words and photos by Meg Baertl Brown
Have you met Melissa?
This issue’s Style Files, we want to introduce you to Melissa DeGarmo. Melissa hails from Lubbock but has lived in Nederland her whole life. For her 8-5, she works at Eastham Forge, a company that has been forging industrial material for over 100 years…think blacksmithing on larger & more advanced scale. In her spare time, Melissa makes resin, polymer clay and steampunk jewelry, which is called Spare Time Jewelry. When she’s not creating, she spends time with my family during the week and her husband and she hit all the local weekend events. She states, “There’s always so much to do in this area.” A quote that she tries to live by is by Maya Angelou, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” – Maya Angelou.
A Southeast Texas hidden gem she recommends is called Seven Oaks Event Garden located in LaBelle (Beaumont address). The owner Courtney Revia has done an amazing job creating a beautifully quaint listening room for incredibly talented musicians from all over the area. She states, “you most definitely will not be disappointed.”
1) What is your style mantra?
“Just own it! No matter what you wear, confidence is the key.”
2) How was your style developed since you were a child?
“Fashion was pretty much non-existent growing up. I was very insecure and introverted, so I had no desire to draw any attention to myself by dressing outside the norm. I was a teenager in the 90s so that gives you an idea of how I dressed. Who remembers Gadzooks?!”
3) Who are some of your style icons?
“As a teenager I always idolized the way Gwen Stefani, Madonna, and Joan Jett dressed, but I never had the confidence to even try. As an adult, I have to give the biggest shout out to (Marjorie) Grace Mathis our Southeast Texas style icon. I was just getting my feet wet in the fashion world when I met her and she was exuding confidence in all her crazy unique outfits, and I wanted to be like that.”
4) What is your favorite thing about your personal style?
“I love to take two different styles and mix them together. It’s fun to take a super fancy dress and then throw on a pair of combat boots or put on a sleek blazer, then wear some tattered shorts and fishnets.”
5) Where do you like to shop?
“I used to frequently shop at goodwill, 2nd hand stores, estate sales, etc. but past few years I can’t seem to find the variety of unique finds that suit me especially in my size. Now, I mostly shop online for brands like Belle Poque, Unique Vintage, Dolls Kill, Hellbunny, etc.”