Kimmy Styled at W Nashville
Kimmy Styled is just like the rest of us: sitting on a couch, waiting in the virtual queue for Beyoncé tickets.
Kimmy is a content creator with 50,000 Instagram followers and 72,000 TikTok followers. If the term “content creator” is throwing you for a loop, that’s what we used to call an influencer. But content creation is much more than what you may remember from the early Instagram days. Content creators build community, land paid sponsorships, learn how to film and edit videos and much more. What used to be written off as a side hustle is now a legitimate career.
Kimmy’s content ranges from outfit-of-the-day posts and posts about local plus-size shops to solo travel tips and details about living with chronic illness. She is also embarking on an aerial yoga journey that is a joy to watch.
I ask Kimmy what the hardest part about being a content creator is, and her answer surprises me. I expect her to say Instagram Reels, but she says parasocial relationships — when social media followers who don’t know you in real life consider you a friend and engage with your content as if you’re in a reciprocal relationship.
“Luckily, I haven’t had anything terrible or weird happen,” says Kimmy. “I try to be pretty upfront, like, ‘Hey, I am here to be a resource, but also I’m a whole human being that has feelings and you don’t know my full life.’”
At this point in the interview we pause for Beyoncé. Kimmy’s number is up in the queue. After a tense few minutes, Kimmy says, “Oh, my stars. Oh! Oh my God! Beyoncé! Beyoncé!” I am happy to report that she was successful, and many screenshots and text messages later, we resume our chat.
Kimmy started Fat Positive Nashville (@fatpositivenashville), which in an intro post on Instagram she describes as a community for fat people by fat people: “All fat people are welcome in this intersectional and inclusive space. This is an anti-diet space where you can find other fat folks who just get it. ... It’s for real fat folks who desire community, fun, joy, and freedom from diet, wellness, health, and weight loss talk.”
The genesis of the group came from something many people experienced in recent years: loneliness and isolation during COVID lockdown. Like a lot of us, Kimmy noticed how hard it became to make and maintain friendships. “So many people have families and partners, and that’s the most important thing, and that’s great,” she says. “But also those people maybe want another space to have friends. I want a space where people prioritize relationships like friendship relationships.”
Kimmy also noticed that Nashville doesn’t seem to have any other specific groups around this kind of issue.
“There’s not anyone saying the word ‘fat,’ and I think that’s really important,” she says. “You can say ‘plus-size’ or ‘chubby’ or all these cute little words, and that’s great, but I want a space for people who identify with the term ‘fat’ because it’s so polarizing. And I know if I say the word ‘fat,’ the people will come who want to come.”
If you’re searching for fat community, look into Fat Positive Nashville. Kimmy’s goal is to join Nashvillians through events like book clubs, group hikes and game nights and to eventually be a resource for folks looking for weight-neutral doctors, dietitians, therapists, endocrinologists and other specialists.
“I just felt like there was an opportunity to find more community and real-life people who value friendships, who want a community. We still care about things, but we don’t have to talk about diets.”
Photographed by Eric England at W Nashville
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