Introducing Closet Tours, an occasional look inside the wardrobes of Phoenix's most fashionable -- hooks, hangers, and all.
Effortlessly unique. Romantic with boyish twists. That's how Bunky Boutique owner Rachel Malloy describes her personal style. Casual comfort combines with asymmetrical lines, cowl necks, and soft, flowing shapes to make a wardrobe that looks at once simple and timeless. "I try to stay true to myself, and being comfortable and confident is a vital part of getting dressed," Malloy says.
When she let us into her lovely home, which we previously profiled, to poke around her enviable closet, we found a bounty of great pieces and stories to match.
It's impossible not to notice. When Malloy finds something that she loves she needs more of it. And on the double. "I want it in every style and color," she says, pointing out her favorites.
From a trio of discontinued 2010 Air Max Nikes (which she hunts for online), ten cashmere sweaters, and piles of scarves, to the tall stack of AG courduroys (her newest favorite pair is polka dotted), multiples abound. A couple pairs of wedge sandals sit atop boxes of unopened, identical ones. And there are five -- wait six? -- pairs of Toms within eyesight.
Is there anything she hasn't been able to find that she wants more of? Oh, yes. She brings over a pair of size small Ray Ban Wayfarers with square frames, a style that was available for a limited time about three years ago. Now the shades are near impossible to find.
It's not surprising to learn that Malloy's effervescent style is largely influenced by her late grandmother Bunky, the namesake of Malloy's downtown shop.
As we delve deeper into the hangers and shelves, the impact that Malloy's grandmother had on her wardrobe shines through. Malloy holds up her duo of Louis Vuitton handbags. One was a gift from her grandmother, an unabashed Louis fiend, and the other belonged to Bunky. She left Malloy the tote when she passed away last October.
Malloy lights up when showing off a '70s black sequined jacket that belonged to her grandma. It's a piece too fabulous not to imagine in a club or at a party.
But, the piece with the deepest connection, undoubtedly, is a diamond necklace spelling out Bunky, à la Carrie Brashaw's famed nameplate neckwear, that her grandmother wore daily.
"She told me to, 'Just wear it with anything and everything,' and doing so makes me feel close to her."
She's quick to note that her favorite piece of clothing is a vibrant, printed tunic that she bought with her husband, Jim, while on their honeymoon in New York.
" I wore it so much on our honeymoon that all of our pictures look like they were taken in the same day!" she says. "It is a one-of-a-kind piece that was made by a designer in a little indie boutique [called Miks] on the Lower East Side."
"I love bright colors and it's very feminine," she says. "I throw it on with denim cut-off shorts in the summer or with leggings, boots, and a scarf in the winter."
If there's anything's missing from her closet (except those elusive Ray Bans), Malloy says it's custom pieces that fit her body and style perfectly. "One of the perks of owning Bunky Boutique is having access to amazing fashionistas and designers," she says, and a few of the custom items she owns include a ballgown from Angela Johnson and a necklace that reads "shopgirl" from Ashley Weber's Against the Grain.
This stylish shopgirl's wardrobe melds Malloy's girly side with her tomboy tendencies and new trends with time-tested looks. And, as for the doubles, triples, and more, when it comes to fashion we're sure that you can never have too much of a good thing.
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