(Images via the blogs and websites below)
While the rest of the country sweltered in the heat Los Angeles remained cool and foggy, but now it’s mid-July and the mild weather is but a distant memory. It’s 90 degrees as I write this. Summer has arrived in force and the web has responded with some great articles on a variety of subjects, some practical and some inspirational. Enjoy! Continue Reading →
Hey there friends and followers! I’m so excited to be part of the Independent Fashion Bloggers best posts of the week – The “Links A L Mode”. This is the best of the best, so don’t miss it. I’m joined by some of my favorite fashion bloggers, including “Beautifully Invisible” and “North on Harper“. Enjoy.
Edited by Meghan Donovan at WIT & Whimsy
This week’s Links a La Mode demonstrates the one thing we fashion bloggers aren’t afraid to do. Give advice. With all the shopping, hunting, reading and networking we do across a multitude of channels, it’s no surprise that we develop certain skills when it comes to finding the best bargain, tracking down the ultimate vintage find or just knowing how to dress for our body type. Read up on all of this week’s posts featured in Links a la Mode for a wealth of information for everything from dos and dont’s to curbing those nasty little shopping habits we all can be guilty of here and there.
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Tory Burch at Shopbop: Bags, Wallets, Clutches, Dresses, Shoes, Flats, Sandals, Sunglasses, Shop the Runway & Outlet Sale
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Recently Kristy Elena of “Full Time Fabulous” wrote an article entitled “The Importance of Fashion Blogging”. As a style blogger I read it with interest. It seems that although some in the fashion world have embraced the blogging phenomenon, others are not so happy about it.
As Kristy points out, for at least a century women have found their style inspiration mainly through women’s magazines. I think this might be one of the reasons that I lost interest in fashion for a while in my 30′s. I was a working mom who spent her free time at the playground in over-sized jeans. I looked at magazines all the time for design ideas, but as beautiful as the photographs often were, there was very little in them that spoke to me, my figure, or my clothing needs.
Recently my passion for fashion has been rekindled. My children are still young but growing up. I’ve had time to focus on myself, something that’s hard to do with toddlers in diapers running around. And I’m rediscovering fashion through my new favorite media: my friends’ personal style blogs. I’m discovering other older women who refuse to give up and throw in the towel just because they’re not as thin or as young as they used to be.
I love it.
With the ability to self-publish on the web, thousands and thousands of women, (and some men) are creating their own mini fashion magazines and creating a web of inspiration and communication that reaches around the globe. Whether you just like to read personal style blogs, or if you write one yourself, we should all be proud to be part of this new phenomenon. Here are 10 reasons to read, follow, and love fashion and style blogs.
1 - You will see people in their own clothes, wearing them their own way. Street style became a force to be reckoned with in the 1960′s. Now it’s practically an institution in it’s own right. But what better way is there to be inspired than to see what other people are wearing everyday? The best part is you can see what’s cool in London, Paris and New York. It’s a mini-vacation on you laptop! For some really wild looks check out “Street Style Aesthetic“.
2 - You will see women who have NOT been improved, cleaned up, and slimmed down by Adobe Photoshop. Are we sick of seeing women with impossible proportions yet? Are we tired by the brilliant white teeth and the immaculately perfect skin? I know I am. Visit your friendly, neighborhood personal style blogger for a reality check.
3 – You will see women of all sizes and heights. This is probably the main reason I read personal style blogs. I’m tall, but I can’t remember the last time I wore a size 8, let alone the size 2 worn by most fashion models. Clothes do not look on me the way they look on the women who appear on the pages of magazines. I love, really, really love, seeing women who aren’t model-thin taking great photos of themselves in their newest outfits. When they look fabulous it makes me feel really good about myself too.
Many of us are frustrated by the unrealistic ideals encouraged by the fashion world . Fashion bloggers help you to “retrain” your eye so you see real women’s proportions as normal and attractive..
4 – You will see women of all ages. If Mis Papelicos doesn’t make you want to run out and try something new, I don’t know what will. Seeing women who are older than me, and way wilder than me in terms of fashion, and who look FABULOUS, is eye-opening and incredibly freeing.
Every time I see the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour, I am blown away by her effortless chic. Although she is in the magazine’s soul, her image is not on the pages. We’re ALL going to get older, lets find ways to be fabulous at any age.
5 - You will also see fashion shows and editorials. Not all fashion blogs are personal style blogs. Some, like Dress Code: High Fashion, highlight fashion shows, advertisements and editorials. This is a great way to get deep into the fashion groove and be inspired by top designer’s personal visions.
6 - You will connect with other people. Blogging is all about communication. If you comment on a blog, that blog owner (if they are a nice, considerate sort of person) will comment on your blog. The next thing you know you’ll be tweeting each other, and then one day you’ll meet in person. And voila! A friendship is born. Think I’m being silly? Think again. It’s happened to me.
7 - You will learn how to dress well on less. Magazines are lovely and celebrities are beautiful, but most of the clothes worn by singers and actresses are very, very, expensive. Having worn some high-end designer clothing, I can promise you it looks a lot better than the stuff I buy at Ross or even the mid-level apparel I buy at Macy’s. Most of the women who post on the web have a budget just like you and I do. Lots of them look fabulous in clothes they picked up at thrift stores and garage sales. You can too. Can’t believe it? Check out The Citizen Rosebud for thrifted fabulousness.
8 - You will learn DIY techniques. Lot of blogger post their “how to’s” as well as outfit posts. It’s a fun, and budget friendly, way to create new things for your wardrobe. The Glamourai is one of my favorite fashion blogs, and her “Do it yourself” ideas are elegant and chic. Check it out here: The Glamourai DIY.
9 - Fashion blogs give you permission to try new things. There’s nothing quite like other women looking their best that makes you feel you can look your best too. If she can wear three colors of purple and green in an outfit and look great, then maybe I can add a purple scarf to my outfit and look great too! Magazines showcase new trends all the time, and I often find these fashion editorials to be beautiful works of art in their own right, but it’s not so easy to tease out the items or shapes that are wearable. Personally I find it daunting. On the other hand, when I see a fellow blogger wearing a new trend HER way, it gives me concrete ideas on how I can wear it to.
10 - Essentially, you will realize that if they can do it, you can do it. It has empowered me. It will empower you too.
What do YOU love about fashion and personal style blogs?
