For many of us, quarantine fashion means it’s cozy and sometimes cute too. If you’ve been lucky enough to spend most of the days in sweatpants or leggings, just know we’re with you. In uncertain times, it’s nice to feel a sense of camaraderie when it comes to getting dressed. That’s exactly why I’m so grateful to Courtney Parchman, aka @averagefashionblogger, and her LOL-worthy TikToks who are overly reliable. Parchman (known as “Corny” by her friends) prides itself on making videos celebrating bodies of all shapes and sizes, while calling on the fashion industry for its complicity in spreading unrealistic standards of beauty. Over a year after the lockdown, it’s the ironic humor and exhilaration that I desperately need in my life.
Here Parchman talks to POPSUGAR about the origin of the viral TikTok account, her favorite bloggers and which must-haves she has in mind for spring.
POPSUGAR: Why did you decide to open the TikTok account?
Courtney Parchman: I started making comedic videos in December 2016 when I was still in college. It was the week of the finals, in which I am always the funniest me and [I] asked a friend to feature me on her fashion blog. I realized how fun it would be to create a parody fashion account that featured all of my outfits – which are usually made of sweat – and create fake tutorials. It was only done to make my friends laugh and I think the heart of it stays the same.
PS: What do you hope will stop your followers?
CP: I hope my followers leave my page knowing that it’s okay to be really silly and not care so much about being the perfect person. I think social media can be a really toxic and competitive environment, but I hope when you get to my page they feel like they can just laugh at anything and make fun of themselves. I just want people to feel a little better every day.
PS: Tell us the backstory behind your nickname “Corny”.
CP: My name is actually Courtney, and the name “Corny” happened because I refused to reply to my friends in high school unless they called me “Corndog”. When I got into college, my college friends shortened it and called me anything that came from the word “corn”: corny, corn chip, corn on the cob, corn nugget, corn star. Now everyone just calls me Corny.
“I just want people to feel a little better every day.”
PS: What was your most popular TikTok so far?
CP: A video of me eating Listerine strips, calling them potato chips and eating them as such. I think it got around 14 million views, and I think it was so popular because everyone thought I was really serious.
PS: Did unexpected fans come out of the wood?
CP: Katie Couric following me is such a pleasure. I immediately called my mother and told her. I also make mistakes when I think of Brie following Larson [me]and Chrissy Teigen. A couple of people out SNL Follow me too, and it’s just the greatest honor. I try not to think about it too much or I’ll drive myself crazy if I think about trying to make her laugh.
PS: What are some of your favorite social media accounts?
CP: Some of my favorite accounts are @chloeiscrazy, @megstalter, @ziwef, and @coleescola. They inspire me to be smarter, funnier, and sillier every day!
PS: Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion bloggers?
CP: If you are ever trying to build any type of following for anything, do it because you love it. And when an audience follows, that’s really great. If not, at least you are doing what you love.
Keep scrolling to check out Parchman’s funny viral videos and shop for their top fashion picks. Ideals of beauty are damned.
