With Halloween less than two weeks away, do you have your costume picked out? Shenae Grimes does! The 90210 star is going as Monster High’s Frankie Stein in a ghoulish getup designed by Project Runway’s Chris March. The actress gave us the inside scoop on her look, as well as answered all of our burning personal style questions.

First things first, tell us about your Halloween costume!
My costume is loosely inspired by the Monster High doll Frankie Stein, so I’m going to be incorporating a few of her different looks. Chris March has done this unbelievable, super glamorous Halloween party look for me. I’ll have the green skin and stitches on my face and all that fun stuff, but the outfit is going to be a bit of a departure from Frankie’s day-to-day Ghouls Rule look. It’s a hyper glam version.

Why did you choose to dress like Frankie?
Monster High is pretty much like the coolest series of dolls I’ve ever seen. I’m a witchy Goth on the inside, so it’s sort of been like my dream doll since I was a kid. The girls just look so cool. They’re so fashionable, different, and quirky, — it’s all about embracing freaky flaws and not doing that that uber-perfection thing that is often projected to young girls. I think it’s a really great message.

What are your favorite costumes from years past?
My favorite one was the one I wore last year. Me and my two girlfriends did zombified Disney princesses. I was a bloody, zombie-like, white-faced Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and they did Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.

Do you have any Halloween styling tips?
Finding the perfect balance between your ghoulish self and your glamorous self is the key. It can be hard! It’s not great to go too far in either direction. It’s Halloween, so you’ve got to play and have fun and channel all of that fantasy that we don’t see every day, but also keep it sophisticated and fashion-forward. That’s what will make you stand out in a crowd.

We’d also like to know about your non-Halloween look. How would you describe your personal style?
It’s pretty eclectic. I think I’m a little bit of a tomboy, though I have pretty classic taste nowadays. I used to want to wear the most ridiculous things I could find at the flea market that I would never see on anybody else, but now I’m more in tune with proper tailoring. I’m all about the silhouette and wearing flattering clothes for your figure, so that’s what I look for in an outfit. But I’m not really color savvy — I usually wear black, white, and gray.

Where do you like to shop, and what are your favorite brands?
Flea markets are still my favorite places to shop. As far as brands though, for jeans, I like Cheap Monday. I like Topshop and Zara. For higher-end brands, Helmut Lang is always my blazer go-to. They just make some impeccably cut blazers! I also love Stella McCartney for her suit jackets and Isabel Marant for a little bit more of a girly flare.

What’s on your wardrobe wishlist?
I need a new bag — I always wear them out. I basically find one bag that I love to death, and then I wear it every single day and every single night, so literally the straps are falling off. I’m in that position right now, and I’m in need of a new one. I’ve been carrying around the Alexander Wang bucket-style bullet stud bag for probably six months, but it’s literally falling off my arm.

Who’s your style icon?
It’s a mix of Steven Tyler and Sienna Miller. I love Steven with his crazy velvet outfits and leathers, and I think Sienna always looks perfectly put together even when she rolls out of bed to run an errand.

What do you consider your best red carpet moment?
I really like the outfit that I wore on Fashion Police. I know that wasn’t really red carpet, but for me that was the ultimate appearance because it was Fashion Police! I needed to make sure it was something that wouldn’t get me make fun of later. I wore something from a friend of mine’s company. It was her debut collection for Houghton, and it was an all-cream look, which I rarely do. I’m usually in all black, so it was a bit out of my comfort zone, but it was just really clean lines, really beautiful. Joan Rivers made me get up and do a little 360 spin, so I knew I did okay.

Do you have any dress disasters you’d care to share?
Way too many to even count! The one that was the worst was this multi-colored sequined dress with calf-high fishnet socks and awful geriatric platforms that were not cute and an outrageous leather jacket with insane shoulders. It was just too, too much all around. It was not one of my prouder moments.

How would you compare your style to Annie’s style on 90210?
It’s pretty different. I think Annie’s a little more refined, a little more cutesy, a little more girly. Her taste has definitely gotten more inspired by mine as I’ve had more input in the wardrobe the past couple seasons. Everyone seems to be liking that, which is really great. This means longer dresses, a darker palette, a lot of crop tops — I love crop tops with high-waisted things. It’s definitely taken a little bit of a Shenae spin, but the colors are still a little more bright and feminine than I wear.

What is it like being able to see your teen self on reruns of Degrassi?
It’s weird, I guess! It’s not like I’ve really known anything else, so I don’t even think about it. I was orange for a greater part of my teen years, so that’s hilarious to look back on. Stay away from self-tanner, ladies — it’s never a good thing! My style has definitely evolved since then. Like I mentioned, I used to want to stand out more and didn’t pay as much attention to fit. It was more about finding unique pieces then, and as you get older, your body changes and you become a woman. You want to look a little more put together.

And lastly, what are your fall must-haves?
It’s still really boiling hot in LA! I’m wearing a blazer right now, and I’m sweating. But fall must-haves for me are always grandpa sweaters. I stock up on grandpa sweaters from flea markets. I love those kind of wooly knits with fun cottage-y prints.

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