Fashionable People: Shena’s Real-Life “Southern Bohemian” Style

We recently featured the wonderful New Orleans home of Shena Troia and her fiancé, George Peake. When Shena isn’t working as a retail merchandiser for the popular New Orleans jewelry designer Mignon Faget, she loves collecting vintage clothing and accessories for COMMUNE vintage, the shop she operates out of various pop-up locations in the city. After seeing her amazing closet, I thought it would be fun to find out more about her fashion sense.

Three words that describe your style: bohemian, casual, vintage

Your very favorite outfit: A comfortable pair of jeans, a great white tee, and my amazing traditional kimono I picked up at an estate sale in Mississippi, with some vintage jewelry piled on for good measure.

Describe your typical work “uniform”: Black skinny jeans, flat black boots, and some sort of an exciting top. I’m always running around for my job so flat shoes and jeans with pockets are essential. I like to show my creative side with an interesting top and a piece or two of statement jewelry.

Three items in your closet that you couldn’t live without: I have a vintage white fur that saves me during carnival season; it’s super fun and the warmest coat ever! My favorite dress is a classic blue polka dot number that I picked up from another local vintage dealer; it’s the perfect piece for so many occasions. My all-time favorite shoes are a pair of vintage blue cowboy boots that I got forever ago at a thrift store back home in Nebraska; they keep getting better with age.

The #1 item from your fashion wish list: A classic quilted Chanel bag. I’m still hoping I will run across one at a random small town thrift store. That’s where the best treasures always are.

The TV or movie character’s wardrobe you’d steal in a minute: I can’t stop watching 90210 and I’m obsessed with Brenda’s wardrobe. I seriously want every single thing she wears!

Most fashionable friend and why: Oh man, this is a tough one! I guess I would say my friend Cree. She always looks effortlessly stylish; I think I like her look because we share the same Midwestern sensibility—casual and comfortable is important!

Your go-to jewelry look: Lots! I generally wear a mixture of vintage and Mignon Faget, which is where I work. I like mixing a classic Mf. piece with a vintage statement piece for a Southern bohemian look.

Your most treasured vintage pieces: Besides the ones I’ve already named (I love my vintage), I’ve got a few amazing vintage capes that are hard to wear but beautiful to look at. I also have quite the collection of vintage handbags; they’re a great eye-catching addition to a LBD for nights out on the town.

Go-to source for style inspiration: I love looking at street style blogs and books. I find looking at the way “regular people” put together their outfits so much more inspiring than the latest trend reports. Elle.com usually has fantastic street style slide shows. The race track on Thanksgiving Day is my all-time favorite place to see what everyone is wearing; it’s like a wild and fancy NOLA fashion show.

Tell us about COMMUNE Vintage: COMMUNE started after a particularly great haul from the thrift store. I had just quit my job and was partaking in a little retail therapy. When I showed my friend the treasures I had found, she said, “You should start a business!”—so I did! I named it COMMUNE because I have always wanted to live on a commune. I love the romanticized idea of everyone coming together and working towards a common goal in unison. I feel like the vintage/fashion community in New Orleans has that same feel—everyone working together in a non-threatening environment—so the name was a great fit for what I was hoping to do with the brand in this city.

Local shops: Little Flea NOLA, Mignon Faget, Genterie Supply in Lafayette, I always manage to find at least one great thing whenever I decide to “just pop in” to the many great shops on Magazine Street.

Online shop: I don’t really shop for clothes online but I buy way too much lipstick from Amazon.

Best jeans: I love BDG jeans from Urban Outfitters. They have an awesome fit and they are super reasonable. If I’m splurging, I love Joe’s jeans.

Makeup: I’ve been using bareMinerals forever and love it. I’m quite the lipstick junkie, I love colors from NARS and BITE. I can always manage to find a shade of red lipstick I don’t already own.

Skincare brand: Lélexo face wash and Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Toner. I was recently turned on to green cream for night; it was developed by a local dermatologist and people rave about it.

Signature scent: A mixture of Chanel Chance and Chanel Coco. I’ll wear them alone depending on the season or often layered together.