Tell us a little bit about you

I’m Jenna, a millennial content creator and podcaster based in Los Angeles. I love sunshine, reality TV, fashion, being outside, reading (especially a good thriller), my Boston Terrier, and nostalgia.

What is your favorite kind of content to create?

It depends! I love to create content about whatever is on my mind, or whatever I’ve been chatting with people online about, at the time. Right now, I’m really enjoying doing some deeper dives into memories from my childhood in the ’90s. But I think the content style that feels most quintessentially “me” are my 2000s and 2010s outfit recreations, so they’ll always be some of my favorite videos to create!

How did you get involved in creating?

I started creating the content I create now totally by accident. I was visiting my mom, and I decided to look through some of the old stuff I had there. I found a lace trimmed cami, bedazzled Hollister mini skirt, and my Tiffany heart charm necklace (what an iconic look!) so I put it on and made a quick video. When I posted it I had no followers on TikTok, but the video blew up. I realized I had an entire room full of my old stuff back home, so I kept making them, and here we are!

What is it about nostalgia for you?

I think nostalgia reminds us of a time when life felt more carefree simply because we were young — was the world actually “better”? I’m not sure, but it felt that way because we weren’t adults with adult responsibilities yet. I also love the element of “unlocking” forgotten memories and discovering that things I thought were unique to me or my experience were actually quite universal, and being able to talk to other people who had the same experiences across the country (and sometimes across the globe).

Tell us some of your favorite things you still have in your nostalgic room that we all love to see!

This is a tough one because I have so many things that I love! My ’90s TV/VCR combo that still works perfectly, my VHS tapes and CDs, a lot of my favorite clothes from high school, my prom dress, my American Girl doll collection. But I think some of my absolute favorite things are the more personal things, like notes, yearbooks, burned CDs, and photos – I have SO many photos! They’re things that we all remember having, but they’re unique because they’re mine, and they’re full of memories. The burned CDs are my favorite thing, I think. It’s so fun to listen to them and hear the wide variety of songs we put together on one mix, and rediscover songs I had long forgotten that I used to love.

You totally make me want to rewatch all the tv shows and movies … what shows can you watch over and over again? Why do you feel like people love this aspect with you so much too?

I swear I could watch Laguna Beach on a loop over and over, and it would never get old. I’ve probably watched it 15+ times at this point. It influenced so much of my style around that time. Same with the Simple Life. It literally changed my life as a fashion-obsessed 16-year-old in rural Wisconsin in 2003. And of course The Hills! I always gravitated toward “reality” TV because it felt like a window into other worlds, especially growing up in such a small town. I think there’s a comfort to rewatching shows and movies we’ve seen so many times – not just nostalgia, although that’s there too, but knowing what’s going to happen and almost feeling like these characters are people we know. There are no surprises, so I think people find comfort in that. And of course it’s fun to revisit all the amazing outfit choices!

I feel like you have always had such an engaged audience. You seem so true to who you are, and I love how relatable you are. Any advice to others on how they can try and build community and be their authentic selves?

I want people to feel like they know me through my content – past me AND present me. I recently ran into a friend from high school, and he said something along the lines of “every time I see one of your videos, I think to myself ‘she ain’t lying'” because so many of them are based on actual events and memories from the time. I basically just share anything and everything – if I remember something funny, I post about it and know that someone, somewhere out there will relate. If I get a new outfit that I love or eat a really delicious meal, I post it because I know someone out there will relate and appreciate it. I think the best advice I could offer is to think of your online community like your friends. Share things that excite you, things that make you think, and random things you just find funny with them just like you would your friends. We’re all whole human beings, so show that to them!

Where do you hope to see yourself a year from now?

I’m honestly not sure! I’m really enjoying what I’m doing now, but I also have some other ideas that I am really excited to explore in the near future. I think the next couple of years are going to be transitional for me.

What about 5 years?

I have a podcast about nostalgia and culture, so I could see myself focusing more on that longer-term, and I’d love to have a business that is not tied to social media. I really don’t see myself stopping content creation, though; it’s such a fun creative outlet, and it’s been so amazing to be able to connect with so many people in so many places through it!

Tell us about the Jenna Barclay style box. How can we get one for ourselves?

The Jenna Barclay Style Box is a project that I was so excited about as someone who lives in a small city apartment but also loves a lot of variety in my closet. It’s a clothing rental service with everything from sweatpants to casual wear to office attire and even cocktail dresses available to rent from a variety of brands. I LOVE to shop, but this is also a great way to supplement my wardrobe and experiment with new styles without the commitment of buying. Anyone can try it out completely free for a month at jennabarclaystylebox.com!

Name 5 songs that would have to be on your playlist …

This is SO hard to narrow down, so I’m going with the first 5 that come to mind!
1. Batter up – Nelly
2. I got that Boom Boom – Britney Spears
3. Holidae In – Chingy
4. Ocean Avenue – Yellowcard
5. We Found Love – Rihanna & Calvin Harris

How would you describe your style?

I’m usually down to try almost any style, but I would say my core personal style is a bit of a mix of classic, boho, and kind of grungy styles. I love casual basics with lots of accessories, and I love mixing different styles together. Something like a distressed graphic tee and a leather jacket paired with a tailored wide leg pant, or a classic button down with a fur bomber jacket and a chunky studded belt. And always a great pair of sunglasses!

OK I need you to tell me a fashion moment from the Hills that has always stuck with you …

I loved Audrina and Whitney’s style so much back then, and rewatching now (which I do often) I still do. Whitney’s outfit on their first day at Teen Vogue is still 10/10 to me. She wore this cute short-sleeved white dress with a belt at the waist and a long necklace, and the Teen Vogue staff replaced the belt before she could go meet Lisa because it was too “matchy matchy”. Personally, I loved both belts with the dress. It’s an outfit I would’ve 100% picked myself back then, and honestly I’d still wear it now (maybe with a couple small adjustments)!

Lauren or Heidi?

Hot take, but Heidi! I was never team Lauren, even in the Laguna Beach days. Of course, we’ve since learned most of the drama was manufactured for the show, but Heidi and Spencer are so fun to watch on social media now!

You have showed yourself watching the Sopranos and eating a Sunday dinner. What is your perfect Sunday dinner? Is it Carmela approved?

I like to think Sunday dinners around here would definitely be Carm approved! We do pasta every Sunday night. Usually it’s rigatoni with meatballs and sauce, with a side of garlic bread and cabernet. Sometimes we’ll mix it up and do pasta with broccoli, sausage, and a garlic and oil sauce or shrimp fra diavlo. Or my favorite, rigatoni with vodka sauce!

Favorite 90’s or 2000’s movie?

Clueless is my all-time favorite movie, so I’ll have to go with that. I was way too young to be watching it when it came out but it influenced me so much. I think I could recite the entire movie word for word, not even kidding! I even drive a white Jeep because I wanted one since the moment I saw Cher accidentally run a Beverly Hills stop sign in hers in 1995.

Tell us about your podcast. What inspired you to do it?

My podcast is called Talks in Class, which is probably a direct quote from every report card I ever received growing up. It’s really a place where I can expand on conversations I’m having with people on social media about nostalgia, culture, and our lives as millennials. Social media content is short, and most of mine is humorous, so the podcast gives me a little more space to explore things in depth, in a (slightly) more serious way. It’s a mixture of pop culture discussion, reminiscing, cultural analysis, and my own stories from the ’90s and 2000s.

What are some other podcasts you love to listen to?

It’s funny because I don’t listen to many pop culture related podcasts at all. I love the Goop podcast. I’ve been listening to the Almost 30 podcast for about 6 years, so the hosts almost feel like friends. I also loved The Dream podcast, which was about the wellness industry, MLMs, and coaches/gurus. I love a good deep dive, but I’m all over the place with podcasts.

A phrase you would leave for a nostalchick?

Life is short, have fun!