We all buy clothes, but no two people shop the same. It can be a social experience, and a deeply personal one; at times, it can be impulsive and entertaining, at others, purpose-driven, a chore. Where do you shop? When do you shop? How do you decide what you need, how much to spend and what’s “you”? These are some of the questions we’re putting to prominent figures in our column “How I Shop.”
If you were on the internet in the early 2010s, you know Rebecca Black’s name. In 2011, the then-13-year-old California native released her song “Friday” and became a viral sensation — for better or worse. The original YouTube post quickly reached 100 million views, providing Black with opportunities to attend countless high-profile red carpets, perform on “The Tonight Show” and even appear in a Katy Perry music video, all in the span of a few months. When she wasn’t posing for the cameras, however, Black was facing a harsher reality of experience fame at a young age.
“No one should be perceived as a 13-year-old, ever,” the singer tells Fashionista. “I really did struggle with learning how to take leadership of my life for so long post-‘Friday.’ There were so many people I worked with that I think had the best intentions, but just didn’t know how to guide a young girl trying to figure herself out.”
At the video’s peak popularity, millions of mostly negative comments would flood the post, harshly criticizing the simple lyrics, the storyline and the amount of autotune used on Black’s vocals. “I had to learn how to identify myself with something that wasn’t put on me by other people,” she says. “I was just desperate to be accepted.”
As the years went on, Black found success as a full-time YouTuber, dropping new music every now and then, seemingly attempting to sonically distance herself as much as possible from her debut single. It wasn’t until “Friday”‘s 10th anniversary crept up that the singer’s perspective on her past changed. Rather than try to escape the tune that made her famous, Black decided to embrace its electronic foundation and remix it into a hyperpop hit featuring artists Dorian Electra, Big Freedia and 3OH!3.
“I had just come out around the time, so I was starting to learn the fruits of making your own decisions,” says Black. “As hard as my experience [with the original ‘Friday’ release was], I think it was a gift in the long run.”
Black’s style evolved with her sound. Her clothing became more carefully curated as she pulled inspiration from club culture and cyberpunk aesthetics. “Over the years, I’ve tried to disassemble all of those [fashion] rules,” she explains. “In my everyday life I want to be the most practical, tactile version of myself. But in my work I love to be squeezed and restricted and held in a way that is also very fun and creative.”
Fast forward to 2025 and Black has found her groove. She just dropped “Salvation,” her first fully techno-centric album, which kicked off with a vintage and archival fashion-filled music video for lead single “Trust” back in October 2024 — a move that pushed her closer to capital-F fashion-person territory.
“I’ve been working with a stylist, Dot Bass, for over a year now and, creatively, there’s never a question of ‘Are we on the same page?’ We have the same references, we have the same loves, we have the same willingness to go there,” explains Black. “There’s been a lot of Monica Bellucci and Italian camp and Miami references. Things that feel so sexy to the point that they’re almost gross. We knew we wanted to make a big fashion statement and really embrace this very bombastic version of myself.”
Photo: Finn Sanders/Courtesy of Rebecca Black
Beyond her songwriting and singing, Black has also embraced dancing in her performances. So pieces out that are both visually enticing and easy to move around in are key.
“I wore these vintage two-inch stiletto Jimmy Choo boots I found on The Real Real in the video that were like $200,” says Black. “They were a great find and they hold up well, they’re comfortable. I can wear them on stage with no problem and dance in them. Maybe they have some pre-loved magic.”
Photo: Courtesy of Rebecca Black
For the “Salvation” cover image, Black and Bass relied on more vintage inspiration. Included on the mood board were ’90s Betsey Johnson, the Y2K-inspired brand Poster Girl, Dolly Parton, Madonna and Lady Gaga. (In the final image, Black appears topless, wearing just a cream-and-blue dotted Lucille Reynolds skirt layered over a pink bikini bottom.)
“There’s always a world or a character [in my projects] that I try to tap into and see what it says about me. I sat for a long time with this album and built my initial vision boards from there,” says Black. “There’s a lot of things that I’ve learned I love about my body and the way I love to dress it, too. It’s really about figuring out how far we can play. I’m constantly building my wardrobe with those staples of mine.”
Below, Black lets us in on her second-hand shopping secrets, shares her tips for scouring sale sections and opens up about finding herself through fashion (particularly in this new musical era).
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“I love to come to New York for shopping. I love Tokio 7, I love Lara Koleji. I am one of those bitches that is just going from store to store looking for whatever I can find. In Los Angeles, they just opened a James Veloria, which is really fun. I also love the flea. I’m always at the Melrose Trading Post and Rose Bowl flea. I’ve found all of my favorite items there. I found an insane leather jacket there for a hundred bucks the other day.
“Honestly? Love the Nordstrom Space section. It’s their [curation] of up-and-coming designers.
“I got a pair of jeans at the Reformation vintage sale, which is the only time I’ll walk into that store because it’s the only time it’s reasonable.
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“I was definitely one of those girls who was so afraid of low-rise jeans, that thought it was something that wouldn’t work for me. But then I started wearing baggy, low, low-rise jeans and my life changed. I started understanding what it was like to actually be comfortable and not in pain halfway through dinner. Those jeans are a pair of vintage Levi’s 559s.
“I’m in pajamas the second I step in my house. I cannot wear jeans on my couch. I will spill shit on it. There are these vintage Tommy Hilfiger pajama pants that I found on Depop a year ago and I literally love them so much. I travel in them. They’re navy blue, so in dark lighting they kind of pass as loungewear. I wear those with giant concert T-shirts.
“I happen to get a lot of friends’ merch, so I wear a lot of that and my own merch. To me, the best T-shirts I own are all about the fit and not really about the design. I love a short, boxy, slightly cropped T-shirt or a really giant one. I have an old Cher ‘Believe’ tour shirt and an NSYNC shirt that I love. I was always really inspired by artists who were able to turn their merch into clothes that you could wear even if you don’t listen to [their music]. Tyler, The Creator is a huge inspiration for me in that way.
“My favorite T-shirt that I own is a Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson T-shirt that I found at Round Two in Chicago. I also love a gas station T-shirt with an insane saying on it. I got one in some random Florida town a few months ago that says, ‘Get on your knees and pray.’ It’s such a deranged design that’s definitely meant to be worn by religious people — which I’m not — but I just love it.
Photos: Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images, Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
“I love when fashion is something that could be funny and unserious. That’s why I love the brand OGBFF right now. I wear so much of their stuff. It’s fun to wear something that says something literally. Anytime I DJ I wear a shirt that says, ‘Every girl should be a DJ.’
“I am a sale queen. I love finding something nice and figuring out viable ways to afford it. I’m an Ssense queen. Love that private sale. I love The Real Real. I think my favorite recent purchase is a vintage fur coat I bought there last year. It’s so warm and I used my consignment credit to get it.
“I work a lot with Tabitha Sanchez, she’s a vintage queen. She has access to every archival piece. There is a whole vintage Moschino room in the place that she pulls from that I want to live and die in.
Photo: Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images
“I have a shopping problem. I love seeing what’s out there and window shopping. I love thrifting even when I’m not wanting to buy anything. If I ever see a photo or video of something online that I like, I will almost always track it down just so I can see where it’s from and familiarize myself with the brand.
“The first thing I ever bought with my own money was a Chloé Drew bag. I was 18. I had an obsession with Chloé as a kid because I was a big One Direction fan, and I remember Louis Tomlinson’s girlfriend at the time, Eleanor Calder, had this bag and I was like, ‘I have to have that fucking bag.’ And I ripped that thing to pieces, it was full of lipstick stains. I wore it every day.
Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage
“Before tour, I will build a little mini-presentation where I’m piecing looks together, creating outfits and seeing different versions of them. Figuring out the shape or practicality of something is helpful [ahead of time]. I don’t want a wedgie on stage so I know I probably don’t want to wear a bodysuit.
“Where I am trying to grow the most is accessorizing. I feel like I focus so much on clothes but I wear the same jewelry every day.
“This album taps into a messiness, a viciousness and a volatility in my life that I had never fully embraced or tapped into before. That became really fun to build around. I was super inspired by Nadia Lee Cohen and the ’70s. Movies like ‘Thelma and Louise,’ ‘Showgirls,’ ‘Chicago.’ Those all became pieces of this visual world.
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Source: Fashionista.com