view by
Jill Butler
About Jill
I currently live and work in St. John's, Newfoundland. At 23, I recently graduated from Memorial University with an Honours degree in English, and hope to pursue a career in publishing. Most of my days are spent working at local clothing shop Johnny Ruth, a one of a kind menagerie of fabulous Canadian designers.
Who is your style icon and why?
If you took the European flair of Audrey Hepburn and mixed in the classic lines of Grace Kelly's couture you'd have my style template. I try to evoke that kind of timeless look in my own style because it's delicate but powerful. Dressing well is such a statement about how you treat yourself. It's a style that is strong enough to let you be yourself--as a person, you may evolve and change but you can always rely on that constant touch of elegance and grace.
What's your favourite item in your closet?
Just one? Impossible. Every piece in my closet is a carefully planned investment! If pressed, however, I'd probably show a bias towards my growing collection of gold jewellery, which I just started after 22 years of silver. I blame Modcloth entirely.
What was your favourite childhood outfit?
My mother bought me a purple peacoat when I was six. I absolutely lived in that coat—it had the most delicious green lining and was probably the first truly stylish thing I owned. Since then I've owned many peacoats, but none that rival that first taste.
What's your worst outfit ever?
I had a red tracksuit—with tiny little hot pants. Need I say more?
Name a current celeb whose style you admire and tell us why.
Dita von Teese. That girl has complete commitment to her look. Femininity has almost become a dirty word in our modern age—dressing “girly” tends to be seen as cowing to certain cultural stereotypes. But this kind of style is feminine without being girlish, classic but not stuffy.
What's a trend you hate?
Uggs—always have, always will. Comfort doesn't mean sacrificing style.
Why do you love the shopping/fashion scene in your town?
The shopping in St. John's has exploded in the last few years. More and more shops are realizing what a quirky sense of style we have here. There's definitely a mood that hangs around the city when it comes to style—a mood of anything goes. You can really wear any kind of look as long as you totally own it, and I find it's easy to make a statement in a city so eager to hear it.
