Wednesday 1 August 2012

Let's get fashion bloggy

To me the internet is kind of like a big fat magazine, specialising in whatever takes your fancy. Be it art, mechanics, travel or clog dancing, whatever information you're looking for is only a search engine away. Now, this is not to say that I believe that books will soon die - I don't - or that I don't sometimes treat myself to a chai latte and pay an exorbitant amount to read a real life magazine while sitting in the sun somewhere - I do. But that's more about the experience than the content. When I'm looking for inspiration, information and entertainment like everyone else, I turn to my laptop.

Given that a large percentage of my interest when it comes to the internet, lies in fashion and style (personally, I consider these two different concepts), I thought I would share with you some of the blogs that I visit on a regular basis. I tend not to go for the blogs that just involve the blogger taking photos of themselves in various outfits - I'm kind of in two minds about that whole...thing. The positive mind, thinks it's pretty cool that women everywhere are changing perceptions about what is "fashionable" and "attractive"  and moving things away from the sphere of fashion editorials and glamazonian models. There are style bloggers of all shapes, sizes, colours and...hmmm...for want of a better word "looks" out there. Is vintage rockabilly style your thing? Then there is a style blogger out there for you. Or maybe you're more into up-to-the-second high street trends. Yep, no problems.  Whimsical, floaty, and bohemian (ish) more your thing? Oh my lord. Style bloggers were made for you! My negative mind, however, just thinks it's kind of odd to be constantly taking photographs of oneself in different outfits. Like that friend in your Facebook or Instagram feed who uploads a constant stream of "selfies"...it just makes me ask, "but why?". I could go into a whole discussion about how the internet and social networking turns our gaze further inward rather than outward, but I feel that's another post for another time. The fact is, style bloggers are becoming a very powerful force in the fashion world, and the fashion world is paying a lot of attention to them. The good ones, that is.

The purpose of this particular post, is to share with you what are in my opinion, some of the better style blogs out there. Most of these blogs have genuinely lovely, well-crafted photographs  sometimes accompanied by thoughtful, interesting and often amusing (in a good way) copy. 

I start where all style bloggers start (or should start), with The Sartorialist. Scott Schuman is a fashion photographer, who regularly shoots for labels like The Gap and Burberry, and his blog consists of photos he has taken of people he sees on the street in his hometown of New York or in his travels to places like Paris and Milan. One of the reasons I enjoy The Sartorialist so much, is that he seems to photograph both men and women equally. Hey, just because I'm a lady doesn't mean I don't appreciate a stylish dude.

Image courtesy of www.thesartorialist.com

From The Sartorialist, it is a very small hop, skip then jump over to the website of Garance Dore. Garance is a fashion illustrator, photographer and writer and her blog is more like a visual diary. An incredibly delightful visual diary full of just the right amount of self deprecating charm and wit. She also happens to be ridiculously talented. I'm in love with her delicate and simple illustrations. Oh yeah, and she is Schuman's girlfriend. Tres cute. You will find more text and article-like content at this blog, but if you just want to browse through and look at the pretty pictures, you can do that too. You can find her work in such publications as Harper's Bazaar, Elle and Vogue - to name a few.


Image courtesy of www.garancedore.fr


Jak and Jil is the website of Canadian photographer, Tommy Ton. While The Sartorialist takes mostly head to toe shots, you'll get more of the details at from Ton. He shoots a lot of off-duty models - pre and post runway shows at various fashion weeks - and other fashion-y type people, so get ready for some amazing, beautiful and weird photos. Also, given that Fashion Week is on its way here in Sydney he is most likely in town so keep an eye out for some of your favourite Sydney spots. The blog is photo only - no text! - so have fun browsing.


Image courtesy of www.jakandjil.com

Okay, so this is pretty much my only concession to the aforementioned blogger-taking-pictures-of-themselves category that causes me so much internal confusion. I think part of what keeps me coming back to LoveMaegan is that I find her genuinely likeable, interesting and amusing. It's really more of a lifestyle blog - she does a lot of DIYs, and general posts about her day to day life, but the outfit posts are the real meat. I like that she is open about the fact that there are things she won't wear as a thirty-six year old that she would have happily work ten years ago. I like that sometimes her outfits make me go "What the...?" and I like that she links to most of the things she wears, and will reuse favourite items regularly. 


Image courtesy of www.lovemaegan.com

I think that's enough for now! This turned into a much longer post than I intended, but I hope you get as much entertainment (and procrastination) out of these blogs as I do...and maybe some inspiration too. 





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