Jenny Welbourn

On one of the first days of 2018, a friend and I sat at a park in LA and people-watched. We were talking about the lessons we’d learned during the bedlam of the previous year and the goals we hoped to speak into existence for the one ahead. Some of the dreams we discussed existed on a larger, more reverie-like scale: someday soon, we would move to New York City and live in a tiny apartment with all the creative possibilities at our fingertips. Others were far less drastic: we wanted to be less concerned with the self (and society)-imposed “rules” of clothing. For one, we wished we could embrace the “baggy” look — it was something we considered to be effortlessly cool on everyone else but ourselves.

Jenny Welbourn is all of that gracefully manifested. Her Instagram bio simply but poignantly sums it up to a tee: “Baggy in NYC, making videos in NYC.” Currently living in Greenpoint, a quaint neighborhood nestled in Brooklyn, Welbourn is the face and brains behind the YouTube channel WearILive. Her channel features cinematic, visually stimulating, and informative videos spanning a whole array of topics, including skincare, beauty, travel, fashion, and sustainable living. Though the comment my friend and I made about baggy clothing seems minuscule, I think there were a number of underlying reasons we found it notable enough to mention. Oftentimes, our stylistic choices reflect the seasons and stages of life we’re in. They provide an avenue for us to physicalize both our rage and revelations. And “baggy,” in particular, symbolized liberation. It was a declaration of comfort and confidence, not only in the physical realm, but internally, too — it feels softening but strong all at once.

Welbourn feels the same. She describes her own style as a mix of “grandpa meets grandma meets little girl,” as many of her outfits are made up of oversized pieces and funky accessories. “My clothing choices really reflect myself now, I like baggy for most days,” she explained. “I always want to be able to move and feel comfortable. On the weekends, I want frills and colors as my personality feels the brightest in group settings out with my closest friends.”

Her fashion inspiration comes from old films, accounts on Instagram like Man Repeller and Lisa Says Gah, and the streets of New York City. “Living in New York helps immensely because you can wear whatever you want without ever thinking twice about it,” Welbourn said. “Coming from a smaller town, I remember feeling the pressure to not dress too crazy or different because people would notice.”

Welbourn hails originally from Colorado, and her journey to living in New York wasn’t without struggle. “After high school, I felt stuck,” she described. “I was unable to move to New York right away, which devastated me. I thought that working hard in high school meant that the rest of my life was smooth sailing, which is comedic looking back. I took the year at a local college letting myself figure out how to get myself to New York, which now I understand was the best choice for me at the time.”

It was in that in-between space when Welbourn launched what started off as a creative outlet and eventually blossomed into a fulfilling career: YouTube. “I turned my disappointment into finding a way to connect myself to the life I wanted to be a part of. At that time, I wanted to grow in the fashion industry so I started my channel based around my outfits and lookbooks,” she said.

Her journey is a testament to the way things work themselves out in their own time. It’s also ongoing, as moving to the city of your dreams doesn’t magically eliminate the intense highs and lows that come with life and work. I asked Jenny about her experience of making it as a young person in the city, and she responded, “I’m not sure if I’ve quite made it yet, but I’m trying!” She attributes a good amount of her rapid growth as a creator and a person to New York, which moves and changes just as swiftly.

“I’ll be honest and say I either love it or hate it. I moved out here pretty much on my own which I’m proud of myself for doing. The process has made me grow up faster than I would have anywhere else,” Welbourn said. “Creatively, it’s a similar story. On one hand, you have so much inspiration, but with all of the inspiration there’s also a very large set of competition. My advice to myself daily and to anyone moving out here is to soak it all up. Meet new people, be open, be ready and take the time to appreciate the small things that happen to you everyday. Nowhere else is like New York.”

By willingly gleaning as much as she can from all that the city presents, Welbourn has gained an influx of insight and information that’s spurred her to reorient her lifestyle. A majority of her channel focuses on the concept of sustainable living: she makes assorted videos about going green, slow fashion, detoxing, and transitioning to veganism.

“We have a voice and our dollar that helps us shape how businesses run,” she said, specifically about slow fashion. Her decision to cut fast fashion was the paradigm shift — after that change, Welbourn progressively began making conscious adjustments that are helping her reduce her carbon footprint. “It’s really about taking small steps and becoming informed. And don’t be too hard on yourself if you can’t do it all at once. Everyone is at a different place in their life and has different means to be able to make different choices,” she said.

It’s been a holistic process. These tangible changes are tied closely with fostering good energy both environmentally and within. Welbourn explained that she has grew into a much more spiritual person last year, which has expanded her capacity for positivity. There are several tactics she intentionally carves out time to practice in order to care for her mental wellbeing, journaling and listening to self-help audio books (The Power of Now and The Ultimate Law of Attraction Library are two she recommends) included. She’s also a believer in counseling and self-exploration. They’re practical means of combating the ever-looming self doubt that every person inevitably confronts, and Welbourn is determined to place self-care at the forefront this upcoming year.

Creatively, it's a similar story"

"2018 is going to be a good year for me. I’m excited by the life I’m living, I’m excited to reach my goals, and I’m so grateful to be surrounded by all the people in my life right now,” Welbourn said. She, too, is compiling a list of resolutions both big and small: seeing a therapist regularly, traveling more, and getting her own sustainable brand up and running. “This year I will work on asking for the things I want and being ready and willing to receive them,” she stated. maybe speaking goals into existence is a half-baked and hopeful thing, but if there’s anyone who’s proof that it works, it’s Jenny Welbourn.

This year I will work on asking for the things I want..."

Something that my mom has told me repeatedly over the past few years is growing up means making a series of choices in hopes of getting yourself where you want to be. You might make a choice and you might not end up where you wanted and that’s okay because then you make another one. Moving to New York was one of the scariest, overwhelming transitions in my life. I had an idea of New York before I blindly moved out here and most of my preconceived notions of what my life would be like were completely wrong. I’m so glad they were. I had ideas of who I wanted to be and how I would get there. Upon moving here, those series of choices I spoke on earlier came into effect. Feeling lost, I started to notice myself changing swiftly away from the things I thought would make me happy before and began to understand myself on a deeper level.

I was observing the fashion industry first hand and for a long time I felt very conflicted with my love for fashion and finally I realized the impact of clothing on our environment and the people making them. I didn’t feel like I could have both which threw me into a whirlwind of creating a new direction for myself. Being online, I felt a pressure that I couldn’t continue on if I didn’t have a clear purpose and vision to create something that felt important. This is when I started making real changes in most aspects of my life. The more shopped second hand and slow fashion, the fast fashion I once relied on felt undesired and unnecessary. The more I cut out dairy the more I realized I felt better without it psychically and emotionally. These were all small choices that have led me to a point that I’ve never felt more like myself.

Nothing happened overnight for me, and I want people to know that I still don’t live exactly how I would like but I try to stay conscious of my decisions and understanding the consequences that they have. Cutting out things slowly or allowing myself time and leniency to experiment and find alternatives have been huge for me. I want my space and platform to grow into a place where people don’t feel pressured or judged for their lifestyles but are able to grow and take steps to become the person they want to be. My life is still a series of choices, ones that are usually not easy, but I’ve learned to navigate them with the viewpoint that I can always make another choice. With each small decision, I am growing and changing into the person I want to be.

Written by Leah Lu | Photography by Cody Guilfoyle