A Seeker's Spin: Leigh Carcel

by Japs Medina October 18, 2018

More than 10 years in banking has evidently taught Leigh Carcel one thing: to take risks but to be meticulous about it. The same could be said of her personal style.

An apparent perfectionist, Leigh paid extra attention to every minute detail of her outfit – at one point even wearing two different earrings on each ear just to see which one looked better – but also knew the value of collaboration by gracefully and unabashedly asking the stylist for input.

A pop of color in a sea of neutrals: Leigh styled her gray-and-white outfit with red loafers

Leigh put a new spin to the Karis cold shoulder dress by wearing it with shorts and playing with lines

Such structured habits do not come without a softer side – Leigh is, in fact, a highly creative person. Taking one sweep at her beautiful home shows that she is an avid collector of art pieces. A large collection of books sat on massive shelves in her living room, varying from classic favorites to coffee table ones, revealing that she is a woman who likes to keep her mind open.

“I’ve been trying to learn the saxophone because I think jazz is sexy,” she says with a mischievous grin, “but I realized it wasn’t as sexy because of the amount of spit involved.” We picked at the said open mind that even gave us a serving of wit on the side.

Blazers are a staple for putting together travel outfits

A stickler for detail: Leigh has mastered the delicate mix of hues and textures

Leigh's love for detail also shows in her elegantly styled home

Describe your daily uniform.

Since I’ve taken a year off from work. I am mostly dressed casually or in activewear clothes - very comfortable stuff. After 11 years straight of corporate life, it was quite a relief to go casual.

Staple items in your closet that you can’t live without.

I’ve traded in my heels to sandals or sneakers and I’ve traded in my corporate outfit to jeans. However, I do still like blazers - I travel a lot and it helps pull my outfits together.

What is one thing you splurge on?

I splurge on travel.

On normal days, Leigh likes to mix elegance with comfort

Not exactly a sneakerhead: Leigh's love for spinning birthed her humble collection of sneaks

Less or more?

Less. It’s surprising how quickly you can get used to less. First, my closet space has been quite a challenge and even with constant purging, I still can’t properly store my clothes. Second, I think you just realize that there is no need to be too fashionable – just pick out pieces that you like then mix and match them. But of course, less does not mean bad quality.

You shared that you used to design accessories. If you could design a piece of jewelry for Seek the Uniq, what would it look like?

We designed mostly charm bracelets so it would have to be that but with more unique charms.

Which style icon would you want to have lunch with?

I don’t really have style icons but lately I’ve been following the Nordic and Scandinavian girls on Instagram. They just make everything look so elegant yet simple.

A loft full of art pieces and books reveal Leigh's taste for culture

A pair of DIY ribbon straps show Leigh's creativity and resourcefulness with closet

Leigh's favorite fashion hack: oversized earrings

Favorite fashion hack.

Oversized earrings. If I’m not sure of my outfits, big earrings help.

How do you incorporate your personal style into your work wear?

When I was working in the bank, I couldn’t go wild on the colors but I could still make outfits interesting with prints here and there. Nicely cut dresses would be essential. These days, I am enjoying adding color to my wardrobe.

Any advice to readers still trying to find their own style?

Don’t spend too much on clothes, there are reasonably priced brands that have great designs like Seek. :)