Why do you love fashion blogging?
This question has popped into my head a few different times as of late, for whatever reason, and isn't it important to stop and think about things..especially if they keep popping up in your fluffy, fluffy head?
You know, to really ponder the important questions; even if it's over complicated things like liking or not liking fashion blogging, and if a shirtless Ryan Gosling fell in the forest would Lassie come back to life to save him (of course), and MAD MEN, HEY, WHERE THE GOSH DARN ARE YOU? (Come baaack.)
I know why I like fashion blogging--it has been really neat meeting a whole new group of girls from all over the US that share similar interests as me that I would never otherwise have met. It has even been neat meeting people here in Colorado that I, all things considered, would have probably never have met. Oh, the world wide web is fancy that way.
One of my favorite things about fashion blogging is drawing inspiration from all of the incredibly talented bloggers out there--from The glamorous
Glamourai to Anh at
9 to 5 Chic to Jean at
Extra Petite (isn't it great having other options than dressing like a soccer mom or a sailor, as it seems most retailers think us shorties should do?), not to mention the fashion-AND-beauty bloggers like Andi at
Saltwater Dreams and Veronika over at
Veronika's Blushing AND those-that-take-the-prettiest-pictures and post about pretty things like Rosa at
Rosa Loves DC and Shannon at
Happiness Is--just to name a few.
I do try to remain open to constructive criticism the best I can, however, and one of the most common complaints I read about fashion bloggers is that at times....we aren't very relatable.
And I do agree. The farther I go along with this, the more ballsy I have become with experimenting with my own style, and so I realize that my sense of style and some of the pieces that I wear might not exactly be do-able for a lot of women out there.
That is okay! It's the great thing about defining your own personal style. If we all dressed the same, wouldn't that be boring?
Oh, it would be incredibly boring. But that being said, there are still ways to be inspired even if the exact items found on fashion blogs aren't always practical for every single woman in this world.
Here are my two biggest tips:
1. Look for inspiration in unlikely places. I find inspiration for my outfits all over the place: from fellow bloggers, Pinterest, magazines, TV shows, paintings, photographs, catalogs--whatever! Charming mixtures of colors, shapes, patterns, and textures can be found everywhere in this big, wild world; you just have to look at things the right way.
2. It's okay to play with and swap items; accessories are the easiest to switch around! For example, I might replace leopard heels with a leopard belt, or swap a neon-hued bag for a bangle. The idea is to use things that you already have in your closet and feel comfortable wearing to replicate an outfit you like, and there are easily a gazillion different ways to do it. It also gives the copied/inspired outfit a touch of your own style, too.
These tips might take a little bit of creativity and an extra 10 minutes in the closet, but the more you do it the easier it gets. Promise.
So with this in mind, I would like to introduce a new reoccurring series here where I take two or three pieces and accessorize them five different ways. It will be a bit of a fun departure from my usual Outfit Of The Day posts, I think, and will add a bit of visualization to my thoughts above. I hope you guys like it. :)
(Note: While none of my outfits below contain tights, as Colorado is going through an odd bout of mild weather, they would still work in most of these outfits--I'd stick with a slightly ribbed/sheer black if you do to let the colors of the outfits pop and if you don't like bright shoes with tights, stick with black, flats, booties or heels.. Don't like short skirts? I included some longer-length skirts in my picks below, too--and don't forget the J Crew's Bi-Stretch Wool Minnie Pant in Henna, which is a beautiful, rusty red and perfect for those that don't like wearing skirts at all!)
Enjoy!
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Chloe, Colorful Colorado. 5'8" (only) when teetering in her highest 6 inch Miu Miu platform heels. Likes fashion, broccoli, ice cream, clarifying that she does not eat ice cream with her broccoli as to not cause worldwide panic, hoarding beauty products & pretty shoes, tickle fights with her husband (he would like to clarify that he does not like them back, OKAY?), anything covered in sprinkles, any alcoholic beverage made with Tang, live music, clicking the camera, sarcasm fonts, vases stuffed full of pretty flowers, and laughing hard until her belly hurts. Wants an adventurous life, lots of puppies, to never obtusely wander around with her fly down, and to be an iconic Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress with a bright, festive print when she grows up. This is where she bravely documents it all. (