Creator of the perfect striped shirt, KULE founder Nikki Kule knows how to elevate the everyday—from curating a closet to finding “that one unique piece that can make a room.” Nikki shares her tips for building a closet and filling a home with things you love. Her advice? Look for things that stand the test of time, like her Chairish favorites.
SHOP NIKKI KULE’S CHAIRISH FAVORITES >>>
How would you describe your personal approach to style?
Part of the joy of getting dressed is mixing different styles and brands. Therefore, I don’t wear my own brand exclusively. KULE sells a lot of basics that I wear all the time and love mixing with my designer pieces. Comfort plays a key role in my style. Nothing is more uncomfortable than being in an outfit that doesn’t feel like yourself. It can really alter your mood. And the same goes for when you’re wearing a really good outfit. I always approach dressing—even formal—with a casual element, whether a tee shirt, button-down, or sandal. I have to have a classic piece to anchor a look. It’s even better if it’s reinvented in a modern way, such as oversized, shrunken, or in an unconventional material. I live in New York and am a coats and pants girl. Pants are what I love to start with and build my look from there. I love masculine pieces and mixing them with the unexpected.
I have built a wardrobe for over 30 years of items I love. When I was younger, I was much more experimental with proportions until I found the look that suited me best. When I fall in love with a piece, I wear it repeatedly and find myself searching for a newer version, which is why I have many blazers, trench coats, trousers, and button-downs in my closet. The main thing is that these are the pieces I feel most comfortable in and are the foundation of my wardrobe. My wardrobe has evolved as fashion has evolved. There will always be a new style trench or blazer, etc. I now wear my old with my new.
Do you collect vintage (fashion, jewelry, or home decor) and what do you look for?
I tend to be much more interested in vintage home decor. It’s my second passion. I particularly love Scandinavian and Mid-Century design. One of the things I love doing when I travel is searching for interesting pieces for my home. My husband and I have similar design styles, so we spend a lot of time looking and searching when traveling and sometimes even spend weekends together looking at furniture online on Chairish. It’s a fun activity for us to do together.
I specifically love chairs, and if it were up to me, I’d have an entire home full of chairs because I am that chair-obsessed. I love finding that one unique piece that can make a room, and Chairish always has that one-of-a-kind unique piece that you can’t find anywhere else and that gives your home a real individual style.
What’s the best way to build a closet and/or accessory collection that reflects one’s personal style?
The number one way to build a closet is with time. Building a great personal collection takes years of searching, traveling, and finding the things you love. You start accumulating a beautiful, edited, curated version of your own “little shop” in your closet. Your collection will reflect your taste changes over the years but continue to be true to you and resonate with your style.
Lead Image: Nikki Kule, Photography by Mei Tao.