Ariel King is androgyny royalty. The pouty model is a style chameleon, altering between “high-fem vampire” looks and grungey art school student ‘fits. The key to her style? Thrifting—and not expensive boutique vintage stores in Soho, but flea markets and off-brand corner shops in Bushwick. Below, King shares some of her go-to styling tips, her dislike of influencers, and her strong attachment to boxers.
Where do you live?
AK: “I don’t really live in one place. New York, Paris, and LA are where I have lived/live now (ranked most to least).”
Where are your favorite places to shop?
AK: “I honestly don’t shop much for clothes; they just appear in my life somehow. I have found really cool shit on the street actually. I like thrift and vintage shopping best, especially outside of ‘fashion’ cities. Upstate New York has my favorite spots. Otherwise, I’d say the off-brand TJ Maxx store (called Mini Maxx) by where I live in Bushwick. It has racks on racks of Hanes briefs in bulk. RIP Fat Albert…if you’re a New Yorker, you know.”
What brands are you loving right now?
AK: “Lady Vex, Wendy Nichol, Andrea Crews, Zana Bayne, Martine Ali—they’re all incredible women!”
What are your go-to outfit essentials?
AK: “Hmmm…I suppose I like to show off my boxers, that’s kind of a signature Ariel thing. Saggy pants and not owning girl underwear. I guess my essentials are tighty-whities and little boy tanks—shout out Hanes and Fruit of the Loom.”
Tell us your style philosophy.
AK: “I’ve never really thought about it, but it would just be for everyone to dress however the fuck they want. If you’re rocking something and you feel sexy and good in it, then you’ve already mastered style. It doesn’t matter if other people do or don’t like it—what matters is you liking it. Be as simple or as eccentric as you want. Definitely don’t limit yourself to gendered sections of stores. And don’t look at Instagram. Fuck the trends, fuck the influencers selling insecurities for profit.
“My personal style: I like shirts so old they have holes and the fabric is soft and thin. I dress masculine on the day-to-day (think art-school boy who could probably use a shower). On occasions, I dress high-fem vampire. I’m into nice oversized suits, too. For someone who only wears boxers/briefs, I LOVE lingerie, specifically bondage and fetishist lingerie designers. All of my pajamas are leather.”
