Justine Swindell’s Style Reflects Her Art: Minimal, Vibrant + Bold

Illustrator and muralist Justine Swindell‘s style is functionally chic. Like her icon, Janet Jackson, whatever Swindell chooses to wear, she looks effortlessly cool and confident.

What D.C. style means to you 
I grew up in D.C., left for several years and returned, so I try to think of what’s timeless about this city’s style and how it’s different than other cities. In general, there is something inherently conservative about D.C. When I look around, I often feel style here is very uniform but with a twist of grit, prep, funk or glam — depending on the person. The way people add that twist is always fun to see.

Style icon and/or inspiration 
Janet Jackson. Over the years, she has given us numerous iterations of effortless cool, and memorable style. If you look at the videos from songs on the albums “Rhythm Nation,” “Velvet Rope” and “Janet,” there are so many amazing and iconic looks.

Wardrobe essential 
A go-to pair of jeans. I love all things denim for their utility, accessibility and style. I also love a good baseball cap. Currently, my favorite is from District of Clothing: It’s minimal, comfortable and has a great caption to add a unique stamp to my outfit.

Personal style 
My personal style aligns with how I describe my work as an artist: minimal, vibrant and bold. I’m a creative entrepreneur, working professional and mom with very little space, so I need the base of my life to be minimal, functional and comfortable. However, as a creative, my need for color, pattern and edge has to come out. That’s where I can play with mixing things up.

@justineswindellar // justineswindell.com

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