This Friday, as I was finishing up my work week, I got the ping that my style feature article in Washingtonian was live…from one of the people who I was able to feature in the article (thanks Mimi for having a Google alert set up for your business!)
I knew that maybe I would get a little bit from this article going live, and I knew that I would be proud of myself, but I also knew this was the opportunity to use influence for its best possible outcome — helping others. I have such a talented group of friends in DC, people who are creatives despite the reputation of DC as being anti-creative. People who make things or create content that is so tangibly real while it seems like the rest of the fashion world is becoming more and more fake.
I’m so proud of this article because not only is it well written (thank you, Emma!) but also because it also shows off The Low Low Style’s “why.” I didn’t create this blog to show off my body or tell you all how awesome I am. I created it to show that you: the girl in the next apartment, the stranger on the Metro in the morning, or the mom who is keeping her kids on a strict schedule CAN dress with style on a modest budget.
Size-Inclusive
I haven’t always been curvy, but genetics dictate that this is just how it is and *most* days I love my body and wouldn’t ever wish for another. I love featuring brands that have some sort of size inclusivity aspect to them, so that all my friends and followers when they ask me “omg I want that, where did you get it?” can get a link from me and I don’t have to think to myself “oh, are they straight size or plus?”
However, very few brands have sizes from XXS to XXL…though a few do. I choose to feature brands that I can actually wear (duh) so many brands are just out of the question for me. Since plus women are underserved in fashion, I tend to feature more plus brands because of that lack of options. I hope that in the next 10 years, brands are able to offer a wider range of sizes to cater to every body, but change is slow and resources are short.
Sustainable
Since my start in 2013, I’ve researched more about fashion’s impact on our world both in an environmental sense, but also a humanitarian sense. For me, taking care of the earth and the people that live here is a commission that comes from God and a conviction that comes from my faith. However, it is also inarguably the right thing to do.
The fashion industry is a disaster, but personal style remains eco and justice-friendly because it relies on the individual’s decisions. Fashion tells you that this color is in, and this color is out. Style tells you that if you like that color, you should wear it whenever you like!
That’s why my blog incorporates budget friendly items, but always second hand, and typically features higher priced items from sustainable or local designers. Fast fashion brands will pitch me occasionally, but I have to turn them down because I believe that the only way to make this problem better is to start with our own style choices.
Secondhand
“Sustainable” as a word can mean a lot of different things to many people. I could write an entire book on what is and what isn’t sustainable, but the easiest thing to remember is this phrase IN ORDER: 1. reduce 2. reuse 3. recycle.
For me that looks like, 1. don’t buy stuff I don’t need 2. wear the things I have more than 9 times. 3. Buy second hand, and sell secondhand. Because of fashion’s impact on our world, I couldn’t with good conscience continue to feature fast-fashion that I wore once, or got on sale at super cheap prices, and then got rid of. Secondhand and rented allows me to have the fabulous options that I have, while having a significantly reduced negative effect on the world.
The Future of The Low Low Style
I hope that you’ve liked following along with me as I’ve grown up in this fashion world, and have gotten some ideas of what to wear, or that you’ve been inspired to have a little more fun with your style. Thank you for following along with me for the past 8 years, and I hope that you’ll continue to follow along with me in the next chapter of my life as I take on marriage, and more!
Thank you!
Kelly-Lynne Russell
The Low Low Style 