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Bloomer in the Spotlight 🌼
Meet Autumn, a college student from Wisconsin who enjoys sharing her OOTDs on Insta and finding style inspiration from Audrey Hepburn.
Like most 20-year-olds, Autumn is feeling the pressure to Figure It All Out (and let’s be real, aren’t we all?). Below, we chat about how she’s navigating this in-between phase of her life, her summer plans, and what it’s like growing up as an identical (!) twin.
What are your plans after you get your degree in business?
Honestly, I don’t know. I've been thinking about possibly trying to find an internship involved with marketing because that interests me, but I feel like my options are very limited because of where I live.
How would you describe where you live?
I would describe it as very suburban and uneventful. I feel like the only people that really enjoy it here are the people who are born and raised here; who feel the connection.
Were you born and raised in Wisconsin?
Yes. But then when I was 16 I moved to Arizona for three years. I've been living [back] in Wisconsin for the past year.
How was Arizona?
I mean, at first I was excited, but then it was kind of difficult transitioning to a new high school when you're in your junior year. And then I just got sick of it. It was just too hot in the summers and I just missed the greenery, honestly. It's all dirt there [laughs].
Growing up, what kind of stuff did you and your friends do for fun?
Growing up, I lived in a very small town of about 3,000 people. The closest mall to us was 45 minutes away. So that was the excitement on the weekend––going to the mall. Before I moved to Arizona, when I would hang out with my friends, we would just drive around town and go to Walmart or have movie nights; just very simple excitement. But now I do live in a bigger city in Wisconsin, so I’m closer to more things.
I noticed you have a lot of cute OOTD photos on Instagram. How would you describe your personal style?
I feel like it changes so much, especially recently when I've had almost an identity crisis [laughs]. And I feel like it also changes with the seasons. But I really identify with a classy style. I love Audrey Hepburn and all her films. I feel like I am just a classy girl. I almost feel like my style doesn't coordinate with other girls my age.
Where do you go shopping?
Recently, I've been trying to thrift more because you can find some really unique pieces. But I do love Zara, H&M; pretty basic stuff like that because it’s affordable as well, especially being a college student.
What’s your favorite Audrey Hepburn movie?
Definitely Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But I also love Funny Face.
What TV shows are you watching?
I love Sex and the City and The Carrie Diaries, which is based off of Carrie Bradshaw as a teen. And then the classics, like Friends and Gilmore Girls.
Are you Team Logan, Jess, or Dean?
Definitely Logan.
What kind of music are you into?
I’m on a Lana Del Rey kick right now.
I love her new album. Are you listening to that one?
Yeah, some [songs]. But I feel like I always wait till I hear new songs on TikTok and that's how I get into them because I just don't have the patience to listen to a whole song.
You’re not in high school but you’re also not in the “real world” quite yet. What’s it like to be in this in-between phase right now?
Honestly, I don’t like this part of my life. I feel very confused about what I want to do with my future and it just feels very stressful. I feel like I want to run away and travel the world. That’s how I feel at this point in my life.
That makes sense. Trying to figure out what you want to do can feel like a lot of pressure! Are these the types of conversations you’re having with your friends right now?
Yeah. A lot of my friends are in this similar boat and some of them are graduating this summer as well. There's so much pressure on people who are graduating college to just automatically know what they wanna do with their life; like they're supposed to have it all together. But I feel like none of us do, which is very comforting. We all just wanna see the world, you know? There's so much more than Wisconsin. We’re all just eager for an adventure.
If you could get a plane ticket tomorrow to anywhere, where would you go?
I've been very interested in going to Australia recently. I've been following these twin influencers. They live there and I'm a twin, so me and my sister watch them together. They make Australia look so fun to live there.
You’re a twin?! Identical or fraternal?
Identical.
I know this is a big question, but what has that experience been like?
Overall, it's pretty great. When we were younger, we lived in the same town for 16 years. I feel like we were more independent then. And then when we moved and had to go to a new high school, we became very––not like, dependent on each other, but like, we didn't really make any new friends at our school, so we kind of became best friends. We have other friends, but through every phase of our life, we had each other. We fight a lot, but if one of us is fighting with somebody else, we will always defend each other.
How would you describe your personalities?
To anybody else, they would say that we're very similar besides the people who really know us. We're very similar, but we have very different personalities. I would describe myself as more easygoing. I feel like we just have very different styles in ways of expressing ourselves.
Is it annoying when people mix you up?
It doesn't bother me when people mix us up, but it bothers me when people compare us and say things like, “You guys are basically the same person” because who doesn't want to be an individual and be appreciated for themselves?
What’s something that’s bringing you joy right now?
I would say just the fact that summer's coming and the sun will be out almost all the time and warm weather will be here. That's just what I'm looking forward to because winter feels very long here.
Do you have any fun plans for the summer?
I am a runner, so I'm looking forward to just being outside all the time. But then in August, my sister and I are going to a Twins Day Festival in Ohio.
What do you love most about running?
I love when the sun is out and it's hitting me and just being outside. It’s very refreshing and sunshine's just good for the soul. It feels like a form of therapy.
How do you take care of yourself when you’re feeling stressed out?
I honestly just love taking a shower at night and watching TV and eating sweets. That's my favorite thing to do. I go through phases of chocolate or ice cream, but I love Halo Top ice cream. I love fruity candy.
A few of Autumn’s favorite things:
Movies that feel like summer. I love watching movies that feel like summer. I can’t wait for warm weather and sunshine! Call Me By Your Name and The Way Way Back are some of my favorites.
The Hogan Twins. Jas and Renee Hogan are my favorite YouTubers/TikTok creators; they have the kindest souls. They are so much more personal and humble than any other “influencer.”
Rhode lip balm. I am Team Selena all the way but Rhode lip balm makes my lips look so glossy!
Taking long walks. I love taking long walks because it’s a great workout and it’s therapeutic!
Pinterest. Pinterest is my favorite spot to seek inspiration whether it’s fashion or quotes. It’s good for the soul!
tysm, Autumn! 🌼
Beyond the Algorithm 🔮
It was a beautiful Spring Break afternoon last week in New York, so I ventured to Washington Square Park with an important question: What TV shows are you watching right now? Here’s what you reported:
“Right now, I really like Big Little Lies and Fleabag.” ––Maddie, 19
“I really like Ozark.” ––Lindsay, 20
“I’m rewatching How I Met Your Mother for the 80th time.” ––Anjali, 20
“My favorite show right now is You.” ––Linny, 20
“I’ve been rewatching Girls for the past year. It’s like, altered my brain chemistry. I feel like our generation is doing an impression of Girls whereas millennials were informed by Girls. It’s interesting to see where all the tropes came from.” ––Isabella, 22
“The answer is definitely Love Island. There’s no other way to get around it. When I’m explaining Love Island to people I’m like, ‘So, it’s gonna be boring for one week and then you start to care about them and then it’s watching an ant farm or playing The Sims.’ It’s the panopticon but I like it.” ––Sophie, 23
“I just finished Daisy Jones and the Six. I was obsessed with it just ‘cause of the aesthetic and vibes. I also read Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I just love her as a writer and author.” ––Charlie, 19
“I just started Only Murders in the Building. It’s very well-written; they know how to make it suspenseful. I usually have trouble wanting to keep watching a show but it has me hooked, for sure.” ––Kayla, 19
“Schmigadoon! It’s like a musical theater geek show. They embed musical theater songs into their songs so you have to guess what musical it’s from. It’s so silly.” Victoria, 19
ICYMI 🗞
In the meantime…
I have been enjoying:
John Mulaney’s excellent––and vulnerable––new Netflix special, Baby J.
These fun watercolor brush pens.
Also, lol:
And here’s a song to get ya through the week:
P.S. We wanna hear from you! 🐌
Want to nominate a friend (or yourself!) for “Bloomer in the Spotlight”? Got a brilliant recommendation for “Beyond the Algorithm” or just wanna say hey?
Get in touch at latebloomernewsletter@gmail.com 💘