Everything I Learned From Dressing Like a Kardashian for a Week

A Fashion Nova model who is non the author of this piece. Photograph: Courtesy of Instagram/fashionnova

Perhaps, without noticing, you lot've double-tapped a Fashion Nova look during the hours you've spent mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Take a moment to remember the last time y'all saw an Insta-pal (whether a celebrity or a social-media influencer or a friend) pictured in absurdly high-waisted jeans with pre-fabricated holes large enough to clasp a cantaloupe through. Or maybe they were wearing a two-piece athleisure set so sexy it seemed meant for the club rather than running errands.

Mode Nova sells fast fashion at its fastest — if you're within 40 miles of their warehouse, they'll have a Postmate deliver your online club — and specializes in styles that would make your female parent ask you if you're "sure" you'd want to go out in them. (There are 5 brick-and-mortar stores in California, in improver to the online business.) It'southward a make that has mystified and intrigued me in the year since I beginning noticed its social-media attendance. The more than-than-5,000 Instagram influencers who work with the brand represent every level of modern-twenty-four hour period fame: Danielle "Cash Me Exterior" Bregoli, Baddie Winkle, and assorted members of the Kardashian/Jenner family take all posted pictures of themselves enjoying life in their Fashion Nova looks.

"A post from Kylie's page is amend than any Super Basin ad," Style Nova CEO Richard Saghian told me. And if she shares a photo of herself in Fashion Nova not just to Instagram but also to Twitter and Facebook, that, Saghian says, is an "apocalypse." (He ways this in a good way.) Most Fashion Nova influencers just receive free clothes, only Jenner is valuable enough to be paid, though Saghian declined to share the size of her fee. He estimates that one of her posts tin drive upwardly of $fifty,000 in sales.

It'southward no surprise that enough of people are willing to pay to look like Kylie, merely sheer metal slip dresses aren't quite every bit wear as lip kits. I wanted to know whether a normal citizen with a total-time task could navigate the world in Instagram clothes. How would Manner Nova fare in the earth across Calabasas? Would it be possible to dress like a Kardashian on a upkeep, while all the same feeling comfortable plenty to go out my abode?

The only way to find out was to try it for myself.

Training

The biggest struggle in finding outfits that serve the purposes of my experiment was finding my size. What I didn't realize until talking to Saghian was that Fashion Nova uses juniors sizing, offering the odd numbers betwixt i–15 (along with ane,2, and 3X options). Having not worn juniors sizing since simple school, I had no idea what to wait, peculiarly when information technology came to clothes shown on a model who looked like she had been gestated and born wearing a waist trainer. I consulted both their size nautical chart and online message boards to determine what a size 28/29 jean means in the Fashion Nova world. For those wondering, it means a size 7/9. I went with ix, just to be sure.

Because I wanted to be on the safe side, I ordered a lot, and some of the clothes didn't fit or seemed to be incomplete. Ane of the three pairs of jeans I ordered refused to budge past my upper thigh; a bodysuit couldn't manage to adjust both my boobs and behind; and a sheer, rose-gold sweater clothes came without a garment to wear underneath. I was fine with tossing the dress aside, because but touching its synthetic and not-at-all-sweater-like cloth made me feel as though my body would turn into one giant hive. The jeans, on the other mitt, could accept become an integral role of my wardrobe, and then that was a bummer. They fit my sister — a Style Nova size ane — similar a glove.

Day One: Casual Moment

For my beginning look, I went the "coincidental, cool" route: a destroyed "band" tee featuring a simulated band proper noun that I personally could not decipher, and Fashion Nova's most pop denim, the Glistening Jeans. Both the jeans and tee featured aggressive holes. I get all of my packages sent to work, so I had a chance to warn a few people about the Fashion Nova journeying I was embarking on; however, not even they were prepared to look me in the eye similar a contributing member of society when I walked into the role the side by side day in a top that looked roughly similar this:

What I did dearest well-nigh this outfit were the jeans. The fit is astonishing: It could be the Lycra, or the nonconstricting-even so-very-slimming loftier waist, merely I don't think I've e'er worn more comfortable jeans. Tight in all of the right places, they hiked upward my bottom, cinched my waist, and even offered a ton of mobility in terms of stretching and trying out squatting poses for the 'gram. The holes in both the top and the jeans did leave fiddling to the imagination, though, despite the fact that I was technically about 100 percent covered.

I love attention, but the gazes I got in this look almost convinced me to abort my Manner Nova mission before sundown. Who knows if it was the V-neck top that was cut to my omphalos or the upper portion of my exposed thighs, merely I had gentlemen part means for me in the street like I was your boy Moses, offer me a seat on the train, and but full-on gawk. I too accidentally exposed my chest to my auditor. Like a proud xx-something who's got her own and will use her money as she pleases, I dropped off my taxes in this wait! Be grateful that you've never had to talk most write-offs while trying to shimmy your boob back into its proper position within of your bra.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 2 out of 5

Day Two: Torso-con Moment

After accidentally exposing myself in Manner Nova, I waited until the weekend to habiliment the wait I was most excited for: the dress worn by Kylie Jenner herself in this indelible Instagram image:

Information technology'due south unproblematic — blackness, body-con, short, and perfect. The dress is likewise double-lined, which made it feel and fit like something higher-quality, and which made up for the fact that I couldn't bend over or lift my artillery above my head for fear of flashing withal some other population of innocent bystanders. Kylie wore her wearing apparel with a strappy heel, merely considering I'm forced to alive a more practical life, with public transit and bodily encounters with weather condition, I paired my wait with stockings, only added Style Nova's boots. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but this bowwow was bad in the dress.

I fully intended to take information technology to the club, but the closest I could get to ane was my cousin's 22nd birthday party at a bar. When I walked in, you would have idea I was North West in a corset by the bemused, intrigued reactions. I took it in stride. Before even making it to the vicinity of the bar, I was asked past multiple gentlemen if they could accept the honor of buying me a drink, which is harmless, just I also noticed a trend of guys thinking information technology was perfectly okay to grab my waist or hip when trying to "squeeze" by me throughout the dark.

The outfit proved to be both hot and comfortable, even if its tightness and shortness forced me to brand miniature and well-thought-out movements, like royalty or a doll — basically my ii favorite things. Even better, seeing me in Fashion Nova encouraged two friends and one family member to confess that they also had been secretly eyeing the brand. One of them had saved looks downloaded to her phone that she was besides aback to purchase, only my example inspired her to follow her Fashion Nova dreams! And my cousin confessed to owning a Style Nova bomber jacket. Literally, I am changing people's lives and wardrobes.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: four out of 5

Day Iii: Torn-Upwards Moment

Inspired by the weekend, I wanted to start the week on a Style Nova loftier, so I pulled the riskiest "work" wait from my bag of Fashion Nova tricks. When I go to work, I typically habiliment a sweatshirt, jeans, and Adidas or Chucks: very coincidental, just I similar to think I tin "wearing apparel it upwards." Which made this look — my uniform, but reimagined using Mode Nova pieces — even more fun/terrifying. On a Monday morning, I got up and put on some other (but very different) pair of ripped black jeans with this Justine top:

The wait seems uncomplicated, only I assure you it is not. The sweatshirt was one big hole that took me 90 seconds to properly get into, and even with a thin tank underneath, I still got some raised eyebrows. I looked like I had made a pit stop earlier work in club to become properly mauled by a tiger. Basically, it was very uncomfortable.

I'one thousand lucky enough to piece of work with my sis, who spent the majority of the day shadowing me around the role, telling anyone that I tried to avoid, "She's embarrassed, she's wearing Instagram clothes." I was as well asked to stand and twirl for some part-mates so they could fully take in how bizarre I looked and wonder why I cull to darken the door of piece of work in such an ensemble.

The jeans fit very well, but the holes were manufactured in a way that left tiny, thin strings cutting into my legs and cartoon blood and causing marks that I'one thousand hoping will one solar day leave my trunk. I went habitation solemnly that night, wishing Fashion Nova had never existed.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 3.v out of 5

Twenty-four hours Iv: Athleisure Movement

Yet, I had 1 more look. This expect — a classic athleisure moment, if you will — was the pièce de résistance of my entire project. Having seen this Wanderlust outfit on both Kylie Jenner and Baddie Winkle, I knew I had to get it on my body.

For a day of cocky-pampering and walking around the urban center, I paired my look with Adidas to make it clear to the earth that I was in no way working out, only bopping about town looking cute and comfy in a monochromatic, crop-elevation leisure suit, hunnies! As I had learned Way Nova clothes are wont to do, the fit made me look terrific. Every part of my body was popping off in the well-nigh amazing fashion, and in public, no 1 bothered me, because they could tell that anyone wearing this sexy weekend look meant business organisation and only cared about herself! It was ideal. I looked bang-up and I remained unbothered by unwanted attending.

That is, until after my massage, when truly the unexpected happened. As one does, I undressed before I hit my masseuse'south table, and had calming visions of finishing my day roaming the streets in Fashion Nova. This was clearly a pipe dream: My already-cropped top shrunk about ii sizes within the ninety minutes it was off my body! It wasn't doing anything but sitting folded on a chair, withal still information technology was able to plough itself into a bandanna. And so, instead of carrying on with my twenty-four hours, I had to walk to the nearest railroad train and rush home to change. I used my purse as a shield considering my entire chest was exposed. Despite this, I'm thankful for the few hours of proficient habiliment I got out of the outfit.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 5 out of five

Reflections

Once my fourth dimension wearing Fashion Nova clothes was done, I breathed a sweetness sigh of relief. Finally, instead of Insta Mariah, I was Mariah Mariah, in Banana Republic jeans and plaid shirts. I tin't say that I absolutely hated wearing Style Nova, but I hated how cocky-conscious I felt wearing the clothes. I also can't say that these clothes are non balled up in an eco-friendly purse in a corner of my flat, waiting either to exist donated or worn to the gild with my girls, when and if we ever determine to go to the club. I will say, all the same, that I've continued to peruse the site — because later having a taste, no matter how sour, I'1000 still giddy at the prospect of wearing an particular worn by my favorite Kardashian.

But really, information technology'due south non my opinion that matters: It'south the opinion of middle-schoolers living on allowances, of athletic champions similar Serena Williams (aye, she's a client, Saghian reports), and everyone else with bottled-up Instagram-influencer urges inside her.

Everything I Learned From Dressing Similar a Kardashian