Sidewalk Style: Tale of the Tote

Victoria Kurzweg, 26
Research/writer

What she’s wearing:
DVF wrap dress from Secondi, American Apparel cardigan, scarf from Anthropologie, Frye boots, American Apparel for Human Rights Campaign tote (coming soon to shop.hrc.org).

Any staple items in your wardrobe? Favorite pieces or signatures?
“I wear this cardigan about every other day. That’s a staple. Thigh-high socks are kind of a signature in the wintertime. Some of my favorite pieces are the ones I don’t get to wear that often: a black vintage sequin dress, a pair of Marc Jacobs stilettos from the spring 2009 runway, and a sleeveless minidress made of tuxedo fabric. I’m also really excited about a vintage chevron-print dress I picked up on eBay.”

What you will be wearing or shopping for this spring?
“More chevrons and deep V necklines. And a hat! That is top priority right now. I’ll be in Smalltown, North Carolina, for the next two months, and I have my hopes up for some decent thrift shops.”

What inspires you, style-wise?
“Traveling and warm weather for sure—Miami! I like a good ’70s throwback. I also collect vintage Vogue magazines—those are a fun source of inspiration. I’m not really following the style press these days, but I like Fashion156 and Purple. And New York magazine’s The Cut for gossip.”

Rachel says:
It’s so Washington to wear your beliefs on your sleeve—and in this case your bag! As it turns out, Victoria’s tote is the result of a collaboration between the Human Rights Campaign and American Apparel and is not yet for sale. Also very Washington: It pays to have an inside source! The tote will be available later this month at the HRC store.