An Interview with Megan Baffoe
In this iteration: Princesscore, and a glimpse into the Oxford fashion scene
Hey Matryoshkas,
This week I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing writer Megan Baffoe, whose work I discovered earlier this year and have become utterly besotted with. Megan is a recent Oxford graduate with a fabulous sense of style, and her writing – both fiction and nonfiction – is suffused with the power of aesthetics.
One thing that drew me to your writing on fashion is that you’re someone who knows your own style – what you like and how you can play with it to achieve different effects. What areas of fashion are exciting you at the moment? Are there any recent trends you’ve been inspired by, or things you’ve seen that have made you go, ooh?
Bows and ribbons seem to be everywhere at the minute, which is wonderful. I’m seeing a lot of designers drawing from the 20th century silver screen, and am loving all these touches of Hollywood Glamour.
You were quite involved with fashion while studying at Oxford. In your piece for Dismantle Magazine, Princesscore, Pink Clothes and Power, you talked about the clothes you wore to your interview – what were things like for you once your studies began? Are there any experiences from the Oxford fashion scene that stood out to you in particular?
Once I was there, I wore whatever I liked! The fashion scene in Oxford was great – I spent two years on the Oxford Fashion society committee, and even walked a runway. The profits from that show went to Clean Slate and Oxfordshire Mind, and there was a lovely sense of community and solidarity between all the models.
Self-expression is quite important to Oxford as an institution, and I like to think that that extends to people’s sartorial choices as well. I met so many brilliantly dressed people there, and certainly never received any pushback for turning up in something a little more out-there or conceptual!
You also spoke in Princesscore about reclaiming the colour pink. What is your style like at the moment?
Still very pink! I’ve never felt as prepared as I did planning my outfit to watch Barbie in the cinema. I’m glad that my favourite colour is having such a moment.
I recently started working full-time, and I think that has shifted how I dress. My current wardrobe is very preppy, and perhaps a little more practical. While I was at Oxford, I think I wore heels to almost every class, but now I have a proper commute through London I’m being a lot more sensible with boots.
I also really liked what you had to say in Princesscore about the relationship between femininity and chronic illness. I touched on this somewhat in my recent post on beds in fashion and art, and you expanded on it beautifully in Tuesday, your piece for the Hennepin Review. What prompted you to write that piece, and is there more you’d like to say about it?
Tuesday was based on diary entries that I didn’t actually remember I had written. At the time, my fibromyalgia had flared up really badly, and (if it doesn’t come across through the content of the piece!) I felt very unsteady. When you’re in that much pain, it inevitably affects you mentally as well. I think I must have been writing to help myself push through, but I completely forgot about it afterwards.
Months later, I found the entries and – whilst a lot of it, as you can imagine, was either incoherent or uninterestingly maudlin – I thought there was quite a few good lines in there. So I did some editing and some patchworking, putting together a kind of portrait of what my mental state was like during that time.
Lastly – when we were discussing this interview, you mentioned to me that sustainability is important to you. What has your relationship to sustainable fashion been like, and how do you reconcile your shopping habits with the never-ending pressures of consumerism?
During my first year at uni – perhaps because it coincided with the COVID lockdown – I didn’t have the best online shopping habits. Generally I was buying clothes. I used to feel quite guilty when I received the package, because it felt like a waste of money, and also because of the ethical issues surrounding fast fashion. Deciding to only buy second-hand or from sustainable brands was a great decision for me – it’s really shifted my approach to shopping. It was difficult at first, but now I’m a lot more responsible, and feel happier for it. If I see something I like, I like to wait two weeks. If I’m still thinking about the item then, I probably actually want it.
With pressure – this is a bit trite – but the best thing is to have a very strong sense of yourself. I know what I like to wear, so I don’t worry about micro-trends or anything like that. Of course brands are always encouraging you to buy, but I think I know now that I feel much happier being more responsible – if you keep that in mind, it’s easier to resist!
You can find more of Megan’s writing on her tumblr (and I highly recommend you do, because there’s some incredible stuff on there).
Until next time,
Holly
The Doll House
