This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Oxy chapter.
A new trend has been sweeping the nation. Or at least the Disney nation. It’s called DisneyBounding and involves Disney nerds, I’m sorry, enthusiasts putting together stylish outfits inspired by their favorite Disney characters. However, do not get this sophisticated fashion confused with your average Halloween costume. DisneyBounding is much more subtle and requires a great deal of planning and execution. Or just throwing together whatever you have in your closet. I sat down with Summer Equitz, a twenty-year old lifelong Disney lover. She is a true DisneyBounder, having been featured on the official DisneyBound tumblr. Her Disney themed Instagram, @summerequitz, is mildly famous with nearly 2000 followers labeling her DisneyBounds as “flawless!!!” and “completely perfect!!” Also, she’s my best friend so that made writing this article a lot easier.
Summer as Elsa
Sarah: Hello Summer. Thank you so much for sitting down with Oxy’s Her Campus Style editor-in-chief, me, Sarah Klenha. [Editor’s Note: this is a lie]
Summer: Thank you for asking me to help you with this article. I love to talk about Disney!
Sarah: No, really, thank you. So Summer, I hear you’re an Instagram celebrity. How do you handle the fame?
Summer: Well, I only have about 1800 followers so I wouldn’t really say I’m a celebrity…
Sarah: [laughs] Anyways, tell me, where do you find inspiration for your DisneyBounds?
Summer: Inspiration usually comes from just looking in my closet and seeing what characters I could create. If I’m planning a group DisneyBound then we will confer with each other to make sure we match. Sometimes I’ll just find a really cute dress that would work perfectly for a future bound. And occasionally, I’ll scroll through Instagram to get inspiration from fellow DisneyBounders.
Sarah: So you’re saying you steal your ideas from your peers?
Summer: Umm, that’s not exactly what I meant. The DisneyBound community is all about collaboration.
Summer as Tinkerbell
Sarah: Mhm, sure. Where do you usually find pieces for your outfits?
Summer: Like I said, I try to use what I already have in my closet. The best part about Disneybounding is you can wear just normal everyday clothes. It isn’t about spending hundreds of dollars on a new outfit.
Sarah: I have an inside source that tells me in the past year you have spent over $10,000 on DisneyBounding outfits. Do you think you might have a problem? What advice do you have for other Dis-geeks (Disney Geeks) going through a similar addiction?
Summer: Wait, who told you that? That is ridiculous. You realize that’s not true, right?
Sarah: We’ll let America decide. Which has been your favorite DisneyBound?
Summer: I would say my favorite would be the Snow White Dapper Day one. The only item I bought specifically for that outfit was the skirt. Everything else I already had! Also, that skirt is really poofy and fun to twirl in.
Summer as Snow White
Sarah: Why do you think park guests have jumped onto the DisneyBound train so enthusiastically?
Summer: I think for frequent park goers, DisneyBounding offers new excitement when going to Disneyland. It’s like a scavenger hunt to put an outfit together that is obvious enough for people to recognize but not one that is just clearly a store-bought costume. That’s not what DisneyBounding is about. It’s a very subtle art form.
Sarah: So which is it? A scavenger hunt or an art form? You’re being awfully contradictory, Summer. Are you even a real DisneyBounder?
Summer: Of course I am! You know that, Sarah. We’ve DisneyBounded together.
Sarah: [tries to do a spit take] I don’t remember any such thing.
fig. 1 Summer and Sarah Klenha DisneyBounding together
Summer: DisneyBounding is a great group activity. I have so much fun putting together outfits, going to Disneyland and just taking pictures all day. It’s a wonderful excuse to be creative and make use of those odd pieces of clothing you might not use otherwise. And it’s a great excuse to buy new clothes.
Sarah: AHA! I knew it! You do have a shopping problem. But don’t worry, admitting is the first step. This isn’t really an article for Her Campus. This has just been an elaborately staged intervention. I’m here to help you, Summer.
Summer: Okay….I’m going to go now, Sarah. I’ll, um, see you later. [Summer slowly gets up from our table at Starbucks. She grabs her PSL and walks out. I realize now I have climbed onto the table in my attempt to reach her. Customers are staring.]
Summer as Cinderella
Want to get into DisneyBounding? Visit disneybound.tumblr.com.
And don’t forget to follow Summer on Instagram! She’s famous!