Q&A | Jessica de Ruiter

Photos of Jessica de Ruiter by Deborah Jaffe for Domino Magazine and The Sartorialist.

All of these Q&As have been such a blast for me (and so many more great ones in the hopper!), but I have to single out this one as hugely special. The photo on the left appeared in the March 2008 issue of Domino Magazine. I remember turning to it, seeing it, and without missing a beat getting my scissors, cutting it out and tacking it to my bulletin board—something I do not regularly do. Everything about this photo, this woman, this outfit was simply my idea of perfect style. The sunglasses, the vintage Cartier tank, the Boy. by Band of Outsiders shirt, the leather file bag. Then, years later I saw the photo of Jessica on the right (not even knowing who she was or that it was the same person at this point), taken on the street by The Sartorialist, and that's when I wanted to start this blog. No joke.

If not in Los Angeles, I would live in...Toronto, where I grew up and where my family still lives.

My dream holiday would be to...travel the Hawaiian island of Kauai and to spend a month exploring Morocco.

My current obsessions are...buying produce at Cookbook in Echo Park, eating out at Forage in Silver Lake, and eating in whenever my husband Jed is cooking; listening to Paul Simon's Graceland album; wearing my mother's brown leather Ralph Lauren belts from the 1980s; shopping at Lost & Found, Jenni Kayne, Vivier and Bentley, South Willard and Heath Ceramics.

I channel my childhood self when I...want to be inspired by my mother's amazing style and effortless ease.

If I had to be outdoors all day I would...be walking around the Silver Lake Reservoir with my sweet baby girl, James. Even my daughter has a tomboy name!

My favorite quality in a man is...authenticity.

My favorite quality in a woman is...authenticity and grace.

I'm terrified of...poor health.

My dream car is a...1970s Porsche.

My cocktail of choice is...coconut water.

My celebrity crush is...Meryl Streep.

My friends and I like to...make Sunday brunch at my house after an early morning shop at the Hollywood Farmer's Market.

If I could go back in time for one decade it would be...1960s.

As a teenager I was totally into...grunge and Claudia Schiffer (what a dichotomy but it was the 90s!), reading Mademoiselle, bleaching my hair, listening to Pearl Jam on my yellow Sony boom box and not getting caught smoking in the park after school in our uniforms.

I tend to splurge on...fresh flowers, beautiful baby clothes, good food and white cotton nighties.

Always feeling my best when dressed in a men's shirt...is what makes me have Tomboy Style.

Photos by Jed Lind.