Sabrina Chazen is rewriting the rules of fashion
In this Duffy Chats episode, we sit down with body-positive influencer, content creator, and #SameStyleDifferentSize founder Sabrina Chazen to talk about size inclusivity, style confidence, and how she’s inspiring a global community to embrace fashion at every size. Sabrina opens up about her journey, her mission, and the message behind her viral movement — reminding women everywhere that style has no size and confidence is for everybody.
In this interview, we discuss:
✨ How Sabrina became a leader in the body-positivity and size-inclusivity space
✨ The moment she realized her platform was becoming a movement
✨ Why fashion is for ALL bodies
✨ Overcoming fear, online criticism, and stepping into your power
✨ What she hopes her message teaches the next generation
Sabrina is honest, funny, vulnerable, and completely real — and her story will leave you feeling empowered, inspired, and ready to embrace your own unique style. Her message: "You deserve to feel confident exactly as you are."
Follow on Instagram:
Duffy Chats: / officialduffychats
Newport Beach Living Magazine: / newportbeachlivingmagazine
Duffy Electric Boats: / officialduffychats
Zaw Studios: / zawstudios
Thank you for joining us today on Duffy Chats.
We want to know more about finding confidence at any size. Can you tell us how you started your journey?
Sabrina: Sure. Um, so I’m an influencer now, or a content creator, and originally I started with a blog when blogs were just starting and I had a desk job when I was newly married. We’re talking like 15 years ago. And it was called Sample Size 16. And the idea was it was inclusive shopping and me showing that you could still wear cool things that other people could wear at bigger sizes.
And I stopped doing that when my husband was in law school and then became an attorney. And then I had kids and I kind of—the blog thing was starting to take off—and I was like, I have a real job and a life and I can’t do this. And then of course I missed the boat on that. Um, but I jumped back in like 5 years ago, four years ago, and now it’s a whole new career path and billion dollar industry. Affiliate marketing didn’t used to exist when I started a blog and now it’s a whole new world.
Well, now you have—obviously—your Instagram and there are other channels maybe that you’re promoting on, and you have the “same different size same style.” Am I saying that right?
Sabrina: Same style is a series that I started with.
Okay. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Sabrina: Sure. So, same style, different size is where I match with somebody in a smaller body size in the same outfit. So I’ll wear, you know, a dress and then you would wear the same dress and you show followers and my community how to shop for that, wear that, and that you can wear the same thing at any size.
And it’s not a “who wore it better.” It’s just a “you can wear anything at any size for your body on any day.” And that really took off. Brands started doing it. Brands now show, you know, online—and they’ll show a model in a 16 and a model in a two and a model if they have it in a 3X. And so now even brands are showing the same style on different sizes.
Were you at the forefront of that before that part happened? It was your thing. That’s really bad, huh? Amazing. Wow.
Sabrina: But obviously it’s an idea that I’m so glad is universal and people are seeing. And I think it really helps girls. Like, we took for granted—like I never saw a dress even on Target’s website on a bigger model that was being sold. They always show the smaller model. So now like girls who are scrolling online, they see different bodies on any website. I think it’s kind of crazy it wasn’t done long before now, right?
Yeah. And we’re backtracking a little in the fashion industry again.
Sabrina: Yeah. Going back there. Yeah.
Well, you—that’s your job. You got to keep it going in the right direction. What collaborations have you done with brands?
Sabrina: A lot. So I do some behind the scenes in more of like a—I mean just a—it’s not a front-facing collaboration. It’s just helping them expand their sizes.
Basically, you’re hired as a… what’s it called?
Sabrina: Like a consultant.
Yeah, like consulting.
Sabrina: And I can do that on the back end. And then on the front end, which I really love to do, I pop in. I’ve done four or five collaborations with Show Me Your Mumu. Um, one with a brand called Buru. I really like the Bu. Yes. Um, I just did one with a brand out of Turkey actually. They’re on ShopBop and Bloomingdales called Fawnmon. Yeah. So, a lot of different—and there’s more. Um, yeah.
Cool. So you’re so inspiring. What are some of the messages or like some of the most inspiring things that people have told you? You received messages that were just really touching. What’s something you can share with us that really made you…
Sabrina: I get honestly—like so all day long women of all ages are telling me like the nicest messages of like, “I wore a bathing suit with my grandchildren and I haven’t worn a bathing suit in 10 years.”
Somebody just told me today they’re going to Hawaii this week and they’re not bringing their skirted bathing suit. They’re just going to wear a normal suit because I’m like, you don’t need to wear a tankini or a skirt. I think if you’re really insecure, whatever gets you in a bathing suit is great, but like no one’s looking at you and no one is, you know—everyone’s worried about themselves.
Yeah, it’s true.
Sabrina: And why would you miss out on something that brings you so much joy? You’re going to Hawaii—like get in the pool, get your hair wet, wear a bathing suit.
And when people say like, “I didn’t know there were clothes out there that looked like this for me.” “I didn’t know I could dress like that until I found you.” “I didn’t feel comfortable in workout classes or anything like that.” I really think people should follow people online that look like them and think like them. Like it’s such a game changer.
You don’t only follow aspirational accounts because then you’re always going to be climbing that or jealous of that. And yeah, it’s great to be motivated—if you love workouts, follow fitness girls—but you should also follow people that are at the same place as you in life and look like you. You don’t want to live in a bubble, but it’s helpful.
Have you seen a lot of new influencers come out of the woodwork that are doing similar things to you as a result of what you’ve done?
Sabrina: I think sure, but also they probably felt it in their bones. Everyone’s different and there’s room for everyone. Like no one’s me and I really believe that.
Some people get threatened—I find that a lot—but it’s silly. There’s someone and space for everyone, and we’re all attracted to different things when we’re looking for people to follow and to trust. So yes and no. But there are a lot of us now. There’s room for everyone and it’s a big business.
Have you created a community within those women that have a similar…?
Sabrina: Sure. There’s people who I feel closer to that do similar things to me and then there’s ones that I want nothing to do with and that I see at events and conferences.
But really, my community are my followers. Like those are the people who I spend the most time with all day talking to them, shopping for them, you know?
What do you think has made you successful? What do you think the sweet sauce is?
Sabrina: I think it’s a lot of things. I think you either have it or you don’t. Like I know a lot of girls who dress real cute and they want to share what they’re buying, but it doesn’t translate. Like they don’t want to connect to people. They just want to show you their cute outfit.
They’re not authentic.
Sabrina: …It’s authentic to them—like maybe they’re just a shell, you know? Maybe they’re just not that kind of person and people feel that. Like you don’t actually want to help me, you’re just hawking your goods or want me to tell you you look great.
And some people want that. They don’t need to connect to someone—they just want to buy what that hot girl is wearing and that works.
But I think for the most part online, people can sense if you’re authentic and if you’re telling them the truth and if you care about them and if it fits them—or if you’re just hawking an ad.
And I think consistency is really important. A lot of girls show up for a week and then they’re gone for a couple weeks. Like I post 365 days a year basically. And people say take one day off a week for the algorithm, but like this is a job and you have to be consistent.
Great work ethic.
Sabrina: It’s full time and the back end is a lot of work that you don’t see. But I think that’s the difference. The benefit is that I can still be a stay-at-home mom, but it’s a full-time job and you have to be consistent.
Tell us about the carpool catwalk. I’m a big fan of that.
Sabrina: Yes, I know. I need to make it.
Need to make merchandise.
Sabrina: Like I really—I—my husband trademarked it for me. He’s an attorney.
Amazing. It came from—no offense—I think it’s amazing. Some of these moms, we all drop off in sweatpants at 7:00 a.m.
Sabrina: Not all. Not all. True.
But for the most part, and then by the end of the day, the glow up on the Carpool Catwalk is wild. It’s like 2:00 p.m. People are coming out in thigh-high boots and jackets and blowouts and you’re like, “Where have you been?” Like you went home to get dressed to walk the carpool catwalk. I know you’re looking like this for the carpool catwalk.
Sabrina: So I always joked like the moms are literally using carpool as their catwalk. And it’s true. You see it—and I like it too. Sometimes I’ll put something on and people compliment it and I say, “Go buy it on my link.”
But you can tell—these moms—and I get it, we all want to show our cute stuff. But it made me giggle so much when you’re sitting in the car and you see the moms get out and they’re all dressed up and you know they’re only getting out of their car because they look good that day. So I call it the carpool catwalk.
So you think you’ll do anything more with it than…?
Sabrina: Yeah, I think—nothing’s… I think hats. Like a Carpool Catwalk hat to throw on in the morning, because the juxtaposition of throwing on a baseball hat is funny to the thigh-high boot full face of glam. I love it.
So you’re a Newport Beach local. Can you tell us a little bit about growing up here and how that influenced your style?
Sabrina: Sure. I think it majorly—like I would wear this not just because we’re on a Duffy, which I love, but like it’s a part of my life. California coastal. Anytime I go somewhere for work they’re always like, “You’re so California.” Newport specifically is so unique and special, and I think in all threads of my life you can see that.
Fantastic. As a local, where are your favorite places for comfort food or shopping? The secret spots. The not-so-obvious.
Sabrina: I’m not a gatekeeper, which is hard. That became hard in influencing in general because it’s like I don’t want to tell everyone everything I own. Every little jewel, every little unique thing—especially when you’re plus-size, it’s harder to look a certain way and find things you love that are unique to you. And now I’ve got to tell everyone every single thing I buy and wear—and I do—and we do—and we love it.
So local spots: I don’t think a lot of people go to Sakana.
Sabrina: I love Sakana. We go there honestly twice a week. It’s my sushi spot and it’s in the same shopping center. I do everything there. Red Balloon is one of our favorite stores. I love the bento boxes—they do like sushi. Everything is right there. I can pop into Westcliff and go to Sakana, get a birthday present at Red Balloon, they’ll wrap it for me.
There’s no other sushi restaurant that feeds kids the way they do but still is like a high quality actual Japanese restaurant where you’re not just getting deep fried rolls. So we’re big on that.
So Red Balloon—staple for you?
Sabrina: Yes. Shopping-wise, my friend owns Lelay Paw. That’s new in town. Magnolia Charlie is a favorite, but my kids are outgrowing it. If you have young kids, holiday outfits—you have to get them at Magnolia Charlie on the island. It’s been there forever. My mom got things for me there, so now I pass that down.
There are a lot of cute things. Newport’s becoming so fancy, but I really like my old world staples.
What do you think about the evolution of Newport Beach and the changes?
Sabrina: I think part of it is what I’m doing has ruined it—like the internet has ruined things. Truly. I was just talking about a local coffee shop that’s now gone viral on TikTok and I’m like, it’s too much. You can make something look so good that’s not that good, you know?
Newport’s bubble burst with the reality shows. First it was Laguna Beach and then The OC. Those opened a door for people from LA to know this is a gem.
Now you look at Fashion Island on the weekends—it’s so different than what we grew up with. It’s still magical and we’re still so lucky.
I keep traveling. I went to Nantucket in May and thought I’d be obsessed, and I was like—we have that. I don’t need to fly and take a train and an airplane and a boat and a ferry and like a crop plane to get to it. It’s beautiful, but I was like, “Lido’s better.” If you know what you’re doing in Newport, we have that times 100 in a better way. Every time I think I’m going to love somewhere, I’m like nothing compares.
So what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects, future ideas, ways you want to evolve your brand?
Sabrina: Growth, growth, growth. But also somebody asked me the other day, “Are you jealous of so-and-so who blew up so fast and lives in the same area?” And I’m like, no—because I monetize really well. My community is there to shop. They know when they buy something from me, it’s something I actually like. They’re trained to understand when I’m showing something multiple times, I actually love it. So I feel grateful that I’m on this path of stability in monetizing an online community.
It sounds like authenticity will keep you going. Influencer marketing is huge, and ShopMy just got… what’s it called when a business gets bought out?
Sabrina: No, they got valued. Their valuation is $1.5 billion, and last year it was like 10 million.
Wow.
Sabrina: And I should have put investments in that. But that’s real because every big brand—Old Navy, Nordstrom, Target, Best Buy—you name it. Food brands, anything—everyone knows content creation and influencers are now their whole marketing budget.
Putting an ad on TV is one tenth as productive as putting an ad into an influencer whose analytics you’ve studied. You know the engagement you’ll get is more than Vogue, more than print, more than a billboard. It’s not going away.
But the evolution stresses me out because it went from a hobby to a business. It’s like—what’s next? Can this disappear? Now we rely on some of my income. How do you stay on the forefront? That’s worrisome. But I think if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I’m going to keep showing up.
Podcast in your future?
Sabrina: Maybe. I’m filming one tomorrow with Dear Media. Dear Media is a big podcast network—mostly women. Big ones like Heather McMahan. The Toast signed a huge deal. They got bought out from like Apple, Amazon—they stayed with Dear Media. So yeah, I’d love to, but I don’t want to self-produce. It’s a lot of work.
Are you the person behind the scenes on your account? Is it just you, or do you have a management team?
Sabrina: Completely me. My husband’s an attorney, so I’m lucky—when ads come through, he can read contracts. For now I don’t want a management team. No one needs 20% of my hustle right now. It just depends how big it gets.
What’s your biggest advice to someone aspiring to do what you do—getting into the marketplace now?
Sabrina: There’s room for everyone, and you have to just do it. Show up every single day. Link things, share things, tag people. That’s my biggest advice.
This local girl was posting the other day and didn’t tag the brand, and I was like: tag the brand endlessly. If you’re on a Duffy, tag Duffy. If you’re going to Nobu, tag Nobu.
People make fun of you like “Oh, Sabrina 20…” Socially some people are like, “I know I can buy it from your link.” And I’m like, jokes on you—I’m not embarrassed. You can’t be embarrassed. If you want to do this, you can’t have shame about it.
In some circles it’s looked down on: “Do you really need the $10 that bad?” And I’m like—$10 if 200 people buy it? Yeah, I do need it.
What is your business?
Sabrina: Yeah. There’s a stigma you have to get over. You cannot care. If I’m at an event and I’m filming, I’m not embarrassed. You have to network. It’s social media—you have to be social. Talk to people who do it, talk to businesses, tag what you’re wearing. If that’s not for you, don’t do it.
But if you’re willing to put yourself out there, be in the forefront, tag, DM, try to make connections—it comes to fruition. People message back. It might not be who you thought. You’ll be surprised. Someone will throw you a bone, post you, say “Follow this person.” That’s how it happens organically.
Do you reach out to brands you want to collaborate with, or do they come to you?
Sabrina: Both. Historically, I’ll slide into a brand’s DMs like, “I really love that. I didn’t know you make a 2X. Can you send me that?” And gifting—I don’t promise I’ll post—but yes, I have no problem asking.
If I really care, I’ll be serious: “Look at my analytics. I sell this many units. Can you send me that?”
Now there’s so much gifting: “Can we send you this?” It’s getting harder.
I see all the boxes you’re unwrapping every day.
Sabrina: Yeah, but those are mostly things I want. People ask, “Do you return? Are you just buying this?” No—I’m a shopper. That’s my nature. It has to feel real. People can tell when it’s not.
I get so many skincare gifts and I’m not a skincare addict. I care, but I’m not doing a 22-step routine three times a day. I’ll tell you the cream I use—I slap it on. But I’m not going to do a 22-step routine. Go find a beauty influencer. You have to stay in your lane.
You exude confidence. Have you always been like this, or did your platform give you more confidence?
Sabrina: Opposite. I think there are two kinds of confidence: innate and practiced. Confidence is a muscle. You have to flex it. You can learn confidence, you can practice confidence. Some people are born more confident than others—I see it in my kids and their friends. But even innately confident people need to practice confidence.
What does your family think about all this, especially your kids?
Sabrina: I don’t love the kids being on it. I really try to limit it. Maybe it’s narcissistic, but this is about me. It’s not a family.
There are lifestyle influencers really focused on children—tips and tricks.
Sabrina: I don’t do that. Here and there because it’s my life, I’ll sprinkle them in, but only when it’s natural. Sometimes traveling. But the majority of the time, I don’t use the kids on Instagram.
Do they understand this as a business?
Sabrina: More so now, but they’re little—11 and 7. I don’t think my mom understood for a long time. She was always like, “Put your phone down.” And I’m like, “My phone’s my business.” I don’t sit at a computer. I run a business from my phone. More and more they see what I can do with it. People come up and say nice things, and they’re like, “What?” So they realize it’s real.
Tell us something viewers might not know about you—accolades from growing up here.
Sabrina: The princess—people are like “We’ve heard that.” It’s funny because I just played in the Newport Harbor High School alumni game.
I saw that. Was it yesterday?
Sabrina: Yeah, today. Yeah, yesterday. This weekend.
Because you were an athlete.
Sabrina: Yeah. In that moment I was like—I’m so grateful. It’s not a small school, I think it has 3,000, but it feels like going home and everyone knows each other for generations. That’s really nice.
I played water polo here at Newport Harbor High School, and then in college I went to the University of Hawaii.
Go ’Bows.
People might not know you’re private.
Sabrina: Yeah, I’m really private, which is ironic. I’m mellow. People don’t know I’m an extroverted introvert.
What do you have coming for the future? Any future collaborations?
Sabrina: Yeah, but I have to sign on the dotted line—so you’ll have to follow me to find out. I’m just working.
What platforms are you on?
Sabrina: Instagram primarily and TikTok. I toy with Substack. And I tell people to go on LTK because it’s not just an affiliate platform—it’s a community. We chat there. I can answer messages there. That’s where you find everything I link.
We have to ask: if you do or don’t have a Duffy boat, what would you name your boat?
Sabrina: There’s so many. That’s like asking someone their Housewives tagline.
I know. It’s so fun.
Sabrina: If you live in Newport, you think of your Duffy names like Housewives taglines.
We just passed one I love—named after the restaurant at the Moana, the hotel and beach we love in Hawaii. It was called the Hau Tree. I should have showed you that.
I think I’d do something funny—something size-related because Duffies are small and electric, but I built a platform off being big and gas-powered. So maybe something like “Size Matters.”
Size matters. Yeah.
Sabrina: Yeah, because it’s funny and we know it’s not naughty.
Or you could do a play on knots. “Not naughty.”
Sabrina: Not naughty. Not not naughty.
Cute. So—can you share how you monetize Instagram or other platforms?
Sabrina: Sure. A lot of people don’t understand because we all use social media, but we’re not all using it as a business. I monetize in multiple ways.
My main bread and butter is affiliate marketing. When you click a link—LTK, Shop My, etc.—it gives the cookies to the creator, meaning we make a percentage off your purchase. You lose nothing, like a realtor or a Ralph’s card.
So there’s a middleman and the brand has made a deal with those places.
Sabrina: It’s normally somewhere between 3% and 15%. I can see that in my back end. If they give 10%, 10% on a $400 dress is $40. If I sell 50 dresses, that’s serious money.
Everybody does that—Walmart, anything you’re buying. You should use people’s links because you lose nothing.
The second way is collabs. Some people won’t do profit share, but I will. A brand will pay me a flat fee from the sales we make together. Sometimes I can also link it affiliate, so I’m making double.
And then ads. Black Friday is coming up and I have 17 or 20 ads slated to run.
That you create?
Sabrina: The brand hires me for their campaigns.
So you’re in their ads?
Sabrina: No—I create an ad on my own for them. They pay me a certain amount and I have deliverables: three stories for $1,000, one reel for $2,000, etc. Some are detailed. They send briefs, I pick what they’re pushing, I make content, turn it in, get it approved before I post. FTC guidelines matter: “Walmart partner,” “ad,” etc.
Some ads they control more, some less. Sometimes they’re like, “Here’s $500, post two stories, show the sweater,” and they track cookies and pay a flat fee.
Ads can come through LTK or direct through the brand. For Anthropologie, I’ve done direct contracts, through LTK, through Shop My—multiple ways—and they’re still paying me.
It’s a lot to keep up with.
Sabrina: Yeah. And then there are codes. Anthropologie will give me a code—like “Sabrina” and a number. Sometimes I don’t earn off the code; I earn off the link. But some companies pay you off your code: “Sabrina20 made 72 sales,” and I get a percentage of those sales.
Then there’s whitelisting: a brand pays me to run my content as their ad. Old Navy did this: they wanted to whitelist my content for two to three days. They pushed it to their 5 million followers. I charge a fee—like $1,500—and they use my content.
Then there’s evergreen content—year-round content with no seasonal focus.
Then there’s UGC: I don’t post it at all. I sell it straight to the brand. They send clothes, I film, give it back, they pay me, and they own it.
When you say ads, does it still look like you putting on outfits, or like a static ad?
Sabrina: It looks like me. I only do ads that are authentic to me. You have to be a savvy follower to know the difference between “she bought this” and “she’s running an ad.”
Some ads I take because I love the brand, and some I take because I want you to know it exists, even if it’s not my personal style.
Is the goal for us not to notice it?
Sabrina: Yes and no. It’s organic enough that I feel confident you’ll buy anything I show. But for the most part I think people know.
One thing I notice is whenever I click your link, things are sold out.
Sabrina: Yes. Always sold out.
Darn it.
Sabrina: My mother-in-law is like, “Can you ask her if she has a stash she sells on the side?” But that’s just the nature of it. It’s bad for an influencer—it’s a bad look.
Is it because you can move so many units? I’m surprised because usually it’s a bigger person problem—brands only make a certain number of plus sizes.
Sabrina: Exactly. Like Jenny Kane carries plus size but might make three 3X cashmere sweaters and 200 size medium. So it sells out quickly when I share plus size because there were only three units. People don’t know that, but I do.
I’m surprised for you.
Sabrina: I just pick really good popular—
Also sometimes you promote during sales.
Sabrina: And I’m really clear: if you see something I post and you love it, buy it and return it. Because now that I’ve posted it and other people are posting it, it’s going to be gone. Things move fast. If it’s an investment piece, don’t rush—but it’s just clothing.
If someone clicks the link but doesn’t buy, do you get credit for that?
Sabrina: That’s another thing. The cookies die in certain ways. Some brands only allow cookies to work inside the app. If you leave Instagram and go to an external browser, sometimes I lose the sale immediately if you don’t check out in Instagram.
That’s why my reps at LTK are like, “Push people to LTK.” I used to think it was a gimmick, but then I learned I’m losing six figures by not linking through LTK because I don’t lose cookies as fast.
LTK has it built so if you click through LTK and it takes you to Gap, it lasts forever. Where if you click in Instagram and go to Gap, it’s gone if you leave the browser.
Some have app-to-app cookie transfer. Sephora, for example, goes app to app.
As a shopper, I prefer direct links. I don’t want a third step. But if you train people to go to LTK, I’ll make more—so why shouldn’t I?
What’s the best way we can support your business?
Sabrina: Use my links, learn to use LTK, and be patient with it. Nothing is more frustrating than when someone says, “I bought the jacket, I love it,” and I ask, “Did you use my link?” And they say, “Well you said it was from Tuckernuck, so I typed it in and bought it.”
I’m grateful, but I just lost $30. It adds up fast. And it’s not just dollars—it shows the brand my conversion: clicks to sales. That’s their ROI on me.
Do you educate people on your platforms or is that taboo?
Sabrina: Both. I try, but how many times can you teach it? I should educate more because people don’t know and they mean well.
Also it’s important that I tell them to look on my LTK. Every story from Instagram is saved on my LTK. That gets annoying in my DMs—I love answering DMs, but it’s on my LTK sometimes. Just go look.
You can type “belt” on my LTK and every belt I’ve ever shared will come up. You don’t have to ask me because then I have to go find it for you.
That’s good advice.
Sabrina: And if you’re a voyeur, it’s easy. You don’t have to tell anyone. You can secretly go find my sweater.
And TikTok—you’re on there now.
Sabrina: Same linking. TikTok’s wild. I treat it like a fun place. I do more local stuff there—Duffy, Newport, where I eat, where I go. Instagram is more national and I’m selling things anyone can have.
If you could interview anyone on this podcast, who would it be?
Sabrina: I have people you guys should interview—locals with businesses. My friend Casey—I went to high school with her—Casey Ibbottson Walters. She opened Birdie Bodega inside of Sections and it’s really cool and taking off.
And Colleen is Casey’s best friend—she’s a co-founder of Show Me Your Mumu. She’s from Newport and it’s a big brand. Those are two great ones.
You guys should put them on this Duffy.
Sabrina: Yeah. Thank you. Love it.
Thank you for your recommendations.