Remembering the Unhinged Fashion Blogging Days With Marie Lodi

Hi! Sorry we missed you last week: I (Gina) took a week off to celebrate and recover from my daughter’s first birthday, and the time off pre-holiday content planning and chaos was much-needed! But I’m back online and ready to rumble. Even while on PTO, I couldn’t stop thinking about this week’s Substack collab. If you haven’t already, meet Marie Lodi: fashion and beauty journalist, early-aughts fashion and culture blogger, style historian, former John Stamos columnist, and so much more. Marie and I met when we both worked at HelloGiggles (RIP, we both found out the site officially shut down last month after years of dormancy), where she spearheaded our annual Beauty Crush Awards and interviewed icons like Betsey Johnson (in our nursing room, no less). 10 (!!!) years later, and I still text her industry gossip and ask for her advice on which serums I should and should not be putting on my face. Even though Marie runs her own Substack, Overdressed, hosts the podcast Makeover Montage, and is Yahoo’s senior beauty writer, she still agreed to do a Q&A with me for The StyleCast. Come get nostalgic with us as we chat about OG fashion blogging, unhinged media moments, what she’s buying right now, and more. Enjoy!

What made you start fashion/beauty blogging? Agent Lover was your first blog, right?

I officially launched Agent Lover in 2008, when it was basically just an offshoot of my LiveJournal. My MySpace bestie, Klaus, encouraged me to start my own blog and built it for me. At the time, fashion blogging was really starting to take off—people like Susie Bubble and the now-defunct Fops and Dandies were huge inspirations. But while a lot of bloggers were runway-driven, my obsession with fashion was always tied to film. Aside from a soft spot for Luella Bartley, Miu Miu, Betsey Johnson, Jeremy Scott and Rossella Jardini (Moschino), I was always more of a costume designer groupie than a fashion-week girlie.

Agent Lover (the name was inspired by my favorite book from high school, Weetzie Bat) became my space to mash up cult movies with style obsessions, to show off my weird outfits, and talk about pop culture fixations. I also had some crazy interviews there. It was so fun.

When/how did you transition to writing for publications/websites?

Blogging really opened the door for me. I got used to writing constantly, developing my voice, and connecting with a community of readers and other bloggers. Around 2010, I thought it would be cool to try and write for actual publications, and then Tavi Gevinson asked me to join Rookie when it launched. There, I had a style advice column and a fashion-in-film series. That was huge—being part of something that defined an era for teen girls and culture. I miss it so much. Then in 2014, I got laid off from my fashion buying job and became a writer full-time and never looked back! I was a blogger for Jezebel, and contributed to Refinery29, Racked, and The Hairpin, where I had my brief stint as a food writer with my period foods column, Bloodfeast! I eventually became the first Beauty Editor at HelloGiggles, which was another milestone.

When I was a teen and in my 20s, I devoured Jane Magazine, Seventeen, Nylon, BUST, and Missbehave religiously, but because I didn’t finish school or live in New York, I just didn’t think I’d be able to write professionally. (This was pre-blogs and digital media, of course.) So, it was a dream to be rambling about fashion and cult films on my own blog and have it turn into a career.

Favorite 2000s blog moment?

Oh my god, where do I even start? I loved the chaos. All the posing in the American Apparel shiny leggings and Jeffrey Campbell Litas. The McQueen Armadillo shoes. Fashion’s Night Out! You had the old guard fashion editors pissed at a 13-year-old Tavi and her Stephen Jones bow hat during fashion week. There was a certain rapper-slash-designer who would lurk on style blogs and tried to start some beef with one of us…

Then there’s the non-fashion blogs. I loved D-Listed. That’s how I became obsessed with the idea of riding a Segway in stripper heels (STILL haven’t reached this goal, FYI). And Hipster Runoff! I always forget who Carles really was, so I have to Google it once a year. Overall, I feel like everyone was more genuine in their style choices and what they posted. No affiliate links or sponsored posts. No social media. You just went to their page directly (!) or logged into Google Reader (RIP) to read about their lives and get inspired by their style. I just logged into my old Feedly to try and summon the old blog gods. I think I’m the only one who kept their blog up, but pro-tip: If you still have a Feedly account, all the blogs, even if they’re made private, if you click directly, seem to be frozen in time, so you can have a little flashback moment! I spy some WILD 2010s outfits from people on there.

Obviously, we were parasocial even back then, but it was different. Blogs were messy, creative, obsessive, and unfiltered. Everything on the internet is crazier now, but it feels more performative, or miserable. Or both, sadly.

What do you miss the most about the 2012-2018 media era?

Phew. Well…for one, we were allowed to have stronger, more distinct voices that could also be a little snarky and messy. Now, much of media is optimized for Google, social virality, and monetization. Everything feels more polished and dead-eyed; we have to prioritize being on brand and going viral. Back then, we could post a lot of random, absurd stuff, and it still worked. Also, there was more community, even in the dreaded comment sections. I miss the weirdness.

The most unhinged memories/moments from 2010s digital media?

There was so much between Gawker, Jezebel, and Vice that I can’t even think about it, lol. Let’s see…XoJane’s “It Happened to Me” era (which of course, is alive in a new form on Jane Pratt’s Substack). The Buzzfeedification of everything. Edith Zimmerman’s “Women Laughing Alone With Salad” on The Hairpin was a moment I think about when I eat salad sometimes. And just for myself, the fact that I had an “An Obsessed John Stamos Fan” column on Jezebel, where I reviewed all of his movies and TV shows, was a beautiful, unhinged moment. I even reviewed his ass!

What’s one of your favorite stories you’ve written?

I’m at my best when I get to dive deep into fashion, pop culture nostalgia, or something just weird and offbeat. I love finding style in surprising places, like the UFO group Unarius. I profiled them for Racked and still try to go to their events today. People now know me as a beauty editor, but I have a couple of other regular beats — costume design is my absolute favorite (I have a podcast centered around it, too), and diving into the history of an “ugly” or controversial shoe. I wrote about the history of Crocs for Well+Good, stacked flip-flops aka “Frankenflops” for Bustle, stripper heels for Buzzfeed, and Litas for The Cut, and my Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker obituary for Allure. I always love it when my editor, Angela Melero, lets me get nerdy about pop culture and fashion on The Zoe Report, like with this story on Lil’ Kim’s impact. Also, everything I wrote during Rookie. The John Stamos stuff at Jezebel. Sorry, I can’t choose just one after all these years! I have to say I’ve had some really wonderful editors, like Estelle Tang, Lena Singer, Haley Mlotek, and Danielle Henderson, who helped me become a better writer!

Most memorable celeb interview?

This is going to be hard because I’ve had some really good ones, like my Christina Aguilera cover for PAPER, and my chats with my personal idols John Waters and Dolly Parton, but I think hanging out with Betsey Johnson in the HelloGiggles meditation/nursing room for two hours is something I’ll always remember. I love that woman!

What fashion trends do you think are going to be big in 2026? What’s on its way out? (Please say barrel jeans)

In: For some reason, I want to say creepers ha! Or, at least more loafers and preppier shoes. As a dramatic dresser, I like some of the more over-the-top 2026 predictions, especially capes or capelets. I think we might see longer skirts come in, and maybe more boho,’90s witch style, since my favorite movie, Practical Magic 2, is coming!!! As for out, as much as the pantaloons trend makes me smile, I don’t think that one is going to be around for too long.

Latest feel-good beauty or fashion purchase?

I wish I could say it was the Coach Kisslock Frame Bag…I am trying so hard to get my hands on that gargantuan beauty!!! I’m a TAD obsessed with purses, and that is on the TOP of my wishlist. To bring it back old-school, I recently picked up a couple of things from one of my favorite designers since the blog era, Samantha Pleet! A one-of-a-kind, lantern choker that reminds me of the goddess Hekate (for my fellow witches) and a bodysuit with ribbons printed on it. I collect her Persephone dresses. She’s such a magical designer.

Anything else you’d like to share!

Subscribe to my Substack, Overdressed, so I can get back to “blogging” again. I need the encouragement. Ha! And somebody who has the Coach Kisslock hookup..holla at your girl!