If it weren’t for her ex-boss, Julia Mervis wouldn’t be here right now. Here being a cozy corner of Cosmopolitan HQ, where she’s explaining how a former manager once casually suggested that Julia create videos of her daily outfits. Nearly 500,000 followers later, Julia’s glad she listened. Though something tells me she’d have found her way into the spotlight no matter what.
People simply love to watch Julia live her life, which she details through her “Moment of the Day” series about everything from a new pair of shoes to an exceptional matcha latte to a night out with her University of Southern California friend group. (The latter includes equally online members, including podcaster Jake Shane. The two met in high school, before Jake started conducting octopus taste-tests on his Instagram).
There’s no question that Julia moves through a TikTok-ruled world with ease, seamlessly transitioning between goofy personality videos, storytimes, and outfit posts that make it hard to resist purchasing everything she’s wearing. But her bread and butter, at least for her Gen Z fans who worshipped Emma Chamberlain, are her long-form vlogs with her best friend and roommate Payton Purther. On their dual-perspective YouTube channel, the pair have created a universe full of ever-evolving guest stars and near-weekly adventures, like the time they took a private jet from LA to Vegas. It’s the kind of thing you love to watch because it's a bit too good to be true.
Like any good show, Julia and Payton also have a few sweet lessons sprinkled throughout if you pay close enough attention. Wear the outfit that no one understands. Let the night go on longer than you anticipated. Give that second date a chance.
In her new role for Cosmopolitan, Julia is leaning even further into her best-friend-next-door vibes with “Life According to Julia Mervis”, a social media-exclusive series that will appear exclusively on our Instagram and TikTok accounts. “This is a modern spin on being a traditional columnist,” she explains. “I think it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”
After growing up in New York, you went to USC in Los Angeles. At what point did influencing become a potential career for you?
It’s actually so funny that I’m at Cosmo right now because when people used to ask about my dream job as a kid, I would always say 13 Going on 30, like “I’m going to be Jenna Rink.” And then I started working in the entertainment space when I graduated college; the first job I got was in music. But content creation is something my best friends do as well—so it was already present in my life when I started posting. Being online kind of felt like my way to do what I always dreamt of doing. Showing how I curate my life is like writing an article.
What do you hope people take away from your social media posts?
My love for fashion and the little things that make life more fun. It could be my shoes, or my top, but also the new coffee I got. These moments are how I want people to think of me. On the smallest scale, they’re like a curation of my life: what I like to do and things I think are chic, or cool, or fun.
You mentioned your friends; people love getting glimpses at the dynamics between all of you. Is it easy making content with them?
I find it really special that I get to share this with my friends; it’s work but it’s also our lives. Being able to do all of this together makes it all the better.
You’ve had the same core friend group for a while. Do you have advice for people who want to find that kind of deep connection?
Something I’ve lived by for a long time is quality over quantity. I have best friends from middle school, high school, and college, but something that’s so important when making new connections is switching up your routine. Traveling and meeting people from completely different places who live completely different lives is the most important thing.
In your announcement video about moving back to New York, you also shared that you were newly single. Were these two things connected?
Maybe subconsciously. My college boyfriend and I were together for a really long time, about four years. I was in my third year post-grad, living in LA, and I kind of woke up one day and knew it was time to move. That’s when I knew it was time to be single, because I really wasn’t considering our relationship in that decision.
There are a lot of different opinions about how friends should show up in your dating life. Some people don’t think anyone should know their romantic business, but others..
I’m so the opposite. My friends are probably inappropriately involved in my dating life. Honestly, I’m just such a friend-first person. In the stage of life I’m in right now, I think of dating as something that adds to my life in a fun way, but should never take away from what’s most important to me. Right now, work and friendships are my two pillars. There comes a point when you grow up and everyone does their own thing, so something I’m trying to hold onto in my 20s is waking up every day and having my best friend be in the room next door.
I love that. What have you learned from the dating you have done in your 20s so far?
Of course, you should keep your standards high, but I think in your 20s specifically, dating is kind of like research. How would you know unless you try? I think not having rules and taking the pressure off is huge. Go on the date. Give them another chance. Do what feels right and trust your gut. I have a lot of friends who will be like, “I’m not going out with them if they don’t text me three hours before and reconfirm the plan.” I just don’t feel that way at all, I’m just like, “take it as it is.” Eventually, the right thing will find you. And it’s more learning about yourself than anything else.
People seem to be leaning towards meeting in the wild versus meeting online. Are you an IRL meet-cute person?
I don’t care about how I meet a person. I used to be so against the idea that everything happens for a reason, but I’m kind of shifting my mentality. I’m into the idea that meeting your person the way you meet them is how it’s supposed to be and doesn’t define your relationship. One of my best friends met her boyfriend on Hinge and I’ve never seen a happier couple.
I know you’re a big Conrad Fisher girl. Do you think that fictional characters should, or can, impact our dating standards?
Yes. This is genuinely my personality. I remember in early high school, I was watching Gilmore Girls, and I became obsessed with Logan. My mom said to me, “You’re never going to meet someone you like because you’re just going to compare them to Logan.” Same with Seth Cohen from The OC. You have to take fictional characters with a grain of salt, but they can be a nice way to set standards. Maybe you don’t have an amazing example of a nice relationship in your real life, so you look at Conrad who would do anything for Belly.
You clearly love clothes, and I get a lot of nostalgia from your style. Does that feel intentional to you?
It does. Fashion has always been my number one creative outlet; picking out my outfit has always been the best part of my day. I also hold on to everything. My grandma was the number one fashionista in my life, and I have all of her old stuff. Most of the Chanel ballet flats I have are hers. I have a sweater I wear all the time that I got when I was 13, but then I’m also wearing something brand new that just came out. That’s something I like to play around with a lot: the aesthetic of mixing old and new.
A lot of your followers love to learn from your life, but who is your own advice icon?
My mom. That’s probably cliche, but most of the things I live by are from her. She’s always told me to “bloom where you’re planted.” There are certain times in life where you can’t necessarily change where you are, but you can make the most of it.
