Wear is She Wednesday: Poiema Lee

Take one scroll through Poiema Lee's instagram and you'll instantly fall in love with not only her style, but her eye for beauty. Unique tattoos, expansive interiors and lovely shades of coffee and cream are just some of things you'll find swirling together on Poiema's page. From New Mexico to France, she's been all over the place and weaves each thread of her life together to form a tapestry that is uniquely hers. Read on for her take on Buddy Holly, sunscreen and Pleasure Activism.

Hi, Poiema! Please introduce your wonderful self!

Hi! My name is Poiema Lee. I’m from Albuquerque, New Mexico, but currently attending college in Oregon.

1. How would you describe your style?

I would describe my style as “versatile”. It changes on a daily basis, depending on my mood, the weather, and the day’s agenda. Some days, my style is a bit more feminine and soft. *think: lacy, slip tanks and wrap skirts. Other days, it’s all about comfort. *think: bike shorts and big tee shirts.My style definitely has a strong vintage foundation which gives me a lot of freedom to play around and tap into many different style categories.

2. Where are your favorite places to shop and why?

Thrift stores or vintage resale sites. I am frequently perusing the racks at Savers or scrolling on Depop. It’s important to me that I do as much as I can to reduce my carbon footprint and the amount of waste that I generate. So, I try to hold myself to a pretty strict secondhand/sustainability policy. I only purchase clothing that is secondhand or from sustainable brands.

Since it often costs more to purchase “new” from a sustainable brand, it has to be something that I’m committed to wearing for a very long time. Paloma Wool is my favorite sustainable brand and each PW item I own is special to me. Even so, I always search on Depop or The Real Real for my favorite brands first, because it can be pricy. A few other sustainable brands that I love are Girlfriend Collective and Everlane.

3. How did you discover your personal style or are you still discovering it?

My personal style is still evolving and always will be. That said, my mom and aunt are huge influences since they’ve been avid thrifters and vintage lovers since I was in the womb. I get my eye for vintage and my confidence to experiment from them.

I also lived in France for a semester abroad and that taught me a lot about accessorizing and dressing for my body type.

4. Do you have any current favorites? (podcasts, books, songs, etc?)

My current favorites are:

1. The podcast “Getting Curious” with Jonathan Van Ness

2. The book “Pleasure Activism” by adrienne marie brown (she purposefully spells her name in all lower case:)

3. Arden Rose and Wear I Live on Youtube

4. Pretty much anything from Buddy Holly

5. Aside from style, what other hobbies or interests do you have?

Aside from style, I’m really into:

Calligraphy

Collaging

Cooking

Saving the planet :(

Speaking french

Social justice advocacy

Travel

Yelling at everyone about how important sunscreen is

6. And the bonus question I like to ask everyone before they go: What’s something you’re really proud of right now?

I’m proud of how much I’ve learned in the past year, it feels like I’m really growing into myself. Also, I was lucky enough to be able to move out on my own for a little bit this summer. It was pretty cool to be self-sustaining and create a space that was 100% mine.

Totally in love with Poiema yet? You can also find her on her Depop!