Everything I Learned From Dressing Like a Kardashian for a Week

A Fashion Nova model who is not the author of this piece. Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/fashionnova

Perhaps, without noticing, you've double-tapped a Fashion Nova look during the hours you've spent mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Have a moment to remember the last time you 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 and then sexy it seemed meant for the club rather than running errands.

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

"A mail from Kylie'southward page is amend than any Super Bowl advertizing," Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian told me. And if she shares a photo of herself in Manner Nova not but to Instagram but also to Twitter and Facebook, that, Saghian says, is an "apocalypse." (He means this in a practiced fashion.) About Manner Nova influencers just receive free dress, but Jenner is valuable enough to be paid, though Saghian declined to share the size of her fee. He estimates that i of her posts can drive upwardly of $fifty,000 in sales.

It's no surprise that plenty of people are willing to pay to look similar Kylie, merely sheer metallic slip dresses aren't quite as vesture equally lip kits. I wanted to know whether a normal citizen with a full-time job could navigate the world in Instagram clothes. How would Mode Nova fare in the world beyond Calabasas? Would it be possible to dress like a Kardashian on a upkeep, while still feeling comfortable enough to go out my habitation?

The but way to detect out was to try it for myself.

Preparation

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 Style Nova uses juniors sizing, offering the odd numbers between 1–fifteen (along with i,2, and 3X options). Having not worn juniors sizing since elementary schoolhouse, I had no idea what to expect, specially when it came to apparel shown on a model who looked like she had been gestated and born wearing a waist trainer. I consulted both their size chart and online message boards to determine what a size 28/29 jean means in the Manner Nova world. For those wondering, information technology means a size 7/nine. I went with ix, just to exist sure.

Because I wanted to be on the safe side, I ordered a lot, and some of the dress didn't fit or seemed to be incomplete. One of the iii pairs of jeans I ordered refused to budge by my upper thigh; a bodysuit couldn't manage to accommodate both my boobs and behind; and a sheer, rose-golden sweater dress came without a garment to wear underneath. I was fine with tossing the dress aside, because just touching its synthetic and not-at-all-sweater-like material fabricated me experience as though my torso would turn into one behemothic hive. The jeans, on the other hand, could accept become an integral role of my wardrobe, so that was a bummer. They fit my sister — a Fashion Nova size 1 — similar a glove.

Day 1: Casual Moment

For my first await, I went the "casual, cool" route: a destroyed "ring" tee featuring a false band name that I personally could not decipher, and Fashion Nova'due south near popular denim, the Glistening Jeans. Both the jeans and tee featured aggressive holes. I become all of my packages sent to work, and so I had a adventure to warn a few people about the Mode Nova journey I was embarking on; even so, non even they were prepared to look me in the eye like a contributing member of gild when I walked into the function the next day in a top that looked roughly like this:

What I did love about this outfit were the jeans. The fit is amazing: Information technology could be the Lycra, or the nonconstricting-yet-very-slimming high waist, simply I don't think I've ever worn more comfortable jeans. Tight in all of the right places, they hiked up my bottom, cinched my waist, and fifty-fifty offered a ton of mobility in terms of stretching and trying out squatting poses for the 'gram. The holes in both the acme and the jeans did exit little to the imagination, though, despite the fact that I was technically almost 100 percent covered.

I beloved attention, but the gazes I got in this look almost convinced me to abort my Fashion Nova mission earlier sundown. Who knows if it was the V-neck acme that was cutting to my navel or the upper portion of my exposed thighs, but I had gentlemen part ways for me in the street like I was your boy Moses, offer me a seat on the train, and simply full-on gawk. I also accidentally exposed my breast to my accountant. Like a proud 20-something who'south got her own and volition employ her money every bit she pleases, I dropped off my taxes in this look! Be grateful that yous've never had to talk about write-offs while trying to shimmy your boob back into its proper position inside of your bra.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 2 out of 5

Day Two: Body-con Moment

After accidentally exposing myself in Style Nova, I waited until the weekend to vesture the look I was nigh excited for: the clothes worn by Kylie Jenner herself in this indelible Instagram epitome:

It's simple — black, trunk-con, short, and perfect. The dress is as well double-lined, which made it feel and fit like something college-quality, and which made up for the fact that I couldn't curve over or lift my artillery above my caput for fear of flashing yet another population of innocent bystanders. Kylie wore her dress with a strappy heel, merely because I'k forced to live a more practical life, with public transit and actual encounters with weather, I paired my wait with stockings, but added Fashion Nova's boots. I don't mean to toot my ain horn, but this bowwow was bad in the dress.

I fully intended to take information technology to the order, merely the closest I could get to one was my cousin's 22nd altogether political party at a bar. When I walked in, you would accept thought I was North Due west in a corset by the bemused, intrigued reactions. I took it in step. Before even making it to the vicinity of the bar, I was asked past multiple gentlemen if they could have the honor of buying me a beverage, which is harmless, only I too noticed a tendency of guys thinking it was perfectly okay to catch my waist or hip when trying to "clasp" by me throughout the dark.

The outfit proved to exist both hot and comfy, fifty-fifty if its tightness and shortness forced me to make miniature and well-thought-out movements, similar royalty or a doll — basically my ii favorite things. Fifty-fifty better, seeing me in Style 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 too ashamed to purchase, just my example inspired her to follow her Fashion Nova dreams! And my cousin confessed to owning a Fashion Nova bomber jacket. Literally, I am changing people'southward lives and wardrobes.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: iv out of five

24-hour interval Three: Torn-Upwardly Moment

Inspired by the weekend, I wanted to start the week on a Mode Nova high, and then I pulled the riskiest "work" look from my bag of Fashion Nova tricks. When I get to work, I typically vesture a sweatshirt, jeans, and Adidas or Chucks: very casual, but I like to think I can "dress it up." Which made this await — my compatible, but reimagined using Manner Nova pieces — even more fun/terrifying. On a Monday morn, I got up and put on another (but very different) pair of ripped black jeans with this Justine tiptop:

The await seems elementary, merely I assure you it is not. The sweatshirt was 1 big hole that took me 90 seconds to properly get into, and even with a sparse tank underneath, I still got some raised eyebrows. I looked like I had made a pit terminate earlier work in society to become properly mauled past a tiger. Basically, it was very uncomfortable.

I'grand lucky enough to work with my sister, who spent the bulk of the mean solar day shadowing me around the office, telling anyone that I tried to avoid, "She's embarrassed, she'due south wearing Instagram clothes." I was also asked to stand and twirl for some role-mates and then they could fully take in how baroque I looked and wonder why I choose to darken the door of work in such an ensemble.

The jeans fit very well, simply the holes were manufactured in a fashion that left tiny, thin strings cutting into my legs and drawing blood and causing marks that I'1000 hoping will one day leave my body. I went home solemnly that night, wishing Fashion Nova had never existed.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 3.5 out of 5

Day Iv: Athleisure Move

Still, I had one more look. This look — 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 trunk.

For a day of cocky-pampering and walking effectually the city, I paired my expect with Adidas to make it clear to the world that I was in no mode working out, merely bopping almost town looking cute and comfortable in a monochromatic, crop-top leisure conform, hunnies! Every bit I had learned Fashion Nova clothes are wont to do, the fit made me wait terrific. Every part of my torso was popping off in the most astonishing fashion, and in public, no i bothered me, considering they could tell that anyone wearing this sexy weekend look meant concern and just cared about herself! It was platonic. I looked swell and I remained unbothered by unwanted attention.

That is, until afterwards 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 solar day roaming the streets in Way Nova. This was clearly a pipage dream: My already-cropped top shrunk about two sizes within the 90 minutes it was off my body! Information technology wasn't doing anything but sitting folded on a chair, yet still information technology was able to plow itself into a bandanna. So, instead of carrying on with my day, I had to walk to the nearest train and blitz home to change. I used my purse as a shield because my unabridged chest was exposed. Despite this, I'm thankful for the few hours of good wear I got out of the outfit.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: five out of 5

Reflections

One time my time wearing Way Nova clothes was done, I breathed a sweet sigh of relief. Finally, instead of Insta Mariah, I was Mariah Mariah, in Banana Republic jeans and plaid shirts. I can't say that I absolutely hated wearing Mode Nova, just I hated how self-conscious I felt wearing the clothes. I also tin can't say that these apparel are not balled up in an eco-friendly bag in a corner of my apartment, waiting either to be donated or worn to the club with my girls, when and if we e'er decide to become to the order. I volition say, however, that I've continued to peruse the site — because subsequently having a taste, no matter how sour, I'm still featherbrained at the prospect of wearing an item worn past my favorite Kardashian.

Merely really, it's not my stance that matters: It'due south the opinion of middle-schoolers living on allowances, of athletic champions like Serena Williams (yes, she'due south a client, Saghian reports), and everyone else with bottled-up Instagram-influencer urges inside her.

Everything I Learned From Dressing Like a Kardashian