. Read on!
Describe your personal style. Who or what are you inspired by?
JALIL: My personal style is very eclectic and also very preppy. I take a lot of cues from the Take Ivy style, mixing the codes of army and university, all that kind of stuff. Jackie is one of my biggest style inspirations, I call her my style North Star. Leandra Medine has always inspired me with how she thinks about putting together a look. The way that she talks about constructing an outfit pushes me to think harder about what I'm putting on my body. Same with Rachel Tashjian. The way she describes an outfit just makes you want to be more cerebral. There's also this stylist called Marcus Allen who's very preppy. I am always screenshotting all of his work. It's really amazing.
How do you put together an outfit? Do you have any formulas that you rely on or is it different every day?
JALIL: I build outfits around a central piece or a few items. If I want to highlight the pants that I'm wearing, I'll shape the outfit around the pants. I like to think of it as an ensemble, you need your leading actors and your supporting actors. They all play different roles within an outfit. I don't usually plan my outfits. I'm a very emotional, mood-based dresser. I’ll wake up, and maybe I’ll have watched The Birds from Hitchcock the night before, and now I want to be Tippi. It's very much how I'm feeling that day when I wake up.
How long does it take you to get dressed?
JALIL: Oh, that's a tough question. Sometimes it’s really quick, and then there have been times where it's taken an hour. It’s all about experimentation and playing. You put on one thing, you construct an outfit in your head, and then you see it and maybe it doesn’t look right. It's a whole science.
Do you ever repeat outfits?
JALIL: I definitely repeat outfits. Especially now, because basically half of my closet is upstate with my boyfriend. I also don't have a mirror. I actually bought a mirror and then it was stolen.
What!
JALIL: Yeah it was crazy. So it's been a challenge to get dressed, because I'm really relying on my eye. The first time I’ll see what the actual outfit looks like is when I get to the office.
That is a challenge.
JALIL: It's been like that for basically a month.
My apartment in Paris doesn't have a full length mirror either. Actually it’s kind of nice.
JALIL: It's interesting. I guess it adds to the fun. I play with the idea of not buying a new one but… I really do need to get a mirror. But to answer the first part of your question, yes, my mood changes all the time. I could watch a Hitchcock film and go on endless searches for 50s and 60s attire, but then I'll watch something else, or I'll listen to Dolly Parton and my mood changes. But I'm always going back to these same references. I’m not picking it up and throwing it away. I'm picking it up, and then storing it, and then I'll come back to it. It's a whole cycle.
How often do you shop and where do you shop the most?
JALIL: I am trying not to shop as much. I feel I've gotten better. I did a whole thing with Liana, the Closet Psyche. She made me delete all of my shopping apps off my phone, so the only way that I can shop is in person or on a computer. And for me, shopping on the computer adds a layer of friction.
What apps did you have before she made you delete them?
JALIL: I had everything. Grailed, Vestiare, eBay, the RealReal. eBay and The RealReal were my big ones. I went on those things religiously.
So you're mostly buying vintage or pre-worn clothing?
JALIL: That's mainly what I gravitate towards. Of course there's new filtered in there as well, but a healthy portion of my closet is secondhand.
JALIL’S MOST WORN:
I wear them all the time. They are amazing. At one point I thought that I would have to throw them away because I discovered a hole in them and it broke my heart. They're just so easy. They go with so many outfits and they just bring a level of elegance. Sophisticated elegance, nonchalant elegance.
A TRENCH COAT
I have this Armani trench coat. Taylor Russell has the same one! I bought it last year at a closet sale that Laura Reilly put together with a bunch of people. It's Alexis Badiyi’s old coat.
HATS
A hat is always my go-to. During the winter, I was wearing my Amy Downs knot hat. Now that we're transitioning into the spring and summer, I'll be reaching for more of my straw hats. I have a great one from Gigi Burris, I love Gigi's hats. I also have some of the raffia hats that Jenny Walton did and they’re pretty great.
LOUIS VUITTON SPEEDY BAG
I love big bags because I carry so much stuff with me. The Speedy is great because you can pack shoes in it, you can do so much with it. But it's still a handbag, it isn’t cumbersome.
I just really love his clothes. I call them happy clothes. I have a few of his pieces - two dresses, a sweatshirt, a T-shirt, and I purchased a coat from the new collection. That's going to be fabulous. It's an amazing coat.
PEARLS
I wear them because remember reading that you should wear your birthstone. I think it gives you good energy, maybe even a little protection. Mine are from Presley Oldham.
What are you currently hunting for?
JALIL: Capri pants.
What’s your go-to bodega outfit?
JALIL: That's terrible!
You don’t have to answer! I'm sure it's a chic outfit though…
JALIL: I don't know if it is… It's basically a sweatsuit, Birkenstocks, and an Alex Mill trench coat. And then I am going to wear my new acquisition, which is an Hermes canvas knapsack.
Ok, very chic. Where did you get that?
JALIL: I got it from the RealReal.
Good job.
JALIL: And then I’m wearing a baseball cap from Palm Heights and Ray Bans.
HEART HEART HOORAY for Jalil! Thank you for the lovely piece.