Are Fashion Bloggers In Love With Themselves?

Hey all!  I'm moving up to Oregon for school and won't be active/have new content until Monday - see you all then!

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The point of having a fashion blog is to show your readers your style and your opinions.  One could say that being a personal style blogger is extremely self obsessive, and I can see where they're coming from.  Posting pictures of yourself day after day can give off that vibe. So, are we obsessed with ourselves or just doing our jobs?

Thinking of making this my background for the blog. Thoughts?

I personally believe that we have to be confident in ourselves to have a fashion blog. For example, if the blogger in question is a personal fashion blogger, then it is his or her job to post themselves looking fashionable.  We have a target demographic and this demographic is interested in fashion that average people would wear.  And, if bloggers leave thoughtful comments, it builds a strong network of people who are interested in one another. This includes criticism, since having a fashion blog means getting judged.

That is in a perfect world, though.  Bloggers don't leave thoughtful comments all of the time, so it's difficult to build a relationship with a blogger who posts "nice shirt" and never returns.  But it certainly inflates our ego.  And, if self promotion pays off, people will follow your blog, which results in comments and pageviews.  Which, of course, inflates our ego even more.

It starts small.  Maybe GOMI will feature you for thinking you're the greatest thing because a fan knew who you were in public.  And you focus an entire post on yourself - not on clothing, fashion, or the person who approached you - but on yourself.  This may have been completely unintentional.  But talking about yourself all of the time comes across as self absorbed (whaaaa?). 

Then you start doing crazy things.  Like getting your twitter verified and publishing books full of content that a person could get from your blog.

(Slightly) Exaggerated to get the point across. 

This is all a snowball effect, but it happens to the best of us.  On a smaller scale, one could say we are self focused because it's our goal to promote our blog have it be through commenting or doing guest posts.

So, to answer the question "are we obsessed with ourselves or just doing our jobs?", I find that it takes a bit of the first to accomplish the "job", especially if the blogger is a personal style blogger. However, when our ego starts getting too inflated, the job becomes self promotion with fashion on the side.

So, do you guys think fashion bloggers are a little too obsessed with themselves? Do we forget that the point of blogging is fashion and not trying to get pageviews?

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to defend yourselves.

Edit: If this offends you, of course I'm sorry. I felt that this was something to bring up.  Many of the bigger bloggers have some sort of clique, which excludes regular bloggers (like me).  I feel that if they were more open to their audience and not so focused on themselves, we would have a stronger community.  In no way am I trying to offend my readers - I'm thankful for each of you! But as fashion bloggers, big or small, we run the risk of becoming self absorbed.  Do you know of any ways to prevent this?

Short Shorts/ Green Jacket

Jacket: Old Levi's, Shirt: Michael Stars, Shorts: Levi's

Figured I'd be a flamingo.  I mean, why not?

I got some powder from Tom Ford the other day...Not that you can tell.  I just wanted to share because I love myself that much.

For the first time in a long time, it rained in San Diego. It was light, but it gave me a reason to wear a jacket.  Now it just needs to get below 70 so I can wear my new jeans.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  I went to Beverly Hills and bought myself some makeup and nail polish.  I have to say, Tom Ford has some vibrant and unique nail colors.  Total treat, though.  Thirty bucks is a lot for nail polish!

Not much to say today.  I still have this question - What type of monetization do you find least obnoxious?

See you all tomorrow!

P.S. - If you could give my FB page a bit of love I'd be very appreciative!

Very (f)irst clothing haul - be gentle.

Hello everybody!  Today I've decided to show off present my clothing haul for my upcoming school year. Extremely interesting and humble, I know.  But I just love everything so much I want to brag share with everyone.  Nearly all of this was on sale, too! Items will be presented left to right.

• T. Babaton mustard sweater: A gift from my boyfriend while we were in Canada. The sweater is cashmere and has a great color.  I'll be wearing it a lot this school year, by itself or with collared shirts.
• Lucky Brand ballet flats: Simple and simplistic, but sorely needed.
• Citizens of Humanity jeans: OH GOSH, I'm so lucky to have these babies.  I got them for 75 bucks.  Yes, that's still a lot, but I need to invest in jeans.  I want them to last forever and Oregon rain is pretty harsh my old, cruddy jeans.
• Paige jeans: Yet another pair of designer jeans I was able to get at a great price.  Keep an eye on Bloomingdales' sale section - I got these babies on Labor Day, but good sales do happen spontaneously.

• Urban Outfitters cardigan: Now, I get the whole "don't wear white after Labor Day" rule, but I'll probably wear this every so often during the Fall (such an anarchist).  Got it on big sale, fits well - I couldn't pass it up.
• Hudson jeans: Yeah, I paid full price on these.  They are so great - I couldn't help it.  These jeans are jet black, a first for a pair of jeans I own.  So happy I got them, so worth it.
• Cusco top: I got this top and a green sweater for fifty bucks altogether on Labor Day.  It was a 75% off sale.  I'm surprised I didn't buy the entire store.

So yes, it was a glorious week of shopping.  Many dollars were lost in order to gain clothing on huge sale.  It was a sacrifice I was willing to make.  So I hope you all enjoyed looking at what I purchased and, if I was rolling in money, I would buy you all the same thing.

Also, I'm planning on monetizing eventually but I don't want to be an obnoxious sell out (rather just be obnoxious). I'm thinking of sponsors or rstyle - one is promoting other blogs and the other is stealthy.  Which way is better in terms of not selling out?  Is there another valid method?

Art as Fashion

To say I love art would be an understatement. This may be a bit dramatic, but I'm planning on making it my life since I'm an Art History student. And, since it's part of my life, might as well make it part of my wardrobe. Here are three pieces of clothing and accessories that I find to be extremely artistic and different. Art as fashion seems to be a growing trend, one which I am very excited to see evolve.

Air Tattoo 

Vine by Air Tattoo

Air Tattoo is "Wearable Art For Your Neck". I love the idea behind this Kickstarter.  There are four different necklaces to choose from, all vastly different from one another and giving off different moods. And, while these are some great designs, I don't know how practical they'd be or how well they would go with clothing.  Sure, they look good on a naked model - baby vomit would look good on a naked model (too far?). But, on a clothed model, it looks a bit...awkward.

All that said, I may still take a chance on these beauties.  There's only three days left to get them until the campaign ends on Kickstarter, so get on it!

Black Milk Clothing

Der Kuss Dress for 90 AUD

Holy mama, I freakin' love Black Milk. Black Milk is a clothing company based in Australia that loves nylon. They have legging, bathing suits, and dresses which are all made with fashion aware girls in mind.  My favorites are the pieces with classic art printed on them. The picture above is a print of Der Kuss by Gustav Klimt, one of my favorite pieces of art.  There are other pieces featuring pieces by Van Gogh and pieces which are just plain artistic. 

Wearing Black Milk definitely takes some guts because the pieces are so loud. But, I think the payoff is worth it.  If only James Jean was featured on the site...

James Jean Jewelry

Constellation for 600 USD 

James Jean, my favorite living artist, has a beautiful line of jewelry.  There are five "sections" in his line - Drip, Butterfly, Bone, Strata, and Bat. They are all so vastly different but beautiful and detail oriented.  However, these pieces are insanely expensive.  Nothing is under 300 dollars, which is very disappointing since his jewelry is so unique.

He offers scarves and shirts as well. If you have the money, go for it.  Maybe buy me something while you're at it.

Do you guys have any pieces you love which incorporate art into the aesthetic? Hate art as fashion?  Feel free to tell me about it!

Ally

Oh, Canada!

Dress: Free People (similar)

Look at those boobs - I mean details...

Hello, hello.  I took a little break last week because I was in Canada.  I've never been to Canada and it was pretty enjoyable.  My boyfriend has family up there and his cousin was getting married. So, he invited me to go!  People are pretty nice up there (maybe I was just noticing this because of the stereotype) and the scenery is gorgeous.  I stayed in Ontario, more specifically Ottowa and Toronto.

Here we are at the wedding. I'm the one on the right.

Also, thank you all for the great comments on my last post.  I wasn't expecting such great feedback.

See you later in the week.

Blogger Etiquette: Are We Too Nice or Too Lazy?

I took a week break due to my vacation to Canada. I'll have a new post on Monday.
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On a daily basis, many of us leave comments on blogs. Typically, these comments are usually brief and positive.  And when I say positive, I mean cavity inducing sweetness with chocolate fudge and sprinkles.

But, what happens when we get something called constructive feedback or - GASP - a negative comment?

I think most of us would be hurt or even angry and delete the comment.  Why? Because we aren’t used to any sort of criticism.  And, we aren’t ones to give criticism for this reason.

But, maybe we don’t give criticism because we are lazy.

Here's an example.

What you see

Now, let's form a comment based on those really quick thoughts.

What you could post

 What you do post

There is an obvious difference between the two.  Once is thoughtful and constructive and offers ways to make the blog more interesting.  The second is uninspired, but nice.  Sometimes it's hard to say anything more than a sentence or two.

Now, I am not unthankful at all.  Comments are great and make the blogger feel good.  But there are times where the pure nice words are being typed so we can go on one's page.  And we all do this.  We want recognition for our work.

Everything boils down to this - are we too lazy or too nice?  In my opinion, the two go hand in hand.  If one is going to offer constructive suggestions, there has to be a sizable amount to the comment so the blogger isn't offended. And who wants to write a ton of words, right?  So people write the minimal amount which is typically pure praise.  It's a never ending cycle.  And, when there is criticism, there is hurt feelings because this criticism is mistaken as being mean.  Just think about the whole IFB affair - comments disagreed with a post and the creator of the website ended up calling her readers bullies.

In the end, I'd say if we toughened up and gave more thoughtful comments, we would benefit not individually, but as a blogging community. However, that's just me.  What do you think?  Are we lazy and want views or just too nice?

Please remember I am thankful for any and all comments - it's just a trend I've noticed.

Guest posts, 100 followers, favorites - OH MY!

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. I went to the mall and bought my boyfriend a Vince sweater for fifty bucks (usually they’re 165) and watched Curb Your Enthusiasm. A relaxed weekend, but a welcomed one. Anyways, this isn’t exactly a fashion post, but rather a message to everyone. 

Firstly, thank you all for subscribing, as I now have 100 followers. Considering I’ve only been around for two months, I’m extremely thankful for all of the support I’ve received and plan on bringing more content to everyone.

Secondly, I’ve add a list in the sidebar of blogs I love. I tried to spotlight those who do not have many followers but have great content. I probably do not have enough followers to heavily influence their traffic, but anything helps - right?

Here they are...

Coffee and Cardigans
The Curatorial
Faye Roco
Fashion Fetishism
Moi Minnie
So Capricious

I enjoy everyone that I follow. These stick out to me because they always have content worth reading, clean design, and fabulous photos. They’re pretty unique and most of them have an edge to them. Please check them out!

Thirdly (I'm oh so formal), I’ve been featured over at My Love Affair With Fashion where I write about the classic tee and jean outfit. It’s my first guest post and I’m excited to be featured.

Click to read!

I suppose this was a post full of firsts! Again, thank you everyone for your support and I can’t wait to grow with everyone.

How to Use Your Dog as an Accessory

Top: Michael Stars  I can't find any online stores carrying this, but I went to Bloomingdales and they had plenty in store.

Hello everyone! A few days ago I went shopping and bought this great, lightweight top from Michael Stars.  I'm freakishly obsessed with it because I have been searching for something like this that is not obnoxiously fragile and - voila - it appeared!  So happy, so lucky, best day ever.

The fun doesn't stop there.  Oh no, no, no.  I walked my boyfriend's dog, Annie (remember her?).  And, boy - she is the best blogging accessory ever.

Not facing the camera, yet still looking cute.  She's better at posing than I am...that's not saying alot, though.

Dogs are adorable.  Unlike cats, you can walk them and pet them with being mauled. Combine dogs and fashion blogging and BAM - you are the most unique fashion blogger ever.  If you have a baby or a blogger boyfriend, you know how being part of this fashion elite feels.  Gone are the days of awkward and alone photos - you have a dog to pose with.

Well, at least I'm not alone...

In all seriousness, I went for an early evening walk with my boyfriend and decided to show everyone my casual style (plus a Westie).  In my opinion, you don't have to look like atlantic-pacific  all of the time in order to look good.  Of course, my style may have to do with my age - I'm not a twenty-something like most of you.  If I dressed like AP, I think it would add years to my age although I would love to have her closet.

Trying to look as insufferable as possible.

I hope everyone is having a good week.  The weekend is swiftly approaching which means going to Ikea and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm.  Yeah, living the life, I know.

Savvy Saturday - 8/11

Note - I'll probably make these articles bi monthly depending on the responses I receive.

Ikat Print Button Up

Forever 21 is known for "you get what you pay for", but their pieces are great for the broke college student.  They have many cute blouses for all under twenty dollars.  If you're looking to buy a cheap blouse, F21 would be the place to go.

Just a Little Red & Orange

Dress: UO (MASSIVE sale on it right now!)  Belt: Vintage Coach  Shoes: DV

Hey everyone!  I'm a bit late on posting this outfit but I haven't had access to the camera and I'm busy with work and blah blah blah.  Anyways, I wore this outfit on Saturday when I went to The Grove in LA.  I had a pretty good day with my boyfriend but there really isn't much to do there other than shop.  Yeah, I know - shopping is great.  However, everything was so expensive.  I think going into Barney's made me severely depressed for the rest of the day.  Not really (ok, maybe a little).

I hope your week is going smoothly. Atleast it's hump day!

Also, I'm planning on changing up the site a bit. Eventually this'll happen.  Once I stop being so laaazy.

Savvy Saturday

Hello again!  Today I am starting a weekly round-up of things I find on sale or are more affordable.  Yes, it's simple.  But I am extremely sales savvy...and a college student.  So, I want to show my readers some great finds which are great in quality and price.  Also, I don't want this blog to be pure OOTD posts.

So, let's get to it!

Dress by Bailey 44.

Ok well, Neiman is always pricey.  But I think that the sales are great for such quality pieces.  Not only is the clothing on sale, but there are always shoes on sale as well.  These Espadrilles by Splendid are under fifty bucks and these Elizabeth and James ballerina flats are on sale as well.  The sales on Neiman are random and I advise checking the website daily if you're looking for great deals.

IFB Links a la Mode featuring ME?

Hey everyone.  So apparently I've been featured on IFB.  I've only been around for a month so I was pretty shock to be featured by such a huge community in such little time!  Thank you very much for the honor, IFB. 

On a side note, I will be posting something later today.  

Be sure to check everyone out and I'll see you all later today

An Analysis of Style

Shirt: Madewell (different color)  Belt: old Coach  Shorts: Levi's (similar)  Sunglasses: Ray-Ban  Jewelry: UO and DogEared  Shoes: Coach

Hey - haven't seen you guys for a while.  I'm sorry for my brief departure, but I'm back~

I notice that blogs seem to grab "inspiration" from one another - especially when it comes to styling. Recently I've been seeing a lot of the half tuck and the top knot.

Hand in hair, top knot in place, flamingo pose, admiring the ground - my most original picture to date.

Before reading any further, please remember that these are my opinions and I am not saying they are better than yours nor correct.

To start with the positive - I really do like the top knot.  I'm not exactly good at it, but they're flattering.  Looks great with collared shirts.

Now, onto the bad - the half tuck.  Based on my "research", I believe that J. Crew started doing this, then popular fashion bloggers, then regular bloggers.  I really don't understand what is appealing about this look.  I think fully tucked in shirts look much better than leaving a flap out or just tucking in the middle.

Maybe the half tuck is only popular because J.Crew (and Madewell, much to my chagrin) is doing it and bloggers want to attract them as sponsors? Or maybe people actually do like the half tuck.

I would love to talk about this in the comments!  If you do like it, tell me so.  Thought provoking discussion can be had even when it comes to fashion.

Gotta love the reflection of my boyfriend.

So, what do you think of the new styles you're seeing lately?

-Ally

P.S. - This is only a taste of some new, more opinionated and "discussion promoting" content that I plan on bringing to my corner of the Internet.  Stay tuned!

Comic Con Cool Down

Edit 7/26 - Hey guys - I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. I've been busy in Kansas for the past few days.  I got back a couple days ago but I'm a bit sick.  Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but I'm extremely dizzy from my illness and it's really bogging down my brain.  So, I'm not in the best frame of mind to produce quality content.  I will be back very shortly (outfit post tomorrow).  I'm not stopping blogging at all!  Just wanted to give an update to everyone. Thanks!

Summoning the Dark Lord and I'm extremely happy about it...

Shirt: Madewell  Shorts: Madewell  Jewelry: Madewell, Lucky, gifted

My mom bought this outfit for me for my birthday (it was about two months ago) and I love it.  Orange is my favorite color, and I've been looking for a tunic to buy, so it was a win-win situation for me.

Also, I am back from Comic Con - what an amazing experience.  I high fived Joel McHale, met Seth Green and Chad Michael Murray, and got an awesome shirt with Nick Cage on it.

Yes, that is Nick Cage as a dragon.

All in all I had a great time.  I would tell you all to get a ticket for the next one, but we already have enough people there!

A side note, I'll be in Kansas from Thursday till Monday.  Hopefully I'll be able to post a bit while I'm stuck there!

Beach Days

Top: Vince,  Shorts: Alice & Olivia,  Jewels: Juicy Couture and Gifted 

Yesterday I received my Alice & Olivia shorts I got on huge sale and was anxious to throw them on.  I have to say, these shorts are cute, low maintenance, and fit great!  I am also wearing a ring my grandmom gave me.  It's from the seventies and is a perfume ring.  It is in great shape and I absolutely adore it!

Today is Comic-Con!  The event lasts until Sunday and I am so excited to be going.  This means I will not be updating my blog until Monday.  However, feel free to follow me around by subscribing to my Twitter.  Link on the side!

That said, hope everyone has a great weekend.  Thanks for reading and see you soon.

-Ally

Of Wasps and Lipstick

Why do I look so cautious?  I was posing right next to a wasp nest! PS - I'm a giant chicken.

Dress - H&M (similar),  Belt - Urban Outfitters,  Shoes - Cole Haan (similar),  Jewels - Gifted

Happy Monday, everyone!  I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I came up with a simple outfit - a loud dress with classic heels.  When the clothing is loud, accessories shouldn't be heavy. Instead, I focused on lipstick and nail polish.

Two Quick Beauty Tips from Beautician* Ally Allen
*aka Blogger


1. Lipstick is a must for any fashion forward gal.  The one I'm wearing is Chanel Mademoiselle.  It may seem expensive for some, but make-up is a tricky business.  I'd rather save up for a shade that looks beautiful on me than a cheaper alternative which is nothing special.  That said, a cheaper lipstick may look better than a more expensive one (which would be a great situation!)

2. Get unique nail colors. Yes, I know there are dupes for the expensive brands.  I'm not telling you to buy 20 dollar nail polish - I'm saying get colors that are unique and different.  I'm wearing Nars' Orgasm.  Apparently people either love or hate this particular polish.  On a general note, obviously buy what you like - nails don't have to be trendy all of the time and not everyone is going to like it.

Thanks for sticking till the end!  Now, I have a question for you guys - Do you invest in expensive make-up or opt for cheaper products?

-Ally

A Sequined Saturday

Dress and skirt - Free people, Shoes - Dolce Vita (similar),  Bracelets - Madewell & Juicy Couture, Sunglasses - Rayban, Earings - Kate Spade, Bag - Michael Kors

Happy weekend everyone!  It has been hot in San Diego , so I've been dressing in sleeveless shirts and shorts all week.  Today I decided to be a bit more flirty and girly by wearing a Free People dress with a frilly white skirt underneath.  Also, I love my Dolce Vita sandals.  I've had them for a while but just haven't been wearing them as often as I would like.  Expect to see them a bit more.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

-Ally