THE FIRST Q&A OF 2025!

Happy 2025!! I can’t believe I’m writing these words. The past year has flown by and to be honest, I was happy to close the book on 2024. It has been a challenging year for me personally and I am looking forward to all the milestones that 2025 will bring. The Atlantic and the Pacific are 15 years old. I am 40 years old. And I’m celebrating a big wedding anniversary! I hope 25 is kinder than 24.

I thought I’d start the year off with an updated Q&A. Every few months in the Atlantic-Pacific region, I like to collect some new questions (and some recurring questions) that I receive via comments, emails, and direct messages. So today I’ll answer some of your final questions! You can also view old Q&A posts here, here, hereand here Plus visit the many FAQ posts below. If I don’t answer your question this time, please contact me and I’ll do my best to answer it!

How do you get low hair?See my tutorial here.

What is your daily makeup routine?Watch it here.

How did the Atlantic and Pacific oceans begin? Read about it here.

How and when did you enter the world of fashion? You can read all about it here.

Q: Where do you see the influencer space headed?

A: The influencer space is more nuanced than ever. Where we used to see huge overt trends in this space, I think the growth in diverse platforms and the overall number of influential people means we’re seeing the rise of micro communities. The impact will continue to grow due to more and more people of all ages turning to different platforms for advice, education and inspiration. Now that there are content creators covering all topics, and there are many platforms to provide information, the influencer space continues to grow and find new ways to reach people.

At first, traditional blogs dominated, then YouTube exploded, then Instagram took over. You can now search and find many different platforms to achieve success on and through them Types Of content. The diversity of platforms allows creators to focus on the content they love and how they choose to deliver it — writers on Substack, comedy on TikTok, educational videos on YouTube, controversial conversations on podcasts, etc.

Marketing dollars continue to flow into the influencer world because time and time again many influencers can prove their return on investment is better than traditional marketing. We have seen year-on-year increases in digital marketing spending in every sector and I don’t think this will change.

Overall, the space will continue to grow and thrive, but now it’s not about being the “biggest” or following a trend, it’s more about micro impact. It’s about building communities and having more specific interests to attract a very like-minded and highly engaged audience. And thanks to the growth of different platforms to reach this audience, you can do so in different ways and how it feels most authentic to you.

One trend I hope to see is the influencer space embracing privacy more broadly, especially for children and non-consenting individuals (people who are in the background of videos, included in content without permission). As time goes by, I think one of the most valuable things in our lives is privacy. I think authenticity and engagement are still important, and I’m not trying to rule out any influencer or type of influencer, I just hope we can all embrace safety and protect our peace in a world that can be dangerous online.

Q: Are there any collaborations in 2025 or co-branded product?

A: This comes up every year, and it always makes me grateful that so many of you have enjoyed my previous collaborations and are probably looking forward to more. At this moment the answer is no. I very intentionally took a hiatus in 2024 and am open to possibilities moving forward. I’m having talks, but nothing is solid at the moment.

For me, collaborating on a product is the ultimate stamp of approval. It has to be the right brand, the right price point, and the brand must have the team/bandwidth to implement new, high-quality designs that can be delivered on time with great customer service. I prefer not to partner with brands that have done multiple collaborations in the past, and I’m more careful with brands that are very eco-friendly or have little experience. It’s a delicate dance, and after so many successful and beautiful collaborations that I’m so proud of, I’ll just commit to moving forward perfectly.

Q: Ins and outs for 2025?

A: Sometimes I hate year-end trends, but this year I loved reading a lot of the intentions for 2025 with what’s “in” and what’s “out.” I set goals, but they are usually quarterly, and usually career-based. However, I’ll make an attempt at my ‘ins and outs’ for 2025 below:

In: passive shopping, a monthly purge, taking up a new active hobby, eliminating negativity, learning to cook new dishes, handwritten notes, recognizing that rest is important and not being productive sometimes is ok and not lazy, and consistency with controlled perfectionism.

Exit: Doom, obsession with the weather in hurricane season (this is a joke but it’s not a joke either), mindless overspending on Amazon, lack of patience with Penny when she’s having an anxious day, sending a response (text or email) as quickly as possible versus ruminating, And create a more realistic work schedule.

Q: How often do you clean your closet? How do you decide what to keep versus get rid of? What do you do with your old clothes?

A: Well, that’s always the most asked question. I’ve decided to do a really big post about this and will be up later this week!

Q: Nice professional work clothes? Lightweight clothes for a trip to India? Do you offer personal design services?

A: One thing I’ve tried to accept over the years is that I can’t be everything to everyone and I have to stay in my lane. I love fashion and sometimes dip my toe into beauty and lifestyle where it makes sense. I don’t like to give advice or make product recommendations if I’m not confident in them.

I haven’t worked in a real professional environment in over five years, and even then it was more of a “wear what you want” office. I have never been to India (I would love to go) and I don’t want to make recommendations because I’m not familiar enough with the climate or culture to give sound advice. I like to dress myself, but dressing for others is a completely different kind of art. I have a lot of respect for hairdressers, but I’m not one of them!

I love answering your questions but I always want to be honest about where I can really add value. Hopefully this will make you come back and trust me.

Q: What is a trend that you used to love but find yourself no longer reaching for? What trend are you looking forward to in 2025?

A: I find it difficult to answer questions about giving something up because I never want to offend anyone. Trends ebb and flow, but if you love something, wear it. For me personally, I no longer resort to overt western boots, bandanas, or oversized jackets as much as I used to. This doesn’t mean at all that they are ‘out’, I just find myself gravitating towards different items in my wardrobe!

As for 2025, I’m really looking forward to sheer materials and the return of more romantic/feminine clothing. I also don’t hate the trend of styles becoming more voluminous and loose. I think when done in a more sophisticated way, mixing and matching size can be very fun and beautiful.

Q: How do you create your personal style and unique wardrobe?

A: I actually did a whole blog post about that here. It can be frustrating as you experiment and discover what works for you and makes you feel good. My biggest piece of advice is to take things slow and don’t invest in anything until you feel like you’ve truly mastered what you feel is your unique expression of style.

Q: Can you do more design posts?

A: In 2024, I publish a lot of design posts and you can see some examples here, hereand here. I have pledged to do more in 2025! My list includes how to style a button down, loafers, a simple suit, and more. If you have any specific requests, DM or email me!

Item-specific questions:

Q: Where did you get the Adidas Silver?

A: I purchased mine from Nordstrom, but unfortunately they are sold out. They are still in stock here and here!

Q: Best luxury bag that doesn’t cost a lot of money?

A: For me that would be it Savit bushet. It’s well made, timeless, and I personally love the top handle design. I have the bag in three colors now!

Q: Favorite item you bought this year?

A: This runway skirt is from Oscar de la Rente This is very cool. Almost all of my favorite purchases this year were used!

Q: Favorite outfit of 2025?

A: Maybe so This outfit or this. I think having style means having a common thread in the way you dress but also constantly evolving. These two outfits look like a grown-up version of Blair in 2012 – and I love it!

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