CANDID Interview: Diedre Gray
Diedre Gray is a powerhouse in all facets of her life. Attorney, mom of two, wife, arts and culture enthusiast and board member, and quite the interior design aficionado.
Diedre is EVP and General Counsel of a large St. Louis, MO company.
Photo by Richard Nichols
“We all have insecurities. And sometimes they get the best of us! But I try to step back and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.”
My personal style is evolving! I view my style as a work in progress, and draw upon inspiration from travel, interior design (my personal hobby and love!), and Instagram/web. I would characterize my style as modern with a traditional reference. Nothing too “out there” but love the idea of style that transcends time and age.
The best piece of fashion armor in my closet is definitely a great pair of jeans! I love to either dress up a pair of dark skinny jeans with heels and a great blazer, or a cable sweater with over-the-knee boots.
I’m making my mark by being true the basics, but trying to add a few statement, investment pieces that I can hopefully pass on to my daughter one day. I have a soft spot for handbags, too, which are probably a signature part of any look I have.
A professional/personal challenge that keeps me up at night dressing for the spring and summer in a chilly office environment! I get excited to put on a cute sleeveless shift dress, and then realize it’s 60 degrees in the office and I’m shivering. Not so excited then! Having the right layers on hand are key to solving this problem. I have not quite mastered this yet!
In moments of self-doubt I build myself back up by reminding myself that life’s true treasures are health and happiness of those we love and care about. A big “whoops” choice of outfit is really at the end of the day not a big deal. We all have insecurities. And sometimes they get the best of us! But I try to step back and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for.
Words of wisdom that resonate with me are dress like you’re going somewhere better later. It’s very tempting to put the bare minimum effort into dressing for work. You’re on limited time, have kids and dogs… and just feel like making the boring choice of attire, that same brown sweater and black pants. But, I actually feel more productive at work when I dress up a little!
I stay true to my passions by making conscious decisions about how to spend my time. Having very little free time is a good push in that direction!
I’m most proud to be helping raise children who I hope will be not only bright, but even more so, mindful, kind and have a world view. Might sound silly but watching them do simple things like stop someone who dropped something and hand it back to them with an “Excuse me, you dropped this” makes me very proud.
The one thing I would like to say to every woman in the world is hold your head up high, listen to your inner strength, and stay true to who you are.
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A beautiful friend, inside and out, and a woman I admire daily, Diedre Gray embodies the essence of a woman who does it all. Her chic and steady ethos shines through in her professional work, family, friends, community and home design. When she’s not fashionably trekking between these components of life she’s dreaming up her next home design transformation! x LKS