It’s been awhile, but I’m back with another Feature Friday to feature another amazing blogger who’s style is one to be envied.
Today, I’m featuring Payton Sartain of Hustle and Halycon. I first noticed Payton on Instagram, where her personal style absolutely blew me away. Her natural beauty that parallels her authentically personalized style. She shops at some of my favorite stores and finds pieces that I didn’t even think to purchase.
I could literally talk about her for a whole post myself, but I decided instead to catch up with Payton and have her tell you about her style, her favorites in fashion, and to have her give tips on fashion blogging.
Tell us about yourself!
Hi friends! My name is Payton ( clearly ), and I am the life & Style blogger behind www.HustleAndHalcyon.com! I was born on the coast of Florida, grew up (mostly) in Texas, and am now located in Los Angeles, California following my recent college graduation. I’m really the only creative type in my family, which is filled with engineers and athletes, and blogging has been SUCH an incredible outlet to indulge my aesthetically-driven side. Also, I’m a Type-A personality with some extremely introverted tendencies, so blogging has been a really great way to connect with people without having to, ya know, be around a ton of people. LOL.
What made you want to start your blog?
When I began my first blog, I was trying to get an internship in Los Angeles in fashion PR. Because I grew up in Texas where very few people are involved in any fashion-type jobs, I lacked connections, direction, and advice on how to get an internship. I started the blog as a running resume for work opportunities to show that I could forge and maintain an online presence while being creative and focussed. When I scored an internship in PR at For Love & Lemons, I realized how much I LOVED blogging, and decided to continue! Now, I share maybe TOO MUCH of my life on Hustle + Halcyon and through its corresponding social media channels, because I love connecting with people through those mediums!
Describe your style.
Hmm…. this is a tough one. I think my style mixes a bit of a Texas vibe with a California vibe, and it’s definitely approachable. It’s a bit beachy and a bit feminine with a touch of masculinity. I’m obsessed with mixing masculine and feminine patterns and textures. Oh, and considering I never wear a bra and love to bare a little skin, I’d say it’s a teeny touch sexy, too.
What is your favorite piece that you added to your closet in the past three months?
Last month, I splurged on my first high-end bag, my new Céline Nano crossbody in black. It’s safe to say that this bag is my child…. *buckles bag into the front seat when driving, just in case.*
Do you have a favorite fashion blogger? Who is she or he?
Well I have to give props to my always favorite, Chiara Ferragni, because I so respect her role in making blogging what it is today. She’s such an OG, can pull off literally anything, and seems like such a brilliant babe. Lately, I’m really diggin @XeniaOverdose, @VivaLuxuryBlog, and @TuulaVintage for style and TRAVEL inspiration, too. Too many favorites!
Who is your style inspiration?
Honestly, I don’t really have a specific person I can credit with this role! I’m not usually huge on celebrity style spotting, because many of the looks they wear are entirely out of my league…. To say the very least. I do really like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s feminine style and Gigi Hadid’s trendy and youthful looks, though!
Name your top three favorite places to shop and/or brands.
I shop online a LOT, and my go-to is Revolve.com, because I can always find something to wear! They’ve started to incorporate a number of very affordable brands that make staying trendy pretty easy on your wallet. I also really like ASOS for online shopping. My favorite brand as far as fall clothing so far is For Love & Lemons. I love everything FL&L, really.
Who is your favorite fashion designer?
Well, Chloé is my favorite fashion house overall, because I’d die to wear the clothes, bags, shoes AND accessories. Everything is amazing.
What is your favorite beauty brand? Why?
Currently, I’m digging Tarte. It’s relatively well priced and I like so many of their products. I use Tarte Rainforest of the Sea foundation, the creaseless concealer, & the lip & cheek stains on a regular basis.
What would you say is the most important quality to have as a fashion blogger?
I think authenticity is so, so important. You need to wear what YOU want to wear and not worry too much about who is going to like it or if it’s what every other fashion blogger would wear. I need to get better about this myself, actually. Sometimes, I find myself looking at other bloggers or people for inspiration, but I need to learn to just do whatever it is that I’m envisioning instead of put myself in the same box everyone else is in. It’s hard!
What was one of your biggest obstacles as a fashion blogger?
Starting the blog & maintaining it in the beginning was a huge obstacle, actually. People back home didn’t really understand what I was doing, and no one knew of other bloggers working at it as a full-time job. So, I looked kind of dumb in their eyes. I mean, I was putting up photos of myself wearing various outfits on the internet, and I didn’t have a following to validate my “status” yet. People always seem to reject what they don’t quite understand, so they were not-so-supportive to my face and behind my back because of this “weird” thing I was doing. If I had let the initial fear of starting consume me or quit because I couldn’t handle the negativity, I wouldn’t be living my DREAM in Los Angeles, California a couple short years later. Make a plan, trust yourself, START & focus on your vision.
What is your guilty pleasure?
DESSERT. Seriously. My family is a big pro-dessert family, so I grew up eating dessert after lunch & dinner every single day for my whole life. To this day, I don’t feel like a meal is over until I’ve had something sweet.
What has been one of your favorite moments while blogging? Trip? Event? Photoshoot?
I have so, so many moments that I could call my favorites! It’s hard to narrow it down. Some of my favorite moments have been when readers reach out to say that I’ve inspired them to do whatever it is they really want to do. I find it so endearing when a girl reaches out to another girl to lift her up with the purest of intentions. Also, the thought that Hustle + Halcyon could inspire anyone to pursue things they really want literally brings me to tears. Every time. That’s the good stuff.
What are some of your long term goals with your blog?
I have so, so many things I want to do with Hustle + Halcyon! Currently, I’m working on perfecting my app and a few other projects! I’d like to eventually use H+H to launch a podcast, share my passion non-profit organization with the world, write a book, & so much more! Stay tuned for some big things ahead.
If you could give another fashion blogger one piece of advice, what would it be?
Like I said above, be authentic. Do you, show off your unique style in your unique way, and you’ll kill it.
Follow Payton – Hustle and Halycon on:
Instagram | Twitter | Bloglovin’ | Pinterest| Facebook | Snapchat
