Meet Erynn Leighton-Herrmann

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erynn Leighton-Herrmann.

Hi Erynn, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been interested in fashion, but it always felt like an industry that was closed to me because I was a plus size girl. I always loved the old school musicals and movies of the 1940’s and 1950’s. There’s so much glamour there that I was absolutely obsessed with. In my early 20s, I started gravitating towards these vintage looks, but I still wanted to have a modern edge. So, I started pairing vintage-inspired pieces with a modern twist. Think of a t-shirt with a circle skirt and a petticoat. I combined this style with a love of Disney, and just like that my Instagram was born. As a plus size girl, I wasn’t seeing a lot of people who looked like me being shown in a happy and positive way. I wanted to change that, especially in the world of DisneyBounding. Disney doesn’t allow for anyone over 14 to wear a costume to the park so Disney Bounding is utilizing normal, everyday clothes in your closet to channel your favorite character, movie, attraction, etc. I mixed my vintage style with DisneyBounding, and I had found something that really made me happy.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I would love to say that it was a smooth road, but honestly, a lot of the obstacles came from within me. I struggled with my self-confidence and had a solid amount of imposter syndrome when it came to putting my outfits out there. I was always self-conscious that people would hate it, stare if I was in the parks, write nasty things on the internet about me. But I forced myself to do it and get outside my comfort zone. Yes, people stare sometimes. Yes, people write nasty things behind the shadow of their keyboards. But I also have been told that I look like a princess by dozens of little girls, and I’m totally here for that. The more I put myself out there, the easier it became. The less I tried to fit into the mold of what a “Disney influencer” or a “fashion influencer” was supposed to look like, the happier I was.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m known for plus-size Disney fashion and for Disney Style Challenges. I host four challenges a year (#BoundToBeVillainous, #BoundToLoveDisney, #BoundToParkHop and #BoundToBeACharacter) and I love the creativity that the community puts into these challenges. Even if ten people are Bound as the same person, there are ten different interpretations of that character, and none of them look the same. I love being able to showcase not only my outfits and fashion choices but also being able to partner with some outstanding brands that I love, like Loungefly. That’s probably what I’m proudest of. I’m proud of being able to be myself, plus size, tattooed, and all, and still being able to show the world that I’m here and I’m happy. I think my positivity and my style are definitely hallmarks of my brand. Most people would definitely say that my trademark is my beehive that I tend to rock in the parks. I would probably agree with that.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Self-Confidence is the best thing you can wear. A lot of people always compliment how confident I appear to be, and I truly want to tell them that it’s a lot of “fake it till you make it.” In the beginning, I had next to no confidence. I was my own worst critic, and I still am. That air of confidence comes from acceptance and from practice. While there are things I don’t love about myself, I accept who I am and what I can do. I love the person I am, my body and my life. Every day I practice being more self-confident, and after a while, it becomes easier. I definitely still stare at the mirror in every outfit and second guess what I’m wearing, but then I take a deep breath and leave my house and know that it’s going to be fine.

Contact Info:

• Email: thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo@gmail.com
• Website: www.thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/thegirlwiththedolewhiptattoo

Image Credits
@HyphenGPhotography