Getting Ready With: Jillian Siu
"I am really grateful to be so busy all the time."
Getting Ready With is an interview series where I pass the keyboard to stylish creatives on how they get dressed, get inspired and get ready. If this post is too long for your email, you can view it better here.
Jillian Siu calls herself a “Jill of All Trades” for good reason. She’s a creator, a stylist, a model but most of all — she’s got a talent for being in a constant state of play. Whether it’s through her embelished TikTok videos or colorful photo dumps on Instagram, everything she makes has an element of neverending exploration that you can’t help but get sucked into. And that’s because she’s not afraid to keep trying, sketching and adding. “I’ll try my hand at anything that provides me an interesting creative challenge,” she says. 🔗 Where to find Jillian: TikTok & Instagram.
From her glowy skincare routine to a her larger-than-life outfit building here’s how Jillian Gets Ready….
What is the first thing you put on every day?
As soon as I get up, I have to put on my cozies. It makes the whole “getting ready” process feel more comfortable and luxurious. Mornings are already hard enough—why not extend the coziness of my duvet to my morning costume? My go-to is almost always an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpant combo, usually from Aerie. It’s one of the few places where I still shop for clothing “new”, that I treat myself to a few times a year. They make my favourite underwear too. I’m very brand loyal once I find something I really like, haha.
There’s just something so indulgent about starting the day with a luxurious mist — it makes me feel very grande dame diva, which is definitely the energy I aspire to most days.
Product-wise, the first thing I put on my skin after washing my face (either with the Youth to the People Kale + Spinach Superfood Cleanser or the Cerave SA Cleanser) is a facial spray. Lately, I’ve been loving a hypochlorous acid mist I found on Amazon, but Tower 28 makes one with the same ingredient focus, so I might try that out next. I’m honestly not super picky about what the spray itself is. There’s just something so indulgent about starting the day with a luxurious mist—it makes me feel very grande dame diva, which is definitely the energy I aspire to most days. I also think it’s just a great way to hydrate and prep your skin before you start layering on any other products, and helps them to spread and work more effectively
Do you have any quotes, affirmations, or lyrics that guide you in the morning?
“I push, I work, I’m such a busy girl.” – Tove Lo, Busy Girl
Or: “I am the luckiest girl in the world, and everything is always working out in my favor.”
I love starting my day with words and feelings that remind me to move through life with positivity and confidence. Everyday is a choice and I like to choose to start my day as powerfully as possible when I can muster it, hahaha.
I complain about it a lot, but I am really grateful to be so busy all the time. I am lucky enough to continue to be drawing opportunities to busy myself with work that interests and motivates me, and what more could one ask for really?
What are some of your morning rituals?
Coffee. Always. I honestly can’t start getting ready without one. I make myself an Aeropress coffee with collagen and soy milk. My naturopath suggested adding collagen to ease the effects of drinking coffee on an empty stomach, and it’s become an essential part of my routine since I insist on starting my day with a coffee before anything else.
I love the ritualistic nature of using an Aeropress—it has a process that requires focus and intention, which I like to think helps set the tone for the rest of my day. Plus, it’s quick enough that I don’t feel like I’m wasting time, but still hands-on enough to feel meditative.
If it’s nice enough out, I also love making time to sit on my balcony to enjoy the first quiet moments of the day (and sips of coffee) before I start actually getting ready for the day. Giving yourself a few quiet moments to sit in the sun, or just in the fresh cold air, to just let your brain wander is so valuable, and I think it ultimately helps me to focus more deeply later in the day when I need to.
What does your outfit-building process look like?
I rarely plan my outfits the night before unless I have a specific event in the morning. Even when I pre-plan, there’s a good chance I’ll change my mind by morning. As George Costanza once said, “I happen to dress based on mood.”
For me, dressing starts with function over form. Living in a Canadian climate means I have to account for unpredictable weather, so I’ll often step out onto my balcony for a quick temperature check before deciding on the day’s look. But beyond that it really does depend on how I’m feeling that day, what I need to do, or where I need to go. I often have to plan outfits that will take me from the office to events or social outings, so that often dictates what or how I will wear something that day.
For me, dressing starts with function over form.
Once I’ve narrowed down what functions my outfit of the day needs to perform, which usually dictates at least one or two pieces of my outfit as the base building blocks, I tend to shift my focus over to creating interest through colour, texture, and shape. I love pattern-mixing, colour-blocking, and creating interesting contrasts in textures that create visual interest in what might normally just feel like a “basic” outfit.
What piece of clothing are you gravitating toward right now?
It’s long skirt season! I’ve thrifted so many great long wool skirts, or purchased well-loved vintage ones, and they’ve become such a staple in my wardrobe when it’s cold out. They’re cozy, versatile, and feel delightfully romantic. There’s something incredibly charming about running up the subway stairs while having to hitch up a long skirt—it gives me my main character energy.
What do you listen to while getting ready or winding down?
My music taste is all over the place, and I embrace that. Having a background in dance for me means I really value how music feels in my body more than where it comes from or who it’s being performed by.
In the mornings I often rely on my Spotify Daylist, which always entertains me with hilariously specific names for my eclectic listening habits. I look for songs that energize and motivate me since I need all the help I can get to leave the house. In the mornings, I definitely want to dance. Tove Lo, Chari XCX, Troye Sivan, Chappell Roan, are always on the list. But in the morning it can run the gamut from hyper pop, to punk, to midwestern emo and beyond.
When I’m winding down, I really like to turn to my vinyl collection and just listen to an album front-to-back. I have a very soft and tender spot in my heart for Jim Croce’s music, and I have two of his albums on vinyl that I love to put on on Sunday mornings or on weekday evenings when I just want to relax.
Another album, which I unfortunately do not have on vinyl yet, but that I have had on repeat front-to-back is CHROMAKOPIA by Tyler, the Creator. I think when I want to let my mind wander, I enjoy listening to a full album because it feels more like a story being told to me that way.
What books are on your nightstand right now?
I’m a bit of a chaotic reader—I have several books in various states of being read, and many, many on my TBR list. I’m definitely a morning reader though, because I pretty much crash as soon as my body comes into contact with my bed.
Recently, I finished “All About Love” by bell hooks, which I read over the better part of the last year while I was bust preparing for my now-passed wedding. I’m also nearly done with “The Mastery of Love” by Don Miguel Ruiz. His straightforward wisdom resonates deeply with me, like being guided by a sensible but firm wizard. It’s definitely been a big year for love for me, and I’ve really wanted to reflect more on the practice of love in my life.
Another book I need to return to is “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker, which has been transformative for how I approach building community and hosting with intention and purpose. My TBR pile right now includes “The Creative Act” by Rick Rubin, “Answered Prayers” by Truman Capote, and “Visual Intelligence” by Donald D. Hoffman, as well as a slew of print magazines to which I am trying to return.
What’s your process for getting unready?
As soon as I get home, it’s “outside clothes off” time. I live in my Aerie Offline flare leggings—they’re soft, stretchy, and cute enough if I need to leave to run errands after work.
In the bathroom, I start the process with a balm cleanser (usually Banila Clean It Zero) to thoroughly remove my makeup and any city grime. I follow that with a face mist to hydrate and prep, and then layer on any actives I’m using at the time. I loosely follow Dr. Whitney Bowe’s skin cycling routine, alternating between Paula’s Choice BHA Gel, Naturium Retinol, and rest nights where I use lightweight serums (like this one from Youth to the People or this one from BYOMA) or skip actives altogether.
For moisturizer, I rotate between some well-known and well-loved favourites: Embryolisse Lait Crème Sensitive, La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume, and Weleda Skin Food. During the day, I keep it simple as well with Cetaphil SPF moisturizer. I like my moisturizers plain jane and easily accessible.
What’s always in your bag?
• Keys (hopefully)
• Headphones
• Wallet
• 2–3 lip products (always a balm!)
• Rollerball fragrance or solid perfume
• Mini tape measure and scissors
• Lighter and mints
• Several reusable Baggus
If there’s a chance I’ll have downtime, I’ll toss in a book. My current go-to bag is the Small Cloud Carry-On from Baggu, which I have in the Boxer Plaid print from their collaboration with Collina Strada. It’s the perfect mix of functional and stylish. It has so many handy exterior and interior compartments but its not too big, so it makes it great for both work and travel.