According to Amy Odell’s official bio, the site she is editor of, Cosmopolitan.com, attracts “the largest community of Millennial women on the Internet.” In case you haven’t been on the Internet in a while, or watched the news, or read The Wall Street Journal, we’ll tell you that Millennials are quite the major topic of discussion of late. For one, their generation is now the biggest in the U.S.’s workforce. (Sorry Gen Xers.) So, if they’re driving the economy, that makes ’em pretty valuable as an audience. Which means, simply, what Amy has done at Cosmo to capture and engage this readership – with stories like, “Taylor Swift Slams Sexism in One Single Tweet” and “Gigi Hadid on Why Kendall Jenner will Never be her Competion,” (I mean, how can you not click and share?) – is BIG.
And, in the midst of all this…Amy’s written a book. Out September 1st, Tales from the Back Row, is an “outsider’s” take on the fashion industry – the shows, the parties, the people. It’s very astute and funny – and for an outsider’s view, it’s actually pretty insider-y (before starting at Cosmo in 2013, she worked at TheCut.com and BuzzFeed). Think: adventures shopping the Alexander Wang sample sale (after, um, smoking something); interviewing with a certain high-powered editor-in-chief; a boozy lunch interview with Chelsea Handler. Amy’s book is out from Simon & Schuster, but you should pre-order it now!
Okay, so what does this New Media master wear to Cosmopolitian.com’s offices (which, by the way, to this visitor, looked like a really fun/inspiring place to work)? The day we stopped in to photograph Amy, she’d picked a cool Citizens of Humanity pencil skirt and a Zara crop top (and, though we don’t show them here, some sky-high sandals from Schutz). It was a smart-sexy way to do denim at work, and pretty much the perfect look for someone who makes all those “30 under 30” and “40 under 40” lists. But read on for Amy’s ideas about it, and denim in general…
Why did you choose this Citizens of Humanity skirt?
I love a pencil skirt – this seemed like a good way of dressing up denim.
What is it you love about it?
It’s flattering!
What else do you like to wear with it besides the Zara crop top and the Schutz shoes?
Any t-shirt or heel.
What’s the best thing you could be doing in this skirt right now?
Having a margarita on a rooftop.
What other denim do you wear to the office?
Boyfriend jeans, ripped jeans, a blingy denim jacket.
What’s been your favorite denim trend over the past years? Boot-cuts, boyfriends, skinnies, mom jeans, cut-offs?
Boyfriends, because they’re comfy.
What’s your all-time favorite pair of jeans?
I have too many to have a favorite, but I do love Citizens!
What’s your current favorite, or the ones you wear the most?
I don’t have a current fave, I mix it up all the time.
What’s your favorite non-jean denim piece?
My blingy jean jacket from Mlle Mademoiselle.
Has anyone ever given you great advice about how to choose jeans? What was it, and who gave it?
Once a stylist told me to get styles that sit at my natural waist. Since I’m tall this works well for me.
Why do you think jeans are so appealing to women?
They’re comfy and versatile.
Whose denim style do you admire most?
Rihanna’s.
If you had to replace all your jeans with one thing, what would it be?
Pajama pants.