I became an accidental influencer on June 28th.
That day, I shared a random thought on Threads about the very comfy pants I was wearing and loving.
There was no grand plan or ulterior motive. I had the thought, posted it, then went about my day.
But something strange happened.
Over the course of the day, I noticed that I was getting more replies than usual. I’ve had viral posts on Threads, and I can tell within a few hours if something is taking off. This one definitely was.
I was taken aback. I mostly talk about feminism and politics on Threads, so I didn’t really think anyone would care about my clothes.
[Upon reflection, though, I shouldn’t have been so surprised. The phrase “don’t make me think about my body” is feminist and political in a misogynistic society that judges and ranks women based on their bodies.]
When people asked to see the pants, I shared an affiliate link.
After a few days, I checked that affiliate account and discovered that I’d earned nearly $200 from people buying the pants. 🤯
Wow.
In the two months since that time, I’ve shared about “the” pants a few more times on Threads. Each time, the posts get tens of thousands of views and lead to a few hundred more in affiliate earnings.
At this point, I’ve made almost $1,000 from sharing about this single clothing item … and the experience is what made me realize that maybe I should make this “influencer” thing a little more real (and the Bad Influencer was born!).
Here’s why I love “the” pants …
They’re very lightweight, which is so important for me as a fat woman in perimenopause. I can wear them in the summer and not sweat my ass off (literally, no ass sweat 🤣).
They have an elastic waistband that I don’t notice. It’s big enough that it doesn’t constrict my waist and make me conscious of my midsection. (It does tend to fold in half, which has never bothered me but might bother some.)
They come in a bunch of colors, of which I now own 7 because I they have basically become my uniform until the weather gets cold.
They’re inexpensive (less than $20 via Amazon). I don’t spend a lot on clothing because it’s not a priority for me and I don’t have much in the way of expendable income. The only reason I have 7 pairs (other than my love for them) is because I used the affiliate income I earned from them to pay for the additional pairs.
They are as comfy as PJs but when I wear them with a nicer top my husband says “why are you dressed up?” so I don’t feel like a slob when I do school pickup.
A few words of warning…
They are definitely fast fashion and not ethical. I don’t love that, but the truth is that I can’t afford expensive pants at this point in my life.
They are made of a polyester blend, which isn’t for everyone.
They are a thinner fabric, which means they could be a bit see through as they wear (I wear longer shirts so this hasn’t been an issue for me).
They have a bit of a linen-like wrinkled look. I like it, but some may find it messy.
I’m 5’7” and they fall just above my ankles, which means they are more pant-like for shorter folks and more capri-like for taller folks.
They go up to 3X, which isn’t completely size inclusive, which I hate.
They aren’t the cutest or most chic pants in the world, but I’m not someone who cares about those things. My primary concern is comfort and not thinking about my body (I’m working on ‘body neutrality,’ which means I just don’t notice my body as being good or bad).
I never thought that sharing about these pants would potentially change my life, but in some ways it feels like it has.
I’m so excited about this new outlet for sharing things that I love with people who might actually benefit from them.
I don’t have a lot of hobbies or creative outlets, and this feels like it could be just that.
All because of a pair of pants.
Thank you for sharing! Do you think you could style these into the winter or are they summer /warm weather only?
Amazing! Love them! And ps I've NEVER made anywhere near that on an item!