How many times have you ordered a dreamy dress online, tracked it obsessively and couldn’t wait to receive it?! Only to open your delivered package to a disappointing colour, fit and length. It’s happened to the best of us. But there’s a new game changer on the online shopping scene.
Everydayclosetnz is run by two confident and fashion forward kiwi girls from Dunedin. They order garments online and review the delivered garment on their Instagram – everything we never knew we needed. Their truth is evident in each post, giving total honesty about how each garment has made them feel. However, the turning point that made us so interested in these two kiwi gals, was when Mykala posted a photo and caption of her struggle with online shopping, hoping their instagram profile will encourage others to feel more confident with their online purchasing.
Who is Every Day Closet NZ?
Mykala: I’m 19 years old, and I am an event and nightlife photographer
Lillie: I’m 20 years currently in third year of my Media and Communications degree at University of Otago.
We are best friends in Dunedin NZ who have grown up together with our brothers & our other best friend Caitlin. We all lived on the same street and are the same age, so we spent most of our childhood with each other and our families.
What made you want to be involved in the fashion world?
Lillie: My Nanna was a huge part of my decision to be involved in the fashion world. She used to take me Saturday morning shopping. She encouraged me to dress the way I wanted to and allowed me creative freedom from such a young age. She made me feel as though the fashion world was my own personal heaven.
Mykala: Honestly I never saw myself in the fashion world up until we started EverydayCloset NZ. I have seen myself as a fashion photographer & have always liked nice clothes and a good sense of style but never to be actually involved.
What does confidence mean to you and how do you approach this in your everyday life?
Mykala: Confidence is so many different things to me, you can be confident in yourself and your beliefs but you can also be confident in your looks. I approach this by being comfortable in who I am and knowing that what I say, do & look like is true to myself.
Lillie: I agree with Mykala that confidence is projected in so many ways, in my everyday life I feel as though I approach it through my fashion. Look good, feel good.
What empowers you as women?
Lillie: Seeing other women make positive change and influencing others is empowering. Women are such a strong gender and seeing a woman kick ass in fashion, cooperate, political, and other life aspects is what empowers me.
Mykala: Being Pacific Islander/European woman, it is empowering to be able to be a part of both cultures and combine what I learn from both and make myself a stronger woman.
What knocks your confidence down and how do you deal with that?
Mykala: I learnt to find strategies to fix the problem or issue in my work and personal life. When I lost my photography job out of no where, I let it effect my confidence at first but I thought, if I can’t work for you I’m going to go out on my own & prove to you and myself I can do what you are doing but better. It has paid off completely because I dealt with it and overcome it. I showed myself and them I proved you wrong, you can do anything to set your mind to if you let yourself be confident and believe in yourself.
Lillie: When I work hard and don’t get the desired results either in workouts, assignments, work or family life then I feel my confidence lower. I deal with this by expressing how I feel either in a diary (if you don’t have one, you’re missing out), eat a block of chocolate and move on (if that’s the only option) or work harder at achieving the goal.
How has confidence helped you with starting up your Instagram and putting yourselves out there publicly?
Lillie: When I was in high-school I was constantly comparing myself to others, there was always someone fitter, skinnier and prettier than me. I left high-school and found my confidence and started to back myself but never forgot what I felt. My confidence has let me put myself out there publicly but my experience with self doubt has inspired and pushed me to put myself out there.
Mykala: Having to put my body on Instagram in a way that I never have before. My personal account is my lifestyle, so putting up images of myself in clothing that isn’t always flattering has been so hard but getting such an amazing response and expressing my own difficulties with my body is helping other woman feel more confident is making it worth it.
Do you see Every Day Closet NZ helping empower other women? If so, how?
Most definitely, our motivation for this is to be able to create a safe place on the internet for women to feel like they can be themselves. That no matter what your body shape, size or colour you can look and feel confident. We want woman to share their own reviews, we want to create a sense of reliability for them on every part of the spectrum. We are reviewing clothes but we are trying to make it more about self confidence and the feeling about yourself before you wear the garment.
What advice would you give our customers about self confidence and believing in themselves, embracing themselves for who they really are?
Lillie: Confidence starts from within. If you don’t back yourself then who will? My biggest thing is that you can change your exterior but you can’t change your soul so you have to love it, there has to be a certain level of self obsession/love to be confident.
Mykala: A garment can assist in your confidence but isn’t going to ultimately make you confident because confidence doesn’t come over night you have to be patience with learning to love yourself on the inside and out.
What piece of clothing makes you feel confident to take on the world?
Mykala: My grey jacket. I worked my butt off to buy this coat so I feel very empowered and grateful at the same time as I have made it available to myself to be able to afford to wear this.
Lillie: A body-con red dress. The colour is vibrant, its loud, powerful, eye-catching and attractive. When I wear a red dress I feel unstoppable.
Do you think your style and the way you dress has evolved as you have become more confident within yourself?
Mykala: Yes, even last year I thought you had to show more skin to feel confident and good but it is not the case for me. I feel most confident when I’m wearing a style or piece of clothing which is my own not what i think i have to wear to fit in. If I want to wear my Doc martens I will but if i want to wear a lower cut top I will as well.
Lillie: Yes, I have worn bodycon dresses in more recent years and as my confidence has grown I wear more fashion statement clothing such as flared pants and pink jackets. Knowing what my styles flatter my body has also evoloved my dress sense.
What women inspire you?
Mykala: My Nan, she is a women who knows she can do anything she set her mind too, she has shown me how to love yourself but not to be selfish to be have to half women she is would be a achievement.
Lillie: You’re a product of your upbringing and I would not be who I am or where I am without being inspired by the woman in my family. These inspirational women have inspired me to be a hardcore feminism, to self respect and love, to be confident and elegant all while being myself.
What’s your favourite piece out of The Borrowed Collective and why?
We have not had the pleasure of trying garments from the Borrowed Collective yet so stay tuned on our Instagram for a review!
Thanking you,
Lillie Rohan and Mykala Tuxford
The girls will be reviewing the Starcrossed Lover & Shadow Dance Crossover this weekend so make sure you follow them to see their review!
