Free Spirit

Red Light off: [In class] I anxiously waited to ask my next interviewee if she would be a part of this project. I went up to her and without any hesitation she agreed to talk with me about style and her own free spirit. As we walked to our designated interviewing location [a CSULB stone bench], my interviewee passed several of her acquaintances even stopping to discuss a “renegade party” where she delivered the idea of dressing up like Frida Kahlo, a well-known Mexican painter. Her choice alone gave me an idea of what would now be recorded…



Roomate’s scarf, Skirt from Venice $20, Shirt given to her by a roommate, Black fringe jacket


Red Light on: Kylee Delgadillo, a journalism major and creative writing minor, moves to the beat of her own drum. The Fresno native was originally set to attend school in San Francisco to play basketball. However, due to a foot injury she decided to travel to SoCal and soak up the luxuries of living near Mickey Mouse. “I’m a Disney freak…I’ve had a pass for the last four years.” Delgadillo says her time in Long Beach has given her the opportunity for self-expansion. “I never would have looked like this if I was in High School.” “I used to wear, you know $200 dollar jeans and $100 t-shirt,” she says. “I can get a $2 jacket and wear it all the time, people love it.”

She is not a stranger to thrift and vintage clothing, and on occasion likes to borrow hand-me-downs her friends pick out for her. “I like to be more of a free flow, I like to wear things that breathe.” Delgadillo says. She dresses for comfort rather than be restricted in tight or revealing clothing. She incorporates colors into her outfits including muted and earthy tones. Gypsy and hippie looks are among her favorite styles. She gets most of her items from thrift stores, La Bomba and Replay in Long Beach [off fourth street and cherry]. As well as Out of the Closet and Jet Rag in Los Angeles. For those bargain shoppers, Delgadillo informs, Jet Rag’s great deals every Sunday with all items marked at a dollar. “Dig a little bit and have some fun,” she says.

“My hair would dread-lock itself, it tries to.”

On to her long curly tresses with ends kissed by the sun, Delgadillo has beads along braided strands of her hair. She has had them off and on for a couple years, but her recent ones have been in for about nine months. She admits her hair can be a pain to wash and waits about a week or so to attend to it. She also notes the non-essential everyday use of water. Delgadillo gives pride to curly haired women who struggle with the unique and sometimes unmanageable texture. “I used to be self conscious about my hair, because it is very different,” she says. “I really embraced the way I’m different.”

The free spirit has experimented with various piercings and has three tattoos. Her tattoos include an Egyptian Ankh, which is a symbol for the key to life [on the foot she broke], the words “desire, passion, love” between her shoulders, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers’s lyrics “there’s a love that knows the way.” Her favorite item in her closet at the moment are fringe boots by designer Sam Edelman. The designer’s mother actually gave her the shoes for free at a fashion show she recently attended. Delgadillo says she definitely “pounced on the opportunity.”
She says, “You can have a different look everyday…if you throw something on and you just feel kinda weird about it, then change.” Her number one advice for style is, “Just be yourself.”


Photos/Written by: Alexis Sparks