Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the wardrobe of Australian TikToker Belle Perez
IMAGE VIA @belleperez/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU AND IZZY WIGHT
From neon sweats to biker boots.
We know personal style is a journey (I’m looking at you, Tumblr years) and our series Hey, I Like Your Style! dives into the fashion psyche of our favourite creatives. We’re talking the good, the bad and the 2007.
While the internet has made our fashion icons feel closer than ever before, even the most effortless of outfits came from a closet with some (well-dressed) skeletons. Clickable product tags, photo archives and lives chronicled in 30-second clips just don’t tell the full story.
For more fashion news, shoots, articles and features, head to our Fashion section.
These are the stories behind the wardrobes, exploring how we develop our own personal style. There’s a brilliance behind the way we choose to express ourselves and at FJ, we know every outfit has a story.
This week, we asked Belle Perez to give us a tour of her wardrobe. The Bendigo-born, London-based content creator has made a career sharing snippets of her life online. From sharing travel advice to unboxing the latest in fashion and beauty, Belle is living the digital dream.
Making the move from a small town in Victoria to the capital city of England is no easy feat. But the growth that comes with moving across the world and into the bustling ecosystem of London has undeniably developed Belle’s personal style. “It used to be more of a burden than something I enjoyed but now I like surprising myself with things I put together,” she says. “[I like] feeling like I’m telling people a little bit about myself and how I’m feeling through what I’m wearing.” Read on to hear more about her style evolution.
Who are you and what do you like to wear?
Hi! My name’s Belle and I’m a content creator based in London. I feel like my style is constantly shifting but I’ve found this sweet spot recently where I’m 50 per cent pretty girl/balletcore type vibe and… 50 per cent oversized, more boyish cool girl (if that makes any sense at all).
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What has your style evolution looked like? Do you feel like you’ve gained confidence in the way you dress?
Growing up in a household with three brothers, I remember my mum begging me to take off my soccer shorts and pop on a dress to go out for dinner every once in a while. I didn’t want a bar of it. That quickly changed in high school when I started going shopping with my friends and dressing for my mood a little more.
Flashforward 15 years, I would describe my style as a mixture of those two young versions of myself. Cute dresses and mini skirts as well as soccer shorts and baggy tops. Moving to London has definitely encouraged me to try new things and have more fun with [fashion].
Since being here over the past year and a half I have evolved a lot with my style and the choices I make in general. My bestie [and] roommate Georgia likes to say that she is “constantly humbled” when she leaves the flat because the streets here are always buzzing with people wearing cool outfits and exploring combinations we wouldn’t consider putting together ourselves.
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The inspiration to get creative and explore who I am through my clothes has gotten a lot more fun for me. It used to be more of a burden than something I enjoyed but now I like surprising myself with things I put together. [I like] feeling like I’m telling people a little bit about myself and how I’m feeling through what I’m wearing.
… I’m definitely less self-conscious in my own skin and body which has had a trickle-down effect on my fashion choices and confidence as a whole. Ultimately, I just want to feel comfortable in what I’m wearing which will inherently make me feel confident leaving my flat.
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Personal style is a journey. Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
Being from a smaller town I think there was a time when I was just following suit without any actual thought around what I was wearing and why. Once I started visiting bigger cities more frequently and travelling in my late teens, I gained another level of confidence in myself.
I backed myself a lot more [when] making a choice that might have been a little left of field from the norm (whatever I thought that was back then). My brothers also used to poke fun at me when I’d try something new when we were younger, but luckily that was the exact reaction I needed to keep experimenting just to get a spark out of them.
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Take us back to those awkward teenage years. Do you have any fashion regrets?
Omg, two words… Supre and neons! IYKYK! It is so funny looking back now and I just cannot fathom how any of us thought that was a good idea. I had a neon orange pair of trackies and a neon pink hoodie that I would confidently pair together and strut around town thinking I was the bee’s knees.
My mum, my bestie Lily, her mum (my mum’s bestie) and I also had an obsession with Metalicus. It was such a treat for us to go down to Melbourne and go to the store [that] used to be in Melbourne’s GPO building and pick something out. I’m just not sure why no one stopped us from wearing a singlet, shorts and headband all made out of the same material. [It’s] kind of iconic come to think of it.
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What are the most expensive and least expensive items in your wardrobe?
The majority of my wardrobe is inexpensive but I have a beautiful silver Ermanno Firenze floor-length dress I wore to a wedding last year that has become the wedding guest dress version of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. I’m always very glad to offer it up, so if anyone needs a wedding guest dress just let me know.
The least expensive I think would have to be a pair of black-heeled Mary Janes I snagged off Vinted for £1.50. Vinted in the UK is insane and I spend endless amounts of time scrolling on that app.
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What’s the most meaningful fashion piece you own?
I have three rings I almost always wear that are all my mum’s. I have such tiny fingers that I find rings, especially vintage, really hard to find in my size. However, as genetics will have it, Mum’s all fit me. So I pinched a few from her years ago and rarely take them off.
Who or what influences your style?
I think I’d say mostly everyday people out and about in London living their lives. I’m always snapping cheeky little pics that I can look back on and see what I can take from the way they created their look for that day. Otherwise, my For You Page on TikTok is full of interesting people [who are] adventurous in their style. I’m constantly saving to a folder that I can return to when I’m lacking inspo.
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What fashion piece are you saving for right now?
As it’s cooling down in the UK I need a classic black woollen coat as well as a black leather jacket. Both purchases will stand the test of time. However, I’m heading back to Australia for a couple of months over [the] summer so I also want some fun new summer pieces to wear over the holiday period. I’m on the hunt for a versatile sandal that can take me from day to night.
What are the wardrobe items you wear on repeat?
I have a pair of black biker boots that I got back in February that I have worn to absolute death this year. The cost per wear would be down to five cents by now I think! My £1.50 Vinted Mary Janes have also been a go-to this summer.
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Who are your favourite local designers?
Local to me in London, I recently learnt of a small brand called Caspar that I’m obsessed with. I just preordered a skirt this week and cannot wait for it to be delivered. A friend of mine also works at Martine Rose, so I’m always excited to see what they do next. I [also] loved Masha Popova’s recent SS24 show at London Fashion Week.
For more of Belle’s outfits, head here.
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