words and photos by Meg Baertl Brown
You have seen her at art events, sports events, and all-around Beaumont. She is usually behind the camera at these events. She’s usually asking your name so she can make sure it’s spelled correctly in the next edition of the Beaumont Enterprise. She is Kim Brent. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, she is a photojournalist with the Beaumont Enterprise. However, she is more than just the chief photographer for the local paper, she writes stories and contributes to other reporters’ stories. From August to June, you can find her snapping photos of local Friday Night Lights (and Saturday). When she’s not on the sidelines, she is at home making jewelry, knitting, and letting her creativity flow.
The best piece of advice she has received pertaining to her work was passed on by a friend from school. This friend received the sage advice from his photo editor while he was interning at the Washington Post. The icon and “sadly deceased” Michael DuCille said, “don’t show me how it looks; show me how it feels.” These words have driven Kim in her photography and journalistic endeavors “whether through words in black and white or photos in some chromatic scale.” Kim states, “the emotional element that connects us all is what really makes the reader/viewer understand the story and the people that live within that story”.
The things Kim cannot live without are her family and friends (which also includes her pets), art, books, and nature. She says she draws inspiration and comfort from all of them.
Here is Kim in her own words describing her style.
What is your favorite thing about your style:
I think my favorite thing about it is that it’s whimsical. I can be all about utilitarian – give me a good flannel and a favorite pair of jeans and I’m happy all day. But then I have the quirky side – that wants to play with contrasts – grunge with a mash-up of dressy; girly sometimes, boy style at others.
It all just depends on my mood and what I have going on and what kind of “armor” is most up to the task.
And when I’m not working (where, as a photographer, skirts and dresses or cool shoes are simply not advisable as you may be climbing a highway divider to photograph an accident or slogging through a field somewhere or laying on the ground to get a different angle), chances to “dress up” are a rare bonus, so I’ll take it when I can get it. But I’ll likely never do it in the usual way.
I might have a cool dress but with distressed boots. I don’t like fitting a type 100%, or maybe I’m just wholly indecisive. Whatever the reason, I likely won’t bring one “style” to the table.
What would I wear to a dinner party?
Well, I don’t know that I’ve ever actually been to one, and I suppose it would depend on who was hosting it and what the occasion was. Regardless, I’m pretty sure the same rules as described above would apply. If it were super fancy, I’d be respectful of that, but there’d be a hidden something off-menu in there somewhere.
How has your style evolved over the years?
For anyone older like me, you may remember “Garanimals.” These were outfits that had little tags that indicated pants X went with tops Y. Giraffe meet giraffe. And there you have an outfit. That was probably me from like kindergarten through elementary school.
After that, I just wore what everyone wore – pretty normal, probably on the preppy spectrum through most of middle school and beyond.
Until mid-high school, when I got into punk rock. Then I was all about that style, as much as I could be in a private Catholic high school with its Monday-Friday uniforms and a relatively conservative family that wasn’t remotely embracing the punk style.
College brought freedom. I could wear whatever I wanted. Ripped jeans and combat boots, army fatigues with black mesh stockings and slips worn as dresses, old t-shirts and flannels and 1960’s era trench coats, thrift store finds, and when I was feeling fancy, a retro-dress circa 1940 or ‘50.
Later, I bounced into different styles. I still loved the music, and more kinds of music, but I didn’t let it totally define my style of dress as a different kind of uniform post-Catholic school.
Sometimes I was almost preppy – button downs beneath sweater vests; sometimes I was just wearing whatever current fashion. That was in my late twenties to early thirties.
I think that was when I was really coming into my own – who I was, what I was going to do.
I was searching to find who I was, and my style was in flux.
Then it evolved into a slow revolution of where I am now – like I said earlier, a look that reflects however I’m feeling that day or how I need to feel about myself heading into that day.
It’s going to embrace in some way the totality of me navigating my reality at any given moment.
Do I need to be reflective and quiet, strong and fierce, or just a “get it done” hard-ass worker? Every day is different for me, and it requires different kinds of strengths – artist, empath, dogged journalist, lover of feeling connected to people and nature.
In short, I don’t have a specific style that I wear every day. I style every day to that day.
But one thing I do enjoy playing with most (when I’m feeling it’s safe given work and weather) are accessories – jewelry, purses, but most of all shoes.
I love shoes. The clearance sales at Dillard’s are like some of my favorite days of the year when I happen upon them.
Recently, my sister and I were at the mall during her recent visit. We stopped into Dillard’s, and a clearance sale was on.
She brought me over a pair of crazy boots. “You should get these,” she joked.
“I already have them,” I told her.
Minutes later, she circled back with an even crazier pair – “You really need to have these.” She was still joking.
“I already have them,” I told her.
She was a little bit flabbergasted, and I actually felt a little bit proud. Just when she thought I’d been outdone, I was right there, the defiantly crazy shoe owner.
Because… shoes.
The more unique and different they are, the better.
You know when not just other women but random dudes at the gas station or some work site comment on your shoes, you got some cool flips flopping on the pavement!
Socofy is one of my favorite quirky brands, but also Taos for style and quality that are go-to’s on workdays, because the more functionally cool and still stylish for work, the better, as well.
Who are some of your style icons?
I don’t really have any style icons, per se. If I see something and it calls to me, I like it. If I meet someone really cool whose personality or talent I respect, then I also am drawn to something about their personal style, because if I respect them, then I respect and esteem their choices. That might account for my mash-up style at times. But there’s no right way to do style I think.
Where do you like to shop?
That being said, I can find things I like at Wal-Mart. I can find them in a thrift shop. I can find them in at Dillard’s or favorite specialty shops like Free People (note, I always found their name ironic since there is nothing remotely close to “free” about their pricing) or Anthopologie. The latter two are probably closest to my current style, when they go on clearance and I can afford to shop there.
At the end of the day, we just have to put something on before we head out the door, but sometimes it can speak for you before you get the chance to open your mouth, and other times, it can make you feel confident enough to speak those very words that will come out of your mouth.
Whatever style you embrace, it should give you confidence to let the light within outshine whatever light you put out. The real style lies in just being yourself.
