My Go-To Look is a new interview series on Galbraith that spotlights the cool accessories and styles that women in different industries gravitate toward in their everyday life. Each woman talks about her daily uniform, her daily routine—and why this one go-to look works so well for her right now.
New York City-based Stephanie Armijo is a yoga instructor who bops around the city throughout the week, teaching at different studios and for employees at Citi Field. She's loved sports since she was a little girl and always knew she wanted to work in the industry. Her goal is to eventually travel full-time with a sports team, managing a yoga and meditation program for the athletes. Her go-to look? She's the *queen* of baseball hats. Here, she talks about why they're her go-to, her kickass morning routine and the athlete she most admires.
Before you talk about your go-to look, what's a day in the life of Steph like?
I travel to different yoga studios and teach classes in addition to my own clients—corporate and private. On Thursdays, I teach four sessions. I wake up at 4:30 a.m. to teach my first class at 6:45 a.m. I need to open the studio, sign in the class and be ready to teach, so I always give myself a little extra time in the morning to prepare. That's a heated vinyasa class, so I come home and shower after that. I grab breakfast and take a little nap before I head to Citi Field to teach employees weekly during their lunch break. After that I come home and have lunch and do a little work on my computer. I head back out by 5 p.m. to teach a private lesson and stay in the city to teach my last group class of the day: another heated vinyasa class at 8 p.m.
How do you manage to feel (and look!) like a human when you have to get up so early?
Routines have helped me tremendously. I know that when my alarm goes off, I have to get out of bed. It’s not an option to hit snooze or call in sick. So I set my alarm a little bit earlier than I need to, and I made a deal with myself that I have to watch or read something funny or inspiring before I get out of bed—it could be a meme on Instagram or a Facebook video. I also keep a gratitude journal with my goals in it. Each day I read my goals and write three things I'm thankful for. I drink two large glasses of water with lemon and a little Himalayan sea salt (which helps to keep me hydrated—especially since I teach hot yoga classes throughout the day) while I get ready. I set out my clothes, water bottle and anything else I need the night before so I don’t even have to think about it in the morning. By the time I leave my apartment, I’m ready to grab a coffee and get on with my day!
That's amazing! So how did you get into wearing baseball hats?
I've always been a big sports fan and I started wearing baseball hats in middle school. I have around 30 hats in my closet now. They're mostly sports-affiliated. I have probably 10 Mets hats, some from organizations I support, like Dream Charter School and the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and some functional, sweat-wicking, water-resistant hats from Lululemon that I love.
What makes baseball hats the perfect go-to?
I don't leave the house without one. I love that you can wear hats year-round—they've become a functional part of my wardrobe. I've also been caught in the rain so many times without an umbrella and hats have always saved the day. Lately I've been wearing my hair in a low side bun with a small clip to secure it. I also like to do a side braid if I'm not teaching yoga. New Era makes hats that fit me well. I have thick hair so the typical women's cap isn't big enough for me. Men's hats have a larger bill and more space. The 7 Line is an athletic clothing line that was created by a Mets fan and I really like the styles of their hats.
What's the hat you're wearing the most right now?
The "42" hat from the Jackie Robinson Foundation. I work with the foundation every year, and this year I picked one up at their Mentoring and Leadership conference. Jackie Robinson is my hero and inspiration. I named my yoga business Yoga 42 in his honor.
What do you find most inspiring about Jackie Robinson?
I learned about Jackie’s life as a child, but I didn’t take the time to learn his story until I started reading baseball biographies in college. He was such a special human being. Jackie broke the color barrier in baseball. What he did—changing baseball forever—was not something the average man could have done. Jackie—and his family—received death threats. He wasn’t allowed to shower with his team, travel with his team, stay in the same hotel with his team. He faced so much adversity just to play the game and to make the game bigger than himself. Integrity is incredibly important to me, and Jackie lived with integrity every day. He paved the way for all minorities—myself included—to be in the game of baseball.
Thank you so much, Steph, for sharing your amazing morning routine, how Jackie Robinson has impacted you and, of course, your love for baseball hats. 💗
Find your go-to baseball hat look, from fun to functional: for running, for pizza lovers, for an athleisure look, for the Mets fan, for weekends, for beach trips, for working out, for the millennial.
Photographs courtesy of Steph Armijo