Discovering your unique personal style is a journey of self-expression and confidence. Join us for a delightful conversation with Shayla Binns, an alumna of Clark Atlanta University and the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the creative force behind Six Degrees of Style, as she shares her two decades of experience in fashion and merchandising to help you curate a wardrobe that truly reflects who you are, blending designer pieces with vintage finds, and navigating fashion trends as we age. Learn how to cultivate a distinct aesthetic that empowers you, and gain insights on building a timeless collection that evolves with you through every stage of life.
Music courtesy of Dealer’s Choice Sound Recordings, Inc.
Music artist: djezi
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From Cowboy Boots To Couture: Elevating Your Personal Style With Shayla Binns
A Stylist On Personal Style, Creativity, And Fashion Freedom
We are talking to Shayla Binns of Six Degrees of Style. Shayla is an alumnus of Clark Atlanta University, as well as the Fashion Institute of Technology. She has over twenty years of experience in fashion and merchandising. Her venture is Six Degrees of Style, where she is able to style you and help you develop your own personal style. Before we get into our conversation with Shayla Binns, Angela, how has your style evolved over the years?
I was reflecting on this. In some ways, I have always been the same. I love fashion, I love colors. I do tend to go with what feels right at the moment, not necessarily a trend per se. When I first had recollections of my style, it was in high school. I came from a private school where I wore a uniform, like you, until the eighth grade. There wasn’t a whole lot of style going on before then.
I went to high school. It was a very small private school. It was a class of 60 to 900 students. In some ways, you want to conform, but also, there are ways that you want to stand out. I don’t think of it as standing out. I like to dress. I got that from my mom and my grandmother. I had mentioned before that my grandmother was a domestic, but when she dressed, she had all this jewelry. I loved going through her jewelry box. She always had hats going to church. That was an inspiration.
Did she wear gloves?
Yeah. All the things. She looked so good. My mom still tells this story about how my grandmother worked as a domestic. She got a good job north of South Carolina in Pennsylvania. My great-grandmother raised my mom. My grandmother would always send clothes home because she was a clothes horse.
My mom said, “My grandmother used to tell my mom, “Stop sending this child all these clothes,” but fashion was in her, and that trickled down. My mom was a teacher. You know back in the day, and even until the day she retired, teachers dressed. It’s different than now. They dressed well and respectably, but she had this sense of fashion. It trickled down to me. I had this sense of fashion. Iremember liking hats. I’ve always loved hats.
You look great in the hat.
Thank you. I love hats. My style has evolved in the sense that I have a little bit more money to spend on clothes, but I have some staples. Suits are my go-tos in terms of professional look and that kind of thing. I like a tailored look. I love colors. I like the fact that Shayla mentioned wearing what looks good on you, not necessarily the trend. That has been my motto. How about you? You are the fashionista in this little group here. How has your fashion sense evolved?
Thank you. It has been great being much more comfortable in my own skin and understanding that I do have curves, and you can accentuate them in particular ways. There are things that are more flattering on my body type as opposed to some other things. I have fully embraced color. In our conversation with Shayla, I’m in a dress period. In the hospital, I wore a pair of pants, a suit, a top, and my lab coat. Now, I will put on a dress for any occasion, whether it’s casual or formal, because I’m in that space or in that season.
I love dresses. I’ll be honest. My suits come from the fact that I’m so cold-natured.
Understandable.
The idea of wearing a short-sleeved dress and then my ankles will be cold, I can never do that. Maybe with the summertime coming up, I can get some dresses. Honestly, my suits come more from a practical standpoint of comfort. You’ve got some lovely dresses, and I do love a nice tailored dress.
In our conversation with Shayla, she talked about how style is deeply personal. If you want to keep your ankles covered, please keep your ankles covered. Fashion is fun. How we use it is a reflection of who we are as individuals. We have a wonderful conversation with Shayla Binns of Six Degrees of Style.
Angela, I am so excited. You have no idea.
I do.
We are talking about all things fashion. We have Shayla Binns. Shayla, welcome to the show.
Thank you. I’m happy to be here. I’m looking forward to talking about fashion.
Fashion’s Early Spark: A Child’s Introduction To Style
I’m going to give our audience the backstory on how we came to have this conversation. For the Met Gala, the theme this year in 2025 was super fine tailoring Black style, a celebration of Black dandyism, and the importance of clothing, style, and the formation of Black identities. Before the Met Gala, you and Lavonne posted this spectacular fashion journey on Instagram. I saw it.
The next time I saw both you and Lavonne, I was like, “That was fire.” The kids say, “It was hitting.” It was fantastic. I love fashion and style. On our girls’ trips, Angela, I, and the girls always go shopping. We wanted to have you on, so welcome to the show. Can you please share with us what first drew you into fashion?
It has been one of these subconscious things that I felt like I’ve always been a very aesthetically driven person. As a child, I had 2 wonderful grandmothers, but 1 that was a major influence on my personal style, Ms. Catherine W. Binns. I’m originally from Atlanta. One of the highlights as a kid for me was going to the Ebony Fashion Fair.
That’s so elegant.
Do you guys remember that?
Yes.
Yes.
I was a wee little thing. I would get dressed up in my best taffeta. I was looking forward to shopping. It was sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta back in the day. My grandmother is an AKA. We are AKAs. Her friend was the chair of the committee. It was a big to-do. She always had her best friend there right by her side. I thought they were so fabulous. They shaped my overall idea of high fashion. I’m not sure if the audience is familiar with the Fashion Fair and Ebony Magazine. The impetus was Ms. Eunice Johnson, who was one of the classiest people that I can remember.
Fast forward, I learned later on that my mom was also courted by my grandmother for my dad to attend with her as well, sometimes back in the day before my parents were even married. She fell in love with Shayla as well, and also with her name. I got what you call an ushering into this world inadvertently. I loved every minute of it. I was always a unique person. I felt like I tried to be different. I wasn’t always trend-driven, but I loved the idea of curating and creating my own personal style. I did that in every aspect and every facet of every stage of my life. That’s the long and short of it.
I love the story, all of it. It brings back memories, the Ebony Fashion Fair and all of that. I never got to go, but you looked at all the fashion in Ebony Magazine. Eunice Johnson is an icon in that industry. It sounds like you were immersed because of your grandmother. I have a grandmother who is very similar. She was a domestic all her life, but when she was dressed to go somewhere, she was dressed.
I was inspired by our topic, by you, Lavonne, and by watching your videos. Sylvia told me, “Go in the closet and get inspired.” At any rate, you get inspired by so many things in life. In similar ways, like you, I wasn’t necessarily trendy in high school only because I couldn’t afford to be, but I do remember doing things differently because I liked it. I remember that then. Sometimes, you get away from that. I was inspired by watching you.
I appreciate that.
I want you to tell our audience. How do you think you can use fashion to tell a story? Is that part of what you do?
Fashion is deeply personal. A style is deeply personal. How you want to show up in this world and how you present yourself in this world is a very personal experience and process, whatever your story may be. On different days, our story changes. Some days, we might feel more confident. Maybe we want to exude confidence, or we might feel like we want to be comfortable.
My approach to fashion or style, at least on a daily basis, is about how I’m feeling and my personal experience with it that day, unless it’s a themed event where you show up with your tie. Unless it’s something like that, how you show up in the world says a lot about yourself, and your story can change by the day. I don’t like to be a slave to fashion. I do like to be able to go with the ebbs and flows and still feel comfortable along the way. That’s important for me.
Fashion As Art: Understanding Couture And Creative Expression
I like the idea of being comfortable and fashion being able to change day by day. My mother, whom I think my fashion sense comes a lot from, was a big proponent of being appropriately dressed. If you’re going to the theater, you want to have on the appropriate attire. Wherever I show up, my fashion sense has evolved as I’ve gotten older and as my body has changed. Hopefully, we’ll get into that a little bit later.
When I think about fashion, I’m in the season of fun and of dresses. I want a well-fitting dress. Could you tell us about fashion as art? We opened up by talking about the Met Gala. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an art museum. Fashion, so often, is used to tell a story. How can we think about fashion from the perspective of personal art for each individual human being?
Depending upon who you ask, this question is interesting to me. I want to say I take my personal style seriously, but I don’t take fashion seriously. I think it should be fun, but don’t get it twisted. I studied fashion, and I am very attuned to what it takes to construct a garment, even if we go as high as couture, which can be a creative and artistic process. You see those in the couture shows in Paris or what have you. The time. The effort.
Can you explain what Couture is for our audience?
Okay. It is a very time-intensive and painstaking idea of what it takes to construct a garment. Couture is extremely high fashion. You’re dealing with ateliers, most often, in Paris.
When you say atelier, what is that?
You are dealing with Dior. You are dealing with fashion houses.
Gucci.
There are only certain people who do couture. I can’t name it all at the top of my head, but these people are what you would call architects, true seamstresses, and true tailors. They understand fit. They understand art. You have these people who are creative directors of these fashion houses. If they’re doing a couture collection, they’re working on it the entire year. It’s the stitching. It’s the finishing. It’s the fabrication. It’s the silhouette. It’s all the things. They are telling the story.
That’s who the majority of us and the majority of fast fashion draw inspiration from. When they pull from the runways, a lot of times, your Zaras, H&Ms, and your fast fashion are pulling directly from them to produce it quickly and be on trend with whatever they set. A lot of those trends follow suit in other industries, especially in home and interiors. It’ll even go as far as the color selection.
There is a color every year, right?
It’s the color of the year. You’ll see that woven even in automotive. It’s throughout a lot of different industries.
What is our color?
I’m drawing a blank.
I don’t know.
I’m drawing a blank. The color that you have on was the color of the year a couple of years ago.
I go with what looks good on my skin.
It doesn’t matter. We’ll get it. That’s a whole other point. That would be your most artistic and creative form of fashion expression from a commercial perspective. Who’s to say we don’t have these people in our own community, even the lady who might be able to tailor your wedding gown?
That’s a skillset.
That’s a skill that people take for granted. As it relates to personal style, I feel like how we put our items together is where the art can come, and that is your expression. I am always a big proponent of people doing what makes them feel comfortable. How you show up is your artistic and creative freedom and expression. I have some friends who will go to the store and buy off the mannequin.
That’s so sad.
Wait a minute. I took it for granted for the longest. I was like, “It’s just clothes.” This has been a deeply personal experience and evolution for me because sometimes, I did not see my creativity as important.
Six Degrees Of Style: The Business Of Personal Fashion
It’s a skill. It’s a talent. It’s a business. I’m going to segue us into Six Degrees of Style, which is your styling company, correct?
Yes. That is my new baby, my boss leap, and my leap of faith. I’m doing all the leaps with this.
I love it.
Believe it or not, I have always enjoyed styling and wanted to do styling. It has probably been decades. I didn’t fall into it. I was intentional with it. I went the traditional route. I went to school.
Fashion Institute.
I started in communications. I went to Clark Atlanta in Mass Media Arts, and my emphasis is in public relations. I graduated with a degree in communications. I decided in my senior year, “I don’t want to do this. I am not interested in writing press releases all day.” I felt this burning desire, believe it or not, to design cowboy boots. What are you going to say, Angela?
I said, “Wow.” I’m loving every part of what you’re saying, including the cowboy boots, because I love them.
I wanted to learn how to design shoes. I’m a shoe person. I’m a shoe girl. I’m an accessory girl. At the time, I was like, “You are about to finish your degree. You can’t switch, so we are going to have to figure out something else.” I had no theoretical knowledge of fashion. Everything was me and my experience as it related to my own personal life. I had graduated. I was working. I got an internship. I was working with HBO at the time. It was a huge thing. I didn’t even watch television like that, but it was an opportunity. Sex and the City was on HBO.
I was going to ask that.
It was the heyday. I had the best time. I met some of my best friends. The fortunate thing I had with them was that they were doing tuition reimbursement. I was working here in Atlanta. I upped and moved to New York, worked with them during the day, and went to FIT at night.
Fashion Institute of Technology.
I said, “I need to try to get some understanding and a little bit more formal education,” because that’s what we are always taught we need to do.
You have good Black parents.
I did it. While I was working full-time, I was going to school at night. I started playing around with another certificate program they had, which was styling. At that time, styling was more centered around, if you were working in a magazine and had a fashion magazine, or with celebrities. I liked the fashion part of it and the magazine part, but I didn’t want to work with celebrities.
That’s a skillset. That’s ego management.
It’s a lot.
There are ways to dress things up without always being in heels. Share on XIt’s a different thing.
Coming from HBO and having friends who work with talent and deal with talent, I was like, “No. I love people. I love women. I like working with women who are out in the world. There are no pretenses. I want to do that.” I finished the degree, did all of that, and never did anything with it in terms of my styling. I went on and kept going the corporate route until I finally came to the point where I had a lot of tragedy. I lost my father first, and then my grandmother in 2022. It was back-to-back during COVID.That’s how I stumbled into Queenies after a year of grieving and saying, “I need something to do. I need to go after this in a way, Life is too short.”
Being there has been such a blessing and such an eye-opening experience. It grounded me in, “This is what you love. Don’t walk away from it.” I’ve worked at different companies, and I’ve had different experiences. I had grown tired of it in a way from a corporate perspective, but I said, “You never had the opportunity to do what you wanted to do.” That was the styling. Fast forward, here we are. I said, “Vicki, this is what I want to do. How do you like it?” She loved the idea.
Vicky is the owner of?
Vicky is the owner of Queenies Consignment, where I met Ms. Sylvia.
You may want to qualify. Knowing Sylvia, this is a high-end vintage store.
It is the best consignment shop in Atlanta. I’m biased. If you love labels, designer, vintage, and contemporary clothing, and all the things meshed into one cute little store, you can’t go wrong. I love it. The women are fabulous. It’s how I met Lavonne. We all have such a good time. It was like, “Once I got anchored in the space being there with her, I pitched the idea to her about doing it for Queenies.
She loved it, and then she said, “Share it with the rest of the staff, anybody else who might be interested.” I went ahead and shared it, and then I said, “In case you didn’t know, Vicky, I’m going to go full steam ahead.” Six Degrees of Style, which has already been teetering in the background, was born. I’m trying to style all of Atlanta and all of you wonderful and stylish women.
Wardrobe Staples: Essential Foundation Pieces
That’s a perfect segue into you telling us how you approach mixing designer pieces with vintage or everyday finds. I personally love everything about what you’re doing. Number one, styling, and walking in your purpose, which, it sounds like, all along it’s been. I do like sustainability. I like the idea of being able to walk into a place and purchase something that someone has not thrown away, and it’s not going into a landfill. Buying vintage and then maybe mixing it. I was watching your videos. They’re awesome, honestly. How do you approach mixing what we call the high and low?
Honestly, for me, it’s not that strategic. It’s more about balance. Everything in my closet serves a different purpose, but I’ve taken time to curate a wardrobe, whether it is vintage, contemporary, designer, or a combination of the two, it’s either form or function. This is a plain dress. It’s a linen dress from Uniqlo, but I said, “This will be boring on camera if I show up with that, so let me add my grandmother’s brooch,” which is vintage. It’s not a designer piece.
I don’t like to look like I’m walking out of an era. I don’t like it to be like, “She’s giving ‘70s. She’s giving ‘80s.” This is my personal opinion. I like things to complement. I don’t like for you to be able to look at me and tell what is vintage and what is not. I’m more about quality. That’s across the board, even with fast fashion. They do produce some quality things every now and again. Honestly, my approach with styling and with working with women a lot of times is whether you have certain foundation pieces in your wardrobe.
Tell us what those foundation pieces are, like a black dress, a good pair of pumps, or a nice suit. The hidden thing is the foundations. Do you have the appropriate undergarments, or is your bra spitting? It’s those things. Tell us maybe three things that every woman, irrespective of age, should have in her closet.
A white, crisp shirt, a little black dress for whatever occasion, and a comfortable pair of black shoes. We’ve heard a lot of these. With these shoes, I’m not necessarily saying heels. I’m not necessarily saying flats. It’s whatever is comfortable for you in case you need to throw them on with that.
The doctor says, “You need a little heel. You need a one-inch heel or a little square block. Some of these are 3 or 4 inches.” Don’t you think every woman needs a little heel?
A little heel or elevation.
I like that word. Elevation.
Heels were designed by men. I don’t know if you knew that.
There are some women shoe designers.
She’s going way back, Sylvia.
Initially, men designed heels.
You are right.
I’ve learned a lot about foot health, in addition. I’ve had plantar fasciitis. I’ve had torn tendons. I’ve had surgery. I’ve had all the things. I do a little heel, and I love cowboy boots. My heel, a lot of times, might be a cowboy boot. They say women dress for each other. Have you ever heard that?
Yes.
Yes.
A lot of times, if you are a heel girl, then let it be heels. Those three items, if you have a black shoe, and not a tennis shoe necessarily, that you can wear with those jeans and white shirt or that little black dress, it will work either way. There are ways to dress things up without always being in heels.
You can wear it to the wedding. You can wear it to the funeral. You can wear it to the interview.
You can do all the things. That’s one of those things I take for granted. Who doesn’t know that you need a black dress? You’d be surprised. We have so many people who come into the shop, and the foundation is not there. I used to be a person who shopped where, if I liked it, I would buy it. I don’t care. I get home, and this is especially when I was younger, and would be like, “I got this silver sequin bow tie and palazzo printed pants, but I don’t have a black shirt.”
Are you of the mindset or a practice of, “If I haven’t worn it in a year or two years, then I need to say thank you and let it go.”
I want to be that person.
Why?
Why do I want to be it?
No, I’m sorry. I’m interjecting. I don’t want to be that person because there are some things in my closet that need an occasion. I have all my foundations.
It’ll find you.
What if you keep buying for the occasion, and then you can’t fit anything in your closet?
My closet is finite. There are some things that I’m like, “Eh.” Shayla, you’re the guru here. Am I supposed to be removing things if I haven’t worn them? Can you give me two years? Give me two years.
Let me tell you something. With the big P I’m in, the big Peri, I have my skinny wardrobe that I refuse to get rid of. I have what I’m wearing. When I say skinny, it’s 20 or 30 pounds ago. It seemed like yesterday, it came on. Ushering in these life changes and these body changes is one of those things that I’ve had to navigate in my own closet.
Ageless Style: Adapting Your Wardrobe Through Life Changes
Along that line, tell us how our fashion or our closets evolve as we age. You mentioned you’re in perimenopause. Angela and I are in menopause. How should our closets change?
Do you remember earlier when I said it is deeply personal, and you want to evolve? Fashion is fluid to me. I started reading this good book because I started trying to design my home like I do my closet, and that didn’t work. I was like, “This isn’t working.” I read this book about slow style. It’s this whole concept of being slow, like the slow markets and the slow everything.
The slow food movement.
Slowing down and enjoying the process.
I like that.
You want to put on the dress and be done. You don’t want to deal with all of the tops and the separates. If that is where we are, then that is what we do. That’s what makes you show up, and that’s what makes you feel comfortable getting dressed. I feel like the biggest thing that you need to focus on is what makes you comfortable. You do need to make sure they fit well.
You hit the nail on the head earlier about things fitting and having the proper undergarments. As you age and evolve, that is something that you will probably have even more experience with.
I keep my seamstress on speed dial because it’s very rare you are going to walk into a store and find items that you could pick off the rack. Some people are blessed like that. This is why I was so excited about the Met Gala, because I do like a nice tailored look. When I say tailored, I don’t mean suited and booted. I mean that you are wearing something that is flattering, whether it’s a dress or a separate. It works well for you and your body type.
As women go through life changes and body changes, the biggest thing that you will do with your wardrobe is to make sure your clothes fit. I don’t like to see ill-fitting anything. Although I am 47, I like to work with younger people as well. I don’t feel like they embrace any trend. The young people are all over the place with it, but we do agree that you don’t wear pajamas outside.
Apparently not. I saw them at the airport along with house shoes.
It’s the shoes that, to us, look like house shoes, but to certain people, they don’t function as house shoes, and you can wear them outside.
I do have a question, though. I have seen at meetings and business talks during the day that women in their 30s are wearing what I would classify as clear-heeled shoes. When I grew up, a clear-heeled shoe was perhaps for a lady of the evening, but more importantly, it was an evening, “I’m going to a club.” I mean a club.
I thought you were going to say on the pole.
I’m trying not to offend anyone, but it’s twice that I have seen clear-heeled and clear-toe shoes A) In the daytime, and B) In a business environment. Help me understand that.
Before you answer, Shayla, with the clear toe, you got me with that one, but the clear heel, isn’t that you don’t wear white after a certain day in the fall? Those rules, haven’t they gone away?
I know what you’re talking about with the original clear shoes, but I never heard that that was necessarily associated with just that. Manolo has some fabulous shoes that are clear or PVC. For me, I can’t do it because my feet sweat, and I don’t like the plastic shoes.
That’s a good point.
Remember, I studied shoe design, so I like to have more stacked heels. Not that I don’t own the plastic heel that you glue on, but it depends for me. I don’t subscribe to any rules when it comes to fashion. I do what looks good. As a matter of fact, we had some little kitten clear heels in the shop. I said, “These aren’t that bad.”
If you have that one outfit where you’re like, “My shoes would take away from what I’m wearing. I want to have shoes on my feet, but they don’t need to be the focal point,” you can wear a nice little clear shoe. I’ve worn clear shoes at weddings. That was what the bride picked. It depends on the circumstances. I’m very visual. I don’t believe in not wearing white after Labor Day. I love white. I love black. I’m a black and white together combo type girl. It depends on what looks good. Honestly, I’m all driven by aesthetics. That’s 100% me.
I’m hearing that perhaps I should open my mind and not be distracted by the clear heel in a work environment.
Don’t be too rigid.
You’re right.
No matter what your socioeconomic background is, what your upbringing is, where you went to school, and so on and so forth, style is style. Share on XIt’s fun. Remember? Does she look nice?
She did. I felt like my mother. We’re having this conversation. It’s a little bit of therapy for me. I could hear my mother saying, “That young lady has clear shoes on. Why does she have on clear shoes?” I’m giving that horrible auntie that you don’t want to be.
I’m going to add to what you’re saying, Sylvia, because this is a conversation that I’ve had with my girls. Know your audience. If you are walking into an audience of people of the generation that grew up like we did, then whether you like it or not, if this is something that you’re going for a job interview, you may be perceived a certain way if you are in a red suit for your interview when that person grew up knowing that you’re supposed to wear black and blue or a darker color. Know what the situation is. I personally am more of a non-rule person.
Can I chime in on what you said? I remember growing up thinking of the dark suit and all of the things when you go for the interview. Even when trying to go for a fashion interview, I used to struggle with that. I’m showing up and I’m like, “These kids look young.” It’s like you are telling on yourself. Sometimes, when you grow up a certain way, you don’t necessarily understand that you don’t know what people’s backgrounds are. Maybe we were fortunate enough to have women who instilled certain things in us about how you show up, especially pulling from those times back when people dressed a little differently.
You can’t assume that people always have the same standing. Maybe that was the best they could do. A clear shoe is probably the least I would think of if she’s dressed well. I have to catch myself sometimes. One thing that I do love about fashion is that it’s a connector. No matter what your socioeconomic background is, what your upbringing is, where you went to school, and so on and so forth, style is style. That’s one thing that I love about it. I know people who can wear Givenchy and all the labels and still look mediocre at best. I tend to look at the overall aesthetic of how somebody presents themselves.
I want to pull a thread out because what we are dancing around is the Black respectability. You had to show up dressed a particular way so that perhaps you would better fit in or be more accepted by whatever the masses are. I am hopeful that at this point in 2025, that is not such a big box that we have to be in, and that we can, in fact, show our talents, our skills, and those things, and they speak louder than, “I have a dark suit on.”
I agree.
I agree.
I’m imagining a wonderful closet of all types of clothing. Do you have a favorite article of clothing or a couple of pieces?
I do not have a favorite. I thought about that. I was thinking about that question long and hard. I do not have a favorite color either. People always ask about their favorite color. I’m like, “Black. All things black.”
Black is beautiful.
Especially this season. I try to pull away from it as best I can, but I feel like it does what it needs to do. It’s slimming. It’s going to be on one aspect of my body. It is going to be a shoe, a top, or an undershirt. It is going to be something. It’s always so chic. You can elevate it and make it casual. I will say that an article of clothing that I will always keep is a button-down.
I have a button-down dress. I have button-down shirts in every color. I have multiple ones in white. I have multiple ones in black, whether they’re short sleeves, long sleeves, tunic style, and all the things. I like men’s wear. I like androgynous fashion. I don’t tend to dress for what people say is the male gaze. I am probably not as ultra-feminine and flirty. I like chic, edgy, architectural design. I love things that are unique and well-designed.
Met Gala & Men’s Wear: Shayla’s Fashion Perspectives
Two questions come to mind. First, what was the last article of clothing that you purchased? Secondly, of all of the looks at the Met Gala, and I know this is a big question, did you have some favorites?
I’ll start with the last question first. Thom Browne’s looks knocked it out of the park for me. The people who did the Met Gala this 2025 very well were people who had the basis of their line or their business in men’s wear and suiting. Thom Browne is a men’s designer. He designs for women, too, like Janelle Monae’s look. She always kills it, but this was her time to shine.
That’s her wheelhouse, too. She’s been doing that forever.
I was expecting her to show up, as she did very well. Jodie Turner-Smith. Do you know her?
She’s beautiful.
First of all, she’s gorgeous. Second of all, she was in Burberry, I believe. It was a full-on snake skin suited-up guard with the top hat and woven details. It was similar to your color, burgundy. I wish she had done that in a lighter shade. It was snake skin. I love skin. I don’t think it was leather, but I’m going to say it was a pleather-ish type of fabric.
For our PETA people.
I wish it were a little lighter in contrast. It was a little dark for me. I felt like if it were a little lighter, she would’ve killed that even more. Usher Raymond’s wife. I think her name is Jennifer.
I don’t know the name.
They were in Ralph Lauren. There were so many. In the Met Gala, it was the looks of the people who didn’t walk on the carpet. Some of these people I don’t know. They’re influencers and younger artists. I kept seeing people after the fact, but I was like, “Where was she?” Not everybody walks on the carpet. I didn’t know who they were. I kept trying to learn, but the way my mind’s set up, I was like, “Okay.” There was so much going on. I felt like those were my top three that showed on the carpet. For the last item I bought, I needed some cutoff jean shorts, so I bought some.
For festival season or summer in Atlanta?
Yeah, summer. I don’t tend to wear shorts, but some came through the shop. I bought another white button-down top. I bought all this on the same day, the shorts, the top, and then this cool Issey Miyake black top. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Issey Miyake, but he does this pleating technique. It’s great on a lot of different body types, so when I find it, I tend to grab it. That’s what I bought.
Talk to me about wearing a button-down shirt. My issue with a button-down shirt, and I’m sure you’re going to tell me I need to get them tailored, is that I need more space for the girls, but I need less blouseyness at the bottom because then it doesn’t give me a good enough silhouette. If you go smaller, then it’s pulling. Even if you put on a minimizer and you have that thing that you have to hook in the back to keep the girls up and back, it’s not comfortable. What foundations do you wear under a button-down shirt?
A lot of times, I layer my button-down. I don’t just wear them. I layer them under other stuff, especially if I know it’s not the best fitting. If it’s one that I need to wear out, foundationally, if you want them to lay flat, you would put on the proper undergarment, like a Cami Spanx.
That’s what I was thinking. It is hot.
Otherwise, you go buy it bigger and have it tailored. You knew the answer to that question. I don’t know about you, but I buy men’s shirts sometimes, too. I probably shop men’s as much as I shop women’s.
How do you know which men’s shirt with the different sizing?
Do you know what’s great about your bra sizing? It’s a 36. It’s a 38. It’s a 40. Men’s shirts come with chest measurements. If you know you wear a 44 double D, you need a men’s shirt that’s at least 44 inches. That’s the size of your bra. Men’s sizing is very straightforward. We have vanity sizing. I’ve been in fits for different brands. They have a petite missy and a plus-size model that they base their whole collection on. That body is nuanced. If it’s a company and they use that, sometimes, it doesn’t necessarily cater to every shape.
That’s why some people can wear other brands. Some people might wear J. Crew. Some people can’t wear J. Crew. They might need Banana and so on and so forth. It’s about finding brands, too, that work well. A lot of times, it is more consistent with the styling. With fast fashion, it’s a little different. They have a general fit, but if they’re pumping out things so quickly on the assembly line, it may or may not be right. If you stay on the J. Crew level or if you like Vince, if we are talking about these types of certain brands you can go to, that’s what they do.
Truth be told, a particular Ann Taylor dress.
I have an Ann Taylor white shirt that I don’t get rid of, either.
That is the value of getting older. You learn what brands fit you well. It is much easier to shop that way. Can you tell us what trends you’re seeing in 2025 in terms of fashion? Not necessarily to pattern ourselves after to go buy that, but in terms of what the trends are and any in particular that you like.
I keep saying this, but like the Met Gala, I feel like everybody’s wearing a suit and tie. The departure from these labels into more or less what they call quiet luxury is big now. You’re not seeing all of the monogram things as much as you used to. I can’t turn on the TV without seeing somebody in a tie. Have you seen that? That’s everywhere.
I haven’t paid attention. I was watching you all. That’s what I was inspired to be. I want to see more of it.
I feel like we’re moving back into classic, more tailored silhouettes and quiet luxury overall, which I love personally. I’m going to love this new era of trends. It seems more softer silhouettes, I feel like. A little bit more flirty. I’m enjoying the departure from the in-your-face thing and pulling back a little bit more. We’ll see how long this lasts. That’s what I see.
That works well for us, too, especially at this time in our lives. You can go to a store and find something. I know a lot of my friends and people who say, “I can’t find anything in the store. It’s too much. It’s too busy. It is too short. It’s too tight.” Do you remember when everybody was in bodycon dresses? Some people don’t want to wear that all the time.
Along those lines, can you tell us how you think we should approach fashion and how it evolves as we age or as we get older? We talked about rules earlier. I understand we’re both along the same lines of not necessarily following specific rules, but do you have any advice as we approach the changes?
Sylvia talked earlier about how she’s in her dress era. You know what colors look good on you and what silhouettes work well. You see that in any shape or form. You can trend up or trend down based on little accessories and things like that. If you know a fit-and-flare is your thing, if you know a wrap dress is your thing, if you know you look good in jumpsuits, if you are bottom-heavy and you want to focus more on things that have more of a flare that aren’t so straight, or if you want to lean into showing off your curves more, some people are more comfortable with that.
Do what you do and do it to the fullest. If your color is red or burgundy, then you should have a good amount of that because it’s not going to change. You might tan in the summertime, but you know burgundy is going to work on you. You’ll have something in burgundy from your hat to your lips, your accessories, and a shoe, and then you work around that.
I love that.
Self-Care Regimen: Prioritizing Well-Being
I love it. We always ask all of our guests on the show what their self-care regimen is. Can you share with us what your self-care regimen is or what you aspire for your self-care regimen to be?
I am big on rest, whatever that looks and feels like. They say you have to have seven, eight, or nine hours of sleep every night. I shoot for nine. When I’m not rested, I’m not good. I love my lazy Sundays. That’s what I call them. I love a good walk in the park, me. I walk a couple of times a week on a trail over here. I savor that time. It’s getting hot, so I need to get up and get out earlier. Long walks help ground me and keep me from getting too overwhelmed and handling my stress levels.
Great advice. I love the rest, the walking, and all of that. I know that after reading this episode, there are going to be so many people like me who would love to work with somebody like you. I have events I want to go to and, in general, things that I may want to add to my closet or detract. I love your idea of being your own individual and not necessarily being adherent to any trends. Any last words or advice that you would give our audience? More importantly, can you give us the ways in which our audience could reach you and work with you?
Do people say www.?
They do, but you don’t have to.
My homegirl was like, “Don’t say that, Shayla. It is going to show you are too old.” SixDegreesOfStyle.com is my website. You can reach out to me there. I’m on IG @SixDegreesofStyle. You can also come see me at the shop at Queenies. It’s the either-or. I’m not hard to find. Search for Six Degrees of Style.
Shayla Binns of Six Degrees of Style, I want to thank you. We want to thank you for helping to elevate our wardrobe and helping us to understand that fashion is a reflection of who we are. Thank you, and may you be well.
Thank you. It was wonderful.
We loved having you. Thank you.
Thank you.
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Connecting Through Style: Final Thoughts & Resources
Sylvia, that was so much fun. I love all things fashion, style, and fun. I love things that make you smile, make you laugh, and bring you joy. I certainly think that along the way in the years of growing to where I am, I recognize how fashion can continue to be fun. One of the pearls that I had was that you told me to go into the closet and pick something that inspires you. I had also looked at Shayla’s website and Instagram posts.
They are fire.
It was so much fun. I was like, “What about my hats?” I was inspired by all the pins. They mentioned that it was used at the Met Gala. I have my grandmother’s pin. The suits, the tailoring, the ties, and all of that, I was like, “That is fun.” One of the pearls was to have fun with fashion and do what feels right to you because style is personal, she said. It can change based on the day, and that is so true for me.
I love my Birks, blue jeans, and a white t-shirt or a white shirt because that is my idea of comfort and style. You put a pair of hoops on. That alone doesn’t define me. I like my green jumpsuit with the bow tie. I like the suits. Your style is not one thing. It can change based on the day, and you may get different inspiration along the way. This is a fun episode. It was very light, but I thought a lot of pearls. Shayla looks like someone I would love to work with in curating certain looks that I want to do that may not necessarily have the time to do, or I’m not as adept at it as she is. I loved her philosophy on fashion. How about you?
Shayla reminds us that styling is a skillset. It’s important to have certain basic pieces in your closet and to do what you do. This is her quote. “Do what you do and do it to the fullest.” I love that she’s embracing the best of each individual. That’s what you’re going to put out in the world. Those things change from day-to-day because we don’t always feel the same day-to-day. Where we’re going and what we’re doing is not always the same day-to-day. She also mentioned some key self-care techniques that we will have you read the full episode in order to get. It was a fantastic conversation. We all have to get dressed in the morning to go out into the world. As a reminder, fashion is fun yet deeply personal.
Agreed. That was a wonderful episode to be a part of. I thank you for being on the journey with me. To our readers, we would love for you to tune in, follow, subscribe, and like. You can also check out our website, which is BossLeapPodcast.com. We would love to hear what your insights might be, what you would like to read, and any ideas for future episodes.
We thank you, and may you be well.
May you be well.
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About Shayla Binns
I have over 20 years of experience in the apparel industry, including 16+ years dedicated to the world of resale and vintage fashion. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with industry giants like Macy’s Merchandising Group, TheRealReal, ThredUP, and Neiman Marcus, honing a keen eye for trends and an unmatched ability to curate collections that captivate and inspire.
With a degree in Fashion Merchandising and a certificate in Fashion Styling from the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, I blend expertise with passion to bring style to life. To me, fashion is more than just clothing—it’s an expression of who you are.
My love for vintage fashion goes beyond the pieces themselves; I believe style is a powerful connector that unites us all. Much like the six degrees of separation, I see fashion as a shared thread linking people through individual expression and creativity. Through my curated collections, I help clients discover and embrace their unique aesthetic, empowering them to express their true selves through carefully selected, one-of-a-kind finds.
Let’s unlock the style you’ve always wanted—because your fashion should tell your story, connecting you to a world of limitless possibilities.