WHO: JulieAnne Cross, 45, of Stanton, owner of CrossPro LLC, a communications business, and founder of the Delaware Burger Battle.
WHY: She was nominated by Jeanette Price Zipf, who says: “JulieAnne has her own style: tastefully trendy but uniquely classic. Her hair is her calling card, always brilliantly colorful!”
HER STYLE: Funky and on the go.
WEARING, at Piccolina Toscana in Trolley Square:
FIRST OUTFIT – Old Navy Sweetheart jeans and charcoal grey cotton tank top; BetaBrand Disco Hoodie; gold BabyPhat high heel, high-top sneakers purchased at Sneaker Villa in Wilmington; EYN leopard combo phone case and wallet; ring from a vendor at Wilmington’s Greek Festival; sunglasses from Spaceboy Clothing.
SECOND OUTFIT – modeled with art by Vicki Vinton: Dress Barn Woman sparkly palazzo pants; gauzy black open front batwing wrap with sequin lapels and Alyx Women halter-necklace layered top, both from JCPenney; black Hush Puppies Soft Style Wava wedge sandals; Ellen Durkan metalwork earrings; snake necklace worn as bracelet from Blue Streak Gallery in Wilmington.
THIRD OUTFIT – Old Navy Rock Star black jeans and black V-neck tee; Chico’s ombre white and purple knit cardigan; black patent faux-lizard Aerosoles Role Through Mary Janes; necklace from a Philly street vendor, Amun Xkorpious Re.
WHERE SHE SHOPS: “When in a hurry, Dress Barn Woman usually delivers something dressy and affordable without worrying if they’ll have your size. JCPenney when you need a wrap or scarf or something that doesn’t have to fit. Old Navy for casual clothes. Chico’s if I am ready to splurge. Jewelry from artists whenever possible. Cosmetics: eyes from MAC and Makeup for Ever; lips from Kat Von D; nails from Sephora’s Formula X collection.”
HOW SHE SHOPS: “When I go on the art loop, or to a festival, I always try to buy at least one thing from an artist, sometimes an accessory such as a scarf (Ebru Richsilk design-your-own from the Brandywine Festival of the Arts), and very often jewelry. You can wear the same tired T-shirt and jeans or formal suit every day, but switch out with a good statement necklace and fun jacket and you’ll inevitably get compliments. I have gotten many of my best jewelry as gifts from my husband and friends, like the snake-like silver-tone sculptable necklace from Blue Streak Gallery (PSST…reminder to husband about my upcoming birthday) and a pair of dominoes repurposed as owl earrings by The Three Sisters Design Co. that came from Talleyville Frame Shoppe.”
WHAT TO STOCK UP ON: “I tend to buy multiples of things I like. Sharon Stone once wore a Gap shirt to the Oscars. That day, I decided I never wanted to wear a silky shell under a jacket again. I’ve probably bought 20 black V-neck tees since then.”
FASHION ICON: “Drag queens. I love over-the-top statement pieces and bold colors, eyes and lips. I also have a doppelganger: Wyldstyle from the Lego Movie. I started getting texts from people seeing the trailer in the movie theater like four years ago. I went as her for Halloween 2014.”
FAVORITE DESIGNERS: Delaware’s Ellen Durkan, Lolah Soul, Bird Queen, Red Heart 13 Relics Jewelry, Sara Teixido and Philly’s Stacey Flygirrl Wilson, all for jewelry. The Delaware Contemporary (formerly known as the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts) “is probably the best place to get jewelry from artists, whether in the gift shop, or at the winter craft show.”
MOST RECENT PURCHASE: Orange sunburst enamel earrings from The Captured Muse, “an artisan at Sugarloaf Craft Festival in Chantilly, Virginia, where I was on a business trip for my client, Olevano Olive Oil.”
OLDEST ITEM IN HER CLOSET: An inherited Cosmopolitan Magazine “Cosmo Kitty” pendant that dates to 1970.
MANE, MANICURE AND MAKEUP: “Teresa DiMaio at Sherif Zaki is a killer colorist and stylist. I currently have purple, teal and navy foiled into my natural dark brown hair; I’ve had purple with only teal or navy for quite a while. I stepped up from a single bright color a few years ago, and I just started letting my grey grow in about a year ago. Had hot pink, blunt cut bangs for a while. I haven’t had hair past my chin in many years. I stopped biting my nails three summers ago, and am now obsessed with salon pedis and home manis. I try to save my manis until close to the weekend so I’ll look good holding a cocktail. I highly recommend any woman of a certain age make pedis a regular splurge. I consider it a health expense!”
BEST FOOT FORWARD: “I used to be able to run in stilettos. I graduated high school in hot pink, four-inch pumps, and they became my go-to work shoe with my first suit, a classy 1991 fuchsia and orange confetti textile made into a matching skirt and (shoulder-padded) jacket. However, my feet don’t like anything higher than a two-inch heel now. The best shoes for me are a slight heel that lets my feet breathe so…flip flops with a slight incline, which I wear from March through November.”
FASHION NO-N0: “Big purses in the club. I love to go out dancing and there’s nothing like a gaggle of fashionistas banging into you with extra-wide clutches, or full-size handbags, on a crowded dance floor. I just need my phone and lipstick. My husband is a DJ so he gets his share of women and men stashing their accessories and outerwear behind his rig.”
GO-TO OUTFIT ON A SATURDAY NIGHT: “Black jeans or palazzo pants with a casual or dressy tank top layered under a venue-appropriate top. I’ll run from the car in a light jacket or sweater rather than lug around a heavy coat, or get saddled with layers that I can’t remove. Sadly, my stellar BetaBrand Disco Hoodie is lined with a very warm fabric, so it’s not dancefloor friendly. False eyelashes are a great addition for a night out dancing. When the lights go back on, you still look fabulous even if you’ve glistened all your makeup off.”
FAVORITE FASHION BLOG: “Jezebel, which is not a fashion blog but breaks down things like ‘best drugstore liquid eyeliner brands.’ They shut down their regular Millihelen column, so I love getting a little snark with my makeup talk from any Jezebel writer with a bee in her bonnet. BuzzFeed and Go Fug Yourself also entertain me when they cover makeup and fashion.”
FAVORITE COLOR: Orange. “It’s not a very good hair color, and as a result, people assume purple is my favorite color.”
FAVORITE FRAGRANCE: Tokyo Milk Gin and Rosewater, “because there’s nothing more festive than smelling like a cocktail before you even go out.”
BEST CELEBRITY HAIR: Evan Rachel Wood.
WORTH THE SPLURGE: Professional hair color and cut.
NOT WORTH THE SPLURGE: “Something that’s not special. I never owned anything anyone would want to steal, except for a hot pink Michael Jackson jacket.”
FASHION EVOLUTION: “I started dying my hair purple two months before I turned 40. Now it’s a signature, and I suspect I’m going to be 75 years old still with crazy hair. Many of my clients are restaurant owners, and thankfully, they are open minded about my wild style. My prom dress was hot pink, heavily ruched front, with open back, but with a handkerchief cut hem that I was dying to have. It was from the JCPenney catalog. I was living overseas, so mail order was one of the only ways to get something unique and affordable. Also, it was trendy to wear fishnets over sheer pantyhose, so mine were white over hot pink. I’ve had the same toe ring since I was 19. I only took it off to give birth.”
WISH I HADN’T BOUGHT IT: “A set of vintage scarves that aren’t long enough to be either on trend or flattering. My husband calls me Shirley Feeney when I wear any short scarf.”
THE GREAT PANTYHOSE DEBATE: “Against. Despite being an extremely pale person.”
INDISPENSABLE WARDROBE ITEM: Black palazzo pants.
ACE ACCESSORY: “A coral, teal and white seed bead woven necklace from Pink Turtle. I always get compliments on it. Seed bead necklaces are a current obsession.”
TIPS FOR STAYING ORGANIZED: “I have a three-drawer organizer from Target and in the drawers, I repurposed rectangular baby food containers to keep necklaces and other jewelry separated. Keep an apron within reach in your kitchen, which will save you from having to treat stains later.”
PANTS OR SKIRTS? Pants. “I’m quick to crawl under a table to retrieve things, and I’m sometimes my husband’s DJ gig roadie, so I’ve favored pants for many years. This summer I found a pair of gauchos at Old Navy, in an obnoxious coral-orange, which not only required ironing, but were also not at all flattering. I cannot wait until it’s warm enough to wear them again! However, I will show a leg with confidence when the mood hits me.”
HEELS OR FLATS? “Slight incline, even on flats.”
DIAMONDS OR PEARLS? Pearls.
WHY FASHION IS IMPORTANT: “Important isn’t a word I’d use. Having fun is important, and if fashion is a way you can insert a little fun into your workday, then fashion becomes important.”
Style Files runs weekly in Sundaylife. To suggest someone stylish to feature—your coworker, teacher, friend, relative or even yourself—please send information to stylefiles@delawareonline.com and include contact information. Pictures are super, too. Reach Eileen Smith Dallabrida at esmith@smithreports.com