This week were taking a look in the closet of Cincinnati’s biggest fan (okay, well at least I think she is). No, I don’t mean the Bengals or anything sports-related (not that Jai couldn’t be a Bengals fan. We’ve just never discussed sports). Jai is a woman who sincerly loves her city and making it a better place. I met her four years ago when I worked at a nonprofit in Over-the-Rhine. She worked as a barista at Iris Bookcafe which was maybe a two-minute walk away from my office. My coffee addiction is what initially made me visit the establishment but Jai’s warmth and enthusiasm is what kept me coming back. I really do not know how she stays so positive all the time, but she does.

You may be familiar with Jai’s community radio show Cincinnati’s Conscience. She hosted that several years under the name Jai All Day. These days, however, she’s just Jai. She’s taking a hiatus from the radio world and focusing on other endeavors. A full-time job at Gray and Pape plus her involvement in various community organizations occupies much of her time. She has also been involved in various story-telling events. She has a strong committment to her community, which is evidenced in all that she pours her heart into.

In addition to her inner-beauty, this girl has a rockin style! Because our paths do not cross as much anymore, I hadn’t seen her in a while. So I thought, why not feature her for My Closet? It’d be a fantastic excuse to see her smiling face. So one evening she had me over for Moscoto and cookies, and we had a blast having a little photoshoot. It was just the boost I needed!

When I arrived, she came down to let me in wearing such a cute outfit that she claims she just “threw together.” A pair of boots, a teel sweater dress, a colorful scarf, black jacket and some fun hoop earrings. I was like “first, let me just shoot a few in what you’re wearing!”

She then showed me the collection she picked out for the shoot, each nicely laid out on her bed. Each of them are different and have unique story. Each are more than just a piece of clothing, but a collection of memories that evole emotion.

First, we have her two vintage dresses. This one with the black and white polka dots reminds her of her grandmother named Birdie Faye. Recently, shes been identifying a lot with her grandmother and stories from that time period. She even made Birdie Faye part of her name
on Facebook. She really seemed to have fun and let her silly side show in this one, claiming it makes her feel like Betty
Boop. She even stole my red shoes for a few of them! Hey, I’ll gladly share the wealth!

Second, is this lovely mint-green gown from the 1950’s. A friend of her’s was giving it away and she seized the opportunity to add such a unique piece to her wardrobe. It actually used to belong to that friend’s grandmother. The kitchen seemed like the most fitting room to photograph this one. It provided us with a nice, vintage backdrop. With both of these, I played around with some black and white to take us back a bit.

This next one is what Jai calls her “mourning dress.” She wore it to several funerals and now associates it with mourning those losses. She said that for a while, it was hard to associate that dress with anything else. She did force herself once to wear it somewhere that wasn’t a funeral. The light in these ones was just so unique. The contrast it provides is so interesting.

Next we have her funky, artsy dress. The funky pattern reminds her of an old friend who was very artistic and also wore lots of unique patterns. She was saying that when you are around someone a lot, you end up adopting their habits wether it’s their speech patterns or personal style. That is exactly what prompted her to buy this dress! I just love the sunglasses with this one!

This last dress is the Jai dress. When shehosted her radio show, she hosted it through an organization called Media Bridges that helps everyday people with media whether thats shooting video, recording radio or what have you. Several years ago she

won member of the year at Media Bridges. She wore this dress when she filmed a live version of her show. For her, this dress seems to garner up all kinds of happy emotions about her time as a radio host. It also looks stunning on her.

These little snipets I’m sure do not do these dresses justice. We live our complex and deep lives in our clothing. I felt so honored to learn these stories about the dresses of Jai.