Spot the Difference:Bloggers or Celebrities?

Sunday, July 16, 2017





Dress - Random shop in Berlin, Germany
 Jacket - Noisy May (Asos)
Mules - Rivers
 Necklace - Swarovski
 Lipcolour - Nyx

DISCLAIMER: Before I begin with this post, I’d like to establish that I’m writing this piece not just as a blogger myself but also as an avid reader of fashion/food/lifestyle blogs myself.

I first came across blogging when it was still in its infancy. After coming across Gary Pepper Girl (back when it was still Vintage) by chance, I was hooked. The attraction wasn’t just based on fashion but instead was a combination of my appreciation for her photography, writing, travels, lifestyle and clothes.

To me bloggers were real people, living real lives and sharing the best and most interesting parts of them. This definition however has altered quite a bit in recent times. Today, more and more bloggers choose to have it as their profession and though there is nothing wrong with making money off content you create, it also invariably leads to a level of inauthenticity.

From watching people who have day jobs sharing what they wore on a night out we’ve now mostly transitioned to consuming content created by people who earn their bread that way — from a viewer’s point of view, the experience has changed. 

Before, my Instagram feed was filled with snapshots of people’s lives away from work but today I see holiday photos which have been paid for, meals that have been sponsored and outfits that are part of collaborations. While I entirely understand the attraction of getting sponsored, I also can’t help but feel as a result the entire industry is transforming into clones of one another.

Another significant divide between the blogosphere and real life is the issue of affordability. When following style bloggers or beauty bloggers for inspiration, it’s incredibly difficult to replicate certain looks when the products used are extremely high-end. I’ve seen many bloggers don everyday dresses ranging over $700 dollars and for me, this isn’t relatable. Although you can go ahead and hunt for cheaper alternatives, wouldn’t it be great if some of the outfits bloggers wore were things you could afford to replicate exactly? After all, wasn’t relatability what separated bloggers from celebrities. And if the two converge, then why wouldn’t I instead look at the lives of A list celebrities who are gorgeous, glamorous and completely unattainable as well?

The bottom line is, what used to be the most attractive aspects of bloggers (their personality, their creativity and their genuine views) have all but vanished as content creation and advertising cross paths more regularly. And while everyone has a mouth to feed, what’s really needed is a refreshing dose of creativity and uniqueness. After all, when you can claim a look as 'minimalistic' whilst donning a dress worth $$$, the beautiful options are going to be endless but creativity zilch.

Bloggers like Nicole Warne of Gary Pepper Girl are certainly not relatable to me however what I admire is her transition from being solely a fashion blogger to now a much in demand creative director who creates unique and exciting content. Though her lifestyle is unattainable for me, it’s authentic and different.

Others like Jessica Stein of Tuula Vintage have also retained their endearing simplicity despite the roaring popularity. As a reader, my interactions with her continue to feel as authentic today as they were several years ago in spite of her collaborations with household brands like Qantas. What’s needed isn’t for bloggers to stop making money but rather a little more conscious effort into standing out from the growing crowd and appealing to the readers who’ve been with them from the very start of the journey.

Instead of the standard coffee shot or fur flatlay that’s very easy to gravitate to, try something a little out of the box. 




Links à la Mode, July 20th
SPONSOR: Shopbop coolchange, Gorjana, Castaner Shoes, WANT LES ESSENTIELS, Karen Mabon, Poolside Bags, Printed Rompers, White Jeans, Mid Heel Sandals, Men's buddy,

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34 comments

  1. Nice post. Nice thoughts. I totally agree with you my dear. This thought "What’s needed isn’t for bloggers to stop making money but rather a little more conscious effort into standing out from the growing crowd and appealing to the readers who’ve been with them from the very start of the journey" is perfect. I'm Eni, blogger from Italy....If you want, take a look at my blog and let me know what you think. Kisses,
    Eni

    Eniwhere Fashion
    Eniwhere Fashion Facebook

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you ! And totally love your blog!

      www.talesoftwoblog.blogspot.com

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  2. Totally agree with you! Great post my dear!
    xx
    Mónica Sors
    MES VOYAGES À PARIS
    NEW POST: PINEAPPLES AND LOVE

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  3. WOW! I love this outfit! The dress is so nice! It fits you perfectly! <3

    xoxo,
    SHAIRA
    www.missdream-girl.blogspot.com

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  4. Your dress is really pretty and like how you've styled it.

    Bernie, xx
    The Style Fanatic

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  5. Girl, you hit the nail on the head! I started reading blogs (Song of Style and Blonde Salad were the first) way back when they were a brand new concept. I used to love how authentic, and accessible they made fashion. To me, the appeal was in the girl-next-door feel. Like if these girls could style things a certain way, with a regular-person budget, so could I! I think now with bigger bloggers, the line between blogging and celebrity-dom have become blurred, I mean look at the likes of Kristina Bazan and Chiara Ferragni! You can hardly consider them bloggers or look to them for attainable fashion inspo anymore. Loved this topic because you literally took the words out of my mouth!
    xo
    Siffat
    http://icingandglitter.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cannot relate to Chiara at all to be honest, I also discovered her quite late when she was already famous so never connected! Song of Style I still follow occasionally, I like her background story of being an interior design student, etc. and like some outfits as well but again getting repetitive I guess.

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  6. Love this article! Such a great post idea. Thanks so much for sharing!

    http://gypsysundayblog.com/

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  7. Agree. These bloggers have become celebrities.
    I am so glad you have included Australians in there though ha ha.
    I love your look. I agree with the price tags. HOWEVER.
    I dress in high quality stuff because I like to buy classic and keep them for ages. That is my choice.
    I don't want to contribute to the pile of fast fashion getting thrown out.
    The coat I am wearing this winter is burberry - but I have had it for like 7 years already I think.
    Classic never goes out of style and I still get told it looks great.
    Divide the price by the days I have worn it for and then it is worth it.
    Kiri
    Set to Glow
    http://www.settoglow.com.au

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    Replies
    1. Totally appreciate your point of view, fast fashion has its own flaws, I wear a coat that is a hand me down from an aunt so its like 10 years old but I ALWAYS get compliments on it ! Nothing wrong in investment pieces but their beauty really shines when styled on rotation in different ways to see creativity.

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  8. I totally agree with everything you've said! I agree that some bloggers who wear 100% designer are not relatable to us, but I do like admiring the lavishness sometimes. I absolutely love this pleated dress on you :)


    Rachel xx
    http://www.thedailyluxe.net

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  9. I totally agree! It was the reason why I was first into fashion bloggers. The blogging industry has shifted in the past few years. I am all about the authenticity, relatable, and inspiration!

    www.rdsobsessions.com

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  10. Amazing outfit, you look great ! :-) xoxo

    NEW POST
    http://katycolorfulfreak.blogspot.com/2017/07/emerald-green.html

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  11. You look splendid girl. Crushing over your lip shade.
    Nistha
    https://www.fashionistha.com/workwear-essential-pencil-skirt/

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  12. I totally agree- when EVERYTHING is so high-end + lux, it becomes unattainable. And, to your point, at that stage why wouldn't I just follow a celeb? Same difference. Great post, babe!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  13. Yes to this! Even though I do standard coffee shots in my Instagram. I do think I have a unique editing style and I like to post different shots that sort of humanize the drinking aspect. Anyway, I think as influencers and bloggers, we're going to have to start stepping up our games and really creating. Get out of the norm! It will be interesting to see where it goes in the next few year. :)

    -Emily www.coatandcoffee.com

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    Replies
    1. Well your blog name itself is about coffeee, so you have your niche in that! And thats perfectly fine since its your creative expression and you innovate in that. :) Its more the cloning that has started to crop up, inspiration from each other is awesome , cloning however is bring :)

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  14. Yes, agreed. It's something I have been talking about offline with some people. I've seen bloggers go from "your everyday outfit" to "endless stream of advertising new products across the board". Urgh? Who's still reading that stuff? Every Instagram feed looks the same ... maybe not the exact items (although sometimes yes) but the style ... booooring. There are so few bloggers left that are worth reading for fresh inspiration. Meh. And it's hard to escape the pull of sameness when it appears to be what brings "success".

    Found the article in Links a la Mode btw. Have a great weekend!

    Alex - Funky Jungle

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    Replies
    1. yes, its a sorry state. There are so many bloggers I repeatedly follow/unfollow. You can see the exact same gucci mules on every blog. I am glad I am not the only one feeling this :)

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  15. If you are bored of bloggers that truly do look like the same person and content on repeat you should try looking into the world of 50+ bloggers, the women who don't give a F*** and aren't out to please anyone but themselves.

    They are old enough to have enough life experience to be interesting. One of my favourites is Bag and a Beret and another good one is Accidental Icon.

    bisous
    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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  16. Totally agreed! I loved following some blogs back when they first started but now some are just fun to read but totally unattainable. Congrats on Links a la Mode. - Stephanie | www.theborrowedbabes.com

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  17. Such an interesting piece to read, dear. I think I talked about this issue when it was my blog's 4th anniversary or something. And I agree, the relatable factor that separated bloggers from celebrities has almost faded with the years. I've never been a fan of Chiara but I've definitely seen the transition of Kristina Bazan, who changed into a completely different person, by the way.
    I just wish there would be a balance. As you said, there's nothing wrong with making money out of collabs or whatever, but there should be also a level of authenticity, that same essence that turned them (us?) into the phenomenom bloggers are now. Otherwise, it's hard to spot the difference ;)
    xx

    www.stylebydeb.com

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    Replies
    1. Exactly balance is key, the one I followed garypepper has changed SO MUCH.Her style started from vintage and now its extremely high end but it is still her own distinct style. She barely blogs and has completely transformed yet has maintained some authenticity.

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  18. I can't agree more with your opinion! Many bloggers became celebrities and I no longer can relate to them. Things are getting too staged and I miss that "girl next door" feel. While these is nothing wrong with sponsorships, I feel that it's a better approach to mix authentic content with the sponsored one instead of having 100% of posts sponsored.

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  19. I too am inspired with those who are fabulous content creators who can keep it authentic. They are great for inspiration. It's hard though to create fabulous content without a little sponsorship money to help maximize it, whether it's buying a better camera lens or props for your post, taking a blogging class, or learning to code. If you're going to bust your butt continuously for your blog, especially if it takes a huge portion of your free time, you also need the occasional reward. It takes a lot of creativity and time to come up with ideas for sponsored posts that don't seem too salesy. It's best to set your own bar for what you feel comfortable with and focus on your own work. There's a lot of clutter out there, but readers will reward those who are most authentic and the other stuff will eventually drown out on its own.

    xx Yasmin
    http://banglesandbungalows.com

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    1. Absolutely nothing against compensation/samples etc. But I do feel some amazing bloggers have ended up losing their charm because they have struggled to say No to undeniably amazing offers that however have already done before. Which then leads to the cloning, etc. I do still come across some amazing blogs that are not AS popular but got great content.!

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  20. Love this post, flat lays are so boring these days. Seeing the same Gucci bag and light pink roses and Starbucks over and over is so redundant. Stepping outside the box is so important, as is trying to make your fashion affordable and relatable to a wide audience.

    x,
    Chanel | Je M'appelle Chanel

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    Replies
    1. Agreed, I follow some Instagram accounts that do AMAZING flatlays, the likes of which I cannot hope to replicate but more often than not they are just filler photos of the instafeed!

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  21. This is such a well written and interesting read and I do admire bloggers that have retained their authenticity and that are more relatable :) Although it's nice to see a few high end pieces from time to time when everything feature is unattainable to me I do tend to lose interest. x

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    1. Yeah, I love seeing glamorous stuff as well but it needs to be fresh somehow!

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  22. What an interesting read, girl. I got into blogging after following a few youtubers actually (but always loved writing), so didn't really follow all these celebloggers that are now at the top... However I have the same exact feeling with regards to their unattainable life/fashion style. I guess now that everyone has a blog is even more difficult to stand out and keep it original, but that's what we all strive for. I will check out some of these bloggers you mention here as I am curious to see Gary Pepper Girl now :) Thanks for sharing and hope you are having a great week!

    Saida | She talks Glam

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    1. Please do check her out and let me know! She is entirely unattainable but more than her fashion, I enjoy her photos! They are ART!

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