Holiday Gift Guide 2021: For Him
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The Brand Brief: Jena Tang & Forward Basics

Hey, y’all! I’m so excited to introduce you to the JENA TANG brand today. Her story is amazing and she was so kind as to send me a set from her new Forward Basics line that launches today! Not only does Jena make stylish and chic pieces, but she is also focused on women-forward initiatives and building a community of supporting women. When Jena reached out on Instagram about her new basics line and the motivation behind that brand, I knew I wanted to interview her for my new series, The Brand Brief.

In this series, we’ll chat with brand founders about their stories, why they get up in the morning and the determination they all seem to share. Before we get into the interview with Jena below, I want to take a minute to share more about Forward Basics and the JENA TANG brand.

“Forward Basics are elevated basics, ethically made and designed with quality, comfort, and style in mind. Premium essentials that are designed for every wardrobe and style. Timeless, better basics crafted to be worn season through season.”

Here, I’m wearing the jogger and cropped hoodie in black. It also comes in a beautiful sage green color. During 2020, I really understood the importance of good basic pieces in my wardrobe as I pretty much lived in them that year. Not only is quality important, but versatility. I love that Forward Basics can be worn alone, styled with other elevated pieces like a blazer, or worn separately. The line also features accessories like hats and socks.

Now, a lot of people can make quality pieces and have chic, cool branding. But where JENA TANG really caught my attention was how they build that brand and the mission behind it. The clothing is designed in Canada and made in New York City and India where they spent months sourcing the right factory that shares their values for ethical manufacturing, social responsibility, and sustainability. They are an ethical factory that is committed to reducing their carbon footprint, from solar energy roofs and LED lighting to elevated dry lines and recycling water. They're also proudly run by female production managers who share our passion for the finer details.

Check out the basics line here!

I had the chance to interview Jena on her brand, the new basics line, and her overall outlook on being a designer and female-forward mission. Check it out below!

Tell us how you started JENA TANG and why the mission of female-forward is so important to you.
​I've been in fashion for 8-9 years but have always been designing for other companies. I love being creative, and fashion just happens to be my favorite medium. I've always dreamt of creating my own label, but am also deeply passionate about creating with intention - whether that's ethical production, sustainability, thoughtful designs, or social impact. JENA TANG was born out of a desire to create but with all these aspects in mind.

The female-forward mission is both extremely important and personal to me. The fashion industry is notorious for being exclusive and extremely limited and myopic in how they perceive beauty. It's also one of the largest sources of waste, consumption, and unethical labor and I had to change this.

I believe in my girlfriends and the women in my life so much but so often hear of the doubt that society and they have placed on themselves. How can I change the way they perceive what is possible? How can I change this perception for women everywhere? I took a deep dive into the challenges women and girls face when it comes to reaching their full potential and decided I wanted my brand to be all about lifting women up - whether that's through inclusive design and language or donating resources to organizations that are literally creating opportunities for women who are less fortunate.

There's so much I want to do for women, I could just go on forever.

Share something about starting your company that most people don’t know.
Most people don't realize I am a one-woman operation! I literally do everything myself - design, marketing social media, website design, customer service, production. I also have two full-time jobs aside from JENA TANG. The past 3-4 years have been a lot of flights back and forth to NY and LA, looking for the right manufacturer, unpacking product out of my kitchen, writing thank you notes on my office floor - all in the midst of my other full-time jobs.

Have you always wanted to be a designer? What did you want to be when you grew up and what have you done in between?
Yes! I'm emotional just thinking about this. I've been doodling clothes and making paper dolls as early as 5 years old. I always kind of thought it was a pipe dream and still can't believe any of this is real.
I actually went to school for fashion design and merchandising and have been in fashion ever since. I freelance design now for other brands, as well as manage fashion e-commerce sites for other companies, but am hoping to pursue JENA TANG full time in the next couple of years.

In 5 years, I hope…
To have a grant or scholarship program that can provide micro-business loans for women and young girls.
​By then, I hope JENA TANG will have a full basics line that spans into coats and premium wardrobe staples.

I really connected with JENA TANG because of your mission of #FemaleForward. What brands really resonate with you in regard to their mission and values?​
There are so many! I love Girlfriend, Cuyana, Sezane, Mate the Label. I also love the transparency behind Everlane.

What advice would you give women reading this who are wanting to start something new?
​Gosh. Go for it! The fact that we only get one lifespan is both heartbreaking and beautiful. I genuinely believe that women are capable of anything they fight for.

Describe JENA TANG in 3 words.
​Empowering. Intentional. Elevated.

You can only wear 3 things for the rest of your life. What are they?
​This is mean lol. I would have to say a pair of black jeans, a racerback tank, and a great coat.

Tell us more about the give-back side of JENA TANG. What organizations are close to your heart and why?
​Because we're so small, we've been selecting organizations that are supporting women in current issues. Recently, we've donated to the Indigenous Women's Fund in Canada and Black Women in Motion. I'm passionate about organizations that are advancing females forward, especially communities that face discrimination and inequity. I'm also passionate about providing education for girls as well and building schools is a long-term goal of ours. (It is wild saying any of this out loud!)

I'm still trying to find a single organization that we can partner with so that we can have a greater impact together.


JENA TANG started with dresses. What made you want to create a basics line?
My style and wardrobe are built from good basics. I personally invest in good staples that I can wear year to year and update with trendier pieces.
As a slow fashion label, and out of a desire to become more sustainable, it just made sense to design high-quality basics that are timeless. I believe in buying less all while buying better pieces that transition season to season, year to year.

Thank you so much, Jena for sharing your story with me and for leading such an impactful and inspiring brand. I’m so honored to have you on the Brand Brief! Be sure to follow JENA TANG on Instagram at @shopjenatang.

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READY, SET, WAIT

One of the things we’ve all had to come to terms with the last 18 months has been waiting. You can call it patience, lockdown, a closed door, or just not the right time, but in the end, we’ve all been waiting. Waiting for something to happen, waiting for something to be over, waiting for our next opportunity or simply waiting for our turn. Since high school, I remember having a feeling of always wanting the next thing to happen or wishing for the future in some way. Can I just graduate already? College will be so much better! I can’t wait to move away from home and be a grown-up. I can’t wait to be a sophomore so I can live in the sorority house. I can’t wait to graduate and move to Chicago. I can’t wait to…

When always looking ahead there was a lot I missed that was right in front of me. 2020 and even 2021 has been the longest period of waiting I’ve experienced and it’s been on my heart to write about it for a while now. As many of you know we moved to Nashville in November 2020 and started a new chapter of our lives here after living in Chicago for 5 years. I remember being in college and waiting for the weekend Kollin and I would finally move in together after graduation and dating long distance for 3.5 years. I remember waiting for fulfilling the idea of being who I finally wanted to be while living in the city. I remember waiting for the big job I was going to land and the career that was going to start there. I remember waiting for what would become our home. It felt like my senior year was a giant year of waiting.

And when Chicago came, it was amazing. But you know what filled the spaces of the things we finally got? More things we were waiting for. I couldn't wait to move to a new, bigger apartment closer to downtown. I couldn’t wait to make my blog better and get a promotion at work. I was constantly looking forward and constantly in a period of waiting for the next thing. Feeling like I was running toward the next goal, running toward making my next move or planning years in advance of where we were at the moment.

I think as we get older this pressure of what’s next and what your plan will be becomes really real. Maybe it’s just the way we were raised or a high sense of ambition, but it’s a common thread amongst many people I know personally and those I see on social media as well. How long do you stay in the moment of something before you’re looking for your next moment? How long do you appreciate the accomplishment before striving for the next? Do you even celebrate a milestone if there is a bigger one in front of it? When you get engaged the first question is ‘when’s the wedding?’ And then like clockwork, the questions about babies and homes and bigger and better jobs start.

I’ve struggled with this myself in a lot of different areas, but the last 6 months or so have really helped me focus on letting go of the tight grip on the future and being really ok with the present moment even if it doesn’t look like what I or society expected of me. Maybe our current situation doesn’t look like we thought it would 9 months ago when we moved or we have different choices in front of us than the ones we mapped out but isn’t that the beauty of life? The moments in between that help you focus and reground yourself? The moments that make you step back and say is this really what I want?

Living in the unplanned and unsure has been challenging for me to say the least, but I’ve been really comforted by the saying:

Remember when you prayed for exactly where you are right now?

That quote may not be as literal of a reminder to some, but it’s helped me find the peace within the moment I’m in and what I’ve accomplished thus far. I remember when I didn’t want to leave Chicago and was terrified of losing everything we had built there if we moved. I remember being so happy when Kollin came home with champagne when I hit 1,000 followers on Instagram and then hoping and working toward the next thousand. I remember praying for guidance as I wanted to leave a job and was unsure of what my career would look like if I did. But, sitting here at this moment typing to over 6k of you, with a marketing career still intact, a happy husband, corgi, and life in Nashville, I’m so grateful.

Every one of us is waiting for something and while there are many of us who are waiting for something trivial compared to others, the lesson is the same: remember to stop and have gratitude. I’m a believer in the idea that rejection is actually redirection and this period of waiting is actually preparing us for what is truly the right path.

The path to where you are might have looked different than you planned or been harder than you expected, but you’re here. I’ve learned timing isn’t everything and we’ve all seen that plans get derailed. Things get postponed, and waiting is inevitable, but it’s the right now that makes the future what it is - so revel in it. While you’re busy looking forward remember to look back and see how far you’ve come.

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The Style Edit: Resort Wear

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One of my favorite things to shop for is vacation outfits. Since we don’t live in a tropical area, I don’t shop for bathing suits, coverups and colorful maxi dresses too often, making it really fun when the time comes. I love that resort wear is all about ease and relaxation, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find unique and eye-catching styles. I’m sharing my favorites below for the season, perfect for any vacation you have coming up!

Some tips that I use while shopping for resort wear:

  • Have fun with it: I like to wear things I wouldn’t normally do at home while on vacation. So for me, that looks like more color, unique cuts like strapless, fun patterns, and accessories.

  • Airy & Light: look for materials that will keep you cool. Nothing is worse than your outfit sticking to you in the heat and feeling uncomfortable. Try flowy pants, a maxi dress, or crop tops.

  • Don’t break the bank: since this is something you’ll probably only wear while on vacation try to stay within a reasonable budget for yourself. For fun items, I won’t wear that often or just want to try out I use platforms like FashionPass or Rent the Runway! For a much lower cost than buying, I can rent the items and use them for the trip, but not have them sit in my closet for years to come only coming out while on vacation!

SHOP MY FAVORITES

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Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Dupes You can Shop Now
Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Dupes You can Buy Now

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Hey y’all! Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is in full swing, but a lot of people aren’t able to shop until the sale opens to the public on July 28th. Since that’s the case I wanted to round up some items you can shop now from other retailers that are super similar and most of the time, more affordable!

SHOP THE REST OF MY #NSALE PICKS

Be sure to check out my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale post with all the sale details, important dates and more!

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