How to get dressed with Anny Choi
The bridal stylist with insider-baseball fashion market knowledge on how to look put-together as she runs through a marathon work season
Anny Choi is a former market editor, who spent over six years at Vogue, before moving in-house with the handbag brand, Metier — a job switch that moved her from New York to London in 2019. While in London, she started to help a former colleague launch the styling program for her wedding inspiration website, Over the Moon. Eventually, she went off on her own (and came back to New York’s Upper West Side).
Below, a conversation on how to shop, how to get dressed and the powerful unlock you get to experience if you can find yourself through clothes when you’ve never done it before.
Look 1: What to wear on a weekend
I spend a lot of the weekend running errands or shopping for clients. Before I wanted to work in fashion, I wanted to get into theater and the way that still plays out in my life is that I’ll often go to a weekend matinee — so a look like this is perfect for all three [of the mentioned] events.
It’s an ideal weekend look because it’s not precious but you don’t look like a slob — it still reflects respect, a sense of style.
As far as the sweatpants, I do an Aritzia haul every two months, and I work from home most days, so it’s what I wear most often. I learned about how good the basics from Aritzia are during my Vogue days because I was the one in charge of pulling the styling basics for editorial shoots and [the brand] maintains such a broad range of different kinds of basics — t-shirts with different sleeve lengths, necklines, lounge pants with different waistbands, of different lengths, etc. And the price point is so good.
Lately, I love tailoring. I think how I dress has changed a lot since my magazine days (before I became a bridal stylist and creative consultant, I worked at Vogue as a market editor for six and a half years) because comfort has become so much more important to me. Before it used to be about getting the look, if I was good with the look, it didn’t matter if I was comfortable.
I can’t really dress like that anymore. [As a result,] I got rid of so many impractical clothes when I moved back [from London in 2021]. I’m 31 now and what I used to wear in my 20’s does not reflect what I can, or want to wear now. It feels a bit like I’ve been rebuilding my wardrobe over the course of the last year.
I was confused when I moved back and tried to make my old stuff work — you know, when you’re in the industry, clothes aren’t just clothes, they’re archival, historical, runway moments and you get attached! So I was holding on to a closet full of these items —
But was wearing only 2-3 outfits to every appointment I had and during that process, I realized that what I’m wearing a lot are: tailored trousers, knits, layering tees and even my bag-needs started to change.
I used to lug all my stuff in an L.L. Bean tote, but when I’m going out to meet a client, holding a polished bag feels better.
Finding the right bag was a big process. I got back into the market editor head, tried a few different bags but was finding that I’d just revert back to the L.L. Bean tote, mostly because it's not precious (the more worn-in it gets, the better it looks. It fits my laptop perfectly, has sturdy straps that hold my laptop and the full Nalgene water bottle that I'm always lugging around, especially when I'm in back-to-back appointments. It also fits over the shoulder.
But then I found this Celine bag on The Real Real and it’s the closest I’ve come to the Michelin.
Reason being that for me, “navy is the new black,” so this color really goes with everything. There are three compartments, which keep my things organized. It doesn't feel TOO precious (because it was a TRR find: sometimes its better to get your designer things used, they’re already broken in for you). Similar to the L.L. Bean, the sturdy straps can carry all the weight, and it has a zipper top which is an added bonus, especially when I'm flying.
It took like 6 months to find — I wasn’t looking for it specifically when it showed up, but that is always how I end up with the best stuff from TRR.
The biggest thing with my career transition from editor to stylist is that in editorial, you kind of dress to be part of the editorial, you’re in center-of-attention clothes. When it’s your job to tend to your clients — when I’m going out on bridal appointments, I’m much more in service.
So I want to look polished, but not dramatic. I’d probably describe my style now as leaning more minimal with a touch of unexpected fun?
Look 2: What I wear to work
When I’m getting dressed to meet a client, I’m thinking to myself: I have to look professional, stylish but not too stylish. You know, your clients are trusting you to put together their wardrobes. You neither want to overbear the room nor completely fade into it.
Often, brides come to me with their wedding dresses set and then I will help with the events leading up. Usually when they seek me out, they are looking for something untraditional. Many will ask for vintage, which is awesome.
Some of the brands I like working with most include Patricia Voto’s One/of. Everything she creates is one of a kind and made to order using these gorgeous dead stock luxury fabrics, so the process is really creative and not at all traditional. We design the pieces together. Then I love Danielle Frankel too.
The other one is Lein — she used to do PR at Chanel and just relaunched this brand. It’s all very ready-to-wear-to-the-courthouse or a more intimate ceremony and this is a category that I do feel is missing at market. She elevates the setting she designs for without going full spring floral if you know what I mean.
This is definitely one of my busiest seasons — leading up to May is always a rush, and then leading up to September is really crazy.
The best part of the job, navigating the insecurity of taking a style risk and advice to clients
What do I love most about my job? I love meeting new people and connecting with them and seeing them feel good at the end of our time together. I loved working in magazines — it helped shaped me and my personal style so much but towards the end of it, looking back, I think I felt tired because you put so much of yourself into a shoot and then right away, it’s onto the next. There’s no recognition or gratitude, or moment of reflection.
You’re not really changing anyone’s lives, at least not in an apparent, and close way. It’s nice to be part of this seminal moment in a person’s life.
And there’s such a vulnerability about it too — when you’re not working with runway figures, the psychological journey of getting a client to feel absolutely amazing is more complicated. We’re really working through body image stuff: what you want to hide, what you want to highlight.
When a client comes to me and says, “I’d have never thought to put this together and I’ve never felt this beautiful,” is when I feel most like what I’m doing is worth it. That I’m on the right path.
One thing I’ve definitely been surprised by is the fact that a lot of people think that in order to hide whatever their insecurity may be, they should put more clothes on that part when actually, it’s not necessarily the best way to highlight their figure.
“You have to try on so much stuff! More than you think is enough.”
The other thing is that when someone doesn’t work in the industry, they are less likely to experiment with new styles or tends or just different kinds of clothes, so they get stuck in these ruts and being on that journey with clients — you know, some people have never worn black tie in their lives before their weddings, so it’s been so rewarding to see them after the wedding want to try even more new things. I think this is the jolt of confidence you get from successful experimentation.
I tell all my clients: it’s trial and error — you have to try on so much stuff! More than you think is enough. I have everyone make a mood board of how they want to look and I find that 99% of the time, it goes right out the door once we’re actually trying clothes on. People can get stuck in the prevailing trends of a moment but style is so much about figuring out the crossover between your body and taste.
Look 3: What to wear out with girlfriends
This is more of an example of what I would wear to a fashion event or dinner — it’s an example of when your outfit does become the center of attention. It’s nice to wear something like this in a setting where “game sees game” and you know that the people around you will appreciate what you’re wearing. At these events is when you can push the envelope a little. I probably wouldn’t wear it to go meet non-fashion friends.
I don’t really shop full price — I mostly shop from The Real Real, and then when it’s a good designer piece, like a runway piece I feel really attached to, that could be from eBay or Vestiaire. I shop Yoox a lot too. What I’m wearing now, I found from Re See.
The fur cuff is Celine (from The Real Real). I’m not really a jewelry person, but I gravitate towards these sort of weird objects. I encountered it when I was looking for something for a client — that’s usually when I get the best stuff.
My strategy goes like this: I have all my favorite brands are saved in my saved search and I look at it every morning when I wake up and it’s what I do before I fall asleep.
Now I’m in the habit of selling everything on there and when you opt for earning credit instead of money, you get a bit more back so in my head, all of this stuff is free!
My saved brands are:
The Row
And 2013 to 2017 are the seasons I still gravitate towards, so I’m always for pieces from those years.
And then I’ll search vintage sometimes and just see what comes up — I look for a lot of things for my clients on there too so in my head, I’m like, Ok, I’m working but during this process is usually when I find the best stuff for myself.
I guess I steer away from buying the latest anything because I don’t want to look like a parody of the current moment. My personal style is much more laid back, which is ironic to say given that I’m currently dressed in full runway, but this is for a very specific setting.
The only things I will buy full-price are everyday sweaters or the Aritzia-type stuff we were talking about earlier. Or Attersee! Those are great pieces. Then any surrounding fun piece is probably from TRR.
Look 4: My bedroom-chair look (the outfit that’s been in top rotation)
I have been really inspired by Prada — not necessarily the runway, but her, and her style. Her finale looks have always been so iconic and I think this outfit is inspired by what she wore to take her bow for Fall 2022? I don’t remember the collection but I remember screenshotting her outfit.
This is the result of that. And since she showed those sporty white skirts at Miu Miu, I’ve been drawn to white pleats.
It’s funny because whenever people ask who I’m inspired by, it’s never really a celebrity or even a person but actually these micro moments that are so easy to miss but where I feel the most magic is found.
Example: my pilates teacher was wearing a v-neck sweater with a white crew underneath a little while ago and I thought she looked so great, then found this one, which is perfect. I don’t even really wear v-necks but this has become my most worn sweater now.
Navy, in general, has become such a good base color for me. I’m not wearing as much black lately. Will do this with white jeans for a more casual look — it’s my spring uniform about to happen.
As far as shoes, I do look harder to get them right. Often I have the outfit ready but need a shoe. I came across these when I was looking for something to pair with an Old Celine dress I was borrowing from a friend for a wedding a little while ago.
I wanted something gold to emulate how the dress was styled on the runway and saw these on The Real Real and now they’re the shoe I wear the most beyond everyday flats. Great height, they go with everything, and they were under $150. Just perfect. As told to Leandra Medine on April 1, 2024 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.