You know that girl who just looks like she’s the embodiment of having your life together? You know, ‘That Girl’? If you do, then you’ll know that her name is actually Celeste Marrero ’27, and my afternoon with her began at Adirondack House as we walked the path to the Knoll together for her photoshoot.
The newly-declared International and Global Studies major, who also recently took on a second job, greeted me with her dyed-blonde hair in neat waves that swept around gold earrings. Her rosy smile curved beneath a pair of green rectangular sunglasses bought in Argentina during a summer internship with a Uruguay-based NGO.
Marrero described her clothing aesthetic of choice.
“Business casual, I think, is really my go-to, although I have many different styles — it just depends on the day,” she said. “Especially when I have classes and stuff, I just like feeling put-together.”
Marrero’s preference to conduct her photoshoot on the path to the Knoll reminded me that she is a Fostering Inclusive Recreation Experiences (FIRE) trip leader and loved nature, a passion that has developed after spending so much time away from her hometown of Queens, New York, and embracing this aspect of the Middlebury lifestyle.
However, she was still dressed in the chic business casual clothes she referred to earlier: a white-and-maroon striped sweater vest from Sincerely Jules layered over a tight, black long-sleeve shirt, tucked into a pair of navy blue low-rise straight jeans that widen slightly below the knees.
“I like when they’re not really tight at the bottom. Like, there has to be a little flare,” she said.
All of the day’s clothing comes straight from the TJ Maxx in town, a store of which Marrero is a frequent customer. As we hiked through dirt and grass still wet from a recent rain, I brought up her shoes, dramatic maroon boots with a high heel, also from TJ Maxx.
“It’s fine,” she assured me optimistically, hitching up her jeans so they wouldn’t get muddy. If anything, I realized, this resilience exemplified Marrero more than anything: classiness that persists — perhaps even flourishes — here in rural Vermont.
Her friend Iyatta Morgan-Mariano ’27 told me later about the incredible variability in her style.
“Celeste’s style is so chic and classy — plus, it’s fun! She can serve successful businesswoman one day then comfy-girl streetwear the next. Seeing her around campus is always a treat ‘cause she has no bad dress days,” Morgan–Mariano wrote in a message to The Campus.
After hiking back from our halfway-to-the-Knoll photoshoot, Marrero and I conducted the rest of our interview in her dorm room. As soon as I stepped foot in the tidy space, a pleasant autumnal scent washed over me. When I asked, Marrero attributed the aroma to her vanilla-scented reed stick diffuser and a candle-burning lamp she’d been gifted — a small lamp specifically designed to release the fragrance of candle wax without igniting the wicks. It also makes the candle last longer.
“The candle itself is white pumpkin-scented,” she added. “Because it’s fall, and my favorite season is summer, but I love fall outfits and scents more.”
Marrero uses a variety of perfumes. “I usually go for vanilla — more, like, warm and cozy type of fragrances.” Lately, she’s found herself wearing Pink’s Warm & Cozy, which offers notes of soft vanilla, toasted coconut and passionfruit. For formal occasions, she’ll spritz on some Versace Bright Crystal, an iconic, shining smell with hints of yuzu, pomegranate, peony and amber; it is a scent that exudes confidence. It also pairs well with her first name, Celeste, which in Spanish means “heavenly” or “celestial.”
Marrero often bases her perfume on her clothing choice of the day, which stems primarily from the weather; she’ll check whether she can wear a cute outfit or have to throw on a hoodie and jacket. Secondly, “What I usually do is I go into my closet and I find one piece that I really like, then style everything else around it,” she said. She focuses more on the cohesiveness of an outfit rather than individual pieces, which is a mindset many could learn from.
“With Celeste, it’s really her versatility,” said Gabrielle Anchondo ’27. “She can do vibrant colors or be super professional or wear all-black and she’ll pull it off no matter what, and make it hers.”
Marrero’s jewelry is relatively consistent. The chunky gold hoop earrings and her gold chain are both from H&M. She has six ear piercings in total, plus her nostril ring, which is also gold. Her mother also gave her two of her bracelets, both of which contain sayings, the first reading: “I love you to the moon and back,” and the second, “Class of 2023.” The latter was a high school graduation present. Another bracelet was yet one more gift from her boyfriend, a gold band with a small diamond protruding from the center.
A busy student aiming to study law and travel the world, Celeste Marrero embodies adventurous professionalism with her clothing while expressing aspects of her femininity through a love of fragrances and flattering jewelry, the warm sweetness of her perfumes matching that of her friendships and personality. She truly dresses for success, and rarely does she not obtain it.
