SLUG Style: Katie Child

Draped in leather jackets and heavy boots, Katie Child has a sense of style that blends Western and rock-n-roll. However, underneath the jaded, punk style, a sense of comfort and confidence stands out the most.

Every month, SLUG Style features a distinct member of the community and asks them why they do what they do. Exploring more than just clothing, SLUG Style is an attempt to feature the people who give Salt Lake City flavor through personality and panache.

What are your stylistic influences? This could be a band, decade, fictional character—anything. 

My style is a combination of biker, Western and rockabilly. I pull from a lot of ’80s and ’90s movies. I also love screen-printed graphic tees and my own art.

Tell us about your relationship to food and cooking. What do you enjoy about working with food? 

Working in food allows me to try new things that I normally wouldn’t buy for myself. It’s a great way to meet other people on all different paths of life.

What are your less obvious interests or hobbies? What is the hobby or interest that you have that no one would realize to ask you about?

I really love motorcycles. I would love to one day have the knowledge to fix my own bike. National parks are also a large part in my life. I started really enjoying hiking, and visiting these places gives me an opportunity to try new foods. It would be dream to one day drive a motorcycle to a national park.

Are you always “on” or would someone see you at the grocery store, for example, with less elements of your style? 

My style revolves around comfort and feeling confident. As soon I get home I love to get comfy and watch movies. I have recently started to branch out in other aspects of my style. For example: My outfits are slightly different for workout, lounging and hiking. However, I feel like I bring my sense of style into everything I wear.

How does your work with food play into your sense of style? 

As I said in the previous question, it mainly revolves around comfort and the guidelines of dress code working in food industry.

If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would those be? 

Outgoing, sensitive, confident.

Do you have a favorite “work fit”?

My red and tan cowboy boots, dark-washed baggy jeans, a nice skull belt buckle, Cramps T-shirt and my navy blue bandanna (my favorite piece).

How has your personal style evolved over time?

I think as you get older you start to realize what you like and what you enjoy. [My style] has been growing ever since the end of high school. I always watched movies like The Lost Boys and The Breakfast Club, and certain characters from those movies inspired how I dress now.

I used to wear baggier shirts and skinny jeans, and now I usually gravitate to baggier bottoms and tighter tops to show off my belt. 

Read more SLUG Style features:
SLUG Style: Abigail Peña
SLUG Style: Muriel Langdon