About a month and a half ago I wrote a blog post titled Getting Real... and in that post I shared some of my frustrations with blogging. So many of you left supportive comments, agreeing to the situations I pointed out, and maybe even recognizing some of that behavior in yourself (and vowing to fix it!). The more I thought about your honest and interesting responses the more I wanted to open up on here. That's not to say all of my feelings and opinions will be popular, but they'll be mine. The Juno line "Honest To Blog" just felt too appropriate to pass up (and yes, I know how terribly annoying it is!) :P Each Sunday I'll be sharing something that's been on my mind. My first foray into Honesty: Style Blogging.
We all get dressed, right? Surely. So taking a few photos of what you're wearing that day really shouldn't be that hard. Or so you'd think. I'm not going to pretend it's rocket science (it's not), and I won't pretend that you really only have to shoot two or three images and they're all perfect (they never are*). I first really started documenting my outfits on LCH around February 2010 or so. I had spent many months snapping a picture of myself in my mirror-wall with my iPhone beforehand. A few shots here and there, Mike acted as my photographer. We were both unsure of how it would pan out. He enjoyed doing it and learning about cameras, and then his fascination with photography was born. It ended up being a good thing. We started making it a daily habit. We'd go out and find fun places to shoot and take all sorts of pictures (not just of me, and not of just my outfit!). I've noticed since moving to downtown Nashville that we don't really take many photos. We don't go on photo adventures and we don't really venture out like we did when we lived in Spring Hill. I think the urban surroundings really leave me feeling blah. Still, I've tried keeping up with outfit photos but I've just felt less than inspired. Again, I won't pretend like it's really all that hard to shoot a few photos (especially when you have someone taking the photos for you). Now a remote or timer for self-shots is totally different. I give props to all of the ladies who go this route (I went for iPhone in mirror!). But trying to schedule part of your day around loading up your stuff, going out, finding a place and shooting photos (often in public) can sometimes be more than you want to deal with. (And many people have real excuses like they have a full time job...I simply work from home/around Mike's schedule).
Another reason I'm feeling less than enthusiastic about my adventures in style blogging: I don't feel like I have anything new or interesting to offer**. I often feel as though style bloggers who are clad head to toe in designer gear aren't really relatable. I don't wear that stuff and most of you don't either. It's fun to look and daydream sometimes, but I read style blogs to get inspired about my own closet. Granted I wear almost solely fast fashion, with the occasional vintage piece thrown in, but it's nothing that a million other girls don't already own. That is both a good and bad (neutral?) thing. It's great that we might have the same items so we can get ideas from one another, but I'm pretty basic... a dress, a cardigan, tights and shoes. I don't get crazy with much of my clothing. Chances are highly likely each and every outfit will feature a dress, tights and cardigan... that's just my style. But is it even worth documenting? (Hypothetical question, don't worry! Not seeking praise here!)
I guess my boredom of it comes from my own insecurity of being unoriginal. Nothing is really "original" anymore, but my style is pretty much the same as a vast majority of young 20-something gals. Either I need to shake things up a bit or get over it (and let's be honest: why fix what isn't broken? I like the way I dress really.)
Then you've got the controversial "courtesy of" items style bloggers sometimes get. Not going to lie, it can be really fun to be "rewarded" for putting a lot of work into your blog, but it can also tarnish your credibility. I don't think there's anything wrong with getting c/o items, but I strive to make sure that each and every piece I acquire is completely my choice, my style, and something I would've bought with my own money. However I've recently started a new small business and all of my funds go to that (with the exception of some tattoo money that I save!). I honestly do not shop anymore (as I'm sure you can tell! Another reason outfit posts are lacking!). It's nice to be able to try new brands or items because it mixes things up on here, gives me a second wind, etc. But I never want my blog to become a giant "c/o c/o c/o" place. Businesses tend to benefit more from c/o items than bloggers, but if you can find the balance with a company you admire then I say go for it. I know a lot of people tend to start looking for new blogs to read when they start seeing "c/o" all over the place. How can you trust that that blogger is being legit? That they really actually like that piece and aren't being bought by a brand? I guess you really can't unless you know them well enough, but you have to put your faith in that person to make credible decisions.
And last but not least, working from home. It's easy to get out of bed and head straight for my computer with a cup of coffee to knock out the day's to-do list. I can blog from the comfort of my entirely too dark loft and still be in my pj's when 3pm rolls around. Not a good idea. Getting dressed helps me be productive but when you're in a dark house with a tiny shower, getting all dolled up really isn't your top priority. I'm hoping I can find a better balance to dressing myself appropriately this Autumn and maybe forcing myself out of the house before 11am even if it's just to run to the post office. Every little bit helps right?! I'm not a style guru, expert, or know-it-all. I'm not a Fashionista and I'd never claim to be. I'm merely a girl who dresses herself daily (well, on most days). Sharing my outfits has helped my style evolve (even if just in the shoe department), so all of that credit goes to you fine folks!
Keep in mind this is all verbal diarrhea really. Just like the Getting Real post, I'm speaking straight from my thoughts, no filter. Please don't feel as though you have to console me or anything like that. I'm merely writing these things to get them off my chest. Outfit posts have been sporadic lately but I'm trying to get back into my groove and move past anything holding me back. You're all so wonderful and I hope I can use my typically slow Sundays to spout all of this brain-feeling-goo all over your computer screens ;) Believe me, I've got opinions!***
All of you bloggers out there, do you ever feel limited in your outfit posts? Surely this frustration isn't limited to just me! Eep!
* When I say outfit shots are never immediately awesome, I'm speaking for myself. We've given in to maybe shooting 10 frames total and using 3-5 of them because sorting through 50 is just stupid. Sure, I might make a dumb face or show my double chin a little too much but whatever. I'm just glad I've never been someone to shoot 150+ frames! There have been days where it was heavily considered though... But if you're one of the lucky few who can take 4 pictures and have them all be perfect, well, I hate you. Kidding, kind of. ;)
** As far as nothing new or interesting to offer, I just feel very... typical. Not that typical/normal is a bad thing, but it's usually not what makes people read blogs. I don't want to fake it for pageviews. I've had some express their distaste for my predictable fashion in the past and that's totally fine, but I don't really feel the need to alter that to suit one or two people when this is really how I dress myself daily. Interesting or otherwise!
*** I promise I aspire to more than just outfit posts. They've taken a back seat for good/important reasons and my priorities have shifted. I'd really like to keep them on the blog because they can be a lot of fun, but they're not the end all/be all of LCH.
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