Whether she is jet-setting between fashion capitals or raising her young daughter Dixie Pearl in her adopted hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, Victoria’s Secret Angel Lily Aldridge has model off-duty style down pat. Her uniform? It’s simpler than you think: sleek leather pants, ankle boots, and a plain white T-shirt or oversize flannel. And although she might be the most captured (and copied) model when it comes to her cool look, it wasn’t always about skinny jeans and rock n roll leather jackets. We recently caught up with Aldridge to discuss her finest throwback moments, as well the fashion missteps she s made and learned from, along the way.
I grew up in the Valley in California. I was so into playing with clothes, dressing up, being girly, but around kindergarten, I became a tomboy. In this picture with the gorilla I was a supertomboy, and really into sports. Mia Hamm probably most influenced my style when I was younger. I was a big soccer player, and I thought she was God—I loved her! In fact I wore soccer jerseys for the better part of my childhood. I was also really into the surfer vibe growing up in California too, so in middle school I got into wearing board shorts and that type of stuff.
Around that time, my mom took me to this tween store called Friends. I was trying to dress girlier because I had a crush on a boy. I bought these lime green checkered polyester pants and a matching lime green T-shirt and I thought it was so cool. I remember we had a free dress day and I got to wear it to school, and I also bought the same outfit in purple. I wish I had a picture of me in it because looking back, it was not good at all, but it is an outfit I will never forget because I loved it so much. It was kind of awesome.
When I was in high school I got into fashion: I had to wear a uniform to school, so it was all about the shoes. That is how you identified yourself when you went to a Catholic school, by your shoes! I kind of liked the Adidas shell-toe sneakers. I was into rock ’n’ roll so I would also wear Dr. Martens, and cut-off jeans with a simple T-shirt.
I’ll always have a little bit of that tomboy trait and a little bit of rock ’n’ roll in me. Growing up, I was influenced by Mick Jagger and David Bowie. I love fashion, and the older I get, the more fun I have with it. I ve realized it doesn’t matter what people think, because the important thing is to have fun.
