Influencers…
I don’t consider myself an influencer. I mean, seriously, have I influenced any of you to buy much? I consider myself a blogger who writes, primarily, about fashion. I’m not a cook, a baker, or a DIYer, but I do love clothes! So, fashion is my niche. I know there are many people who consider influencer to be a dirty word. The dictionary says an influencer is “a person or thing that influences (source).” Yet another source says:
“Influencers are individuals with large or highly engaged social media followings who hold considerable sway in specific industries such as beauty, fashion, fitness, travel, and food. Known for their authenticity and innovative approaches, they use their specialized knowledge and authority to influence target audiences (source).”
Wait a minute…
Given the first definition, I might be an influencer if I’ve influenced you to think about something in a different way, to try a trend, or a fashion tip. But, if we look at the second definition, I’m far from an influencer. And, that’s OK. It seems like influencer is a dirty word to many. I don’t know what word they would choose instead, though. It’s a part of the new paradigm for shopping, I think. I recently came up with my new version of that old standard from our moms: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Instead, with social media, if you don’t like it, just scroll on by. Believe me, I do lots of scrolling.
An influencer…
But, there is this certain influencer who has gotten me to purchase items from different retailers. You know, I don’t know if she considers herself an influencer or not. Daenel of Living Outside the Stacks was the impetus for all my shopping at Kantha Bae. If you follow Daenel’s blog or her Instagram, you already know how chic, edgy, and quirky she is…all at the same time.
This influencer…
Daenel has lately been sporting a variety of dresses from Zuri. They are gorgeous and come in such amazing prints and colors. Daenel looks fabulous in them so, of course, I decided I needed one. OK, I wanted one because goodness knows I don’t need anything. I had been perusing the Zuri site looking for the just right print for me. I have sold a number of items on Facebook so I decided to treat myself to a dress. One of the things I appreciate about the website is they give you the color “notes.” I really wasn’t afraid to order from Zuri because I’d chatted a bit with Daenel about them. And, if she gives something a thumbs up, I know it’s a good thing!
Zuri…
This woman-owned company has brick and mortar stores in New York City and San Francisco. They say:
“We firmly believe that sustainable economies develop from businesses that operate fairly and ethically and create products that people want. Having spent a combined decade living in Nairobi, we’ve seen how much both corruption and aid can distort markets, resulting in wasted resources and unsustainable livelihoods. We hope that by paying fair wages, sourcing locally, and making a product that our customers truly love, we will be helping to support a long-term, sustainable economy in Kenya (source).”
The outfit…
This is the Folio dress, “a marbled paper design.” The colors are pink, light pink, black, periwinkle and red. It unbuttons all the way down the front with a covered placket. The dress is also 100% cotton kitenge African wax print, and, my friends, it has pockets!! The fabric has no stretch at all. Well, of course, it doesn’t since it’s all cotton. It’s a heavy cotton so it could be a bit heavy in really hot weather. At the moment, it’s a bit stiff. I’ve already washed and ironed it once to soften it a bit. The FAQ page says the stiffness isn’t unusual, and the dress will soften more with wearing and washing. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I was a bit afraid the dyes would rub off, but I didn’t have any problems with that at any point.
The Lewk!
Hey, it’s my Delight wedge sandals. I thought they had the best colors to play with and not against the dress. I then added two necklaces from J Jill. I realize you have to look closely to see there are two. One has all the black beads with the pink beads at the top. The other is the single strand of pink beads with the gold charm on it. For some reason, they didn’t sell earrings to match the necklaces. Since the necklaces are so unique, it was a little difficult finding anything in my jewelry box to match them. The other problem is most of my jewelry is silver rather than gold. First world problems, I know. I went with these pink topaz studs.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I cannot wait to experiment with this dress. I can see wearing it over a black column or even navy as it has bits and blobs of blue. I don’t own any pink pants so I don’t think that will happen. I can also wear it over jeans with a fun graphic tee! Is this the only Zuri dress I’ll buy? Hmmm, they are spendy so it might be. But, if I sell some more things at the local consignment store or on Poshmark, I just might. I have to tell you the quality of the fabric as well as the sewing is top notch. So, can we talk? What do you think of the word, influencer? How easily are you influenced? Have you ever been influenced to buy something and found it either wonderful or terrible? Do you think you are easily influenced (if so, I’ve got a bridge to sell)? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Very pretty Marsha, all those pinks but not over bold.
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/
Thank you so much, Rosie! I like that description…not over bold!
I consider myself an influencer and I own it! Ha!! Truth is I have been influencing my friends for years on all kinds of things.
Your new dress is so pretty and I am so glad you treated yourself! The colors are right up my alley and I think you will love it for years to come! I bet it would look great with tall black boots!
xo,
Kellyann
Hahaha!!! I guess I have done the same for many, many years! Friends would ask me for my opinions on clothes back when I was teaching. I can’t wait to wear it this fall and winter with all kinds of things. It’s just got so many possibilities!
Thanks, Kellyann!
I don’t know why the term Influencer has such a negative connotation. I didn’t really consider myself an influencer, but now that I’ve read your post, I’m thinking about it differently, and maybe I am. Anyway, love your dress! It’s such a pretty print!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Thanks, Jill! I definitely see you as an influencer but only in a good way. I wonder if it’s gotten such a bad rap because some people have not had the same luck with brands. Also, there’s the notorious NSale. I think that leaves a bad taste in some people’s mouths because “influencers” seem to have first dibs (even before the sale gets going), and then everything sells out. I don’t know! I am glad you like the dress. I love the colors and the print!
That is beautiful! I love the colors so much.
Thank you, Joanne! I was thrilled the colors were so vibrant and cheery!
I love the colors in your dress!
Thank you so much, Lisa! You know how you order something online and hope it’s somewhat close to what you see on the monitor? This dress was exactly as pictured. I’m so glad, too!
I think it’s advantageous when we shop at different stores and different brands, so we don’t always look the same every day.
It’s amazing how the term influencer has evolved. I like content creator more.
XOOX
Jodie
Thanks, Jodie! Hmmm, I usually think of a content creator as someone who makes videos and such. But, I’m definitely creating content when I write so I guess I’m a content creator, too! I just think it’s weird how people villainize the word, influencer.
The colours of the dress are amazing and look very good on you. Daenel is a beautiful woman with a great style sense. To be influenced by such women isn’t that bad right!
Thank you, Nancy! I agree…Daenel is gorgeous, and there is nothing wrong with being influenced like that!
I think I view the term ‘influence’ as someone who almost coerces folks into doing something/buying something/trying something that they normally wouldn’t do/buy/try. Which can be a very good thing. But I can be easily influenced right out of my retirement paycheck by things I see on FB, IG, and all of the bloggers I follow. So is that their fault or mine?? I would argue it is a weakness in myself!!
You know on Old Navy, you can select to see an item of clothing worn on a variety of different ‘models.’ So you can select a model that most closely matches your body type and see the pants, dress on that model. I always look at whatever it is on the medium-sized model with the rounder breasts and hips. I usually don’t like whatever is too much and then I switch to the small-sized, slim, tall, waif and always like the item on them so much better. And then I click on pay and buy whatever it is. Only to be unhappy when it arrives and I don’t look like a waif in it!! Ha!!
You can’t fix stupid!! Ha!! I need to get a grip.
Love this dress on you. Daenel does have a wonderful sense of style. Her own signature style. This dress would be lovely on her, too. The colors are so rich and as always, you have accessorized it so well. I like the strands of beads. They show up so well against the vivid color and print. Hope to heavens I can get back in my L’Artiste booties when this ugly boot comes off.
Thank you, Leslie! Trust me when I say I have looked at these dresses for months before finally buying one. They ran a sale (don’t do that very often), and I had made that money on Facebook. So, I clicked buy really fast!
I think you may be right about the influencer definition when people think of it as a bad thing. Maybe, we will see the term morph into coercer! I think that’s funny you use that tool on Old Navy to see how it will look on you and still buy it. I use it, see how badly it will look, and don’t buy! One time (out of many) when I exercise restraint!
I hope you can get into your L’Artiste booties, too. I’m sure you’ll be able to…just work into wearing that high of a heel. I don’t want you twisting your ankle!
Thanks, again, my friend!
I’m not sure it is a dirty word at all. I just hesitate to call myself that because I don’t feel influential enough! I love the dress you got. The bright colors are so pretty!
Thank you, Laura! I really do love this dress and can’t wait to wear it more often. I think it’s one of those words that’s been used so often people get tired of it. Then, they start to apply different perspectives to it.
Hi, Marsha – Thanks for introducing us to Zuri. They sound like a company of integrity. I’m impressed with how you paired the two necklaces so well that they looked like one. Fantastic! It certainly is true that us fashion bloggers want but don’t need new clothes. Haha! Take care – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
Thanks, Laura! Both of these necklaces hang on the same hook, and I almost always pick them up together. They’re just such a natural pairing and do really look like one necklace. I’m very impressed with the quality of this dress, both in the fabric and the sewing. It’s really gorgeous. And, you are certainly right…I don’t need any new clothes…but I seem to find them all the time!
I struggle with what influencer means but I look at it as sharing what I love and if that influences people then ok! 🙂 I adore this dress. The colors and print are stunning on you!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I honestly don’t think influencer is such a bad word, but I know it’s gotten a bad rap lately. I like the way you put it!
Marsha, thank you so much! Your words have blessed my heart. Honestly, I never think of myself as an influencer because my style is just so quirky. Most people say things like “Only you could wear this…” or “I wish I could wear something like that.” LOL It has been that way since high school.
That Zuri dress looks great on you. I love the marbled colors — the swirls just make me happy. I also like the layered necklaces {my new favorite thing}. And, trust me, the Zuri dresses do soften up with wear. Mine were pretty stiff when they first arrived, now there’s a softness to the ones I wear most often. I haven’t had issues with the colors running, but I know some have with the lighter colors.
Again, I love this dress on you. Oh, you can also wear it as a skirt by tying the arms together under the bust or behind the back. I haven’t tried that yet.
Thank you, Daenel! You truly do inspire my fashion because you are just so edgy and gorgeous! I think what those people mean to say is, “Only you could pull this off because it takes someone stunning for it to work!”
I really do like these dresses…now to not buy too many of them! I always love your stacks of bracelets. Someday, you’ll have to write a blog post dedicated to where and why you buy them.
I saw you can wear it as a skirt. I might look for a youtube video though I think there may be instructions on the Zuri website. I’m not sure how well that would work on me, though.
This is so pretty!!
Isn’t it gorgeous? I just love it. Thanks so much, Erin!
I certainly don’t consider myself an influencer and I don’t know if it is a dirty term or not but I think people who think they are influencing aren’t doing it the way they think they are sometimes.
Love that dress.
Thanks, Lisa! I have only influenced two people that I know of to buy something. One time was just because she liked the pants I was wearing (this was the first month or so I was blogging), and another time someone used one of my codes. So, I’m a pretty poor influencer!
I never refer to myself as an influencer, I find the term cringe city! I know a few women have bought things I showed, but I’m not really all that serious about it. It’s not a career for me.
Love the different colors in your dress. Have a great weekend, and thanks for linking.
Thanks, Gail. I really was thrilled when the dress was exactly as it appeared on my screen. I don’t consider myself an influencer, either. But, I honestly don’t understand why others feel it’s a bad thing. I don’t make money on my blog. In fact, I’d be in the red if I was running it as a business. For those who are using their blogs as income, I think influencer is fine…or whatever they want to call themselves.
Another super dress, the colours are great and definitely ones I like to wear. Do join my linkup Marsha. Jacqui xx
Thanks, Jacqui! I do love dresses and will definitely join your link up!
I read this on Teachable: “The difference between a content creator vs. influencer is that a content creator’s job is to write, design, and make content to build an audience while an influencer’s job is to showcase their lifestyle and other passions to build an audience.”
I’ll admit that influencer does have a negative feel to me because it has an artificial feel to me. How “big” do you have to get to be a real influencer and how much of what they show is really their lifestyle and not heavily influenced (!) by what they advertise to make money? Maybe I’m just too cynical, but like you said, I usually just don’t discuss this at all and just scroll by.
I think we all are or can be influencers in our lives in some way just by sharing our opinions, discussing with others, showing each other things we got or like to do and thereby making others try something out, buy something, think about something, etc.
I also think we all create content in some way if we are on social media, only the reach is different.
Cat
https://catswire.blogspot.com/
You have summed this up so well, Cat! I try not to be pushy about my links. Part of my agreement with April Cornell is to mention my code whenever possible, but I don’t receive any payment for it. I think I may be more of a content creator.
I really like your second paragraph because we influence people in ways we may never know. Thanks so much, Cat!
I would definitely not peg you as an influencer and I mean that as a compliment! Content creator works much better.
Thank you, Cat! I realized that, but I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!