Caitlin Covington, the Face of 'Christian Girl Autumn,' on Her Viral Trips and Facing Critics (Exclusive)

Caitlin Covington has an entire section of her attic dedicated to fall. Clear bins, which occupy the space during the other nine months of the year, are packed with everything from leaf wreaths and pumpkin pillows to Halloween ghosts.

Every year, as Sept. 1 approaches — a.k.a the date Covington deems it officially acceptable to start decorating for fall — her husband, Chris Dorsch, climbs into the attic to retrieve the boxes. Since Covington, who has been dubbed the "face of fall," saves many of her seasonal items from previous years, she doesn't need to go overboard with shopping. However, she admits she still adds new items to her collection each year, telling PEOPLE she "doesn't have a budget for adding new fall items."

Covington's journey to becoming known as the face of 'Christian Girl Autumn' began in 2011 with a blog. As a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she started by sharing bits and pieces of her life, including recipes and sorority experiences. By 2012, her posts about fall outfits had become a central theme, reflecting her deep love for the season.

In 2019, Covington went viral as "Christian Girl Autumn" after the account Blizzy McGuire tweeted a photo of Covington and another blogger in fall foliage. The tweet read, "Hot Girl Summer is coming to an end, get ready for Christian Girl Autumn."

Since then, Covington's full-time job revolves around sharing her life, particularly her passion for fall, on social media. She is an ambassador for brands like Nordstrom and Rufflebutts and has worked with Walmart Fashion, MacKenzie-Childs, Abercrombie & Fitch and Lululemon. Her husband, a former data analyst in the financial sector, recently left his job to join Covington's business and spend more time with the family.

"I do feel pressure, especially during fall because I feel like everyone looks to me for fall content," Covington, who has 1.3 million followers on Instagram , admits. "So I try to hold myself to a certain standard and brainstorm new creative ideas. I spend hours researching and planning outfits for fall. There's a lot of pressure, and I want my videos and pictures to be well received."

"Christians can get a bad rap," she adds. "I just want to emphasize that I'm very accepting of everyone and have a very open mind. While I am a Christian, I prefer not to preach about it on social media. Instead, I choose to live by example. If someone is curious and asks me about my faith, I'm happy to share. I don't want to impose my beliefs on anyone or make it seem like I'm forcing them on others."

Each year, Covington plans elaborate fall trips, which involve hours of meticulous preparation. Starting in May or June, she works on itineraries, researches the best photo spots near her accommodations and maps out coffee shops, bookstores and even specific trees she thinks will be beautiful in the area.

"The outfit planning is probably the most time-consuming part," she adds. "We review various retailers, place orders, and then I spend hours trying on different outfits. Right now, I'm in the middle of trying on outfits for our Maine trip," she says, unblurring her camera on Zoom to reveal fall-colored outfits laid out on her floor.

"We have very specific content ideas, like doing a video with a Gossip Girl audio. I'll find an outfit that fits that theme, pack it down to a tee — including sunglasses, socks, everything — and then wear it on the trip. It's probably around 100 hours of work that goes into each trip," she adds.

When her kids, 1 1⁄2 and 3 years old, join the trips, it adds a whole new layer of complexity, as the family likes to coordinate their outfits.

"I do share my kids on social media, but I like to do it in a positive way. I wouldn't share them having a meltdown or crying — everyone has bad days," she says. "I'm careful to show them in a positive light and keep certain things private for their safety."

Occasionally, Covington will have a sponsored post during her trips, but most of the time, she shares content organically. For the clothes she wears, she'll link them on her page, so she does make commission off of sales.

"My husband was initially skeptical about my fall obsession," Covington recalls. "He was like, 'It's whatever, Caitlin, this is your thing.' But after joining us on his first fall trip to Vermont last year, his perspective changed. He said, 'I get it now; I understand why you love fall.' This year, he's actually excited about the fall trip and really gets into it."

She continues, "On the trip, his role is mainly to help with luggage and the kids, and to support me. He doesn't take videos or photos — that's my brother's job. So it becomes a bit of a family affair, with my brother handling the photography and videography."

Over the years, Covington says she's also received a wide range of rude messages and criticism. She used to be deeply affected by these comments, spending hours dwelling on them. Critics targeted everything from the way she curled her hair to her weight and outfits, and even scrutinized her relationship with her now-husband while they were dating.

"I've developed a thick skin," she says. "Those comments don't hurt me anymore. They used to, but I've learned to let them roll off my back. I remember one comment that really stood out — someone said my hair was too tightly curled back when barrel curls were popular. They said they wished they could see me in person just to shake my curls out. I actually considered changing how I curled my hair because of that comment. It seems silly now, but it really hurt at the time."

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Reflecting on her career, Covington notes how much the influencer landscape has evolved since she started in 2011. Back then, she says influencers weren't taken seriously, and companies didn't pay for social media posts. Never did she think she'd be able to pursue creating content as a full-time job.

"They just didn't realize the power influencers had," Covington says. "I've witnessed the transition from brands offering only free items to recognizing that influencers actually drive sales and move merchandise. Trends have changed a lot, too. A few years ago, everyone wanted a perfectly curated feed with professional photos and strong filters. Now, the trend is toward more raw, unfiltered content. It's been a wild ride, with new changes every year."