DRESS CODE: Mimi Ramos Harney

 

Mimi Ramos Harney sees home, work, and self as a trio of aesthetic soul mates; all three in equal parts lead to the perfection of one’s personal style. In her home and at Parlour, her boutique in Millerton, New York, a visitor finds tea with sweets baked by her mother, comfortable seating, and large tables displaying home and fashion magazines that you probably don’t subscribe to but wish you did.

 

When Ramos Harney opened Parlour in 2005, it was in a mere 115 square feet of space tucked behind the Harney & Sons Tea Shop and Tasting Room. Now, less than four years later, Parlour occupies a prime Main Street corner—and it’s luxurious at 960 square feet. 

 

Before opening Parlour, which sells clothing, accessories, and home goods, Ramos Harney, 35, worked for twelve years in sales and marketing at the tea company, where she met her husband, Paul Harney, one of its owners. As a salesperson, she traveled extensively with her friend and colleague Jackie Weaver, originally a Parlour business partner. After selling tea, they would shop in local boutiques. “Simultaneously, I started designing tea tins. It filled me up,” Ramos Harney recalls.

 

“I did a mockup tin for Anthropologie. They called me back and said, ‘You have a great eye.’” Ramos Harney won the Anthropologie account. Based on her hip, floral-inspired designs, she also secured accounts with Barnes & Noble, Crate & Barrel, and Williams-Sonoma.

 

The experience changed the course of Ramos Harney’s professional life. “I thought making clothes could give me the same feeling,” she says. “It was an avenue to continue creating.”

 

Ramos Harney began Parlour as a weekend venture while still working at Harney & Sons. Now her full-time (pre)occupation, the boutique reflects her Dutchess County country-girl-meets-international-rock-star style. Like many of the fashion-obsessed, she credits Kate Moss as a major inspiration.

 

“When I’m thinking about getting dressed ... it’s cheesy, but I’m gonna say it: I always think about what Kate Moss would wear. She’s got that mix of rock ’n’ roll and glamour. She’ll be in a great pair of jeans and boots. She’ll never do a sneaker, but ballet flats instead. To me, she’s got it down.”

 

Ramos Harney’s style, too, inspires. Her boutique motto is Dressing Life; she outfits her home in thrift-shop finds. “I never look at home and fashion as separate. When you’re dressing your living room, it’s like dressing yourself,” she says. “To me, it’s the same as your handbag. I would always relate a well-styled home to somebody who is well-styled herself. They’re not just getting dressed. They’re making themselves.” 

 

my
inspiration

Describe your personal style.

 

Bohemian chic. There is always a vintage influence, 1930s and 1940s. Vintage French-style furniture and textiles, Swedish-style things. I like Indian, Turkish, and Moroccan colors: bright purples, reds, yellows, blues. When visiting Morocco and India, I couldn’t stop looking at everything. I also like a little bit of rock ’n’ roll to toughen it up a bit—I never want [an outfit] to be overly feminine.

 

What is your favorite outfit?

 

A silk dress cut on the bias with a leather belt, lots of layers of necklaces, dangling earrings, and Frye boots. The boot is not a cowboy, but a refined cowboy.

 

Maybe a cowgirl?

 

Yes. With a heel.  

 

How is your closet organized?

 

It’s actually very unorganized. That’s important to know. I change outfits a lot before I decide what feels right for that day. I have dresses, blouses, skirts, a ton of little jackets. And I have drawers of T-shirts and jeans and a lot of necklaces. Everything ends up in piles and I usually reorganize it every two weeks. That seems to work for me.  

 

What do you look for in accessories?

 

Wide belts, silver or gold mixed with leather—feminine pieces with an edge. I like hats right now; fedoras are always cute for most people. The hugest thing I see in New York right now is that everybody is in tall boots. And I like that trend.

 

What is Millerton, New York, style?

 

I see a mix of Western and hippie influence. There is obviously lots of preppy. Every once in a while someone will walk by and boom!—a perfect juxtaposition of played-down glam: a wife-beater, a nice pair of broken-in jeans, a pair of boots, and glamorous jewelry like a killer pair of diamond studs.
 

How do you dress your two-year-old son, Finn?

 

Oh, he dresses cute. He always wears cool sneakers—Pumas or Converse, Levi’s or Gap jeans, and a cute shirt, usually with a collar. Today, he’s wearing a long, plaid shirt. When he’s older, he’s going to wear bucks [buckskin breeches or shoes] a lot. They don’t make them small enough yet. Yes, it is fun to dress a boy. (JUNE 2009)

Petria May owns Petria Boutiq in Great Barrington, Mass. For more on Mimi visit www.newyorkstylist.blogspot.com.www.newyorkstylist.blogspot.com.