Big Hair and Bikinis::Tayler

Tayler won 3rd place in our Visions of Green contest! She shared with us that 80% of her wardrobe is thrifted and that she never spends over $20 on a piece. She enjoys the fact that shopping for vintage means your overall look will be more unique.



Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’ve lived in Portland, OR all my life. My dad has his own construction business which has always inspired me to have my own business one day. Next year I will be attending OSU to study fashion design and international business.

When and how did you become interested in fashion?
Growing up we didn’t have a lot of money, so my mom took to me goodwill to shop. I didn’t realize other families didn’t do that. In middle school I found out my friends didn’t go thrift shopping and so I refused to continue to shop at goodwill. In high school, I really got into my creative side and I started loving the idea of thrift shopping and finding unique pieces. Then I started reading teen fashion magazines online, where they introduced me to blogging. I was really inspired by other people’s blogs so I started my own blog to share my style and the things I make.



What are your dreams and aspirations?
I want to start my own line of clothing, then my own boutique where I sell my own clothing and other designs from the community, as well as vintage. I would also love to sell my own jewelry. This has been my dream for the past 2.5 years.

What made you start a blog?
I started my blog (Big Hair and Bikinis) last August, when I was house sitting and didn’t have anything to do. When school started in September, I started doing outfit posts every other day. Then I started to post things that I actually made; art, jewelry, sketches. I would spend about 4 hours a week just going through blogs and connecting with other bloggers. I’ve been blogging a lot less because I’ve been dealing with the college admission process, finding scholarships, and graduating high school.

I really liked the idea that your blog could become a business. Originally, that’s what I wanted to do, but then I realized how much time needs to be put into it.



Do you have an absolute favorite piece?
I love my light purple Eddie Bauer button-up. It’s actually what I wore in my Visions of Green entry photo.

Who is your inspiration/role model?
I like Marilyn Monroe for her grace, confidence, and feminine style. I adore my grandma! She’s a huge vintage collector. She collected everything from jewelry to dolls, all over her house. She’s inspired me to collect and sell vintage.



What advice would you give fashion bloggers in terms of publicizing themselves?
If you want your blog to be seen or known, go through many different blogs and try to connect with them. Leave comments, leave your link, and eventually bloggers start listening to you.

Tayler also told us that vintage sellers usually hand-pick the items they put in their store. The fact that the items are good enough to be sold again, means they must be of high quality to have lasted that long. You’d be making an investment as well as recycling!