Fashion Nova Style: All the Stats, Facts, and Data You'll Ever Need to Know

[Mcnicholas Dung]

Perhaps, without noticing, you've double-tapped a Fashion Nova look during the hours you've spent mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Think back to the last time an Insta-pal, whether a celebrity, social media influencer, or friend, was pictured wearing ridiculously high-waisted jeans that had holes big enough to fit a cantaloupe. Maybe they were wearing a two piece athleisure set that was so elegant it was meant to be worn for club purposes, rather than running errands.

Fashion Nova sells fast fashion at its fastest -- if you're within 40 miles of their warehouse, they'll have a Postmate deliver your online order -- and specializes in styles that would make your mother ask you if you're "sure" you'd want to go out in them. (There are five brick-and-mortar stores in California, in addition to the online business.) This brand has fascinated me for the past year, ever since I noticed its social media omnipresence. More than 5,000 Instagram influencers work with the brand. They represent every level in modern-day fame. Baddie Winkle and Danielle "Cash Me Outside” Bregoli have posted photos of themselves wearing Fashion Nova.

"A post from Kylie's page is better than any Super Bowl ad," Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian told me. And if she shares a photo of herself in Fashion Nova not just to Instagram but also to Twitter and Facebook, that, Saghian says, is an "apocalypse." (He means this in a good way.) Fashion Nova influencers are often given free clothes. Jenner, however, is valued enough to receive a salary. Saghian refused to disclose the amount of her fee. He estimates that one of her posts can drive upwards of $50,000 in sales.

It's no surprise that plenty of people are willing to pay to look like Kylie, but sheer metallic slip dresses aren't quite as wearable as lip kits. I wanted to know whether a normal citizen with a full-time job could navigate the world in Instagram clothes. What would Fashion Nova do in the world outside of Calabasas, Mexico? Is it possible to look like Kim Kardashian without spending too much money, but still feel comfortable enough to travel?

It was only possible to test it myself.

Preparation

The biggest struggle in finding outfits that serve the purposes of my experiment was finding my size. What I didn't realize until talking to Saghian was that Fashion Nova uses juniors sizing, offering the odd numbers between 1-15 (along with 1,2, and 3X options). Having not worn juniors sizing since elementary school, I had no idea what to expect, especially when it came to clothes shown on a model who looked like she had been gestated and born wearing a waist trainer. To determine what size 28/29 means in Fashion Nova, I used their size chart as well as online message boards. It is a size 7/9. To be certain, I chose 9

Because I wanted to be on the safe side, I ordered a lot, and some of the clothes didn't fit or seemed to be incomplete. One pair of jeans that I ordered was too long for my upper thighs; a bodysuit wouldn't fit my back; and a sweater dress in sheer rose-gold came with no garment underneath. I was fine with tossing the dress aside, because just touching its synthetic and not-at-all-sweater-like material made me feel as though my body would turn into one giant hive. However, the jeans could have been an integral part my wardrobe so that was a bummer. They fit my sister -- a Fashion Nova size 1 -- like a glove.

Day One: Casual Moment

For my first look, I went the "casual, cool" route: a destroyed "band" tee featuring a fake band name that I personally could not decipher, and Fashion Nova's most popular denim, the Glistening Jeans. Both the jeans as well as the tee had large holes. All of my mail is sent to work so I could tell a few people about Fashion Nova. However, they weren't prepared to see me as a contributing member of society the day I walked into work in a top that looked a lot like this.

What I did love about this outfit were the jeans. The fit is amazing: It could be the Lycra, or the nonconstricting-yet-very-slimming high waist, but I don't think I've ever worn more comfortable jeans. Tight in all of the right places, they hiked up my bottom, cinched my waist, and even offered a ton of mobility in terms of stretching and trying out squatting poses for the 'gram. The holes in both the top and the jeans did leave little to the imagination, though, despite the fact that I was technically almost 100 percent covered.

I love attention, but the gazes I got in this look almost convinced me to abort my Fashion Nova mission before sundown. It's not clear if the V-neck top was too close to my navel, or my upper thighs. But I saw gentlemen walk past me on the street and offer me a place on the train. My accountant also found out that I had accidentally exposed my breasts. As a proud 20 year old who has her own money and can do what she wants, I did my taxes this way. You can be grateful that you have never had to discuss write-offs while trying your best to get your boob in the right place inside your bra.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 2 out of 5

Day Two: Body-con Moment

After accidentally exposing myself in Fashion Nova, I waited until the weekend to wear the look I was most excited for: the dress worn by Kylie Jenner herself in this indelible Instagram image:

It's simple -- black, body-con, short, and perfect. Double-lined made the dress feel more luxurious and made me less afraid of being seen by another innocent person. Kylie wore her dress with an oversized heel. I chose to pair my look with stockings and Fashion Nova boots because I have to live a more practical lifestyle, which includes public transit and encounters with the weather. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but this bitch was bad in the dress.

I fully intended to take it to the club, but the closest I could get to one was my cousin's 22nd birthday party at a bar. When I walked in, you would have thought I was North West in a corset by the bemused, intrigued reactions. I took it in stride. Before even making it to the vicinity of the bar, I was asked by multiple gentlemen if they could have the honor of buying me a drink, which is harmless, but I also noticed a trend of guys thinking it was perfectly okay to grab my waist or hip when trying to "squeeze" by me throughout the night.

It was both comfortable and hot, even though it was too short. I had to move in miniature, just like a doll or royalty. Two friends and one family member were encouraged to admit that they had secretly been eyeing Fashion Nova. One of them had saved looks downloaded to her phone that she was too ashamed to purchase, but my example inspired her to follow her Fashion Nova dreams! My cousin also confessed that she had a Fashion Nova jacket. Literally, I'm changing lives and dressing up wardrobes.

Insta-Influencer Vibes: 4 out of 5

Day Three: Torn-Up Moment

Inspire by the weekend, my goal was to start the week with a Fashion Nova high. So I took the most risky "work" look I had and pulled it from my Fashion Nova bag. My usual outfit for work is a sweatshirt, jeans and Adidas or Chucks. It's very casual, but I love to "dress it up." This made this look, my uniform, even more exciting/terrifying. On a Monday morning, I got up and put on another (but very different) pair of ripped black jeans with this Justine top:

Although it may seem simple, the look is anything but. The sweatshirt was one big hole that took me 90 seconds to properly get into, and even with a thin tank underneath, I still got some raised eyebrows. It looked like I'd made a pit stop in the morning to be properly mauled and beaten by a tiger. It was uncomfortable.

I'm lucky enough to work with my sister, who spent the majority of the day shadowing me around the office, telling anyone that I tried to avoid, "She's embarrassed, she's wearing Instagram clothes." I was also asked to stand and twirl for some office-mates so they could fully take in how bizarre I looked and wonder why I choose to darken the door of work in such an ensemble.

Although the jeans fit well, I was not happy with their design. The tiny holes left me with bloody, swollen legs. I went home solemnly that night, wishing Fashion Nova had never existed.

Insta-Influencer Vibes - 3.5 out 5

Day Four: Athleisure Movement/h2>

But I wanted to take one more look. This look -- a classic athleisure moment, if you will -- was the piece de resistance of my entire project. After seeing this Wanderlust look on Kylie Jenner as well as Baddie Winkle, it was clear to me that I had to have it on me.

I paired my Adidas look read more with Adidas for a day of self-pampering, walking around the city in a monochromatic crop-top leisure suit. As I had learned Fashion Nova clothes are wont to do, the fit made me look terrific. Every part of my body was popping off in the most amazing way, and in public, no one bothered me, because they could tell that anyone wearing this sexy weekend look meant business and only