Taking a peek inside Caitlin Cisek’s bright closet is sort of like looking at the wardrobe of a theater production. There are delicate vintage bathing suits, piles and piles of costume jewelry, and retro prints for days. But her range isn’t surprising, considering Cisek is a professional costume designer for stage and film productions, constantly dumpster-driving and seeking out pieces for her characters.
Cisek, who describes her style as a “mash-up” between different eras, naturally has a flair for the theatrical in her day-to-day life. Whether she’s wearing high-waisted, polyester “disco” pants or showing off an array of Hawaiian tiki dresses that are perfect for serving fondue in, it’s obvious that Cisek loves to have fun with the way she dresses. “I’ll wear this to something like a first design meeting,” Cisek says at one point while holding up a floral skirt. “Some occasion where I want everyone in the room to know they’re in safe hands. Safe, exuberant, silly, polyester hands.”
On a recent visit to her home in the idyllic Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York, Cisek walked us through her closet for the latest episode of Clothes Whores.
