Unveiling Wardrobe Choices: Rachelle Hruska MacPherson

Danielle McNally is the executive editor of InStyle, where she oversees features and special projects across platforms. Prior to joining the brand, she spent six years at Marie Claire in various leadership roles, including deputy editor, executive editor, and interim editor in chief. Danielle has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and DETAILS, leading on health, fitness, and nutrition coverage, in addition to editing news, political, and social justice features. She has also held positions at SHAPE and Food Network Magazine. Work Danielle has edited has been nominated for a National Magazine Award in personal service four times, with the package ‘Invasion of Privacy’ winning the award in 2021. Danielle has degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Miami. While there she spent her time creating and editing the school’s first student magazine, titled, appropriately, Distraction. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and son; you can find her virtually @DaniSMcNally.

The process of dressing each morning is as individualistic as it gets. From those who repeat outfits to vintage aficionados and emotional dressers, everyone has their unique approach. At InStyle, our interest extends beyond mere fashion trends; we delve into the profound aspects—how jewelry evokes emotions, the joy a cherished coat brings on a cold day, or the transformative power of a pair of shoes. “How I Get Dressed” dissects fashion routines, rituals, and preferences straight from the influential fashion figures we admire.

Rachelle Hruska MacPherson’s journey began in 2016 when she found herself grappling with postpartum anxiety and depression after the birth of her second son. A spontaneous visit to Joann Fabrics led to the embroidery of the word “Booyah” (suggested by her 4-year-old at the time) on an old cashmere sweater. She shared a photo on Instagram, and thus began the story of Lingua Franca. Renowned for hand-embroidered pieces featuring whimsical and provocative phrases, Lingua Franca has grown into a brand with four stores, offering ready-to-wear and resort collections. Worn by celebrities like Meryl Streep and Selma Blair, the brand has also raised over $1.25 million for over 200 organizations such as the ACLU and Everytown for Gun Safety.

Eight years later, Lingua Franca remains committed to embroidering everything to order. Hruska MacPherson takes pride in their full distribution center in New York’s fashion district, emphasizing zero waste due to their made-to-order approach. The company, predominantly run by women, provides flexible work options and supports a diverse range of employees.

Hruska MacPherson’s personal style, often described by her husband as “vintage grandma,” permeates through Lingua Franca. She embraces turtlenecks, jeans, and a preference for more coverage, evident in the creation of the lightweight silk cashmere material used in flowy matching skirt sets. As Lingua Franca contemplates entering the denim space, sustainability remains a key consideration.

Using her company as a platform, Hruska MacPherson addresses topics close to her heart, including gun control, women’s rights, and women in politics. She believes in the subtle activism of creating beauty in one’s life as a form of resistance against the overwhelming challenges present in the world.

How I Get Dressed: Rachelle Hruska MacPherson Rachel Hruska wearing a pink sweater and jeans sitting on a counter COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

How do you plan your outfits? I’m not a planner at all. I literally plan what I’m wearing 10 minutes before I have to head out the door — to the disgust of everyone in my family because I’m always like, What am I gonna wear? And I have to leave in five minutes.

I have to be feeling [what] I want to wear. I have to be in the moment. I rarely think about the weather. In fact, I never look at the weather, which is also a problem, because I am inappropriately dressed for the weather a lot.

Rachel Hruska wearing a pink and black outfit next to a fireplace COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

Do you have an outfit formula or uniform? During the day, I have a basic uniform. I am a jeans person. My entire closet is basically just jeans. I do not show up to my office looking out of a fashion ad. A lot of the people on my team do. And I am impressed, every day. I do not have the bandwidth for that. I wear jeans every single day with comfortable shoes (either Birkenstocks or Adidas Sambas or Nikes) and usually a blank T-shirt — long sleeve or short sleeve — and a Lingua Franca sweater. If it’s not a T-shirt, I’m in a button-down shirt. And if it’s not Lingua Franca, it’s a denim one. I wear denim on denim probably at least once a week.

During the day I’m one of comfort. If I’m not comfortable, I cannot focus on anything but that one discomfort. I can’t get my work done because I’ll be like, I have a blister. I’m like a child in that way. So it has to be comfortable. It has to be comfortable.

I have a lot of lucky jewelry that I wear during the day. I have my mother-in-law’s diamond jaguar ring. We found it in a plastic bag mixed in with all these files after she passed away. It just happens to fit me. So I wear that every day. I have my Grandma Irene’s wedding ring with my own wedding ring. I have a Marlo Laz good luck charm necklace. And then I have these Lucy Delias small diamond hoops. Then I have a lucky charm bracelet that my husband has been adding new charms to for holidays. So those are kind of my feel-good, I-need-security [pieces]. That’s my standard uniform.

Rachel Hruska in front of one of her Lingua Franca stores COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

Do you like to shop secondhand? Do you have a specific vintage obsession? I love getting pieces that are vintage. I think they’re so special. What I tend to gravitate towards are people that have personal style. I don’t like trends and I never have.

I have four pairs of Gucci loafers that are all vintage. I’ve gotten some from RealReal, some from 1stDibs. I’m obsessed. None of them are brand new. I’m convinced it’s the best thing because they’re already worn in. So you get no blisters. The more worn in, the better for me. You don’t have to feel precious about them. You can just beat them up, throw them in suitcases, because they’re a hundred bucks, not a thousand.

I went to the vintage show once in New York and it’s not for me. I’m not good at shopping in person. I wish I was better at it. I feel like I don’t have time to really put into it and you kind of need time to get really good stuff. When I travel, I actually have time to [roam] around stores. I was in Tokyo right before the pandemic and we went vintage shopping and that was fun. If I go to the Paris Flea market, I think that’s fun; my husband can go with me looking for his own thing and I can look for fashion.

Rachel Hruska wearing a purple top and black skirt next to a staircase COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

Do you have a current fashion trend that you have strong feelings about? Low-rise I never want to come back. I like that high-rise. I’m a high-rise jean person. I don’t care. I wear my Wranglers and my Levi’s. I am not going [low-rise].

Thongs: I’m not going back. I’m not doing that. I’ve had two kids. I’m not doing thongs and I’m not doing low-rise. Okay? Those are my only nos. Everything else I’ll maybe try.

How do you get dressed differently for an event than your day-to-day? At night I put a little bit more thought into what I’m wearing. I wear [loafers] out, too. I love loafers. My standard, going out at the Chelsea [Hotel, which Hruska MacPherson’s husband owns]… I have a couple of vintage pleated skirts that I really like to wear with fun socks and my Gucci loafers. Lingua Franca I always wear out in some capacity. We’re starting to do a lot more pants and skirts and dresses, which is nice.

I like color. [Lingua Franca has] this amazing silk, hand-painted Anja maxi dress that I am dying to get my hands on. It came in yesterday, so I’m gonna be wearing that a lot. I like to wear skirts. I don’t show a lot of skin. I usually look like a grandmother — a knit cardigan with a pleated skirt and funky jewelry. I love Lisa Eisner. I have so many of her pieces. She’s a dear friend.

Rachel Hruska in a pink and black outfit next to a fireplace COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

Where are your favorite places or brands to shop? Any brands that I like the founder of and I know that they’re doing a really great job in fashion sustainability. We stock a lot of these things. I love La Ligne; I love their cotton dresses. Birkenstock is a go-to. We’ve done a collab with them; we’re doing another one this summer. I love Marfa Stance. Maria McManus is a good friend of mine. Rosie Assoulin. I love wearing my friends’ stuff. Batsheva is a very good friend of mine. I’m not a good shopper. So if it’s not Lingua Franca, it’s usually from a friend.

Who is your style inspiration? Anyone that has a personal style that is authentic to them is someone that I gravitate towards. Caroline Bessette Kennedy had classic style that was so her. She is all over my feed, so I’m sure she’s trending right now, because I see her every day. So she’s top of mind. Lisa Eisner — I think she has this iconic personal-to-her style. My mother-in-law, Janet McPherson, had her own personal, weird style. I think any of these women who are unafraid of showing off who they are, even if that’s not trendy, they are my style guides.

Rachel Hruska wearing a purple top and black skirt next to a staircase COURTESY OF RACHEL HRUSKA

What item in your closet has the best backstory? I have a vintage [Hermès] Kelly bag that my husband bought for me when we were first dating. I loved it so much, but wanted to make it look different from all of the rest. So, I enlisted Candice Bergen, a true favorite of mine, to hand paint a camel on top of it. I love it so much.

How would you describe your personal style in three words? Classic, quirky, comfy.