“There’s no need to dress like everyone else,” the iconic British supermodel Twiggy once said. “It’s much more fun to create your own look.” In the spirit of Twiggy, these fashionable Phoenicians set themselves apart with their singular styles.
By Lisa Van Loo | Photography by Chris Loomis
Mia Bianco
Like any mom traveling with three young kids, Mia Bianco inevitably forgot to pack something for a recent family trip to Idaho. In dire need of pajamas, the resourceful Phoenix fashionista scored a pair of men’s boxer briefs from a resort gift shop that may just have a place in her unconventional wardrobe beyond the trip. “They’re camo-colored, and really soft and super cool,” says Bianco, whose husband, James Beard Award-winning pizziaolo and restaurateur Chris Bianco, was understandably reluctant to part with his own boxers. “I genuinely really like them and I think I can do something with them.”
Comfort aside, Bianco choosing a men’s undergarment as jammies-in-a-pinch makes perfect sense when you consider her affinity for menswear in general, which is a staple of her wardrobe.
I would describe my style as a little unserious. I definitely like things to look funky. I like contrast. I like something feminine with something masculine. Something sophisticated with something a little less serious. The contrast and juxtaposition, that’s how I start to build things. As you get older, you get more confident and care less how it might be perceived. I take more risks or do weirder things and play a bit more as I get older.
I’m eternally searching for two things. When I search, I mostly thrift. I go into Goodwill and look at the men’s suit section. I found a really cool black suit and got it tailored and it was $11.99. I realized later it was Burberry. I want a gray suit and a tan suit. I’m on a lifelong search for good suits. And nude lipstick.
My style icon is Tracee Ellis Ross. I love the way she dresses. I feel like she never misses. She’s really cool and wears casual streetwear in a way that is age appropriate. She’s not trying to look younger, which is a tricky thing. I also love Mexican designer Willy Chavarria. Everything he does is really cool. And Paloma Elsesser. I love the way she dresses.
At home, you’ll find me wearing sweatpants and a baggy T-shirt. That’s my default. I don’t walk around in, like, heels and pearls.
Mitch Phillips
Fashion is a ubiquitous fact of life for stylist and vintage shop owner Mitch Phillips. She’s always on the lookout for standout pieces, whether it’s for her by-appointment-only Rare Scarf Vintage in Phoenix or her new vintage shop in Jerome called ORE.
From heirloom jewelry to throwback eyewear to designer handbags and beyond, there’s something about the way Phillips pulls a look together. One day, her eclectic tastes might favor furs and animal prints. On another, terrycloth jackets, kimonos and peasant skirts. As headline-worthy as these ensembles might be, they might rank No. 2 in her current pantheon of distinctiveness – her hair has been stealing most of the thunder recently.
The garment I get the most compliments on is my “ringtail” hair right now, and then the outfits.
I’d rather be caught dead than wearing Crocs.
The last piece I purchased is a leather embroidered “full of sh*t” bag. I sell them at my store ORE in Jerome, too.
My holy grail garment is well, it’s more like I would love to get inside Iris Apfel’s many closets and warehouses for any piece in there!
You might be surprised that I love taxidermy.
I get my style inspiration from Alessandro Michele, from his Gucci era.
Scott Pasmore
Envision Scott Pasmore in your head, and chances are you see him in a suit. It’s an occupational hazard for this mainstay of local TV news, who’s worked in front of the camera for 3TV/AZFamily since 1989, including a three-decade run as host of Good Morning Arizona.
So yeah, Pasmore has opinions about suits. But the always-fit anchor also has thoughts on athletic wear, how shirts should fit and whether or not there is a max threshold when it comes to shoes. “I have a really good shoe game. I’ve got them in every closet in my house,” says Pasmore, who’s also an avid pilot and traveler. “I have well over 100 pairs of shoes. And I am a golf shoe freak. I have like 50 pairs. A couple months ago, I went and bought like eight pairs of Adidas.”
Sneakers are clutch for his off-air pursuits, which include building houses and flying.
I would describe my style as easygoing. I like to wear shirts that are stretchy and I found these suits that are stretchy. I found a place called State & Liberty and I love that place. The suits are a little stretchy and the golf and T-shirts are form-fitting, which I love, because I’m really into fitness.
My holy grail garment is a great dress shirt. They’re hard to find because I like a good spread collar. I did find these shirts at State & Liberty and I loved them so I went and bought like 10 of them. I’m always searching for the perfect dress shirt. I may not even know what the perfect shirt is, I’m just always looking for it.
I’d rather be caught dead than wearing jeans with holes in them. I know they came back, but I also won’t wear bellbottoms. I like them tight around the ankle.
I feel most comfortable in Vuori pants and a tight-fitting T-shirt or golf shirt. I’m very much a Vuori guy. I love how soft their
hoodies are.
Billie Jo Herberger
To borrow a phrase from the art world, Billie Jo Herberger is a true original. And her style is, too.
A towering philanthropist and socialite, Herberger’s name is unseverable from the Phoenix-area arts scene – just as her trademark pigtails can’t be parsed from her one-of-a-kind, whimsical style. Color is her muse and, in an odd-couple way, simplicity is something she embraces. As a regular at black-tie galas, Herberger often wore eye-catching gowns and headpieces, but lately she has settled into a rhythm of colorful, comfortable, complementary pieces that pack easily, travel often and always look great in a photo. “Everybody goes, ‘There’s that colorful girl again,’” she says. “I am glad I am recognized by someone else but I don’t do it for that reason. I do it because I’m me.”
I feel most comfortable in a dress. I live in dresses. They come just above my knee and they have a V-neck and they are all different patterns, but the fabric is all the same. I wear them every single day. I can wear them to a restaurant or the grocery store or the nail shop. And everyone is like, ‘Oh, you look fabulous.’ I wear the same shoes every day, too. I have about 10 pairs. They’re so comfortable.
The last piece I purchased is actually nothing recently. I don’t need to. I am happy and love everything I have. When people are at my home, I always take the girls shopping in my closet for free to pick out whatever they want. That’s what I’ve done. I had way too much. I hardly have anything left. I saved things I loved and I travel all the time and I have clothes on my boat so I never have to pack a bag. I can just go to the boat and open my closet and there I’d be, Billie Jo was waiting for me.
The pieces I always wear include a gold Rolex watch I’ve had forever. I wear my diamond ring from my wedding. I wear a ring on the other hand that’s a wave because I was a surfer girl. And everywhere I go, I wear little flowers in my hair.
My style icon was just inside me. I was different from all my sisters. But it was celebrated and I didn’t ever get backlash. They all loved and respected that and we were individuals and all different.
Eduardo Rodriguez
As an All-Star starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Eduardo Rodriguez – known fondly as ERod or El Gualo, if you’re familiar – has a job that requires a uniform. That means, unlike the rest of us, he never has to stress about what to wear to work.
In fact, he doesn’t seem to stress about clothes in general. When the native Venezuelan and father of two gets to choose, he goes for classy comfort, leaning hard into the cashmere wool and relaxed, neutral tones of Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli. He keeps it simple when he’s on his own time, because throwing 95-mile-per-hour four-seam fastballs and knee-buckling changeups in front of thousands of fans monopolizes his focus.
But his fondness for casual fashion has its limits. One laid-back classic you will never, ever find in his closet? “Cowboy boots.”
I get my style inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo. [He] wears a lot of casual clothes and makes them look stylish. Maybe it’s because I’m an athlete, but his look has always appealed to me. I like to dress casual, comfortable, relaxed and want to look good, and I think Ronaldo does that really well.
It seems like you have strong feelings about cowboy boots. What is it that you don’t like about them? The fit? The look? I’m not a cowboy, so I’ve really never worn [them]. It is just a shoe style I don’t feel I ever need to wear. I am more of a tennis shoe guy or, when I need to dress up, a comfortable pair of nicer tennis shoes or loafers.
My holy grail garment is caps. A good cap is all about how it fits and how I look in it. The best cap is one I can combine with my clothes to complete any outfit.
The garment I get the most compliments on are my shirts. Since most of my time is spent at home or at the stadium, you will generally see me in workout clothes and T-shirts. My shirts that get compliments are usually collared shirts because of how it fits and the outfit I’m wearing it with. Even when I dress up, it’s always important to be comfortable so my preference for classic styles usually works for me.
