Natalie Bade in one word? grunge.
Our second May Closet Portrait features our friend and Arête Creator, Natalie Bade, A.K.A Nat. Nat’s love for fashion started at an early age wen she took inspiration from her older sister to adopt a more grunge-centric style. This ultimately led to her dying her hair dark! Her style went through a decade of evolution, and she thanks her mother for the $30 shopping mall allowance, that allowed her to experiment in the sale section of Charlotte Russe as a kid and taught her how to create unique looks with the most random pieces!
Special thank you to the incredible photographer, Amelia Hammond, who made this closet portrait come to life.
Download Arête in the App Store today, follow Natalie, and get inspired by her fashion/see her favorite looks!
Tell us about this look!
“First of all, everything is thrifted, except the shoes. Shoes are hard for me to thrift. I’ve had these shoes for three years now. I love the way everything is layered together in this look. This is an outfit I would wear to an afternoon coffee date. Also, my friend Alexandra Grace makes these bows! This outfit makes me feel very comfortable and confident because I don’t have to worry about slouching in a weird way. This outfit looks good from all angles.”
What’s your favorite thrift store in New York?
“Beacon’s closet in Greenpoint, Brooklyn!”
All three of us agreed that Beacon’s closet in Greenpoint is one of the best spots for thrifting!
Amelia’s other favorite thrift store is Malin Landeaus Vintage, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn!
Although it is pricey, it is perfectly curated! If you’re looking to spend a bit more, check them out.
Tell us about your personal style!
“My personal style is very grunge-centric. I feel most comfortable when I am grunge. Thrifting everything has helped me a lot because I can experiment with things and when it doesn’t work, I can move on to the next. I can sustainably try things out and then sustainably send it to a new home. Without thrifting, I would look like everybody else.”
What has been your style evolution?
“When I was younger, I was boho and very Vanessa Hudgens. When I was growing up, my sister was very edgy. I had to steal her style. She fell off of this, but it felt right to me. I then dyed my hair dark and leaned into it. When I momentarily went blonde, I was so uncomfortable. I did not even know how to style blonde hair, and it’s funny because I’m a natural blonde! Somewhere in college I went from boho to dark & grunge.”
Listen carefully to hears Kotryna’s complete shock to learn that Nat’s hair is naturally light *
Where are you from?
“I’m from New Jersey and moved to New York in 2018 and went to FIT. I escaped for the pandemic (so sorry!) and came back 1.5 years ago.”
Where do you find inspo in NYC?
“I hardly leave my apartment these days, but when I do, I find inspiration around Nolita in Manhattan!”
What are we doing for the next look?
“I’m thinking another layering vibe. This is a lace dress that I can’t easily wear on its own because it’s transparent. I will do a boxy oversized plaid blazer with these plaid pants.”
Is there a time in your life when getting dressed gave you a boost of confidence?
“It was during middle school. I was super shy, so I used fashion as a way to express myself. I found this to be very helpful as I came into my identity. I was then known for something more than being the quiet girl. As a kid, I would set up my outfits based on the day of the week!
MONDAY: first impression, have to come off strong
WEEKDAY: can be whatever it needs to be
FRIDAY: final impression before the weekend and needs to slay.
Did your mom work with you on weekly outfit planning?
“My mom is not a fashion girl, but she would let us go to the mall every weekend, which was so essential to this whole system. I would go to the mall and go directly to the sale section of Charlotte Russe. This was the more experimental section of the store that nobody really jived with, and this is where I developed my styling muscle. I would take odd things on the sale rack and style with them. My mom would give me her card, and my double Capricorn was like, ‘I can’t spend more than $30 regardless,’ but her support in all this was essential.”
Tell us about this outfit!
“It’s all thrifted except the shoes. The shoes are Charles and Keith!
They have really good styles for affordable prices. Be warned though — they destroyed my ankles at first!
This outfit is another layering concoction. It’s very boxy because I love oversized. I like mixing masculine silhouettes with girly lace. I thrifted these pants from Old Navy and then found them again in the same color, which is perfect because I now have two versions of them — my skinny pants for summer and my oversized ‘all the time’ pants. I’m wearing this look to the coffee shop because that’s all I do. I might be doing errands in this, too. This is the most authentic outfit to me. Also, plaid is my favorite thing to wear in this world. Plaid and lace together is my ultimate favorite combo.
What do you wear when you feel the most confident?
Lately, it has been workout clothes and something form fitting. This may not be the most fashion girl answer, but I love feeling healthy in workout clothes.”
Where do you get your workout clothes?
“It’s tough because I’m such a thrifting girl, but it’s difficult with workout clothes and lingerie. I go to Target mostly for this!”
Tell us about this look!
“This is a ‘classic Nat going out look.’ Going out clothes are tough for me because vintage clothes consist of a lot of prairie dresses and nothing is ever really ‘hot girl’ for going out. I found this jacket while thrifting, and these jeans are from a suss IG, so I cannot recommend them to people, but they are so good. The shoes are Sezane and so Parisian chic. The bag is my pop of red. This outfit makes me feel confident and is on the more hugging side of what I typically wear, but I still feel comfortable in the silhouette.”
What do you think about when creating an outfit?
“I usually start with one piece and build from there. I will usually start with a pant and build from there. I like monochrome looks and beige looks. This makes it really easy to put the look together. To accessorize, I will layer vintage necklaces. I’ll also always wear my two gold hoops!”
Where do you get your inspiration from?
“Sometimes it comes from Vogue Runway because it’s so maximalist, and I can chip away at the different looks. I also like to experiment with colors and figure out what colors go well with my skin tone.”
If you could swap closets with one person, who would it be?
“My friend Chloe Felopulos has an amazing closet! I would swap with her.”
Tell us about this outfit!
“This is a dress that I shimmied down and realized I could create a layering moment and keep the lace at the bottom. This also makes it touch the bottom and elevates the look. I thrifted this jacket from Jones New York, and I have been pairing red with a lot of looks lately. I’m wearing this outfit to dinner! The vibe is slightly professional — this jacket makes me feel like a girl boss.”
Tell us about this outfit!
“This is one of those monochrome looks that I love. It is a go-to look for me when I want to feel confident. The top is an undergarment and thrifted. The jacket is from Gant. The skirt is thrifted and pants are part of a set I have at home. I am wearing this to an event or somewhere I want to feel fashion forward.”
What is a fashion red flag?
“Blindly following trends and shopping at fast fashion destinations, and picking up anything regardless of whether it will be out of style in a season.”
What is a fashion green flag?
“Owning things from your mom’s bedroom or things you got secondhand!”
