Here at No.6, we're always thinking of new ways to think and talk about fashion. There's so much more to the story than what you see on a hanger in a shop or on the homepage of a website. Every single garment has a backstory populated by people, ideas, intention, and hard work. Clothes are great (of course), but what makes an outfit sing is the people who put it together and the person who wears it. In that spirit, we set out to talk to creative people we admire about their process and what getting dressed means to them.
In this issue Christene Barberich.
In 2022, Christene created A Tiny Apt., a weekly newsletter that invites readers to think about space, personal style, and the things we love and collect with intention and care. Christene spent fifteen years as co-founder and global Editor in Chief of Refinery29, conceiving and building it from a startup into an award-winning global media leader that pioneered a new era of women’s content in the digital age. She lives between Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley with her family, where she writes, thrifts, and is known to host the occasional sidewalk sale.
The whole team at No.6 is loving our spring collection. It has a great mix of dressy and casual – there’s really something for everyone! What pieces did you gravitate toward and why?
The track pants are pretty much the kind of bottom I'm always looking for...comfortable and flattering but with some structure. The denser knit feels really luxurious and I like a track-pant-as-a-trouser vibe a lot, particularly paired with a spring blazer and a sandal or a more refined loafer.
In your Substack, A Tiny Apt., you write frequently about your (tiny) living spaces and traveling with your family. How does the changing season impact your wardrobe as you navigate the back and forth of daily life?
My newsletter is about that personal crossover between our homes and closets, but more so it's about how we learn more about ourselves using these two spaces as a means of experimenting. As I've gotten older, I've become kind of obsessed with drilling down what's in my closet and cupboards, questioning why it's there and why I love it so much, and also being honest about what I've outgrown or isn't really me. In that way, my newsletter is a lot about change and adaptability, too, since we're always evolving, and a small(er) space really pushes you to continually make choices about what stays and what goes (and why). And I love that.
What’s your spring/summer wardrobe wildcard?
Mixing up big (almost gaudy) colored beaded necklaces with t-shirts and button-downs. It goes back to my roots of thrifting and wearing a lot of vintage jewelry at once in the late '90s and early aughts...more was more, and feeling that shift to kooky/eccentric layering surfacing again.
What are the pieces you always have, or wish you had, on hand this time of year?
A high-waisted jean that's comfortable enough to wear everyday (I need a uniform to break me into a new season), a lightweight merino sweater in gray or red for layering over a tee or tank under a blazer, new frames from Cutler & Gross, a sheer organza slip dress over/under everything (including your track pants!), a classic sneaker like a white Ked's Champion or a Salomon, jewel-toned t-shirts peeking out of everything, lots of navy things, and a lightweight long (dramatic) coat to throw on when it's chilly and you need an instant MOOD.
Fill in the blank: I’m constantly in search of the perfect ____________ .
Lightweight spring coat that goes with everything...because sometimes, the right one IS the WHOLE look.
