style story: shana minei spence
aka The Nutrition Tea!!!
***This post is photo heavy so if you’re reading this in your email, make sure to click through so you don’t miss any of it!
I’m not sure there’s anyone in the anti-diet space who doesn’t know
. In addition to her incredible content about diet culture, her memes and roundups are a little spot of joy when often the other news in the space isn’t so uplifting. When she started about a year ago, I was delighted to get to know the human behind the diet culture commentary a little better. Imagine my surprise when she published a couple of articles about her past in the fashion industry! I knew I had to get her on style stories!
Q: Introduce yourself, your work, and how you spend your time.
A: My name is Shana Spence, and I am a registered dietitian based in Brooklyn, NY. I worked in fashion for 9 years and then transitioned to a new career in nutrition. I currently work in public health doing nutrition lessons for lower-income communities, but I also am a freelance writer and have articles in Self, Shape, Outside Magazine, and Well and Good. I also have a book out now called Live Nourished: Male Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy! When I'm not working, I love traveling, hiking, dancing, and getting in my fair share of ice cream year-round.
Q: What was your style like when you were a child?
A: I was such a "tomboy" and really not into fashion at all until my last couple of years in high school. I was definitely a jeans and tee shirt kid which I would say I haven't deviated too much from, but now I do love to dress up more.
Q: Growing up, what messages were you given about what you should or shouldn’t wear (and from whom or where do you think those messages came)?
A: My parents were more on the conservative side, and they also funded my wardrobe, so I wouldn't say I could wear whatever I wanted. Not that it was bad because my mom actually dresses really well to this day, but still. I also went to a Catholic high school with a uniform, so I wasn't really able to express myself fully until college, I would say. But also, as I mentioned before, I was more of a jeans and tee kid, so I can't say that I was affected in any way.
Q: How has your style evolved since you were younger and what phases have you gone through with your style (i.e. high school grunge phase, early working days business casual phase, etc)?
A: I think I really started getting into my own style in college and then in my early 20s. This was the 2000s, so looking back at some of my clothing choices, I cringe, but I was still making them myself. This was the time when we were wearing blazers to the club, that business casual look. I'm not sure what any of us were thinking, haha. I also remember doing my study abroad in London, UK during my senior year of college. There were so many different kinds of fashion to look at and be inspired by, which was really fun.
Q: How have external pressures to conform to the ideal standard of beauty and the thought of how others view you affected your style?
A: I used to try to contort my body in order to fit the clothes I was wearing for sure. Diet culture teaches us that our bodies are the problem and we need to fix it, but that's not the case. Now, I buy clothes, and I don't care what size they are, as long as they fit my body and I am comfortable. It took a while to learn this, but I definitely feel so much more at peace, and I also feel more comfortable. I think when you are comfortable in what you are wearing, you reflect it in the way you carry yourself. This is completely individual because we all have different styles, which is great.
Q: How have your sense of style and shopping habits shifted along with changes in your body?
A: I now only buy and wear clothes that I am comfortable in and that fit. I refuse to wear anything too tight or try to get my body to fit into something that is too small just because it's a certain size. I also think when clothes fit comfortably on the body, they look better. I realize this is also coming from a place of thin privilege because folks in larger bodies have a harder time finding a variety of clothes to choose from because stores refuse to carry them.
Q: What barriers do you encounter in trying to express your style? Are there any situations or spaces you feel your style prohibits you from accessing or gives you better access to?
A: There are times when I feel extremely comfortable in the skin I'm in and want to wear less, but I also don't feel like being catcalled or having aggressive advances made toward me. The fun part of being a woman in this society, unfortunately. So, depending on the situation, I do tend to dress differently depending on the area that I am going to be in that day. Or, being in NYC, I do tend to walk a ton. I love the cute little heels or the strappy sandals but I am also realistic and know that I walk a ton and I can't always wear those types of shoes. However, it also costs a pretty penny to purchase higher quality and sustainable clothes. So I think cost is a barrier for many folks.
Q: Do you have any style icons? Who are they?
A: I absolutely love blogger Cynthia Andrew (@simplycyn on IG), and every time she posts something, I try to find where she bought it. She is not afraid of color which I love and also plays around with different silhouettes and patterns. Another blogger/author is Stephanie Yeboah (@stephanieyeboah on IG) for the same reason. She not only wears clothes well but also photographs herself in them and always manages to look editorial.
Q: How would you define your current relationship to clothes and style?
A: I do love to shop, but I am also more practical, especially in today's economy. I try to have a variety of outfits for different occasions to choose from. I will always want to be comfortable for sure, but more of a jeans and tee shirt style when I am teaching my nutrition classes and then my dressy casual clothes for other activities. I even pick out my athletic wear a certain way and make sure that it's a color and fit I love. I don't even know what to call my style exactly, but I love to shop at Madewell, Reformation, and Aritizia.
Q: What makes your style authentic to who you are today?
A: My style will always change with my mood, age, and body. There are some pieces that I have from about 8 years ago because they are "timeless" to me, but I am not afraid of trying new things. I sound like a broken record, but I always want to be comfortable no matter what the occasion. I also like to mostly opt for linens and cottons and more breathable fabrics.
Q: Do you wear anything that’s conventionally considered unflattering?
A: You will have to pry no show socks and flared leggings (or what we used to call yoga pants) from my dead hands. I do not care that they are deemed not in style, I will still wear them now and always.
Thank you so much, Shana! Since we don’t see a ton of her outfits on her feed, it was so fun to see and hear more about her style! Make sure you’re subscribed to Shana’s Substack at
, follow her on Instagram and purchase her book here or anywhere books are sold. I just finished it last night and it lays out diet culture and ways to reject it extremely clearly and concisely. There’s also a bit more about how the fashion industry affected her relationship with her body. If you loved this interview, leave a comment for Shana or like or restack this post! ❤️Paid subscribers, read on for Shana’s wardrobe recommendations!