Today I’d like to introduce one of my sponsors, the lovely Jessica Niamath of The Aspen Tree. I had the pleasure of getting to know Jess through my old partner Meaghan (old day blogger pals), and she is truly such a kind and beautiful human. Jess’s style is unequivocally feminine and vintage inspired. You can mostly find her in dresses and skirts, with a nod to airy 70’s vibes, 50’s structured silhouettes, and her own twist of modern-day pieces. On top of being a blogger for several years now, she curates her own lovely vintage shop, chalk full of items I would love to get my wee hands on. Hailing from the city that never sleeps, Jess was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.

Tell us a little about yourself and style.

I live in Queens, NY and currently work for a fabric company as well as sell vintage
clothing on Etsy and write a style blog. I have a BA in fine art from Brooklyn College
and an AAS in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology. I’m
a total cat lady, but without a cat. I love eating fries and pasta and I’d much rather
stay home and watch a movie or TV than go out. I’ve always loved both history and
fashion, so that is what led me to vintage clothing.

My style has changed so much over the years, but has always been inspired by
vintage. Lately I’ve definitely been gravitating more towards comfortable clothing.
I still like to look put-together but I can’t stand being uncomfortable. Maybe I’m
getting old or something. I’ve been wearing a lot of loose, oversized, 70’s style
dresses so that I can eat more fries.

How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start?

I’ve been blogging and selling vintage off and on since 2009. I kept stopping because
of school and work, but, it’s always been something I’ve come back to and I know
it’s something that I could never totally stop doing. I started blogging after coming
across Liebemarlene (isn’t that how everyone starts blogging). I found other blogs
through that one and really fell in love with the community. I was so excited to
finally find a group of girls that shared my interests in fashion and vintage and
everyone was just amazingly welcoming and sweet.

If you could live in any era, what would it be?

I would have to say the 70’s. I love the kitschy style (I was really sad when my mom
got rid of the wood paneling in our house). I also feel like people were less uptight at
that time. Of course, I wasn’t there, but from stories I’ve heard it seems
like it was a much freer time. There are definitely some great things about the
50’s and 60’s, but I think the lack of feminism would really piss me off.

Favorite places to shop new & old in NYC?

For vintage I love Beacon’s Closet (they have new and old) in Park Slope and Monk’s
Vintage in Williamsburg. There’s also a pretty nice Goodwill in Brooklyn. Most of
the thrift shops here get really picked over. For new, Cloak & Dagger in the Lower
East Side is a little out of my price range, but it’s adorable and the new Greene
Street Consignment in Soho has a lot of nice things. I know they’re not in NYC, but
Blackbird Attic in Beacon, NY and the Mystery Spot in Phoenicia, NY are wonderful.

Favorite recent vintage find?

I recently found an amazing 60’s red wool cape at a vintage warehouse in
Philadelphia. I haven’t worn it yet, because as soon as I found time to wash it, it
became super cold out! If I wore it out now, I think I would probably die. I really
want it to get a little warmer, even just for a week, so I can wear this cape!

Favorite style Icons?

I definitely love Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung (I saw her out side of Fuse the
other day!). I also really love the style of some 60’s and 70’s musicians like Stevie
Nicks, Linda Ronstadt, and Robert Plant. I always look to them for style inspiration.

How long have you lived in NYC and how has it affected your style?

I’ve lived in NYC my entire life (except for two years when I lived in Philadelphia).
I was born and raised here and have so much pride for this city! I think that being
from NYC has really affected my style because it’s allowed me to try out so many
different styles without worrying what people thought. Fashion is always how I’ve
expressed myself. I’ve gone through goth phases, 80’s phases, hippie phases. The
great thing about NYC is that you can try all these things and at least 1,000 other
people are trying it to and no one cares and that’s wonderful.

What can you just never have enough of?

I’m totally a dress girl! I can’t even tell you how many dresses I own right now.
They’re just so easy! A whole outfit in one garment and then add a novelty print to it
and I’m sold! I also can’t get enough denim jackets. I have about 4 right now, which
is way more than any one person should have. They just go with everything, though.

Any exciting outfit picked out for the holidays?

I want to say that I’m going to wear this blue and gold dress that I just got from
Greene Street Consignment and my brown Jeffery Campbell’s, but, let’s not play, I’m
going to be in jeans and a giant sweater because I’m not leaving my house.

What have you been coveting?

I really want a pair of Swedish Hasbeens even though everyone already has them
(I’m a little late to the game). I also really want this red Orla Kiely coat that costs
about a month’s rent.

What will you be wearing 50 years from now?

I hope that I’m one of those fabulous old ladies who still wears heels and, like, a
giant leopard coat or something. Or I’ll just wear sweatpants. Most likely I’ll be

Big thank you to Jess for sharing with us!