We are always on the hunt for women who have a strong sense of style here at The Huffington Post. This week, we approached two editors whose fashion choices seemed pretty different, and asked them to swap styles. Upon further inspection, the ladies were more aligned in style than we would have guessed.
Kristen Aiken, a senior editor here at HuffPost Taste, originally hails from upstate New York. She characterizes her style growing up as "tomboy-ish." She told us, "I was the captain of every sports team, worked for the Yankees and have two older brothers. I was so far upstate that no one paid attention to fashion." After attending Barnard College, she worked in baseball with all men when she realized that she was dressing just like them. Her style changed when she saw photos of herself from when she was younger. "I looked at photos from when I was little and I had such fun clothes. Shirts with watermelons on them, for instance." Since then, the porcelain-skinned food editor's taste has become much more ladylike and polished. Aiken's style icon is another gorgeous redhead. "I love Lucille Ball and her polished shirt dresses. My grandmother is probably my most influential style icon. She always wore heels for my grandpa, and she was always dressed to the nines, no matter what."
Kathleen Massara, an Omaha native, sits close to Kristen, but her style couldn't be more different. The arts and culture editor has an androgynous style, and her long, lean frame is perfect for the the brands she loves. Opening Ceremony, Rogan, Steven Alan and other labels known for their sharp tailoring and menswear-inspired vibes are her go-tos. "My style icon is David Bowie because of the fact that he's mercurial; from 'Ziggy Stardust' to 'The Thin White Duke,' he has been able to let his style evolve in really interesting ways. In fact, I've always been attracted to a more feminine androgynous look on men (Prince is another influence, though I sadly can't pull off purple velvet, and I've always loved Morrissey's blouse-y shirts and faded jeans). Bowie never apologizes for being weird; he revels in it."
Check out what happens when the two ladies switch styles and step a little -- or a lot -- out of their comfort zones.
