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"    Photo: Courtesy of Mates of State   Temperatures may be reaching their summer peak, but that won&amp;#039;t stop Mates of State&amp;#039;s Kori Gardner from pulling on a pair of boots when the indie pop duo (her other half is husband, Jason Hammel) goes on tour. Boots are one item that the singer-keyboardist always packs (well, that and &amp;quot;a really great tour nanny from Charternannies.com&amp;quot;), no matter how hot it may be. That was the case this past weekend, when Mates of State played at Bridgeport, Connecticut&amp;#039;s Gathering of the Vibes Music Festival. While promoting the band&amp;#039;s latest album, Mountaintops, Gardner managed to keep her cool in a pair of motorcycle kicks. Read on as she gives ELLE an exclusive look at the rest of her festival ensemble. Outfit breakdown: &amp;quot;The dress is from a store that is a block down from The Echo in Los Angeles. There isn&amp;#039;t a tag or brand name on it, but it was a great purchase for only $30!     The necklace is custom-made by Sunny and Frank\u2014an amazing designer who is also currently opening a store in New Haven, Connecticut, in addition tothe brand&amp;#039;s Etsy spot. The shoes are from Rocket Dog; I like the color, somewhere between green and gray.&amp;quot; I brought this outfit on tour because:  &amp;quot;I actually bought the dress spontaneously when I was sick of my clothes [while touring]. I&amp;#039;ve been begging for a necklace from Sunny and Frank since I first saw the designer, Tess Henry, wearing one at a club in New Haven.  \u2028\u2028 My personal style is: &amp;quot;Comfortable yet flattering, pairing modern and vintage. I [haven&amp;#039;t been] wearing dresses lately but I like ones that are feminine with an edge. My rule is if a dress is too girly, pair it with something more masculine, like clunky work boots.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 If this outfit were one of my songs, it would be: &amp;quot;&amp;#039;Now,&amp;#039;&amp;quot; because it was just a quick, gut-feeling purchase. Spontaneous fashion is just as fun as spontaneous music\u2014I just like the idea of doing something that feels right without second guessing myself.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 I usually bring: &amp;quot;A bunch of long, baggy tank tops, tight, high-waisted pants, and a few pairs of boots. So maybe five total outfits with some extra shirts.&amp;quot;   \u2028\u2028 When packing, I take into consideration: &amp;quot;The limited amount of room we&amp;#039;ll have on the bus or van, [as well as] the different weather we&amp;#039;ll encounter being in so many different places. I pack extra socks and underwear in case we never get to do laundry. I also try to leave extra suitcase room for new clothes.  \u2028\u2028 You&amp;#039;d never catch me onstage wearing: &amp;quot;A midriff-bearing shirt.&amp;quot;  Before a show I: &amp;quot;Drink Sponge of the Sea Chinese herbal tea, sing loudly (to warm-up), and hang out with friends or my kids backstage.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 My pre-tour shopping spot is:  &amp;quot;Beacon&amp;#039;s Closet in Brooklyn, or the Goodwill in Milford, Connecticut if I feel like getting creative.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 The best on-the-road purchase I ever made was:  &amp;quot;This mustard yellow coat I just found in Yokohama, Japan last week. It has big, brown snap buttons. I also picked up some vintage white boots, a black dress, and a few shirts the size of a large garbage bag in Tokyo. The shirts somehow hang in a really flattering way. I&amp;#039;m kind of obsessed with Japanese fashion right now\u2014it&amp;#039;s always comfortable, with equal parts cute and edgy.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 My favorite thing to have happened on this tour was:  &amp;quot;Seeing my new favorite band, Chatmonchy, cover one of our songs to a sold-out arena. I cried. Respect and reciprocation always feels good.&amp;quot;  \u2028\u2028 "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elle.com/fashion/news/a21978/mates-of-states-kori-gardner-interview/>