Truckee/Tahoe may not be a fashion hub like Paris, New York, or San Francisco, but we still have a unique fashion sense that fits our mountain lifestyle. So what is the Tahoe look, so often called mountain casual? We found five fashionistas who wear it well, blending a mix of Tahoe fashion staples — jeans, boots, T-shirts — with their own inspired finds, creating a distinctive style in the process. Our models, who range in age from 15 to 75, believe clothes are a way to express individuality. Whether their style has been informed by the pages of top fashion magazines or skiing or vintage apparel, these five locals are fashion-forward thinkers who elevate mountain casual to a new vogue.
The Casual Bohemian
JESSICA ALLEN
Jessica Allen, 32, has always loved fashion. A sales associate at PlumpJack Sports in Squaw Valley for the past two years, last summer she started a fashion blog, 1020 Vogue. The blog showcases different looks and styles that she likes, as well as the influential women of fashion who she draws inspiration from, like J. Crew’s creative director, Jenna Lyons, and Julia Sarr-Jamois, fashion editor for Wonderland magazine.
‘I’m very inspired by what people wear,’ said Allen, who grew up in Tahoe City. ‘Fashion is an extension of personality.’
Allen is in the process of starting an online boutique, also called 1020 Vogue, that will be similar to HauteLook, a members-only shopping website offering limited-time sale events with top brands.
Allen, who does most of her own shopping online, calls her personal style ‘casual bohemian.’
‘It’s super eclectic, California casual with a twist of leather, fur, and wool,’ she said. ‘I like to keep my style easy with an edge, but it always changes with my mood. Really anything but girlie.’
Her staples include a pair of Frye boots and another by Charles David, and a pair of Current/Elliott jeans. For layering pieces, like tank tops, she shops at H&M, Forever 21, and American Apparel.
‘I don’t spend a lot on layering, but I’ll go big on big purchases,’ she said.
The Gangsta Skier
CHARLIE INGALLS
Charlie Ingalls, 15, gets his own brand of fashion sense from two of his passions: skiing and rap/hip hop music. A sponsored freestyle skier who competes in slopestyle and big air, Ingalls blends looks from both his sport and favorite artists, who include Chip Tha Ripper and Smoke DZA. You could call it ghetto-meets-mountain chic.
‘I take style from people who I am inspired by and put my own twist on it,’ he said. ‘Style isn’t style if it’s modeled after someone else.’
A sophomore at Truckee High School, Ingalls likes to wear brightly colored Ralph Lauren polo shirts, tall Ts, baggy pants, and his sponsored brands like Oakley, Armada Skis, and Arcade Apparel. He also sports accessories like billed hats, beanies, and headbands. While Ingalls gets a lot of his clothes from his sponsors, he also likes to shop at Porters Sports and Meadowood Mall in Reno.
‘I like looking good,’ he said. ‘I think I have a pretty unique sense of style.’
The Artist
FREIDA KLEIN
Freida Klein is 75, but she doesn’t look like a senior citizen. Nor does she dress the part. A grandmother of 10, Klein’s fashion sense is playful and young, fueled by her role as an artist rather than a function of her age. Klein, who lives in Tahoe City, is a true artiste: She paints canvas (oils, acrylics, tempera), makes jewelry, and hand-paints her own clothes; she taught art classes at Sierra Nevada College for 12 years and now instructs at her home studio; and in the ’70s, she was friends with the novelist Henry Miller, who encouraged her to write — she published her first novel, ‘Sapphire Chameleon,’ last year.
‘I love colors, design, and texture. I consider dressing up another form of art,’ Klein said. ‘Living is an art.’
Klein, who is still a size 6, prefers to dress nice rather than casual.
‘I think of casual as slacks and a skirt or sweats,’ she said. ‘If I’m going to get dressed, I might as well do something fun. Even when I give art classes, I dress up.’
Klein likes to buy artistic pieces, and she often shops at Fink ’N Funky in Tahoe City, Savers in Reno, and thrift stores in San Francisco. Her best shopping, however, is in her own closet, where she rediscovers clothes she bought 20 or 40 years ago and hasn’t worn in decades.
‘I like to get dressed up the way I feel,’ Klein said, ‘what color, what mood I’m in.’
The Cool Latin Mountain Man
GAYLORD MORALES
Originally from Panama, Gaylord Morales moved to California at age 12 and has been living in Truckee since 2002. His Latin American roots are still a big part of his life, from his love of salsa, merengue, and reggae to the guayabera shirt (also known as a Mexican wedding shirt) he likes to wear. His clothing choices are also influenced by other types of music, including soul, jazz, and hip hop. Coming from another country and living in the Bay Area helped Morales develop an open mind to different types of fashion.
‘You see so much diversity and culture in the Bay Area,’ said 38-year-old Morales, who says his style, which he describes as ‘broad,’ hasn’t changed since moving to Tahoe. ‘Mountain to hip hop clothing, I wear the same style of clothes as when I lived in the Bay.’
Morales’ style is also informed by his many sports — baseball, outrigger canoeing, snowboarding, running, and golf. He likes to wear hats, from ball caps to paperboy hats to beanies. And scarves ‘whenever I can.’
Mostly, said Morales, he just wears what makes him feel good.
‘It just depends on what mood I’m in,’ said Morales, owner of Green Planet Spas. ‘I wear whatever feels good to me. I don’t wear anything for anybody else.’
The Nomadic Fashionista
LUCY FLORENCE
Born in England, Lucy Florence grew up in New Jersey and the East Bay, went to college in Scotland, and lived in Paris and New York City. Not used to staying in one place for more than a year, she has nevertheless grown roots in Homewood, where she has lived for the past year and teaches skiing.
Florence’s travels have helped shape her fashion sense. ‘I have clothes from all over the world,’ said Florence, 25. ‘I am more of a collector of clothes. I move so much, it’s the only thing I bring with me.’
Florence said she rarely buys new items, preferring to shop at vintage and thrift stores, like Pass It On Thrift in Tahoe City and Goodwill in Reno. She loves to dress feminine — she always wears a dress, no matter the weather. And she is drawn to Western-inspired pieces, like bolo ties, belts with big buckles, and Aztec prints. Throw that all together, along with her addiction to ‘weird’ accessories, and you have Florence’s look.
‘It’s about being able to express yourself,’ she said. ‘I am more interested in personal style. I don’t follow big trends.’
Florence started a fashion blog two years ago called Dear Fish, which takes its name from a line of a Diane di Prima poem. (Florence has a master’s in English Literature and did her dissertation on di Prima.) Her blog shows her in different outfits at home and on the road.
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