A first glance at Gail Gonzalez’ Instagram page shows the perfectly put together outfits of a fashion influencer. One might hold their breath for a moment as they tap to reveal the names of the brands she is wearing, expecting the big fashion houses and haute couture names to pop onto the screen. One then might open their eyes in surprise as they find names like H&M, Amazon Fashion, Gap, Madewell, and Revolve, just to name a few.
“Fashion doesn’t have to be expensive,” says Gail, as she animatedly discusses what she calls her “high-low” looks. This philosophy, “high-low,” means she always pairs luxury brands with accessible brands. In fact, if she can put together an outfit of completely accessible brands, she does exactly that, trotting around in H&M but looking like she’s in Gucci. “I want people to be able to afford what I’m wearing,” she explains.
That philosophy goes back to her ethos as a fashionista. Gail worked in the corporate world for years, doing print production for beauty and fashion brands. She made it a point to dress up each day and express herself through her clothing–although always sticking to corporate standards. The more compliments she received the happier she was to keep dressing up.
It wasn’t until later that she thought to share her daily outfits on Instagram, after noticing that content creators were doing it. Fast track to August 2021, she left her corporate job to be a full time content creator, now making money to do what she loves the most: expressing herself through clothes.
What sets her apart is that she never let go of her original intent, which was to share her style with the world and for that style to be affordable. Sticking to brands that she would only actually buy for herself, she began to create a beautiful portfolio of looks and brand partnerships that inspires the everyday fashion lover.
It was vital to her not to lose that authenticity, and all of a sudden go full-luxury. She walks away from brands that don’t match her aesthetic; i.e. no big name brands plastered on t-shirts or sweaters. “If there is a luxury product, I will integrate it into the outfit, but not always make it the center of attention,” she says.
Perhaps the only tweak that she has really made is to experiment more. “Leaving corporate allowed me to explore my style a bit more. And during the pandemic, I explored more colour to lift myself out of the depressing time period,” says Gail.
The most admirable aspect of her life as a content creator, however, is that Gail is a one-woman show. She coordinates with brands, styles her outfits, sets up her own shoots, edits her own reels, and everything in between. All while being a mom of two teenage boys, and–during the time of this writing–renovating her kitchen! The cherry on top, of course, is that she is over 40.
Gail hopes that she can inspire women over 40 to experiment with fashion more, and to know that fashion is how an outfit is put together, not how much money is spent. If she can have a woman walk into a Walmart and walk out looking like she came from Dolce & Gabbana, and–most importantly– be happy with what they’re wearing and how they look, then she will consider her job done.
Follow Gail on Instagram @simplygailg
