Day 342: A Tangled Web We Weave

Eek! These photos are from before I went away. I must have been channelling some deluded idea of haute couture at the time. I was reading On The Daily Express the other day (here and here) where Gina had gathered together a group of other bloggers from around the States—one from each time zone—and done a survey about trending looks. Essentially she asked each blogger about a series of trends (crop tops, rompers, jean styles, Birkenstocks, etc) and whether these trends translated to the street in their area. Often they didn't. What is fashion? An elite group of designers who make clothes that only a small percentage of people can afford or wear? An enormous group of retailers, advertisers and marketers who push a quick-turnover must-do look in order to sell, sell, sell? Or one person—you—deciding what to wear when you wake up today?

Irene               List_Addict

I am sure I am not the first person to riddle-me-this, but tell me, if you can, why doesn't the fashion industry make sense? And now, with the added dimension of the fashion blogging community, it has got even weirder. Do you think blogging is about what we 'should' wear? Is it about what we 'do' wear? Is it about trends and perpetuating the dictates of the clothing industry, or is it about people being an antidote to a prescriptive money-making train which wants to see us conform to a constantly changing ideal? Of course, there isn't an answer to that—there are blogs that fit into every category. Bloggers trying to make a living from it have to jump on board with big-business—they're the ones with money to spend, and they're only going to spend it where they get publicity. It's a no-brainer. The op-shop/thrifter bloggers and the sewing/fashion bloggers have different incentives: they celebrate getting a contemporary look via a different route which is creative and economical, or, they celebrate looking nothing like everyone else becuse that is the beauty of thrifting. Some bloggers are so close to the periphary of the exclusive end of the fashion industry that we can only call it a different door to the same arena: high end fashion items, model looks, professional photography. Others seem to be at the door of a theatre instead—where it is about dressing-up, not dressing. What kind are you? What kind am I? It's quite fascinating.

Me: a thrifting, shoe-obsessed, dresser-upper-er who wears, in real life, some of what is on her blog, in a non-conformist interpretation of what seems to be 'trending' at some stage in the last two years or the next three, as long as she can find it in an op-shop (thrift store) and as long as she doesn't have to walk too far in the shoes. You?


The Outfit
Dress (under): Op-shopped
Dress (over): Handmade
Belt: Myers
Necklace: Retail
Golf Shoes: eBay


Photographer de Jour: Moi


Who Wore It Better?

C

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Comments

  1. Great read, LA. I'll never be a high-style blogger (I'm 30 years to old, for one thing), and I feel at home with the thrifter/sew-er blogs. I do have ads, to make a tiny bit of $$ to help pay for shoes : > Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday!

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  2. Ha! LOVED this.

    I agree there are so many niches within the fashion/style blogging blogosphere. I often wonder just where the heck I fit in. Especially since I'm older and I don't like to dress older. I can see on my stats that the majority of people that visit my blog are 18-35. I'm 48. (shrug)

    I love thrifting and vintage but can sometimes be persuaded by Anthropologie to spend retail money there when they have a sale. (Damn them.)

    I find that I do wear what I'm showing on my blog away from the house but since I'm homed based I don't get enough opportunities to wear my outfits out. Also I often change the footwear from what I show in the outfit post. If I'm going any place where I need to walk for more than 5 minutes I can't handle shoes that hurt.

    PS LOVE the brogues!

    bisous
    Suzanne

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  3. Oh! Hey, that survey sounds familiar. :) I'm glad you read my survey! And I enjoyed reading your summary and feedback, plus all the additional questions that it inspires (rhetorical or not!). The whole business really fascinates me, particularly the impact that blogging has on it and each of us who participate in the community.
    Gina -- On the Daily Express

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  4. You look great in this outfit with those shoes!
    There are so many blogs out there about fashion it makes my head spin. I checked out Blog Lovin's top fashion posts the other day and I felt like I had just opened another magazine - there were so many model-types and trendy outfits. Of course when I felt the nauseous start to set in I had to get outta' there fast! There was too much sameness for me, although I was impressed by the professional looks I saw. I had to categorize my blog as fashion for lack of another category that seemed to fit. I'm too old and odd for those Serious fashion followers. I wear what I post unless otherwise stated.

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  5. I'm slightly obsessed with your shoes :)
    I have a similar pair that are about 15 years old that I still wear!

    Thanks for linking up for MMG!

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