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What is their relationship really like?  Before I knew I wanted to be a writer, I wanted to be an influencer. If you look back at my Instagram posts from spring 2021 through February of this year, you’ll see a string of fashion posts. I was convinced I was going to become a fashion influencer. That was until I realized the harsh realities of how (most) fashion influencers make their money through working with fast fashion brands and promoting overconsumption. Ways influencers promote fast fashion & overconsumptionPerhaps the most obvious example of influencers promoting overconsumption is fast fashion hauls. We see these everywhere, from TikTok to YouTube to Instagram. Brands pay influencers money to show viewers collections of clothing in the hopes that the viewers are inspired to buy these items. Most of the time, hauls are promoting these fast fashion brands- Princess Polly, Shein, BooHoo, and PrettyLittleThing. Viewers are often convinced these clothing items are necessary to complete their wardrobes and are also given a special coupon code as an added incentive to shop. Amazon Storefront is another big money maker for influencers. Being one of the biggest e-commerce giants, it is no surprise that Amazon is linked to overconsumption. Through the Amazon Influencer Program, influencers build a storefront containing their favorite products, recommend said products to their followers, then get monetary compensation whenever someone buys an Amazon product using their personalized URL. Influencers’ commission ranges from 1-10% depending on the product and they typically bring in anywhere from a few dollars to $1,500 each month. Making money by having people shop your storefront seems like a pretty good gig.  Why influencers promote fast fashion & overconsumptionThe reality is that in order to make enough money to create content full time, (most) influencers need to work with fast fashion brands and promote spending money at those stores. If you love fashion and want to inspire others to embrace their personal style, yet still need to bring in a good monthly income to support yourself, working with fast fashion brands seems like a no brainer. To succeed in this digital space, working with fast fashion brands is essentially necessary. Some influencers may even really like the clothes they promote and get a lot of wear out of them, but at the same time they are still promoting overconsumption to their followers. What can be done?An idealistic solution would be for fast fashion brands to get their act together. These brands are the ones responsible for unsustainable practices, unethical treatment of workers, and stealing designs from small artists. In a dream world, fast fashion brands would evolve into sustainable, slow fashion brands. Since that is not likely, what can influencers do to make a change? Finding a balance between promoting clothes/shopping and informing followers about the harms of overconsumption is the way to go. One influencer who truly executes this balance perfectly is Laini Ozark. She posts fashion videos on YouTube that incorporate the idea of being a conscious consumer. Her “trends I don’t like” videos teach viewers that it’s okay to sit out trends that don’t align with your personal style. Laini is also very selective of which brands she works with and collaborates with a mix of sustainable and “regular” brands. When collaborating with fast fashion brands like Princess Polly, Laini takes a unique approach. Instead of showing a giant haul, she shows Princess Polly items she already has in her closet that she loves and gets good wear out of. Final thoughtsIt is a tricky situation where influencers must choose between bringing in an income while promoting overconsumption or avoiding fast fashion but not making enough money to create content full time. Until fast fashion brands step up, the Laini Ozark approach of promoting a balance of consumption and being a conscious shopper is the way to go. And with that, I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post. XOXO, STEFFI
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4/23/2022 1 Comment WHAT I WORE TO COACHELLA My decision to attend the famous Coachella music festival was a last minute, impulsive one. About a week before Weekend 1 of Coachella I texted my best friend Alice, mentioning how ticket prices were at an all time low and how iconic it would be if we bought tickets and attended the festival. A few text exchanges later everything was booked and the following week I was on a plane to California! If you know me, you know I am such a Type A planner and not very spontaneous, so this weekend ended up being a real adventure! FRIDAY
We did not get to the festival until Friday evening, which meant I was able to avoid the harsh sun and wear jeans without sweating. I went with a fun pink and yellow set from The Ragged Priest, along with a white turtleneck and my go-to white chunky sneakers. If there's ever an occasion to go all out with accessories, it is a concert or festival. I rounded out my Night 1 look with my pink Marc Jacobs sunglasses, Barbie-inspired cellphone purse, diy friendship bracelets, and cute butterfly clips. SATURDAY
Apparently I was really feeling the Barbie look this weekend, because my Day 2 outfit was giving full on beach Barbie vibes. I love bragging about scoring a good deal on clothes, so I feel like I need to mention that I got this set from Frankie's Bikinis for over 50% off! (and if you know Frankie's, you know the brand is super expensive). I wanted this look to be monochromatic, so everything down to the sunglasses was pink. Since desert temperatures drop at night, wearing a sweater with this look was a good call. sunday
Sunday's look got me the most compliments, proving that Mega Yacht makes the coolest shirts. Once again, I wore my white chunky sneakers. I will never stop talking about how in love I am with chunky sneakers. Anyways, I rounded out the look with my Marc Jacobs sunglasses, diy friendship bracelets, and butterfly clips in my hair. This Day 3 look was definitely the comfiest, which is why I saved it for the end of the festival when I was the most drained. Despite buying tickets last minute and not having time to buy anything new to wear, I loved my outfits. It was such a great experience going to Coachella with my best friend, and I can't wait to share more festival fashion with you guys when I go to Lollapalooza this summer. see you next saturday with another fashion post.
The video sharing app TikTok is home to all types of videos, from pranks and comedy to news stories. TikTok has also become the go-to place for fashion content to be shared. The latest fashion content being pushed out?— fashion trend predictions. Everyone from professional trend forecasters to fashion enthusiasts are sharing their fashion trend predictions for 2022. If you want to know what’s likely to be trending this year, keep on reading. CATSUITSLooking for a new, sexy silhouette to try out this year? Add “catsuit” to your shopping list. This article of clothing is perfect if you want to effortlessly put an outfit together. Throw on a catsuit and then all you need to decide is what shoes and purse to wear. Check out some stylish catsuits below. OPERA GLOVESIf you want to add an elegant touch to your going out outfit, try wearing opera gloves. This accessory elevates any nighttime look. An added plus is you can’t use your phone while wearing gloves, causing you to disconnect and live in the moment! PLATFORM HEELSSay bye to your summer 2021 strappy sandals and hello to platform heels. These shoes not only add height, but also extra style to your outfit. If you live in a cold climate where winter is in full force, opt for closed toed platform heels. LOW-RISE SKIRTSIf you’re not a fan of the low-rise jeans trend, you might not like what I’m about to say… low-rise skirts are making a comeback. A few years ago high-waisted items were all the rage, but as the trend cycle spins on we’ll be seeing a lot more low-rise items. One cool way to hop on this trend is to style a denim low-rise skirt. A simple, black low-rise skirt is also a good option. Now that you’ve got the fashion 411 on TikTok-predicted trends, go and try out your favorites for yourself! And with that, I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post! XOXO, STEFFIIn case you weren't aware, I love to shop. Even if I don't end up buying anything, I love to window-shop in stores and scour sales online. There have been a few brands as of late whose sites I frequent and whose clothes I can't resist adding to my cart. Keep on reading to learn all about my favorite brands and what makes them so great. LONELY GHOSTTake one look in my closet and you'll realize I am obsessed with Lonely Ghost. This clothing brand was created by the iconic Indy Blue in 2018 and was originally called Indy the Label. Upon examining my wardrobe, I realized my personal Lonely Ghost collection includes 4 t-shirts, 1 long sleeve shirt, 2 pairs of sweatpants, 10 sweatshirts, 1 pair of earrings, and 1 hat. Wow! In my opinion, Lonely Ghost has some of the coolest hoodies ever with very unique designs and phrases on them. I've included a few of my favorites below. One aspect of Lonely Ghost that really sets it apart from other brands is its close-knit group of supporters. Lonely Ghost strives to make its customers feel like a family. The brand has definitely cultivated a community through its Instagram. When Lonely Ghost took to Instagram and announced the opening of Lonely Ghost Grocery (the first in-person LG store), the comments section was filled with strangers planning road trips together to go out to Utah and visit the store. This sense of community is a really special thing that most brands simply cannot achieve. ROLLER RABBITLooking back at my Instagram posts from 2021, you might notice a theme. As of late I have been really into the modern preppy aesthetic. If you're thinking to yourself, "what the heck is modern preppy?," I have a blog post all about this new aesthetic which I will link below. One preppy brand I have been loving lately is Roller Rabbit. What's cool about this brand is it's known for its signature prints. Among its most popular are the hearts print, monkey print, and jemina print. I am a sucker for the monkey print and have pajamas in the green monkey print, pink monkey print, and limited edition Christmas monkey print! I've included some cute pajamas below. LOVESHACKFANCYAnother preppy staple store is LoveShackFancy. I will admit this store can get quite pricy, so I like to shop for used LSF clothes on sites like Poshmark in order to find cheaper, secondhand pieces. LSF also has great sales every once in a while, so I recommend keeping an eye out for seasonal sales (right now the sale section on the LSF website has clothes up to 75% off!). One reason I'm drawn to LoveShackFancy is the pastel colors and all-around girliness of its clothes. I've always loved dressing up, and LSF has an endless amount of dresses, skirts, and ruffle tops on its site. CELIABAnother ~pricer~ fashion brand I'm currently obsessed with is CeliaB. This Spanish brand was founded in 2012 by Celia Bernardo and is known for its bright colors and funky patterns. My current style is definitely on the colorful side, so I really enjoy scrolling through the CeliaB website and looking at all the fun clothes. I've linked a few fun CeliaB pieces below. Like I said, the clothes are expensive and I could never purchase CeliaB clothing on a whim. I currently have 1 CeliaB dress which my Oma (grandma) gave me for Christmas. That being said, there are a lot of positive aspects of the brand that stand out. First, CeliaB puts an emphasis on making high quality clothes that are made to last. Sustainability is very important to this brand. In addition, CeliaB clothing is designed to make individuals feel unique and empowered. These colorful, funky designs are also created with the mindset of steering clear from fast fashion and rather creating fun pieces that don't adhere to temporary fads. THE RAGGED PRIESTMoving away from the girly/preppy aesthetic, an edgier brand I've really been enjoying lately is The Ragged Priest. This British clothing brand is known for its knitwear and patterned pants. Clothing by The Ragged Priest is sold in a variety of stores in the US, with one example being Urban Outfitters. I'm currently loving this Ragged Priest sweater I thrifted on DEPOP. Below I've attached some photos of it which I posted on my Instagram.
I also love how The Ragged Priest carries a variety of clothing, from bright sweaters to regular denim jeans. There are colorful pieces (which I am drawn to) and there are black, edgier pieces. Below I've included a colorful piece and a darker piece for reference. THREDUPI can't end this post without including a sustainable, secondhand clothing brand! My favorite at the moment is ThredUP. It is essentially a giant online thrift store where you can shop all your favorite brands, just secondhand. I personally love looking at the designer items on ThredUP's site because the items are all very discounted. I typically search brands like Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, Juicy Couture, and Tommy Hilfiger. I've included some cool items I've found below. I also have an influencer connection to ThredUP because as of January 2022 I am a ThredUP ambassador! It's been such a dream so far, and working with ThredUP was actually on my vision board for this year. Below I've included my first Instagram post as a ThredUP ambassador.
There you have it! My top 6 favorite fashion brands at the moment. Be sure to follow my Instagram to see how I style my favorite pieces. I'll likely make this a series where every season I share my favorite brands, so keep an eye out for my next installment! And with that, I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post! XOXO, STEFFI1/15/2022 0 Comments THE RISE OF "MODERN PREPPY" When many of us visualize the "preppy" aesthetic, we tend to picture neutral colored sweater vests, polos, horseback riding, old money, and the East Coast. Members of Gen Z have their own unique vision of what preppy is, hence the rise of the style deemed "modern preppy." This aesthetic takes components of the traditional preppy style (think knitwear and headbands) and combines them with the famous VSCO Girl era to create a style that is all its own. Key identifiers of modern preppy include the color pink, Golden Goose sneakers, frills on skirts and tops, beaded bracelets, smiley faces, and of course anything LoveShackFancy or Roller Rabbit. As with most new styles, modern preppy faces its fair share of criticism. Some call it "basic"; some view it as tacky; some deny it has any real connection to the traditional preppy aesthetic. While some hate it, others love it. Modern preppy can be found at many southern universities and colleges in the United States. Everyone who witnessed RushTok in the fall of 2021 has seen the colorful, frilly, girly, pink, sparkly outfits worn by women rushing (mostly) southern universities. Since modern preppy is an offshoot of the VSCO Girl era, it seems like this style will not stand the test of time the way traditional preppy has. What are your thoughts? Comment them down below. And with that, I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post! XOXO, STEFFI10/16/2021 0 Comments FALL FASHION VISION BOARD I love a good vision board, especially when it's fashion-related! The image above is my fall fashion vision board for this year- a collage filled with the trends, colors, styles, and outfits I'm inspired by this season. Keep reading to learn some tips & tricks for making your own vision board. MAKING YOUR OWN FASHION VISION BOARD:STEP 1: DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE You want your vision board to reflect your own unique style, so take a moment to write down which styles, articles of clothing, and aesthetics you love. Be sure you aren't just hopping on the latest trends- really think about what YOUR style is. For example, I wrote down: preppy, colorful, sweaters, crewnecks & hoodies, and layering. STEP 2: FIND PHOTOS Obviously Pinterest is a must! I'm linking my FALL FASHION VISION BOARD board here as a reference and starting point :) I also love to see what my favorite bloggers and influencers are wearing this season! I get inspo by going through their Instagram feeds and saving the outfits that match my style. STEP 3: MAKE YOUR VISION BOARD I like to use Pixelmator (like Photoshop but less expensive) to create my vision board. I simply download all the outfit images (including a few background images like the smiley faces and heart patterns) and then add them all together into a collage format. Canva is a great free site to use as well when making a collage. If you want to see how I recreated some of these outfits from my vision board, be sure to watch my latest YouTube video: RECREATING MY FAVE FALL PINS. And with that I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post! XOXO, STEFFI10/9/2021 0 Comments HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN CUSTOM JEANS If you're looking for a custom, unique item to add to your wardrobe, look no further. Today's post is a tutorial on how to make your own one-of-a-kind, iron-on patch jeans! STEP 1: GET INSPO ON PINTEREST Before embarking on this great project, you'll need to gather images of what you want your jeans to look like. I went on Pinterest and found some images that show the kind of design I'm going for. It's essentially a vision board but for your jeans! You can find my board below, but feel free to collect images yourself as well! STEP 2: GATHER YOUR MATERIALS  Materials needed:
*in this tutorial I am sewing the patches onto my jeans and NOT ironing them on. Sewing a patch on means I will be able to easily remove it later if I grow out of my jeans and want to transfer the patches to a different pair. There is nothing wrong with going the route of ironing on the patches- that just means the patches are permanently stuck to your jeans. BUYING THE PATCHES: This is the fun part! I ordered most of my patches off of Etsy. They were all pretty affordable and shipped quickly! I wanted my patches to be personal to me, so I searched for items like "Michigan patch," "skateboarding patch," and patches representing places I've traveled to and things I like. STEP 3: LAY OUT PATCHES ON JEANS IMPORTANT: don't sew anything yet! This is your time to mess around with design ideas and see where you want the patches to go. Really take your time with this step and try out multiple layouts before settling on a final design. TIP: I tried on my jeans beforehand to see where they crease when I sit down so I don't accidentally put any patches in that area (I want these jeans to be comfortable to wear)  Once you've settled on a layout, take a picture so you know where to sew each patch. STEP 4: START SEWING THE PATCHES ON To reiterate, I decided to sew on the patches instead of ironing them on so I have the ability to remove the patches down the road with a simple seam ripper. Below I'm linking a very helpful video which explains how to thread a needle/sew on a patch!  After threading the needle, I simply pinned my patch into place on the jeans and started sewing it down. Like I said, the tutorial above gives great visuals on how to sew on a patch! STEP 5: LOTS OF SEWING! Sewing on all these patches is a process that takes a while, but you can pass the time by watching tv, listening to a podcast, or watching YouTube videos while sewing. I watched A LOT of Gossip Girl while working on this project!  Here is an example of a patch that has been pinned down to the jeans and is ready to be sewn into place. STEP 6: TRY ON YOUR JEANS After all the patches are sewn down, try on your jeans to make sure they look the way you want them to. STEP 7: TAKE PICTURES!
Show off your one-of-a-kind, custom jeans by having a photoshoot! My mom helped me take some awesome photos at the beach. If you follow this tutorial and make your own pair of custom jeans be sure to tag me in the pictures on Instagram (@steffisaturdays)- I'd love to see how yours turn out! :)
Follow my Instagram to see even more pictures of these iconic jeans! I also made a YouTube tutorial for these jeans for my readers who are visual learners like me :)  And with that I will see you next Saturday with another fashion post! XOXO, STEFFI9/4/2021 0 Comments FALL OUTFIT IDEAS 2021Update- the blog is back & better than ever. After 3 days, 2 emails, and 1 Weebly support chatroom, I finally got my blog back (yay!). If you have a blog, this is your sign to not let your domain expire! Anyways, my first post for Steffi Saturdays 2.0 is all about fall fashion. With autumn just around the corner, now is the perfect time for me to share some fall outfit ideas with you.  LOOK NO. 1: A SWEATER VEST MOMENTLast year sweater vests were all the rage, and they aren't going anywhere this year either! My favorite way to style a sweater vest is by pairing it with a long sleeve top underneath. Layering is an easy and effective way to elevate an outfit. Another must-have this fall is a sturdy pair of Converse. I'm living for my white platform Converse at the moment. Round out your look with some timeless accessories like a Nomination bracelet and black purse, and you have yourself a perfect fall look. OUTFIT DETAILS: sweater vest- Tommy Hilfiger white long sleeve- TopShop jeans- CottonOn (from Poshmark) purse- Liz Claiborne shoes- Converse bracelet- Nomination Italy  LOOK NO. 2: Ralph Lauren SWEATERS >>Current obsession= Ralph Lauren bear sweaters! I need to take a minute to brag about this sweater- I bought it on eBay for only $60! These bad boys cost $398 on the Ralph Lauren website and typically go for around $200 on sites like DEPOP. Anyways, it's safe to say that Ralph Lauren sweaters are synonymous with fall. If you're going for this preppy look for fall, I recommend some sort of neutral-colored sweater paired with some white or tan pants. No preppy look is complete without a collar and a nice watch. Who cares if you actually only use your phone to check the time- the watch is there for the ~aesthetic~ OUTFIT DETAILS: sweater- Ralph Lauren (eBay) jeans- CottonOn collar- Amazon watch- Cluse (from Art Effect) boots- Nasty Gal headband- Walgreens  LOOK NO. 3: FALL FOOTBALL VIBESIf you want to be a bit more out there with your fashion, a fun statement piece for fall is a vintage cheer sweater. To be honest, this sweater was a bit trickier to style than I anticipated, as I did not want to look like I was giving my Halloween outfit a test run. In order to keep the sweater from looking too costume-y, I recommend swapping out a skirt for a simple pair of white jeans. Adding a purse also helps balance out the look, and I love the way the color of this Tory Burch bag matches the sweater perfectly! OUTFIT DETAILS: sweater- Wasteland thrift store in SF jeans- CottonOn turtleneck- Amazon bracelet- Tory Burch purse- Tory Burch shoes- Tommy Hilfiger (from Marshalls)  OUTFIT NO. 4: BLACKPINKA fun color combo to try out this fall is black & pink. I'm all about the colorful outfits for summer, and this look shows how you can transition to fall outfits without sacrificing fun colors. For this look I decided to have the turtleneck be the pop of color and have the black shoes and headband balance out the look. Also, these Burberry-looking pants simply scream fall. Find a pair of patterned pants like this, and you're golden. OUTFIT DETAILS: pants- Nasty Gal turtleneck- thrifted necklace- Forever 21 boots- Nasty Gal purse- Liz Claiborne bracelet- Tory Burch headband- Walgreens  LOOK NO. 5: ORANGE YOU GLAD IT'S FALLWhen I think of fall, I think of the color orange. This is why I had to create a look with this orange top I just bought from Anthropologie. The color combo of orange & black is a tad too Halloween-y for my taste, so I went with an orange & white color scheme. And before anyone says anything, you can wear white after Labor Day :) I also like the juxtaposition of the casual ripped jeans and Converse with the fancier gold Tory Burch jewelry. I think this creates a good balance and an outfit that is not too fancy yet not too casual. OUTFIT DETAILS: jeans- Free People (from Nordstrom) top- Anthropologie shoes- Converse necklace- Tory Burch bracelet- Tory Burch This post was so fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed! I'm so excited for this new chapter of my blog and I look forward to writing and uploading content weekly. I'll see you next Saturday with another fashion post- xoxo, Steffi Hello & happy Saturday! For this week's edition of "a daily dose of outfit inspo" I thought I'd share an outfit featuring one of my current favorite brands- Lonely Ghost. Lonely Ghost is a clothing company started by traveler, YouTuber, and influencer Indy Blue and her friends. They sell AMAZING loungewear that's not only cute & comfy, but affordable as well. For today's outfit I'm wearing their new "TEXT ME WHEN YOU GET HOME" crewneck. A year ago I would have said that orange is an unattractive color and not for me, but to be honest I'm finally starting to see the appeal. Lonely Ghost Co.: https://lonelyghost.co
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CategoriesAll Fashion Ootd STEFFI STYLES CategoriesAll Fashion Ootd STEFFI STYLES CategoriesAll Fashion Ootd STEFFI STYLES Authorhey it's Steffi, and this is my website where I post fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog posts. Enjoy! Archives
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