Hey, I Like Your Style! Inside the ‘fierce, bold and sexy’ closet of DJ Chai Dumangas
IMAGE VIA @CH444I/INSTAGRAM
AS TOLD TO MARYEL SOUSA
“Wear the crop top, wear the booty shorts, wear whatever you want.”
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’re taking a look inside the wardrobe of part-time DJ, part-time model and full-time baddie Chai Dumangas (aka Chachi). Though she spent her formative years in the King Kylie Tumblr era trying on different aesthetics, she eventually realised she was far too unique to fit into a box. “I will wear whatever the fuck I want,” she tells me. “The aesthetic is joy!”
Three adjectives she’d use to describe her style? Fierce, bold and sexy. And we’d say that’s an accurate description. Featuring bright colours, all things micro and mini, and brands like Ratbagz, Itadaki and Cakey Sportsman, Chai’s looks turn heads in all the best ways.
But hers is also a wardrobe built on self-reflection. “I love scrolling through old posts and seeing how my style has changed as I get to know myself more and more,” Chai explains. “Every era of my style represents a version of myself and I think that’s quite poetic.”
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Fashion Journal: Tell me about yourself and what you like to wear.
Chai: I’m a DJ, I sometimes model and I like to post about what I wear as a midsize girly. I like helping other people feel confident in themselves because everyone deserves to feel like they’re the shit. I love to wear colour, interesting shapes and silhouettes, statement pieces that speak to my soul and anything that shows off my tummy!
Have you ever felt like you needed to fit into a particular fashion box?
Yes, especially in high school. I felt that following trends signalled belonging. Even in my early exploration of my personal style, I felt like I was trying different aesthetics, hoping I’d find what felt most like me. But it wasn’t until I returned to my roots of being unapologetically extra and honouring my inner child that I realised I didn’t need to put myself in a box or restrict myself to one look.
I started wearing lots of neon and bright colours again and pieces that just made me so excited. I couldn’t care less what aesthetic a particular outfit belongs to anymore; I will wear whatever the fuck I want. The aesthetic is joy! I simply follow what makes me feel good and it has led to so many fun outfit moments that I still love going back to.
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Take us back to your teenage years. Who or what was influencing your style at the time, and are there any looks you still think about now?
Tumblr, King Kylie, the baddie era and 2020, when Jordans really popped off. I was really exploring what it meant to be my own baddie, being confident and it definitely poured into my style. I wore high-waisted straight-leg jeans, Jordan 11s, a vintage Ed Hardy tote bag and a black vinyl trench with an insane purple lining that I was so proud of finding at the op shop. I still love that outfit so much.
How has your style evolved?
My style has evolved through continuous exploration and not being afraid of ‘getting it wrong.’ I love playing dress-up in my room with music blasting. I love scrolling through old posts and seeing how my style has changed as I get to know myself more and more. Every era of my style represents a version of myself and I think that’s quite poetic. I would describe it now as unapologetic, fierce, bold and sexy. Point blank. Period.
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What’s a fashion ‘rule’ you don’t agree with?
‘Dress for your body type.’ Fuck that. I tried following that and it limited so much creativity and exploration of the fun to be had in finding what truly makes me feel good, especially as a curvy girl. It also perpetuates a false narrative that you can only wear certain things if you fit a body type. Wear the crop top, wear the booty shorts, wear whatever you want.
What are some of the ‘investment pieces’ in your wardrobe, or items that have stood the test of time?
I would say my Jean Paul Gaultier denim print skirt and top set. It’s so buttery soft and effortlessly cool. I love that you can dress it up and down. I love that you can wear the pieces separately. I’ve worn the top with ripped jeans and it’s just so perfect, no notes. Second is my Vaquera x Converse sneaker boots. They just make any outfit. I could be wearing jorts and a baggy T-shirt, pop these on, and it’ll look like the outfit came to me in a dream.
Tell us about your best secondhand find.
The five-dollar Isabel Marant Bobby sneakers I found at the thrift in Palm Springs. Or the Roberto Cavalli S/S 2005 leopard print skirt and top set I got for $100 (gagged!). I’d been saving it for a special moment and ended up wearing it to my Section 8 debut for Booty, Bass and Baddies. The theme was animal print; it was written in the stars, thank you, thrift angels!
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What’s a fail-safe outfit pairing you always reach for?
Ripped jeans, Isabel Marant Beckett sneakers, a sexy top and a big bomber jacket. This is basically my current uniform; it has not only stood the test of time but also Melbourne’s ever-changing weather.
What is your approach to performance dressing?
It needs to be comfy, sexy and fun. I’m usually wearing my trusty Windsor Smith platform boots. They have pretty bouncy soles and are super comfy. Clothing-wise, when it’s a little colder and rainier, I’m wearing baggy jeans and a nice top. But as the nights are getting warmer, I’m looking forward to wearing mini everything: mini skirts, micro shorts, mesh tops. I’m ready for a youngho summer.
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What fashion piece are you keeping in your closet despite it being ‘out of trend’?
High-waisted flare jeans. They make my booty look so good and snatch me up. I can’t bring myself to give them up. I think I reach for them less because, if I’m planning to dance until my booty falls off, I’d prefer something baggier or a mini skirt (like I said, youngho).
Whose wardrobe would you steal if you could and why?
Doja Cat. OMG the colours, the layering, the silhouettes and the extra-ness. Every look is so good and a moment in itself. I love the ‘Agora Hills’ era. Right now, her Ma Vie tour looks are giving me goosebumps – so fierce.
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What pieces do you currently have on repeat?
Now that the weather’s getting warmer (well, kind of), I’ve been wearing my True Religion denim shorts non-stop. The other Daisy Dukes in my closet are side-eyeing me every time I reach for them. Also, my vintage Ralph Lauren houndstooth hobo bag is my ride-or-die going-out, errands, basically everything bag that used to be my aunty’s in the early 2000s. She’s everything.
Do you have any favourite Australian designers?
Ratbagz, Annie Berry, Karlaidlaw, Itadaki, Emily Watson, Paris Jade Burrows, Cakey Sportsman, I could go on and on.
Keep up with Chai here.
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