On our infinitely reanimating internet, there exists a subset of influencers who seem to dissolve into certain popular aesthetics — cottagecore, blokecore, coquette, old money, etc. — personifying cultural moments, yet dehumanizing themselves in the process.
Nineteen-year-old Madelyn Theresa (@thegoldcoastermt on Instagram and TikTok) is not one of these influencers. There’s something strange and consistent and decisive about her — your mom would call it “moxie,” the French would call it “je ne sais quoi.” I would call it “the makings of a gay icon.” This week, I sat down with M.T. (a nickname à la C.Z. Guest) to chat fall fashion, internet losers and much more.
“The Gold Coast refers to the 1920s fabulousness of Long Island,” M.T. explained. “It’s just so iconic. It’s so classic.” A competitive sailor and New York native, M.T. became familiar with this era’s elan while attending regattas along the Long Island Sound. Her style reflects that New England origin story, grounded in quintessential prep but with a modern, unself-conscious flair — few logos, lots of button downs, simple jewelry and, of course, a b—chin’ blowout. Yet, while she admires the era, M.T. would not characterize her style as costume-y or even aspirational.
“I hate the notion that anyone who dresses classically and presents in a timeless manner is somehow trying to give into this narrative of old money,” she explained. “It’s annoying. It feels like they’re invalidating a fashion choice by just chalking it up to that. ‘She’s trying to look old money’ or something like that. I hate that.”
Instead, M.T. sees her classic style as a comforting contrast to her eclectic, “scatterbrained” personality. Online, she pairs wild, syncopated gestures with signature, strangely genuine catchlines. In homage to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s cover of “The Lady Is a Tramp,” M.T. opens each video with “Hey chicks,” before launching into her outfit of the day or a Montauk packing vlog. “Wage peace,” she signs off, blowing a kiss toward the audience with a two-finger salute on each hand.
“I think my flooding thoughts will always be a part of me, right? A more fabulous word to describe that would be ‘eccentric,’ ” she reflected. “My eccentric personality will always be so bold that a classic style feels soothing. I’m just as special and just as unique, even with the most simple looks, you know?”
Despite this scatter brainedness, M.T. is endlessly opinionated, though one is hard pressed to get a lone answer to any superlative question. (“Oh my god, oh my god. It’s so hard. Oh! I’m not sure, I’m not sure. Gosh …” she said when I asked her about her biggest fashion regret). We talked fall trends:
Polka dots? “Love. Enthusiastic about that.”
Indie sleaze revival? “No, I think… Let’s be organic.”
Frye boots? “A little bit overrated. Girls, stop obsessing. That’s what I have to say.”
Belt over skirt? “In some ways … in some ways.”
Sambas? “At least we’re gravitating towards a delicate sneaker.”
One thing M.T. will not be wearing this fall? Extraneous bows. “No more adding these bows to absolutely everything; it’s too much. I’m done with the bows, and honestly, even this time last year I wasn’t here for the bows.”
M.T. speaks quite musically, with a sort of circling cadence and a nostalgic, almost trans-Atlantic tinge. Though her comment sections are often jarringly positive and refreshingly quaint (always “queen,” never “QUEENNNNNN”), she has been accused several times of faking her voice.
“Oh my god, that makes me seethe inside,” she said. She guesses that what many people hear as an ‘accent’ is a remnant of the severe speech impediment she had as a child. “As a toddler, I lost all my speech. I was non-verbal, so I was in very extensive speech therapy — like five times a week — for a good part of my life. It’s one of those things that you can’t tell by looking at someone, right?”
Regardless, M.T. handles these comments with grace, playing off of the joke to reveal the tongue-and-cheek element of her page. To me, this “satirical” edge is what sets M.T. apart from other, more distant and aspirational style influencers — and it’s why I love her page so much. The archetypal femininity she presents on screen reads like drag. She’s having too much fun to be considered an unwilling pawn of the patriarchy. And her aims are too quotidian, too kind.
“I always said that I just wanna make girls happy,” M.T. insisted. “I want them to feel empowered to wear whatever they want, and, more than that, know that they (can) go out into the world, whoever they want.”
And her number one tip to take an outfit from drab to fab? “Belt, neck scarf, hair! Oh god, that’s three!”
Peace and love, chicks. Wage peace!
