Tibi. Angelica. Katharine. Audrey.
As I’m sure you all can imagine, a lot has to happen behind the scenes for the small businesses of Old Town to operate at the level that they do. Most of this magic arrives in cardboard boxes by way of UPS and Fedex. Sometimes (I cannot emphasize this excitement enough) the boxes contain… new Tibi. There is no tracking number that is followed so closely by Elizabeth as this. We know when it has left the warehouse; we know when it is two stops away. Are we crazy for being this way? Yes. Do we love this brand? Obviously.
The only thing that can make receiving the latest things from Tibi any more exciting is when Angelica is visiting from Germany and can model them for us. What did we do for the stars to align in such a way? No one is sure, but it’s the best. I credit Angelica with several good things in my life. She was one of the first people I met when I moved to Alexandria. A few years after that, she suggested I come to work at The Hive. Perhaps most importantly, she told me which pants were the coolest… and those pants were Tibi joggers.
I would describe myself as a classically inclined creative dresser. I probably follow every Audrey Hepburn fan account on Instagram. I love a red lip, good shirting and I’ve never met a stripe that I didn’t like. These things make for a clean look and hopefully won’t make me question what I was thinking when I look back at old photos some day. I like to feel really cool but also sensible. That said, Tibi doesn’t exactly remind me of old Hollywood, but it does check the “cool and also sensible box” while still being interesting. For those in the know: Chill. Modern. Classic.
If you read that and thought “I have no idea what that means…,” get on in here! We’re excited to have you!
Chill:
The specific item that I can’t live without is the Wilt Jogger; I own three pairs. They’re the perfect shape: not too much fabric, slightly cropped with a zip ankle and have an elastic waist (a merit that speaks for itself). Tibi’s pieces are outstanding in terms of travel packing. Most things can all sort of be worn together and the materials are fairly forgiving. If Amtrak offered pamphlets on travel attire, I would move heaven and earth to make sure that the Wilt Jogger was listed.
Modern:
In terms of versatility, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the Calder Sweatpants. These are a staff favorite for the obvious reason that they can be styled to look like a real outfit, but… they are sweatpants. The curved shape adds a touch of modernity to the type of item that, until recently, has really just been worn as loungewear. They’re great paired back to the Cocoon Crewneck Sweatshirt and just as good styled with a t-shirt and denim jacket. I have even seen the Calders worn with a mesh top for a night out and, let me tell you… It. Was. A. Look. 10/10
Classic:
To pull things back around to classics, Tibi has made a bit of a splash in the suiting department. The lines of the Max Blazer are sharp and clean, but not stuffy and certainly not boring. Paired with the Tropical Wool Stella Pant, you’ll have a modern take on a classic closet staple. While the asymmetrical pleats of the Stella pants are not something I have seen before, the general shape does nod to the dramatically wide-leg styles worn by Katharine Hepburn.
The design ethos behind Tibi is that outfits should be chill, modern and classic. Usually some iteration of those three words exists behind all thoughtfully styled outfits. We all want ease (chill). We all want to know how to choose something unexpected (modern). And we all want to look timeless (classic). At first it sounds like things worn by Audrey and Katharine Hepburn would be in exact opposition to some of the extremely laid-back or very contemporary silhouettes brought to us by Amy Smilovic, but it’s all in there if you really think about it. All three tenets hold true for the Hepburns. Katharine Hepburn wore oversized suiting and she looked so extremely chill and modern in a classic ensemble. Audrey Hepburn wore her button-ups as wrap tops with flouncy skirts, a modern take on an every-day top with a classically feminine bottom. Both of them dressed with such ease and most importantly looked like… themselves. That’s what style is: learning to dress like yourself.
