Now imagine that those outfits had direct links for people to shop the items, and maybe the outfit-poster would even have the opportunity to earn some cash on the side… That’s the premise of 21Squared, a new social fashion inspiration & shopping platform, and their free app is available now.
Bri of The Bri Spot & Erika McDaniels of Your Chic is Showing
The way that I got into fashion was through magazines and catalogs. I have always loved print media and art, but fashion magazines are what kind of steered me into the direction of style and photography. They also steered me into the direction of body image issues and low self-esteem.
Thank goodness for blogs. I’m dead serious. Seeing bloggers (like the ones who post on 21Squared) helped me crawl out of the self-shame hole I was in and start applying my love for fashion to my own body. Fast forward to 2019, and there’s more size representation now than ever. But while print media has now found it to be profitable to feature women of different sizes, society and consumers just can’t shake that preference for the tall, white, or at the very least, thin body types we’re used to.
Social media has provided a more level playing field, but with sponsorships and advertising constantly consuming our feeds, it’s becoming harder to surround yourself with the kind of content you want. 21Squared is doing their best to change that.
Where Can You Find Real-Live, Plus-Size Fashion Inspiration?
There have been tons of outfit-based style apps over the last couple of decades, but none have been quite like 21Squared. Popular apps of the past include Chictopia and Lookbook.nu, but these days, the ruling queen of all style photos is indisputably Instagram.
Instagram is a wonderful source of inspiration when it comes to all subjects, but fashion has a special place on the ‘gram due to the fact that, well, the best fashion photo is nothing more than a great selfie. You can document yourself from anywhere, at any time, and as a result, there are hundreds of thousands of posts per day – all in the name of #ootd.
The best part about this phenomenon is the diversity it exposes us to. Or, at least, it should work that way, but with marketing campaigns, influencers, and algorithms at play, Instagram can feel like being trapped inside of a high end fashion magazine. Relating to highly stylized, modelesque Instagram stars in size-limited brands is hard, and if you’re curvy or plus sized, a mission for fashion inspiration can result in immense frustration.
That’s why 21Squared set out on a mission to create a space for curvy and plus sized women to feed off of each others creativity, help each other find clothes that fit, and even make some money in the process. After all, influencers are always making money off of their fashion posts – who says we can’t make some extra cash, too? As far as I’m concerned, everyone is an influencer, and at 21Squared, that’s never been more true.
Get Matched Up with Your Perfect Style Inspo by Size
To get started, you enter your measurements. If you’re not really sure, you can tell the app the sizes you wear in different brands like ZARA, Lane Bryant, Torrid, etc. After some style questions and extra info, 21Squared will match you up with people who are close to your size.
Follow the people whose style you like most, or just the people whose sizes resemble yours, and your feed will be full of super cute, curvy gals wearing awesome outfits. Everyone’s height is right next to their name, too, which makes it easy to surf through photos with the right perspective. It just goes to show how focused 21Squared is on giving people the realistic fashion inspiration they’ve always dreamed of.
When you see something you like, whether it’s accessories or a piece of clothing, there will be a little shopping bag icon nearby. Click it, and you’ll see information about the brand, where to find it, what size the person in the picture is wearing, and sometimes even a short review to help you determine whether you absolutely need it or not. It’s like having thousands of incredibly stylish shopping buddies who have the same shopping strugs as you do.
Get Accurate Reviews on Specific Clothing Items
This is the little secret powerhouse of 21Squared. While this app provides oodles of fashion and style inspiration for curvy and plus size women, it also offers the opportunity for real, unsponsored and scrutinous reviews of plus size clothing.
Having a reliable and unbiased platform for individual product reviews is something that plus size women have been needing for ages. Especially when it comes to big, huge brands like Lane Bryant and ModCloth, sizing can sometimes be inconsistent. And when you’re dealing with fast fashion brands like Forever21 and H&M, sizing can often be… frustrating. (Remember when H&M released a new size chart that affected new products that were on the shelves with old products which were based on the old size chart? Bleh.)
Now, if you see someone in a skirt you noticed, but didn’t buy, you can get the 411 on whether or not it’s worth going back for.
Who’s Using 21Squared?
After downloading and logging into the app, you’ll be greeted with a bunch of questions about your size and personal style preferences. After that, you’ll be given some suggestions of people to follow, and I highly suggest you follow anyone whose look inspires you at all.
The women on 21Squared are almost all plus size fashion bloggers or fashion professionals. These women exude confidence, and it’s more than just the (amazing) clothes they’re wearing – it’s their whole vibe. They wear what they want, they take selfies in public, and they’re not going to be distracted from living their best fashion life. If you’re not getting style inspiration from this app, at the very least you’ll be getting a heavy influx of girl crushes.
But they need your style, too. Do your best not to compare yourself to these ladies because, like I said, they’re actual pros. 21Squared needs your personal style to be added to their (currently pretty small) database of babes. Besides, those girls get their inspiration from somewhere, and you could be it! So get cute, grab your phone, and whether it’s a mirror photo, a tripod snap, or a quick selfie, POST IT! We need to see your style!
Now, About Getting Some of That Money I Mentioned…
Using your style to hustle is the hallmark of the digital age. If you don’t have the vanity and misplaced tenacity to start up your own online magazine dedicated to only the things you like (hi, I’m Lindsay), then the least you can do is monetize your style photos, right?
All you have to do is tag the brands you’re wearing, linking to the product if possible, and if someone purchases something from that store using your link, you’ll get a commission! It’s nothing crazy – usually less than 10% – but it’s something! Heck, tiny bonuses like that have been fueling this blog for over 10 years! It’s a harmless way to get a little kickback from the all that promotion you’re doing.
All you have to do is tag your clothing when you upload a photo. It’s as easy as copy/pasting a link, or scanning a barcode if you’re wearing something you recently purchased. The rest of the work is done for you, all you have to do is hope that people buy the stuff you’re wearing. Or… just don’t even think about it. Surprise money is always the best money, and this app does so much more that it’ll be easy to distract yourself.
(AKA don’t post outfits for money, post for your love of style! The rest will come if you stay passionate and true to yourself.)
21Squared has partnered up with several plus-size and size-inclusive fashion brands to offer commission on sales made through your outfit posts. There is a link on your profile which will show you your “Rewards” – meaning commission you’ve made.
Once you’ve hit $25 in commissions, you can withdraw the cash via check, electronically, or redeem it for a gift card for one of 21Squared’s retail partners. (AKA the places you probably already shop, and places that are plus size friendly.)
Where to Get 21Squared
Right now, the app is only iOS compatible, but they’re working really hard on an Android version of the app (it should be here in Spring 2019!). In the meantime, you can pick up the iOS version of the app here: