Bre Sheppard’s career as an internet influencer skyrocketed when she launched her blog in 2014. In just a few years, her social media posts began accumulating more than 10,000 “likes” each. Today, she has nearly 250,000 Instagram followers and more than 1,500 posts.
Sheppard began pursuing her fashion and beauty career while a student at Western Washington University. She lived in Bellingham from 2011 to 2015, all the while striving to work with local brands.
In the years since, she’s relocated to the Seattle area with her husband (and fellow WWU alum), Matt, and has worked with mega-brands such as Nordstrom and Abercrombie & Fitch. Because of her success, Sheppard is able to run her blog full-time, dedicating her entire career to fashion. She was even invited to New York Fashion Week—for the second time—in September 2019.
I sat down with Sheppard at Makeworth Market in Bellingham on a chilly October day to talk about cold weather fashion, what she loves, and how she wears it.
What is winter fashion to you?
I feel like, especially in Washington,winter fashion is a mix of comfort, and then practical, and then finding a way to make it stylish. I feel like it’s a lot of boots, jackets, and finding ways to incorporate different textures—like sherpa and fur—and being cozy.
What is a staple winter piece?
Last year, puff jackets were really in. Kind of cropped, with the tie at the bottom. I feel like everyone had the down puff jacket, which to me is really practical and makes sense but it’s also really cute and edgy. I like that sort of cropped statement jacket.
Where in Bellingham do you shop?
[When I lived in Bellingham,] I did a lot of Buffalo Exchange and those secondhand stores just trying to find away to rework things. You don’t have to go out and buy something brand new to be on-trend or stylish. You can repurpose things you already have. Things are always coming back in style, so you can go look at those places and find something that’s a really good deal.
What colors are on the rise?
I always feel like around the holidays,jewel tones become really popular again. Like the maroons and emeralds.Green is always big for winter. I feel like in fall, of course, camel, everything camel, and different neutral tones … a lot of black. Deep colors that are rich and cozy, but kind of holiday colors.
What textures do you like for winter?
I love velvet. It’s so classy but cool,and there’s a lot of different ways you could wear it. A velvet jacket, or a fitted velvet dress, or there’s always black velvet skirts. You can dress it up with boots or heels and wear it to a holiday party, or [with] a graphic tee and it’s really casual. I love sherpa. I love the little touches of fur without it just being a full-on fur coat. When it’s small touches of different fabrics and textures you can obviously wear it more,which I love … I think corduroy is going to stick around, too.
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