This Designer Mixes Prep and Western in a Surprisingly Refreshing Fashion

Welcome to Style Diaries, a new series where we research the physical manifestations of our closet tours IRL. We're asking friends and tastemakers to show us what they're *actually* wearing during the week and provide a little insight into their thoughts on the current state of fashion. This week, we are speaking with designer and founder of her eponymous line Suzanne Rae. As she is spending most of her time in upstate New York, we love how her current outfit rotation combines aspects of prep, western, and urban sophistication in a surprisingly refreshing way.

What does your style *actually* look like right now?

"We just bought a country house up in a very small upstate town called Bainbridge, NY, so lately my style is very much about barn life and at-home country comfort. We also rented a storefront in the center of town that will eventually be something to the effect of Suzanne Rae x Feminism x the Community (very much a work in progress), so when I go into town, I use it as an opportunity to clean up."

Day 1:

"First of all, I think anyone who knows me has seen me wear this golf sweatshirt at least once or a dozen times—for better or for worse. This is my most repeated offender; I may wear this outfit or variations of it several times every week. I'm wearing it here with an old pair of jeans, my husband's button-down shirt, a Ferragamo silk scarf, vintage barn coat, Celine sunglasses, and my Ariat paddock boots that my husband and two daughters also have. I wear this in and around the country house, walking around the fields, and when I go riding I just switch out the jeans for a pair of britches."

Shop the Look:

Relaxed Fit Crisp Cotton Poplin Shirt in Navy Stripe

Health and Wellness Cotton Jersey Sweatshirt

Sweater Blazer in Boiled Merino Wool

London High-Rise Straight Leg

Heritage IV Zip Waterproof Paddock Boot

Year of the Ox Silk Scarf

Women’s Round Sunglasses 48mm

Do you have an outfit formula or preferred style?

"I am 100% about comfort. Thick socks, cozy sweatshirt (or sweater), jeans, and my paddock boots (if I'm upstate) or loafers (if I'm in town or NYC). Lately, I've been wearing pearls to just dress it up, which I haven't worn in like 20 years. Not totally sure yet about the pearls, but it's been sort of fun trying them again…"

Day 2:

"This is my in-town look. LOL. I wore it in NYC a few days ago when we drove upstate, so I'm wearing it again today to go visit our new country store-front location. I've got on a Suzanne Rae cashmere cardigan, with a Benetton button-down blouse that I've had since high school, and a pair of old Suzanne Rae white jeans. I'm also wearing our faux snake Feminist Pumps and this suede fringe jacket that I've also had for almost 20 years. Here's an example of my wearing the pearls I mentioned above; I kind of dig the pearls juxtaposed with the fringe."

Shop the Look:

Shirt in Stretch Cotton-Blend

Lace Pointelle Cardigan

Women’s Tan Fringe Suede Jacket

Jane High Rise Wide Leg Jeans

16” Akoya Cultured Pearl Strand Necklace

Feminist Pump

Predictions for what fashion will look like post-pandemic? Or at least how you will dress?

"I've heard predictions that span the spectrum, but I think I will continue to explore my country attire and tying in bits of luxury here and there (like the pearls or a silk scarf or an unexpected pair of shoes). It feels indulgent to me in the most practical and comfortable way."

Day 3:

"This is another repeat offender that may have been seen several times on Instagram—or at least a variation of it. I'm wearing a pair of vintage wool plaid pants I got at a Flea Market in Lucca, Italy with an old Lacoste Polo (also probably 20-25 years old) and a Suzanne Rae feminist crest recycled cashmere sweater. I'm also wearing a pair of cotton socks with our faux mink mules, which we just redid in a flat version. I typically wear this ensemble usually when I'm working from home, but it's easy enough to wear outside by just throwing on a pair of loafers.

Shop the Look:

Knit Cardigan with Feminist Crest

Shirt in Stretch Cotton-Blend

Plaid Cotton Blend Pants

Timeless Imitation Pearl Collar Necklace

The Everyday Sock

Flat Faux Mink Slide

Photos: Courtesy of Suzanne Rae

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