HOW TO: Dress like the president

Grand Central sat down with Marie Reimers, Student Government Association president, to discuss everything from her job to her style. The junior, who hails from Saginaw, is serving her first term as president and is in the process of completing a triple major in women’s studies, political science and sociology.

GC: What do you do as student body president?

MR: As student body president, I run the Student Government Association and act as the voice of the student body. I represent CMU student interests to the Board of Trustees administration, faculty, and other entities on campus. I work on projects that would benefit student interests, like extending the hours of the UC and adding a Women and Gender Center to our diversity programs.

GC: Why did you want to become president?

MR: I believe in the CMU student body. I think that we have more power than we know, and that we are in control of our own future. Helping CMU students to reach their fill potential is a passion of mine. I joined the Student Government Association my freshman year here, and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The friends I have made and the experiences I have had due to this organization will last me a lifetime.

GC: How would you describe your personal style?

MR: I like to think that my style is what Jackie Kennedy would wear if she were president. I like outfits that are professional but feminine. I try to take styles that were popular in the early to mid 1960s and modernize them using bright colors and funky patterns. I like bright colors, and things that stick out in a crowd. One of my favorite dresses has an ice cream cone pattern.

GC: How does your job affect your style?

MR: My job requires me to be professional. That means that I cannot be as out-there with my fashion as I want to be. I have to find ways to conform my love for funky patterns and bright colors with office wear. That’s where one or two funky pieces, like a bright pink pencil skirt, can be worked into your typical office outfit.

GC: Who are your style icons?

MR: Jackie Kennedy, Joan from Mad Men, Marissa Mayer.

GC: Let’s talk favorites. What is your favorite thing in your closet?

MR: Pencil skirts. I have one in every imaginable style, color, and pattern.

GC: And favorite accessories?

MR: A good pair of earrings. I’m saving up for a nice wristwatch.

GC: How about favorite brand/store?

MR: ModCloth, Goodwill, and my grandmother’s closet. I like to take things other people have thrown away and modify them. I know how to sew, and if something doesn’t fit me or I like the fabric of the dress, I’ll modify the style using my sewing machine so it fits me.

GC: What would you say your style motto is?

MR: “You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t owe prettiness to anyone. Not to your boyfriend/spouse/partner, not to your co-workers, especially not to random men on the street. You don’t owe it to your mother, you don’t owe it to your children, you don’t owe it to civilization in general. Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked ‘female.'” -Erin McKean

GC: Last question- what’s your dream luxury item?

MR: Everything in this Vogue Fashion Spread.

 

Photo | Kevin Reeves, Staff Photographer