Meet: Susie Friedman
London-based creator
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Join us as we chat about the act of getting dressed, DIY pieces, emulating a martini girl, and more!
Before we start, for those who don’t know you, share with us what you do and where you’re based!
Haha, well hi! I make TikToks about what I wear and the things I make. I work in Public Policy and live in North London.
Being based in London, how do your surroundings impact your personal style, the music you listen to, and even the content you consume?
In a very literal sense, London massively impacts my personal style because all my best outfits have come to me on buses (134 and 341 have the highest hit rate).
On a slightly more serious answer, London’s just massive which means most I spend a decent amount of time alone, surrounded by a lot of people. I think this lends itself to a flexibility of self, no one cares, but simultaneously a pretty intense need to find community wherever you can, through clothing/music etc. In my experience, the area you’re living and working in really influences how people shape themselves.
I think some of my favorite looks or pieces that you’ve shared on your Tik Tok have always been your DIY’d ones (cc: your jughead skirt). Do you remember the first piece you ever DIY’d—do you still own it?
I LOVE that jughead skirt/shirt/thing. I definitely remember one from about 10. I’d watched some of the beginning of Pretty Woman over my parents shoulders and decided that Julia Roberts (pre-makeover) was the best dressed woman I had ever seen. The next day, feeling bereft without a tiny slip of my own, I cut out the slip layer of all my dresses, stole some of my mum's knee-highs (thigh highs on me) and wore them to school. I think my teacher was horrified but my parents were always happy to let me experiment.
I don’t think I’d fit the original, but my current black slip was also a casualty of another dress so I feel like I still kind of own it, in my heart of hearts.
One thing that’s super special about a DIY piece is that you can almost guarantee you’ll never walk into a party, a bar…or even be on a train and see someone in the exact same look. How big of an influence would you say your DIY pieces have when it comes to your personal style?
That’s the best bit about DIY-ing something, it feels really yours and removes the importance of other people's opinion. If someone doesn’t like my denim Georgian stay that is definitely a ‘them’ problem. My DIY pieces are definitely the backbone of my wardrobe simply because wearing them always reminds me of the fun of making them.
When it comes to your videos, I think something that people really gravitate towards is the way you put together an outfit. It feels like a fun facetime with a friend and you know as soon as the call ends, you’re going straight to your closet to see what you can conjure up yourself. Do you think you’ve sort of mastered a getting-dressed-recipe? What’s the first thing that comes to mind when getting dressed?
I love that, I started making them because I was missing pre-event, friends-piled-on-your-bed outfit discussions in lockdown so that’s really what I am going for!
Honestly, practicality is always the foundation of any outfit. If it’s cold then we’re going to be layering from Uniqlo HeatTechs, if it’s all buses to the venue I can wear heels. I always focus on physical comfort because I think you can get away with pretty much anything (see-through sequins are FINE to work drinks if styled correctly, promise).
After that’s sorted, there’s usually an item that immediately springs to mind, and some silhouettes that (to me) correspond to that which narrows down my wardrobe some more. I tend to get obsessed with an item for a couple of weeks (my friend Amanda’s Dries Van Noten black maxi skirt) and try (and then fail) to resist the urge to include it.
Beyond that, there’s not that much rhyme or reason to it, my brain just fizzes when it likes something and I go off that.
For those who may struggle with the act of getting dressed, what would be the one piece of advice you’d share with them?
It would be to let yourself get it wrong and look a bit silly as people really only care enough to comment on the internet. Focus on it being as fun as possible. I often turned up to lectures at uni in a full green neon, vintage Laura Ashley dress and a Susan Alexandra bag so small I had to roll up my note paper to fit it in. It was genuinely ridiculous, I felt great and absolutely no one cared at all.
Something I’ve been thinking about recently is that everyone has their own uniform and you’ve just got to focus on finding yours. It removes the judgement about dressing too loudly or too trendy. Remove the hierarchy of fits from your mind!
Coming back to personal style, I find that mine sort of (slowly) evolves every 2-3 months—I think it’s also really based on what content I’m consuming (re-watching sofia coppola’s Marie Antoinette and needing to add ribbons to my life, this incredible screencap from RHONY that only makes me want to wear statement jewelry, etc!) Has there been anything, or anyone that’s been inspiring you lately?
God, that is suuuch a good necklace! My personal style definitely gradually shifts every few months but I’m never quite sure what inspires it! I’ve been really gravitating towards all-black, quite covered-up looks at the minute and my only lead is a general grumpiness, the impending move from British Summer Time and a recent fixation on what I would term emulating a ‘martini girl’.
TFL (Transport for London) is probably the biggest inspiration for me. I have a folder on my Notes app where I describe all my favourite outfits, sometimes accompanied with a rubbish sketch or sneaky pic. The overground is constantly filled with people whose wardrobes I wish I could raid and outfits I intend to recreate.
With the speed at which trend cycles come in and out, how do you approach maintaining your personal style, while also keeping a pulse on what’s ‘in-trend’? Do you think tik tok has had any influence on your style?
I don’t tend to think about it that much. I consume most of my trend content from creators like Mandy (@oldloserinbrooklyn) and Rian (@thatadult) and if I see something that gets me excited, I screenshot it, try it out with mine/my friends wardrobe or start looking on Ebay for something similar. It’s pretty rare that I see a trend and get really excited so if I do I let myself lean in. It’s a bit of a case of trusting your instincts, I know that if I buy something, I’m committing to wearing it for at least a few years and that over that period the way I’ll style it will evolve from the original context either way.
On a slightly different note, as a creator, I think TikTok’s influence on my style fluctuates a lot. There are definitely periods where I look back and see that I was dressing myself for TikTok as opposed to on TikTok. Usually that means that there’s a purposeful ugliness to tread the line of nice and horrific. I’m a bit more aware of it now, but it’s not something I mind that much looking back!
When it comes to shopping, do you have any favorite online second-hand retailers that you’d recommend to a friend?
I’ve got to admit that I am an Ebay girl through and through. I’m not great at sleeping, and trawling Ebay really gets me into an almost meditative trance. Searching things like ‘green suit 10’ and then scrolling for 4 days has got me some gems. Ebays ‘saved searches’ also encourages a bit of patience when you’re trying to find the perfect piece and increases the shoppers’ high exponentially when you do eventually nab something.
Before we go, I must know—if you had the chance to go through 1 person's closet (and maybe even snag a few items) who would it be, and why?
It’s got to be a toss-up between Mira Al-Momani who focuses on (really exciting!) emerging designers or Leandra Medine Cohen to fulfill my 14 year-olds-selfs fantasies.
Let’s Get Deep
What’s your theme song?
‘There’d better be a mirrorball’ (arctic monkeys) it soothes me.
Night In or Night Out
Out!
When do you feel most you?
Out with my friends, martini in hand, chatting pure tripe.
What’s something you’re obsessed with right now?
Pacific Crest Trail videos on youtube.
Call or Text?
Call!
When’s the last time you cried?
Last week on the tube thinking about my best friend, Ruth, moving out.
When’s the last time you laughed (like big belly laugh)?
At my friend Antonio’s birthday discussing the prevalence of fishnets, ‘cross’ nipple taping and our general dislike for the aesthetics of both.
Favorite follow on Tik Tok (besides you, of course!)?
@ejhavingfun - they make me wheeze with laughter.
What’s one thing you would tell your 16 year-old self?
Freelee the Banana Girl is not a health guru and most
things are solved by going on a walk.
Find more of Susie Here:
TikTok: @debabevoir
Insta: @susie.friedman
Listen to Susie’s Playlist: here
