In The Passenger Seat with Alethea Crimmins
From the front seat of her car, Alethea has motivated millions—reaching hearts around the world and even catching the attention of icons like Rihanna, Kesha, Madonna, and Viola Davis. Now, she’s bringing that same energy, wisdom, and unshakable confidence to the podcast realm—inviting special guests to ride along and share their own journeys of resilience, purpose, and self-discovery.
No scripts, no filters—just raw, powerful conversations filled with gems, laughter, and the kind of motivation that makes you sit up a little straighter. You never know who will be in the passenger seat next, but one thing’s for sure: every ride is a step toward something greater.
So buckle up, tune in, and let’s take this journey together. 🎙️🚗✨
In The Passenger Seat with Alethea Crimmins
From Hobby to Empire: Claire Sulmers on Breaking into Fashion
Step into the world of fashion with the unstoppable Claire Sulmers, founder of Fashion Bomb Daily. In this captivating episode, Claire shares her incredible journey from a Southern girl facing rejection to a fashion icon redefining representation in the industry. You’ll discover the origins of Fashion Bomb Daily—her platform that empowers women of all sizes to embrace their unique style. Expect heartfelt discussions on overcoming industry expectations, navigating body positivity, and the sheer joy of fashion as a form of self-expression.
Claire offers practical tips on how to find your own style joyfully and affordably—whether it’s through thrifting, shopping small, or discovering gems on Amazon. Throughout our chat, she reminds us of the transformative power of dress and the importance of seeing ourselves reflected in what we wear.
Join us for an enriching conversation that encourages you to unleash your inner style icon. Whether you're searching for motivation or feel like the fashion world isn't for you, Claire's infectious energy and wise insights will inspire you to carve your own path. Fashion is not just for a few; it’s for all of us. Dive in now and take the first step towards embracing and celebrating your style! Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review!
Have a Good Day On Purpose...
YA' Welcome
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back everybody to In the Passenger Seat with me, alethea Crimmins. I hope that y'all are having a wonderful week, because I know I am. Listen, I had to get cute today, like I had to make sure I look all right. Y'all, I look good. Listen, I had to make sure that I look good because the person that is in the passenger seat today, honey, she is a fashionista in every sense of the word. She is gorgeous, she is a CEO baby, she is a boss, and if you do not know who she is, you already know. Run that clip baby.
Speaker 2:Clorella, she's on, it's 7 pm. Come, she's awesome. Hey, it's 7 pm, friday. It's 95 degrees. I ain't got no nigga and no nigga ain't got me. Let's go. I'm about to show my ass. These niggas love to freak. How the fuck is that your man, if he right here with me, turned up with my niggas, turned up with my bitches, turned up with my niggas, turned up with my bitches, turned up in my shows? Yeah, cause I got that bleak. 60,000 fans came to see me do my dance, got a million and one haters and they all can kiss my ass.
Speaker 1:Baby, listen, listen, listen. I am hype, I am so hype, baby, introducing the CEO of Fashion, bob Daly, the beautiful, the fashionista herself, the phenomenal, claire Salmon. How are you? I am good. How are you gorgeous? I'm amazing, I love watching that.
Speaker 3:I was getting tired of watching it. I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm from the South, so I love a little, you know turn up music.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am a Louisiana Southern girl. Listen, I like a good little spice on it. Yes, so for anybody that does not know who you are, can you please tell everybody who you are and what you do?
Speaker 3:Yes, so I'm so excited to be here on Pimpin' Positivity podcast. You are just a bomb. I love meeting you. But about me? Okay, about me. I'm Claire Summers. I'm CEO and founder of Fashion Bomb Daily. Fashion Bomb Daily we're on Instagram, we're online. We're where you go to find out what all your favorite celebrities are wearing Beyonce, lori, harvey, glorilla. If we haven't posted your favorite artists, you can ask us a question and we'll find it for you. In addition to covering celebrity style, almost every day we also have events. We have fashion shows where we showcase emerging designers. We have an award show where we uplift people behind the scenes and on the scenes. But you know, I'm just a Southern girl, raised in Stone Mountain, georgia, who always loved fashion, couldn't find a way in, was told I didn't have the look. I was too curvy, I was too just not what the industry was looking for at the time, and so I created my own website, fashion Bomb Daily. That was 19 years ago, and here I am today with you, so excited to be here with you.
Speaker 1:God like that is a motivational story within itself. So so you said, and so many people I know there's so many people watching and listening they go to do the same thing Me myself, like I. I love to look good, I love fashion. But people will say, oh well, you can't be fashionable because you don't have the look like you, look like this and we want you to look a certain way. And the fact that you said you know what? I don't need to be in your lane, I'm going to make my own you got to, you can't find a seat at the table yeah, how did that come?
Speaker 1:come about? Like were, were you always the the one that would make her own lane?
Speaker 3:I don't. No, I don't think, I don't think so, but I think what happened was, uh, you know, I think everything is kind of a confluence of opportunity and just like kind of what's going on in the industry. But I started off when blogging was brand new. Before social media, before Instagram, before Twitter, before Tumblr, there was this new hot thing called blog spots or blogs and people. When I started in 2006 2006 people didn't even have their own websites generally really okay yeah.
Speaker 3:So I started off in print magazines, was sending out my resume to all the the voles and the harper's bazaar and despite me having a great experience and a great degree, I went to Harvard and all these things they would not give me an interview. I couldn't get an informational interview, they wouldn't. I couldn't get a job in fashion and I just thought that was crazy. I'm like, I did all this work, I did everything I was supposed to do, I did all the internships, I got a great education and you're trying to tell me I can't be an editorial assistant at a fashion magazine. It just made no sense. Trying to tell me I can't be an editorial assistant at a fashion magazine, it just made no sense.
Speaker 3:So I kept chugging along, but I just decided to start a blog because it was my passion. It was something that I really wanted to do. I had a full-time job. I was a fact checker, like a researcher, at a magazine, and it wasn't fulfilling to me, and so I just decided to start something as a hobby. And so Fashion Bomb started off as a hobby, something I did on the weekend, something I did after work, and I started writing, and thankfully there are lots of women like me and you and so many people watching, who love fashion, who don't see themselves represented in these magazines, who are overlooked right, who are overlooked and undervalued. But we spend, you know, we like to look cute, so why shouldn't we have something that speaks to us and something that thinks about women of different sizes, different tones, different backgrounds, like something like this was just oh so necessary, and so I'm just really grateful for the journey, Because listen, I spend my coins on clothing and it's like when it's.
Speaker 1:It is very disheartening when you go online or anywhere to find something and you want to see it on somebody that looks like you. You want to see it on some on somebody that looks like you like, because it's like okay, I see how it looks on this body, but that's not how my body look and the people like I'm just gonna be real. When you do go to the plus size section, even online, you don't see actual plus size women in it and it's like this this isn't plus size. Like what, what? What's her fupa? At what? What? Where? Where is her fupa?
Speaker 1:I want to see the fupa. I want to see the like thunder thighs. I want to see the like thunder thighs. I want to see it because that, cause, that's how I look like. Give me a girl with hips, give me a girl with curves, like that's, that's what I want to see your, your clothes on and to be like they. I see if you are over a size 12, then you're seen as plus size, right, and a lot of women have an issue with that because they're like well, yeah, but no, because her body is amazing. So why would she be labeled plus size. Why would she be labeled plus size?
Speaker 3:Like in the fashion industry, someone that looks like you would be labeled plus size correct, a thousand percent, yeah, and I'm like I've been a size 10, 12 my whole life and definitely considered plus size. People used to bully me online Really, yeah, I used to get it back, like you know, before Instagram, when you could kind of look up people's pages and you could look at their pictures. People would just leave anonymous comments all the time and say kind of awful things to me, but I continued to put myself out there because I knew, and everything that I do now is for that young girl, that young Claire, who was looking to be in the fashion and beauty industry and just didn't see herself represented and just needed some sort of blueprint, somebody that they could look to, and not just me, but every woman that I feature on Fashion Bomb Daily.
Speaker 3:I hope that they can just be a role model, just an example of what is possible and that there are no barriers to your success and, you know, thank God for Instagram, thank God for YouTube and TikTok, because it's just allowed so many people who felt so undervalued and overlooked to find their tribe, find their audience, like things don't have to be dictated anymore by these big magazines. They can actually, you know, just create their own thing, create their own way and forge a path ahead for the next generation, and that is so important.
Speaker 1:Now I heard you say that you got bullied, like people would leave negative comments. How did you Like? How do you like? How did that affect you? How did you deal with it? How did you push forward from that? Because that's hurtful. Whoever said that words don't hurt, I can slap them in the face because you're lying, because words hurt. I would rather you hit me because words last a long time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, words can start wars. So you know there are people that say those are fighting. Fighting words, yeah, like you don't have to hit somebody. You can actually say somebody that say something that can wound somebody just as deeply. But you know, I'm very grateful that I grew up I don't even want to tell my age, but whatever you can assume up, I don't even want to tell my age, but whatever you can, you can assume how old I am. I'm a woman of a certain age, um, and I grew up before social media. So I think that me having a very strong rooting in who I am and having that confidence before, like I wasn't bullied, growing up like you know, and I always had a fine time, you know, making friends, and you know I had my, my sense of self and my confidence pre-social media.
Speaker 3:Thank God anybody growing up in the social media age like.
Speaker 3:just let us pray, because you know, it's hard and there's so many people now it's like global people from around the world offering their opinion on you. I think what I did, my coping mechanism, was to not read the comments, which is something I don't know. If everybody does that, but even now when I post things, I don't read the comments. I just post and I walk away. Maybe a day later I'll come in and I'll start responding to comments, but don't read the comments. But I continue to just push myself and I continue to go like I don't let people who don't read the comments, but I continue to just push myself and I continue to go Like I don't let people who don't know me or people who might not want the best for me affect how I am and how I carry myself or whether or not I'm gonna decide to put myself out there. Like I just kept putting myself out there, kept refining and becoming better at what I did and not really caring what other people had to say, because it's not about them anyway, it's it's written.
Speaker 1:It's not about them, it is about us. So stop listening to everybody else. So okay. So you said that fashion was not your first love. So you went to Harvard and you were actually like, you majored in romance language or African American literature. So was journalism your your first love, because you you worked for Vogue and Essence and so like was, was that your first love? And then you transitioned into fashion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like I've always loved to write, writing is my jam. I have journals from when I was seven years old and fourth grade, like this girl stole my sticker, like I literally still have the journals from when I was a little bombshell Up until this day now. Writing for me is therapeutic, like I write in a journal at least once a week, and so my first love was writing. And then, once I got into the industry and journalism, it's like what are you going to write about? And I initially thought I wanted to write about politics, because I did major in African-American studies and I'm very aware of race and politics and things like that, and so I wanted to work in politics.
Speaker 3:But I got my first internship at Upscale Magazine in Atlanta, georgia, and they only had opening in the fashion department. And so I started off in fashion and realized that I really liked it. And, to be honest with you, in college I was never one of those people that would wear sweats or pajamas to class, like me and my friends. We were dressing up, we, we were wearing sneakers. They were like color coordinated.
Speaker 1:So basically what you are saying is you have always been that girl.
Speaker 3:I have. I've always. You know, I've always loved to shop Like. I always love to like put things together. And I remember in those old journals I would have lists of things I would want to buy and I would watch things like Moesha or watch Aaliyah in that video and start to write down. I'm like, okay, I need a vest, like a brown vest, and then I would go out and put things together.
Speaker 3:And I also remember in junior high I was going to a new school and people were kind of like my family didn't have a lot of money at the time and I remember I was wearing kind of like this uniform of clothing and one girl she made fun of me for wearing the same jeans like twice a week or something, and I just remember it made me feel so bad. And so I decided to go shopping with my mother and we lived on like I went to school on the rich side of town. I did not live on that side of town, but on my side of town the stores like the gap, let's say, for example, which was big back in the day, everything that my richer counterparts were buying was like on sale on my part of town.
Speaker 3:So I would go there, I would buy everything, I'd go to school and people would be like you dress so cute and they assumed that I was rich because of the clothing that I wore. But it was kind of like that confidence boost. A lot of people say like fashion can be like armor, fashion can help your mood, and that's what really clothes were for me as I was coming out yes it was always one of those things in the background, but I never thought that I could have a job in fashion like I didn't even think about.
Speaker 3:Oh, I want to be a fashion writer one day. It's just started off with writing. And then I was like, okay, let me go into this other passion of mine, which is shopping in clothes.
Speaker 1:Now being that you were labeled as too curvy or too plus size for the fashion world. A lot of us like me. I had to learn how to dress for my body and that took some time for my body, and that took some time, like I had to actually sit there and study my body and see what looks good on me, what does not look good on me, how how to match this with this so that this part doesn't look bigger than that. So how? How do you? Because you, girl, I follow you and your fashion is insane, like it is insane.
Speaker 1:How did you learn how to just dress your body and make everything that you put on your body look amazing? Thank, you.
Speaker 3:I probably deleted the one that don't look amazing. I think it's like a lot of trial and error, you know, and I think I, when people hear that you write about fashion, because at the very base of it I'm a writer, and then I'm like a fashion writer, but a lot of people assume that I'm a stylist, which I'm not. You know, I write about stylists. I thought so too. Not a. I mean, I could style like my home girl, like one of my friends, she's a lawyer, she's going to the Oscars and I'm like, okay, I can style you, but I'm not gonna be like I'm gonna style Beyonce or something like. There are stylists who do this for work.
Speaker 3:But I think how I found it honestly, is by working with different stylists and kind of seeing what resonates and what doesn't and thinking about proportions and also understanding okay, I have big boobs, so what are we going to do? Okay, maybe we're V-necks, maybe we're off the shoulder. What's my best asset? My legs. Okay, let me show my legs, you know, just thinking about, like, what are your best assets? What do you feel comfortable, accentuating and working with that and then being okay with trying, and of me, I'm very kind of a classic girl. I'm preppy. I don't like to change a lot of things but, working in fashion, I've kind of had to play around a lot with different hairstyles, hair textures, clothing, different types of brands to really kind of figure out what works for me. And it's, you know, an ongoing journey. Have fun with it.
Speaker 1:Because I. So you said that you are a top-heavy girl, so like what do you wear for well? Not me, because it's not me, because I'm not sorry, god, not me.
Speaker 3:But she didn't kiss at all. No, you know there's. There's, like you know, positives and negatives to either one. You know the, the girls with the. I'm a size h, I want to say 34 h or something. We have our own struggles, you know like you can't always wear the because the buttons have been open, or you can't always wear like. You can't wear a lot of things backless dresses, things like this. You have to rig it up and boob tape maybe, if you want to, or you know there are.
Speaker 1:There are different struggles, they're just depending so so like for for for all of the big, the like, big boobie girlies. What, what? What looks good on you, like what? What would you say to all my top heavy girls that they should wear? That that would look good and would compliment them that we should always talk about shapewear.
Speaker 3:start with a good bra, like a good bra, and don't, unfortunately, for women with larger busts, that that means you're probably going to be spending a little bit more for your bra, but it's worth the investment and go in, get fitted. I like to go to places like Iris Lingerie in Brooklyn also there's a place called Rigby and Peller, I think. They're nationwide, um, but go and get fitted for some good shapewear that kind of foundational stuff is so important and get new bras every six months. And then I'd say V-necks, scoop necks, anything that kind of opens it up. Jacket I used to wear blazers all the time, even if it was hot. Yeah, because blazers they kind of minimize, they add another dimension, anything that kind of shows a little bit of skin, I think kind of reduces it a bit. But then again I also wear like turtlenecks, no problem, and I think it really depends. I think the general rule is blazers, v-necks, scoop necks, wrap tops, things like that.
Speaker 1:that now you said, so I'm gonna, because I I kind of felt like, oh, you, you said get bras every six months, yeah, it's hard.
Speaker 3:I'm due for a new bra child. Well, you know it lapses and you're like this is fine, Listen.
Speaker 1:I've been having some bras since last year. Now you're going to throw those away. Throw them away, it's okay, and they are holding on for their life, but I will not get rid of them. We listen and we don't judge. We listen and we don't judge. We listen and we don't judge. Okay, we listen and we don't judge. I feel like I'm being judged because, because I have bra since like 2023 but I'm holding on to them.
Speaker 3:I don't know.
Speaker 1:Because they're comfortable.
Speaker 3:We listen and we don't judge. Okay, we listen and we don't judge. We listen and we don't judge. But you know what, like the whole thing, like it really depends on the look you're going for I'm not actually wearing my shapewear because I was like, oh, let's just back up, I don't have to do it. But the whole undergarment thing is like, oh, let's just back up, I don't have to do it. But the whole undergarment thing is like I think probably the most important thing when it comes to curvy women, like getting those foundational garments I think are the start of any amazing look.
Speaker 1:And some women are like, oh no, but I feel like you want to look like you know you're all put together Because, listen, I love, especially with certain dresses and clothing like you don't want all those lumps and bumps to show Honey, I want to be. I want to look like a Coke bottle. I want to look like a Coke bottle. So shapewear is my bestie, so so, so I can be when, when I need to be, and my girls can be to my neck. You have worked with the like, you have worked with everybody and I love that your fashion show is so diverse. How did that come about? Like, how did the Fashion Bomb Daily fashion show or the Bomb fashion show, how did that come up?
Speaker 3:bomb fashion show. How did that come up, the bomb fashion show? Yeah, so we're having our next bomb fashion show September 13th. So you got. Everybody is welcome to join you. Yeah, you're welcome to join, um.
Speaker 3:But I came up with the bomb fashion show and all of our events because when I was first coming up in the industry, I wanted I wasn't wasn't getting you know the interviews or anything but I still wanted to try to find a way to be involved in the fashion industry in some way. And I remember New York Fashion Week coming around and being like dying, like literally being like there are all these fashion shows happening, there are all these fashion professionals in New York City. I don't have an invitation, I don't even know. Like anybody I could ask for an invitation and it was just it was.
Speaker 3:It was killing me because I had this passion, but just no way to gain entry and I would do things like go to museums or if there was a free talk at the library, I would go to that talk or I would sign up. That's how I actually first met Andre Lantali. He was giving a talk at some magazine on Upper East Side and I went and I met him and I was dying, but I'm just like there was nothing really available. And in general, I think in the fashion industry it's invite only, it's exclusive. Even people like me who've been working in the industry for 19 years and build up this big business, I don't get invited to everything.
Speaker 2:I don't get invited to everything I don't get really to?
Speaker 3:No, I do not. I do not get invited to everything. So there are other like politics and other levels to that, but I wanted to create a space that was welcoming and open to anybody who wanted to come to Fashion Week. So we have our events there on the first Saturday of every Fashion Week. They're in the evening, so if you're from out of town, you can fly in, you can make it a destination for you and your friends. We have different ticket ranges. You can buy a ticket and you can come, and there are people in the industry like Ty Hunter or Misa Hilton who come and you can interact with them. We have celebrities. We had Dini Leakes as a host. Yes, vivica Fox as a host.
Speaker 3:So, these are an opportunity for those who love fashion who might not have any industry connections, don't know anybody in fashion to actually come to New York during New York Fashion Week and have something to put on your calendar, because I remember back in the day New York, I would go to Milan. I would have no nothing to do for days because I just didn't know anybody who can help me get into shows. So I think everything that I've done with Fashion Bomb Daily is to create a way for that young girl I just remember being that young girl in fashion who loved it and didn't have a way in so any way that I can help anybody in their goal to achieving that dream I'm going to do and that's also something we do with our. We have Fashion Bomb Daily Shop, which is an e-commerce platform for emerging multicultural designers, and we use our platform to help them generate sales. So my goal is to help people like, get into the industry. I think many platforms are like how can we keep you out? But we're like everybody, come in.
Speaker 1:If you're interested and you're passionate, then there should be no barriers to entry week last year and, I am not gonna lie, it was intimidating, for for someone like me it's especially because it wasn't a lot of people that look like me and I was in, invited to these events and parties and a piece of me. It kind of made me feel small, like oh my gosh, like do I belong in this room? Like I'm here, but I feel like I don't belong. And it kind of brought me back to high school, that like girl that was just in the corner just standing there, like looking at all the like, the like gorgeous people, and I'm just like, but but then I had to remember that I was invited here, so I belong in this room like everybody else. But it's very difficult when you look around and that you don't see anybody that looks like you. Yeah, it's very hard. Do you feel that? Now the fashion industry she was like you ain't even got to finish that question? It's no, I was like absolutely not Because it's no.
Speaker 3:Let me just tell you, there are moments and it's actually. I'm like, absolutely not because it's no. Let me just tell you, there are moments and it's actually happened this month, because so many things happened during black history month for different black brands and everybody's like, oh, yeah, yeah, we like black people for this month anyway, um, and I, I felt a way I did. I felt a way about no shade, no shade. Yeah, I felt a way. I felt a way about not being invited to certain things or being in rooms where you don't see people that look like you.
Speaker 3:But I, over the course of these 19 years, by the grace of God, have been able to build up this wonderful platform with almost 2.2 million followers. Like, I am super blessed in so many ways. And so I and it was a recent revelation where I'm, I'm just fine not having that outside validation. Like I'm where the party's at, like y'all should be trying to come to what I'm doing Like whatever you're doing over there is not as fly if I'm not there. So I'm doing Whatever you're doing over there is not as fly if I'm not there. I'm sorry, I am the vibe, I'm the vibe, I'm the vibe and it's like at this point I feel like you can't deny the impact, you can't deny the influence, and so it's like we're doing something right over here, like I have a reason to be here. I'm on a mission and an assignment from God to be here, and either you're with it or you're not. And if you're not with it, then God bless you.
Speaker 3:And if you're with it, let's go. But I did feel that way for a really long time because I was just trying so hard for so hard and for so long to be in all these different rooms and you know, I'm just like we're going to have to just create our own thing over here and it's going to be fly and eventually you're going to be begging to come to our event. But at that time we'll be like come on in, cause we we never had the door was not closed. You know what I mean. But I think that seeing of outside validation is human, but it's not necessary.
Speaker 3:And you do have to look at, like what I was talking about a little before, about expressing that gratitude for what you do have, looking at all the myriad blessings that are in your life. Like I started off, you know, just kind of up and comer, struggling, not having the right clothes, not having any connections and literally have been able, because of social media, to create this empire. And I have events where celebrities come and we're getting shout outs from you know Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, you know different things like this, where I'm just like I think we're doing okay and I think, even if you know there aren't a bunch of people who look like us in the room, or if there are, if we get the invite or if we don't like what I'm doing here is good enough, like I feel validated by the people who support me, those who love me, those who express that appreciation for me. And if you don't, you don't God bless you, yeah.
Speaker 1:And in the South, when somebody says God bless you, god bless you, I mean that is our way of saying something else, but go ahead and say know what? God bless you. Okay, just yeah, go ahead, all girl yeah what is your so I?
Speaker 1:I call you this, and I'm pretty sure a lot of other people like if, if you follow her page, claire is a fashionista. But what is your favorite style? What? What's? What's your like, like favorite thing to wear that just makes you feel like yes, honey, yes well, you know, I love a good cat suit.
Speaker 3:Okay, I love a good cat suit mainly because I'm like lazy, low-key and it's like one-stop dressing you just put it on and it's done. Yeah, maybe you put on a belt or something or a little vest over, but I love a cat suit. And it's funny, I went, I went to New York for New York fashion week and I didn't. I waited to the last minute, I didn't bring like anything, but I did pack this one Norma Kamali jumpsuit and it has these little footies on it as well and like little things for your arm. I love Norma Kamali, just in general for easy dressing and it's affordable. But I was wearing that little cat suit everywhere and I'm like I need this in every color.
Speaker 1:You know you wear it on the plane Like why not?
Speaker 1:Because when you find I know me, like why not? Because when you find I know me, if I find something that that I like, I need it in every color. In every color, I need it because I have to wear y'all gonna get sick of me in this jumpsuit. Yeah, y'all gonna get sick of me. Now I also noticed that you are a a jacket girl, like you know much like the like furs and the jackets and it. I love a dramatic look and some of your looks are like iconic, like you had this I think it's in the clip. It was a black dress and it had big sleeves. That kind of went around oh yeah, I love that.
Speaker 3:I love that. Like that's so funny. My mother, my mother, was not in fashion. I mean, it really comes from my. My grandfather was a tailor in the Bahamas. He used to make suits for, you know, funerals. He had a tailor shop where he made men's clothing and that's where my mother learned how to sew. So my mother, she used to make clothes for me. She went to the high school of fashion industries in New York. But it's just so funny. My mother has great taste and it probably it all trickles down from my grandfather through my mother to me. But my mother, she's like I, when I go places, I want to blend in. My mother says this and then I'm like when I go places, I want to stand out.
Speaker 2:Yes, I want to be best dressed.
Speaker 3:I want to be ridiculous. I want people to be like this Claire, like what's she gonna do next? But I just think it's fun. I'm like I think life is too short to wear boring clothes and just have fun with it. Why not like? You literally only live once, so it brings me joy. And it's another strange thing, like when people are like I like your outfit, I love that, I love that and kind of I kind of dress so that I can give. So people could be like, oh, I like your outfit. And if they don't, I'm like okay, let me try it.
Speaker 1:I thought that I was the only one that did that. I love it Like. I love especially as a like plus size woman, because people swear that you can only wear certain things when you're plus size. So I like to dress so that people can say oh girl, you look good, I'm like, thank you, you can too. Like I like to be a like walking billboard for plus size women.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you dress to impress. I love it. Yes, I love people are like well, sometimes I'll get people. They're like are you a rapper, are you a singer? And I'm like, no, you know. But I'm like when people are like, oh, what do you do? Do you work in fashion, you know and I think that's a part of it too Like always kind of being a walking billboard for your brand you represent. So that's a part of it as well. So that's a part of it as well.
Speaker 1:So, can you tell us what you have coming up, because I know that you already have a book, but you also have other projects coming up as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so the biggest thing is our Bomb Fashion Show, which is September 13th 2025. You can get tickets now at thebombfevaporatecom. We're also going to be doing um a summer spring summer brunch and dinner series. We're going to do something called fashion bomb talks.
Speaker 3:I have my podcast coming out very soon, okay, and I'm currently pitching my second book and I'm actually glad you asked me that, because I've had this email drafted to this one book agency and I haven't pressed send because I'm like hesitating and why I don't know. So this is, this is you're exactly what I do, we talk to. I know I'm going to press send and pray on it, but you know, there's a lot that I want to do in not a short period of time, because next year will be 20 years of me doing Fashion Bomb Daily and in my mind I was going to take a pause mini retirement, but maybe at 25, you know, because there's a lot more that I want to do and a lot more that I want to contribute to the culture and I think it's needed and I think it's needed.
Speaker 3:Like I think that women of color, women of different shapes and sizes deserve a place where they can feel welcome on the web, and so I'm going to just keep going until I can't go anymore. I'm excited for the next one to five years.
Speaker 1:You definitely inspire me. Like you definitely inspire me. Like you definitely inspire me, I love your fashion. I was going to ask you right, quick, for all the girls that do love fashion but maybe we can't afford all the high-end brands. Like we can't, you know, afford. Afford all the high-end brands. Like we can't, you know, afford. Where would you suggest that we find our clothes to be just as fashionable but at a lower cost?
Speaker 3:um, amazon, I shop on amazon all the time. Honey, this from amazon, these are from amazon. It's so funny. Yeah girl, my friends are like this. I'm one of the one friend who's obsessed with the real housewives and she's like this is where they buy all their jewelry. I'm like I bought my jewelry from amazon. Where else? I like going to kind of smaller designers um, I have a few items from hanifa, like smaller Black designers, like Hanifa, just for example. I'm trying to think where else to shop Zara. I don't even know if Topshop's around anymore I don't think so, but I shop anywhere. Zara. H&m, yes, fashion Nova, hello, like honey, fashion.
Speaker 1:Nova. Yes, fashion Nova. Hello, like honey, I am a Fashion Nova girl.
Speaker 3:They have a lot of cute stuff and their Nova Lux line is really nice, but even their regular line, I love Fashion Nova. But there's so many places and I think you know getting the basics from Amazon and then occasionally you know splurging on one or two pieces. But I really feel like the wave of the next generation is not going to be spending a bunch of money on clothes, maybe on shoes and bags, maybe jewelry as well. But I think you can find great style at any price point and I really strongly believe that.
Speaker 1:So, before we let you go, if you had any advice for girls that feel like I want to get into fashion, like I want to be more fashionable, but I don't know if, if I can like, I don't know if, if, if, if I would look good, like what? What would you tell the girl that needs to have more self esteem to just be who they are and just dress however they want to?
Speaker 3:Oh, you know, find your online muses, follow pages like your page, follow Fashion Bomb Daily, find people who inspire you, who style you like. See if you can kind of like recreate it in your own way. But I think there's so much inspiration online and so just kind of like plug into those and then don't follow the people who make you feel bad or feel small or maybe they're not kind of, they're not making you feel good about yourself. But just continue to find inspiration online in your neighborhood and just try. Don't be afraid to try new things. Try new silhouettes, dress up, dress down, just do whatever you want, but just have fun with it. Don't take it too seriously. Don't worry about the likes or the comments or the feedbacks. At the end of the day, do what makes you happy and do what makes your heart sing. Like this dress today, I probably shouldn't be wearing it no, but I love it.
Speaker 1:I love me a good like shoulder dress.
Speaker 3:I don't even know how to do this properly, but I just love the color, Like this is my favorite color, so it just makes me feel happy. So I think at the end of the day, a lot of people when they think about fashion, they think about judgment or people like maybe looking down on you or something. But kind of shift the focus towards what makes you happy, what makes you feel good right now, and kind of lean in that direction, start there and then kind of everything will unfold from there.
Speaker 1:I love it, I love it, I, I love you. Thank you for gracing us with your gorgeousness. Thank you for having me, of course, anytime, girl. I I love this dress, like I love a good off the shoulder moment. So, yes, yes. So where can our listeners find more of claire? Where where of Claire? Where can we find you? Where can we follow you? We want all things you.
Speaker 3:Okay, we have a lot of websites.
Speaker 1:Let's go.
Speaker 3:I'll just start with the top five. Maybe ClaireSomerscom TheBombLifecom you can follow me at Claire Somers. Then we have FashionBombDailycom at Fashion Bomb Daily. Start there and then you'll kind of discover the fashion bomb world. We have fashion bomb kids. We have fashion bomb plus. We have fashion bomb beauty hair. We have so many different things. I love it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, those are just a few places, and thank you again for having me. I love meeting you. I love your energy. I'm inspired by you. I've been telling myself for like a year that I'm going to start a podcast.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so let's do it.
Speaker 3:You just never know who you're inspiring out there, so you're an inspiration to me as well. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:Of course, and anytime that you want to come back and hop in this passenger seat, you are more than welcome.
Speaker 3:When I get a car, we'll do a sequel.
Speaker 1:Yes, Listen, guys, you have been blessed by the best, the fashionista herself, ms Claire Somers. Listen, I need you, ladies, or anybody listening, to know that you are enough. You do not need validation from any body to be the best you that you can be. Go out there and have fun. Just go out there and live dress, be for you, because you are the one that's looking back at you, so you are the only one that matters. So you go out there and you be great in your own faith, and then you turn around and be great in theirs. Do you understand me? Now, as you go out there and be fabulous honey, like I know you can be, remember to always have a good day on purpose. You're welcome.