Dressing Up Even With Nowhere To Go, What's The Point? These 9 Most Fashionable Influencers Show Us How To Always Look In Style & Why You Should Too!
While enduring this global health crisis from home, many of us are watching our screen-time numbers reach all-time highs. As cabin fever sinks in and the disheartening news on TV feels more pervasive than ever, our Instagram feeds offer much needed escapism. It is important to emphasize sensitivity at this time as we are not all in the same boat. While many people work essential jobs and see COVID-19’s impact firsthand, thinking about style may seem frivolous.
Self-care advocates emphasize the importance of maintaining a daily routine while the pandemic drastically alters our norms. For the fashion community, joy can be found in the normalcy of documenting an outfit-of-the-day. Our Instagram feeds are filled with outfits styled to match the masks we wear for the safety of ourselves and others, elucidating just how much this pandemic has shaken up our world and how that bleeds into our style, self-expression, and art. The following influencers demonstrate the value in dressing up even with nowhere to go. They emphasize self-expression through style while many of us feel a lack of inspiration. The following is PhotoBook Magazine’s list of most fashionable influencers during COVID-19.
1. @slipintostyle - Elizabeth Delphine a.k.a Ellie
You can find Ellie mopping the floor in a two-piece Versace set and tangerine Manolo Blahniks or doing her laundry in an Alessandra Rich logo-print suit. When pandemic strikes, this Parisian it-girl keeps the creativity coming, feeding our desire for chic without ignoring the dullness of life indoors during quarantine. Ellie’s curated feed brightens Instagram in the midst of bleak news, telling a story by incorporating humor into high fashion.
2. @mianne.chan - Mi-Anne Chan
Mi-Anne Chan brings a pop of color to your Instagram feed. Her makeup looks feature rainbow eyeliner, glitter, and intricately drawn flower motifs. Mi-Anne’s outfits remain consistent with her subtlety-is-out look, featuring colorful layering and spunky pattern mixing. She often posts tutorials for her eccentric makeup so that you can get the look too.
3. @samanthapleet - Samantha Pleet
This independent New York designer gets inspiration from films such as Daisies, Valerie, and Her Week of Wonders, which she describes as, “stories of magical women who do not want to grow up in the traditional world.” Pleet designs and produces fair-trade, ethically made garments in small batches, using natural, organic materials and limited-run fabrics that she hand-picks. Her feminine, gingham collared dresses and floral, embroidered sets feel nostalgic, such as her running, a picnic basket in hand, through a field of flowers. Pleet’s feed shows off these vintage-inspired, whimsical designs with long unbrushed hair and rosy cheeks.
4. @foreveryoursbetty - Betty AKA Tangerine Queen
This Scottish fashion blogger and self-proclaimed “colourful loudmouth” rocks tangerine hair, statement glasses, and pattern mixing. Betty who believes in mood dressing—meaning that if you dress happy, you’ll feel happy— calls the color orange her “happy place.” Each post during the pandemic has featured the message “stay home and keep positive” as her location tag.
5. @young_emperors - Nelson Tiberghien and Isabelle Chaput
Young Emperors are THE matching couple, and it’s not often that your significant other’s style aligns perfectly with your own. This French couple isn’t afraid to break gender stereotypes in their everyday fashion. They style everything from identical looks down to the earrings and nails to more loosely coordinated color palettes and patterns. They rock unisex staples such as denim and button-up shirts, creating a feed that shows off the clothes with idiosyncratic, playful poses. Recently, they’ve made posts reflecting on happy memories and the styles that go with them. One caption reads: “In these dire times it feels weird to post anything, but here are our holiday pictures which makes us smile thinking of sunnier times, hope they make you smile too!”
6. @wuzg00d - Alani Figueroa
Alani’s vibrant street style strays from the predictable minimalism and shades of nude that dominate the highly curated feeds of many fashion bloggers today. Alani, who takes inspiration from her time living in Puerto Rico, is all about graphic makeup, color blocking, and streetwear. Explore her feed for layered jewelry, detailed nail art, and her frequently changing hair colors which range from violet to neon green.
7. @brittanyxavier - Brittany Xavier
This fashion influencer, with a following of over 1 million people, is known for mixing high and slow fashion and documenting motherhood by coordinating outfits with her daughter. Brittany loves a good leather jacket and pair of vintage high-waisted jeans. During the pandemic, she turned a pair of H&M sweatpants into a DIY two-piece athleisure set that she styles with an oversized blazer, Chloe handbag, and a mask (of course). Her feed currently documents OOTDs, with masks to match, for daily walks and coffee runs.
8. @maría_bernad - María Bernad
This 23-year-old Spanish designer, creative director, and stylist is known for her curated vintage style. Imagine a chic micro-bob, retro head scarves, print and texture mixing, and the occasional zoomed in shot of a three-hundred-year-old portrait, the assumed source of inspiration. Her feed is organically eclectic, with natural light and little to no photo editing. María founded Les Fleurs Studio, in 2017, a brand that showcases her personal aesthetic and focuses on sustainable vintage fashion.
9. @susiebubble - Susie Lau
While this freelance journalist typically covers international fashion weeks, she has used her platform during this period of self-isolation to recognize the strength of essential workers and to speak to the importance of empathy for those who do not have the privilege of working from home. She encourages her followers to make their own protective face coverings while showcasing her personal style with masks to match. Susie also posts her bright vintage looks, some taken before the pandemic, offering nostalgia for a time when we were able to bring our style to the streets.
Article & Tearsheets by Adele Cardani, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine.
Instagram: @adelecardani
