FOREWORD

I love talking about fashion, sustainability and thrifting. However, I realised, that as a sustainable brand owner, my blogging could appear biased and I decided to try something new.

MY MOM SAID is now interviewing young women of style, to hear their opinion on fashion in 2021 and share it with you. And I could not be more excited!

The first star of the GIRL BOSSIN' STYLE Interviews is Anna Abrosimova @anna.abrossimova from Estonia. Her Instagram posts, and I am talking from my own experience, make me * gasp * and her funky ring business @nana_r1ngs is all the accessories you need this summer, so yes she is absolute GIRL BOSS IN STYLE.

There is no need for me to say anything else, because I can’t wait for you to read what Anna has to say. And let me tell you it is a must read. Get your coffee or a drink and make yourself comfortable for some good read. #girlbossinstyle

-Katya, Founder of MY MOM SAID 

Anna Abrosimova on FASHION, THRIFTING and her STYLE 

We start off with the important and bold question, Anna's thoughts on fast fashion. 

Honestly for the last 3-4 years I've been trying to stop shopping at fast fashion brands and at first it wasn't even about “saving the planet”. Of course, from time to time I still purchased some basic pieces of clothing or shoes from local fast fashion stores, but always ended up not wearing them as much. Going to Bershka, Stradivarius, Zara, etc., always makes me anxious and confused about my style and how I really want to present myself. Not only are these kinds of brands extremely trend based, the quality isn't good and will make you go back for another top in a month. Some brands are trying to be more sustainable which might or might not be green-washing, but at the end of the day, I'd still prefer thrifting or really doing your research about a brand you want to support.

Where do you buy your clothes? Most of my clothes are from Humana. I usually go for the vintage Humanas, but due to the comeback of 00s/y2k style, I always check the regular ones as well. I have also found some great pieces from USA Today, Paavli, Sõbralt Sõbrale (Tallinn, Estonia) and other smaller thrift stores that are not located in Tallinn. At this point it's like a hobby to me. Something about the excitement and satisfaction I get from finding statement pieces, that I've been dreaming about on a small budget made me addicted to thrifting. I think that building a wardrobe doesn't happen overnight and you just have to be patient instead of going to a fast fashion chain to look good for one season.

Anna's opinion on shopping in 2021. I ́d say that it's important to find your own style and get pieces that you truly like instead of buying something because it's trending on Instagram. I feel like I still do that sometimes, but it's a process and I'm still figuring it out myself.

When asked to describe her style in few words. Lately it's been more feminine than ever, I'd call it "an independent woman somewhere in Paris, who steals her leather jackets from her lovers". 

How your style evolved, if it evolved, during past few years? 

After graduating high school in a small town and moving to Tallinn I've definitely gotten more brave and stopped thinking about others' opinions when it comes to my style. I feel more free and I wear what I like when I like. I started wearing more colors and patterns.

Do you dress to impress or for yourself?

I don't dress up every day, but when I do it's definitely to impress myself and just feel good in my own body. I feel that even my attitude changes with the outfit and I feel like myself when I get to wear something extra.

Do you rely on mood, weather or occasion when choosing the outfit?

Most of the time I rely on the mood. Living in Estonia makes me rely on the weather too, but don't be surprised, if you catch me wearing a leather jacket without a scarf or a hat in the middle of winter. I almost never rely on the occasion...if I feel like wearing a wedding dress to school I will. At the end of the day it truly doesn't matter but what does is being happy and enjoying yourself while you can.

 

Any tips for styling summer outfits? 

I really hope that Estonian summer will cooperate with me and what I have planned to wear so far, but flowy skirts with fun patterns, crochet everything and y2k vests are definitely a vibe for this summer. Of course colourful accessories are something that I will rock all summer long. Stay tuned for @nana_r1ngs, we might be having a fun collab in June and new summer styles are coming!

 

What is your craziest latest clothing discovery or re-discovery? 

Low waisted and flare pants for sure, I remember how I used to dislike these 5-6 years ago and now that's the only pants I wear. Who doesn't like some nice bootcut jeans? I also think that low or mid rise pants are much more comfortable and fit better with tops, since I barely wear crop tops.

Are you or were you ever shy about rocking extra outfits? 

I wouldn't say that I've ever been shy, but I definitely have not always been comfortable with wearing what I like. I still did it tho, but I was feeling anxious and less confident in my choices. As simple as it sounds just sitting in front of the mirror and hyping yourself up helps, just dressing up at home and trying different outfits (helps with shyness).

What would you recommend to people looking for their style?

I think that the most important thing is to find inspiration from other people, movies etc, but try to put your own twist to it. Shopping at malls will not lead you to your own unique style. However thrifting helps and if you don't like searching for clothes for hours, there are also options like depop, different Instagram shops, Yaga and Basaar where you can also find cool stuff without supporting fast fashion.

What are your style inspirations? 

I think it ́s more of a mix of everything I see online and on the streets, but lately I ́ve been in love with Phoebe Buffay from Friends, Sex and The City and 2000s looks in general.

What are some of your favourite Instagram accounts, who are inspiring you and your style or whom you just like to follow?

There might be more, but my fav currently is @e_ttg on Instagram, she always finds the most iconic pieces and I love her confidence. @khleopatre and @sushiandbaklava are also very inspiring when it comes to outfits and attitude.

How your relationship with thrifting started?

I just never found anything at the shops, it made me frustrated and I thought that it's a me problem when in reality it's just not how I want to express myself.

Did your thrifting habits change over the years?

Now I try to manifest what I want to find and it usually goes as planned. Try to picture what you ́re looking for and automatically your eyes will focus on that. I never leave a thrift store with empty hands, it definitely needs patience and interest in what you ́re doing.

Can you tell about your best and most favourite thrift finds?

There are just too many but for the past couple of weeks I ́ve been in love with these two outfits.

   

Both of these are 100% thrifted, from shoes to bags and even the necklace. I think the luckiest find was a real fur coat that I got for 1€ and it kept me warm and fancy for the whole winter. I ́m in love with everything that I have found so far, I even think that at this point I need to be stopped.

Any tips on thrifting or would you rather keep it a secret?

I don't really have any tips, just don't give up too fast and look carefully because there might be a surprise hidden under things that didn't catch your eye at first.

Your thoughts on how the future of thrifting looks?

I really hope that it stays the same, available for everybody no matter how much you got on your bank account. I feel that thrifting has become very popular among young people and I hope that resellers will not play a role in raising the prices and value of used clothing that would make it less accessible.

Ummmh...What are you waiting for? It's like a treasure hunt or winning a lottery and you ́re missing out big time.

If you're into fashion then it's more than worth it! The stuff you can find can't even be compared to regular stores clothing, it's insane!

MY MOM SAID loves your handmade funky rings small business NANA rings! Can you tell us more about it?

It actually happened by accident, I just wanted to make myself some rings, but I posted them on Instagram and some people were interested so I started taking it more seriously. I think that it's important to start a business because you like what you ́re doing instead of doing it for the money. I still think of NANA as a small side hustle and definitely have bigger things coming when I'm sure of what makes me the happiest!

 

What is your motto, when it comes to your style or fashion? 

The amount of times my mom told me, that something that I found is good for fashion shows, but not everyday life... Every time I just answer: “Life is a runway” and when you really think about it, it's true. I don 't believe in “Oh I love this dress, but where would I wear it”. You don't have to go to a party to wear something nice, if you like something just put it on when you're going to buy some groceries. It's easy to be in a comfort zone, but there is so much out there to explore when you step out of it.

 

- Anna Abrosimova @anna.abrosimova