Fashion blogs seem to be everywhere these days. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to tell them apart. Most fashion blogs feel like they’re created to propel the Instagram account of someone looking for free handouts from unsuspecting brands. If not that, then you find yourself scrolling through a bloated corporate rag, unabashed by their calculated agenda.
The honesty is gone. Where are the individuals with a sense of style and the bravado to stand by it?
I introduce, The It Girl Guide, created by 16-year-old Sky Haarsma. Tired of fashion blogs that she felt didn’t speak to her, Sky started writing about the people she admired, the clothes she wanted (but couldn’t afford), and the items she purchased instead.
“I was always annoyed when I opened a fashion blog. Instead of getting the scoop on Devon Lee Carlson or the new SSENSE sale, it was some old person I never heard about or some crazy designer that only makes clothes for the elite,” says Sky. “So, I made my own.”
You can hear Sky’s voice in every article, and she’s not afraid to tell you what to wear. She promotes self-expression and dips her toes into wellness, all from her personal experience.
Sky started The It Girl Guide instead of returning to school when her High School re-opened during COVID. She made a deal with her family: stay home, keep her 4.0, and start a business.
It worked.
The It Girl Guide is geared to a younger crowd, and these Gen Zers are known to shop for more than just the latest trends. You may argue that she continues to portray beautiful, unrealistic, and unattainable lifestyles we see so often in fashion advertising, but Sky pushes back,
“I think an ‘it girl’ is someone who has fun. Is down to earth, and they are themselves. They are confident in what they like and who they are.”
That includes fashion choices that reflect their beliefs and their commitment to sustainability. They may be waiting by their phones for the latest drop from Miu Miu, but they are also scrolling Depop and thrifting.
One key feature of her site is her Look Books. Each Look Book is a complete outfit curated for a specific event, whether going to Pilates or a beach vacation in Mexico. Sky helps you to be the “hottest version of yourself.”
Sky is also conscious of price and often shares cheaper versions of clothes she can’t afford or the second-hand markets from which to purchase. The website is snowballing with new users every day. The influence of Gen Zers on fashion is undeniable. Forbes says:
“Retailers must act now to be prepared for the tsunami of Gen Z’s influence. Bank of America predicts that by 2031, Gen Z’s income will surpass that of Millennials—just 9 years from now.”
For now, Sky is thrilled that she has a platform that speaks to her fashion senses. She claims too many fashion blogs don’t take the time to get inside the head of a Gen Zer. As a result, their recommendations are not in sync with her generation, and they fail to recognize people they feel are influential.
Sky hopes to have a career in fashion one day – she just doesn’t know what this is yet. Although, I think she already found it.
