Ever looked at the effortlessly chic OOTD of a style influencer and wondered how she does it? Us too. We dive into the wardrobes of two stylish people of Instagram to find out what it takes to look so flawless at any time, any angle.
Ever looked at the effortlessly chic OOTD of a style influencer and wondered how she does it? Us too. We dive into the wardrobes of two stylish people of Instagram to find out what it takes to look so flawless at any time, any angle.
It’s not realistic to aspire to have this kind of wardrobe if you’re the average person on the street with a normal budget. You have to remember that influencers get a lot of sponsorships.”
On average, how much do you spend on shopping every month?
About $500 to $600. Wow, I wasn’t aware of how much I was spending till this interview! I’m kind of a shopaholic and I sometimes go on shopping sprees so…
Would you say that your wardrobe is expensive?
Not at all! My wardrobe leans towards the affordable end. I’d much rather spend a certain amount of money on several items than on just one designer item. I usually shop at Bershka, Forever 21, H&M, and online shopping sites like Taobao.
As a style influencer, do you feel pressured to be dressed up all the time and not repeat your outfits?
I usually plan my outfits the night before, and I put a lot of thought into what I wear. But yes, of course I do repeat outfits for casual events, like when I’m hanging out with my friends. Just no pictures when that happens!
Do you think it’s possible for the average girl to have the wardrobe of a style influencer?
It’s not realistic to aspire to have this kind of wardrobe if you’re the average person on the street with a normal budget. You have to remember that influencers get a lot of sponsorships. Like I just started in this industry last year, and I’ve already got enough clothes to last me the entire year just from sponsorships alone.
Wow, a whole year’s worth of sponsored clothes?
Your wardrobe must be bursting! Yeah, it feels like I have a thousand pieces of clothing. There’s a spare room in my house that I use for storing clothes, plus I also have bags of clothes sitting in my storeroom. It got to the point where my dad is asking me to consider buying an external storage space to house all of them.
How do you organise your wardrobe, and how do you decide if it’s time to toss an item?
I generally categorise them into three piles: clothes that are new, clothes that I have already worn out, and clothes that I want to sell off at a flea market.
"I always dress for myself. Sometimes, people ask me why I’m dressed so nicely when it’s a casual event. But I dress nicely because I want to feel good about myself.”
So, how much do you spend on clothes?
I wouldn’t say that my wardrobe is an expensive one – in fact, I used to shop a lot at flea markets. And I usually wait for sales; I seldom buy clothes at full price. My style changes every few months, so I’d rather not spend so much on something that I might only wear out once or twice.
Let’s talk about your wardrobe. It takes up a third of your room!
My mum designed it. We renovated our house recently, so she decided to upgrade my wardrobe. Initially, she wanted to have another one on the other wall, but I told her it’s too much. Previously, my wardrobe only had one column.
Where do you usually shop?
I love Zara. I shop a lot there. It’s an affordable way to experiment with style, and I find that I can wear some of their pieces all-season. I sometimes shop online as well, and I also get stuff free.
What are some items in your wardrobe that have a special place in your heart?
I still keep the collection that I designed for my final-year project in school! The central theme that I had was feminism and female empowerment, and I wanted to create clothes (right) that encapsulate that. Plus, I spent four months on bringing that collection to life, so…
When did you decide to become a style influencer?
I never had plans to be an influencer. I was a fashion student in polytechnic, and I wanted to become a fashion designer at first. But I started experimenting with my style when I was in school, and that’s when I started documenting my outfits. After a while, I realised I really enjoyed taking photos of my outfits, and I guess my online following just started from there. But being an influencer is just a side thing for me; my main goal is still to build a career in the fashion industry – be it as a stylist or creative director.
What’s something that most people don’t realise about being a style influencer?
To me, being a style influencer is about expressing myself as a person. This stems from my love for fashion. There’s this pressure to come up with interesting content – I don’t want my followers to see something they can find everywhere else, you know? It’s important for influencers to find a niche.
And what is your niche?
One thing I want to do with my platform is to represent my race. I use this hashtag, #browngirlreppin (laughs)... When I was growing up, [some people] would make fun of my skin tone, or comment on how brown I am. When I first started doing this, I received comments like “thanks for doing this”, “you’re an inspiration”, and this was back when I had only about a thousand followers? So if there’s one thing I want to stand out for, it’s for embracing myself and inspiring others to do the same.
Do you have a fashion rule that you would never break?
I would never let anyone tell me what I can or cannot wear, not even my boyfriend. I always dress for myself. Sometimes, people ask me why I’m dressed so nicely when it’s a casual event. But I dress nicely because I want to feel good about myself.
