@notdwarflindsay tells us all about her style inspirations, filmmaking dreams, and how she copes with TikTok trolls

Now, our founder Chamiah has followed Lindsay’s TikTok for a long time now!! She fell in love with Lindsay’s educational, but sarcastic videos - breaking down Dwarfism stereotypes and taboos, all while looking stylish.

 

Chamiah: Now, i’ve virtually followed you on TikTok for a while now, obsessed with your sarcastic humour and OOTD’s!! but for those who dont know you, please introduce yourself :)

Hiya! My name is Lindsay Terzich, and I’m a 21 year old woman with dwarfism who lives in California and loves film, fashion, and entertaining others!

Lindsay, a fair skinned woman with red hair and hazel eyes poses wearing a pastel yellow t-shirt

You’re a TikTok content creator who frequently shares your OOTD’s, how would you describe your personal style?

I honestly feel somewhat fluid in that my style is based very heavily on my state of mind (and also the weather outside). Some days I like a preppier look, some days I prefer an easy-going flowy dress, and others I wanna be relaxed in a simple t-shirt. I think I like the flexibility of having options, but I always play to what flatters my silhouette naturally and what makes me FEEL good, be it comfort or style. An outfit has to really feel like “me” every time. I will say I typically tend to choose one busier staple item and wear a few more muted, simple items with it. I like the sense of balance it brings. 

Love that approach, comfort is always key for me too! Being fluid with fashion makes it so much more fun too. So, who are your style icons and inspirations?

It’s hard for me to pin one person in particular because I tend to like so many different things, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t inspired often by Florence Pugh’s personal style for a while. In fact, a few years ago I found out where she got this necklace that I adored on her, and realized I could actually afford it, so I bought it… it’s still one of my absolute favorite go-to’s to this day.

Florence, a fair skinned woman with short blonde hair is pictured in three different looks. In the first, she wears a purple summery coord, the second, she wears a black floral co ord, and in the last she wears a tulle dress with a knitted cardigan over the top.

Florence Pugh has great style, she seems to make everything look effortless. So, how do you choose your outfits and accessories?

Everyone gets ready in their own pattern, and mine is skincare, hair, makeup, then outfit. By the time I get to the clothes, I’ve already thought about what I’m doing for the day, and have selected either a spotify playlist, youtube video, or show to watch while I get ready which has contributed to the “vibe” I’m getting into. For example, if I wake up and it’s nice and sunny out, then I listen to some sweet music like Lizzy Mcalpine while I go about my routine, it’s pretty likely I’ll pick a flowy, cute top or dress and build the outfit around that. I prefer to pick one Main Event item and add the rest as it goes, but I already know the leading direction. The accessories lately are a cycle of two or three different combos I’ve become familiar with, because it saves me time in the day to know the combo looks good without having to think too much. 

You certainly spend a lot more time getting ready than I do, but I love that about you! The way we express ourselves is so important to our self esteem and the way we present ourselves to the world, it gives us confidence and it helps us to honour ourselves and our boundaries on a daily basis. 

Lindsay wears denim jeans, a one-shoulder black top with a white jumper and crocs. She stands on one leg, and shows the peace sign with both hands.

What is your favorite trend right now?

My favorite trend has to be the long skirts and dresses! I kind of just discovered how much I like them on myself, and skirts are the easiest way to feel comfy and cute during summer, plus you can just grab the ends and give it a wave- BAM! you’ve got a fan while it’s hot this summer! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. 

Yesss!! Midi/maxi and midaxi skirts are my favourite right now too! The flowy fabrics in the summer are *chefs kiss*, especially for that chub rub😅.

So, lets pretend you’ve just landed a role as creative director of your dream fashion house/brand, which would you pick and why and what would you change?

See this is fascinating to me, because there are a few brands I’ve always admired but I know there are many things in their line I can’t really access. I adore Coach and Dior, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looks at their websites… A friend of mine works for a mainstream fashion company and told me that a part of her recent research for the brand revealed to her that there are more lines of clothes for DOGS than there are for disabled folks. And that bugs me, because I remember how badly I want a pair of shoes from Coach, but they don’t sell anything in my shoe size. Not one item. So step one would be to expand the size range to be significantly more inclusive, therefore broadening the potential clientele. 

Dior is my ultimate favourite fashion house ever, I’m always inspired by their designs: Christian Dior was actually the inspiration behind me discovering my love of fashion design when I was a kid! The size inclusivity of these brands though… not so inspirational. Although I don’t think any brand (apart from ours😏) has got to grips with inclusive sizing for short stature people just yet.

Lindsay wears leather-look black trousers and an emerald green corset top with a cream bag on her shoulder.

I’d love to know more about how you go into content creation, what first got you interested in becoming a content creator?

I actually want to go into filmmaking as a career, and I’ve always wanted to tell stories and entertain others. Being bored out of my noggin and fighting of the demons that come with loneliness in the lockdown got me online, and I realized I really enjoyed just… being myself. I was making videos for me, and then I realized other people actually liked them too! Now, I still make them when I want to on my own time, which isn’t probably the best social media strategy, buf I really just want to enjoy it. And telling wild stories from my life or posting my cute outfit is really, honestly enjoyable. 

I think that’s got to be the best way, you come across so approachable, relatable and authentic because of it; ultimately, those qualities are what makes your following and brands invest in you. So, what has been your favourite project or collaboration so far?

This is absolutely not a lie, but it’s a pretty easy answer: Chamiah Dewey Fashion! I love all of the pieces, most of them fit with my personal style tendencies, and I really appreciate the approach that you’ve brought to the industry. Dwarfism in fashion never looks so good, and people can’t ignore the serve anymore!

Ah! I love that that was such an unplanned response from our end. I honestly couldn’t agree more; people with Dwarfism, and short stature in general, for too long have been portrayed as mythical creatures, the butt of a joke, or in some sort of tragic position. I’m so passionate about showing that they can, and are, just as beautiful and worthy of being seen as stylish and respectable adults.

Lindsay wears black boots, white jeans, a black top and a black leather-look blazer.

Going back to your life online; you’re so funny on TikTok, and make light of being a little person (if thats the right way to describe it), how have you found feedback to that, especially from the little people community?

I think making light of it is a great way to describe it, because it really is about perspective (no pun intended). It is a disability, that is a fact. So too are the facts that I have hazel eyes, I am a virgo, and how I am apparently “legally blind” due to how thick my glasses are! Facts of life are what they are, but your perspective about them can change everything. Sure, it’s impossible to keep count of how many times I’ve struggled due to the physical issues my condition presents, but I can only change what I can. I’d rather focus my energy and time into real change, and something, the only change I have power over is my mindset. So yeah, joking about it is a blast for me, because being me is genuinely hilarious sometimes, and I’d much rather laugh than cry. I’m not sure I’ve actually had all that much feedback from the community on it all, but I have made some new friends that have helped me also feel a lot more connected and heard when conversations of our struggles come up. It’s brought me a special camaraderie that has improved my outlook immensely. 

The Dwarfism and disabled community online are so gorgeous, it’s got to be the most welcoming place on social media! Being a glass-half-full kind of person is so beautiful, that really comes across in your content - and if you can make someone else feel seen, or have a giggle, then surely that’s the icing on the cake! 

Off the back of that, Have you faced any challenges or discrimination as a short stature content creator? If so, how do you handle it?

Being mainly on Tik Tok, I think many of you will agree it’s basically lawless. Think the Wild, Wild West- just total chaos. The comments have been occasionally pretty hurtful, and I don’t really enjoy going live.  I’ve had plenty of videos reported for “minor exposure” or whatever despite being 21 and fully clothed. It’s frustrating because we don’t get to simply blend in with others, and it makes even a space where we just want to have fun some sort of stage where the viewers can say whatever they want. Which is why I am determined to post and engage on my own time, no one else’s. People often feel entitled to information about me, I think due to my dwarfism- as many of my friends seem to relate to this- people want to learn, but they also tend to cross normal boundaries to do so. Hence why I post content whenever I prefer, not by any schedule. I decide if I want to engage or not, it’s my time and energy- no one else’s. 

 

Totally agree, the way people engage on TikTok is unlike any other platform, the private and burner accounts mean that people are able to hide behind a mask, while saying atrocious things. I’m often baffled how people even *think* these things, let alone, spend time typing them out to post public ally to an actual human being. There’s also a big difference between genuine curiosity and intrusiveness that people don’t care about on platforms like TikTok. Saying that, TikTok can be amazing for sharing story’s and finding community - if you get on the right side of the algorithm!

You recently took part in the disability film festival - I was obsessed with your film by the way, the inclusion was top tier - what did you learn from that experience and what do you wish other film makers would learn from it?

Thank you!! It was probably the most stressful 5 days of my life, and not at all what I expected. As the directors, it was mine and my friend Sydney’s job to maintain the vision of the project and see it to the end. I learned a LOT about how I really should trust my gut more often, and it felt amazing to be on set and working with the actors on their scenes, then adjusting blocking, cameras, and lighting, amongst other things. I was scared my lack of experience would be a problem, but I gotta say, whoever coined the phrase “fake it till you make it” had an excellent point. I’m happy learning through questions and failure than assuming I know it all already. I also appreciated working with the other disabled crew members. I think we all had a great understanding and patience on set for different accommodations, ideas, and breaks needed. It created a really healthy environment and team culture that made the “hell moments” worth it. Plus, it made me hungry for more, so I’ve fought to stay busy on some sort of creative project here and there ever since we finished.  I may be tired, but I’m fulfilled and driven to take on the next adventure!

That ‘fake it till you make it mentality’ is what I live by! The passion has the be there though to get you through the sticky moments, because there will be a lot, that’s life! 

To round this off, what message do you hope to send to other short stature individuals/ your followers through your platform?

I want my fellow people with dwarfism to remember that they are made perfectly as they are. We experience things the rest of the world will never understand, and they don’t need to. You find your people, you find your passion, and pursue them with all your might. The rest will fall into place. As long as you find a way to laugh, life will always be just a little sweeter.

What a perfect way to round up this discussion, thank you so much Lindsay!

Make sure to follow @notdwarflindsay on TikTok and Instagram, her filmmaking endeavours are so exciting, you’ll want to make sure you’re watching this space!