Oranges and Apples: part of one of Franca's posts.
"I see a lot of competition in fashion blogging. Obviously not everywhere, but it's hard to avoid. It’s all about who’s got the most followers, comments, the best sponsors, the most coverage in the traditional media, what have you. People want to be on top ten lists. It just seems like such a limiting way of measuring success, ordering people into ranks by some statistic. The numbers don't really mean anything very much, do they? I have about 250 followers at the moment. Does that make me 25% better than someone with 200 followers, or 20% worse than someone with 300? Clearly not! And a lot of bitchiness comes from that competition. A lot of comments about other bloggers along the lines of ‘why are they so popular, they’re nothing special, it’s not fair’. Again, this kind of thing is more prevalent in some parts of the fashion/lifestyle blogging world than others, and I do try and stay away from the places where you get concentrations, but it's near impossible to avoid completely. Neither am I resistant to this negative feeling and jealousy, not at all. I’ve never said it out loud, but I definitely feel it when I read a blog with 5,000 followers and 200 comments on every single post, when all they do is sponsored content and re-post vogue editorials. I hate feeling that way, and usually my reaction is to take that blog out of my reader and never think about it again. This is the reason I follow hardly any of the ‘big’ blogs, because this has happened quite a few times and I hate being disappointed (because being ‘famous’ inevitable raises such expectations) and feeling negative about people. It’s the reason I refused to even look at Style Bubble for ages. Which was a silly thing to do really, because now I’ve added it to me reader and I love it! And what makes it even sillier is that I feel that way despite having no ambitions whatsoever to become ‘big’. I am setting myself up as being in a competition that I don’t even want to be in. I’d be lying if I said I don’t want my little blog to grow, but organically and on it’s own terms, in a way that makes me happy and crucially, in a way that doesn't become a full-time occupation. I don’t want to be in competition with anyone, I want to be in dialogue with readers and other bloggers. I enjoy the interaction. It makes me feel all fuzzy that some people actually enjoy reading about my silly rants and obsessions, and a few people come out to comment and say hi. But I am honestly, genuinely not interested in gaining sponsors, or media coverage, or being offered paid work on the back of this blog. And it is only if you're interested in those kinds of things (and I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it's not for me) the statistics matter at all."
So I guess what this post is a message (mainly to myself) to just chill out a bit, and enjoy the good things about blogging without worrying about numbers or what others are doing. I (we?) need that kind of reminder every now and then.
Thoughts? * To clarify – I’m not picking on the little girl in particular. I am merely using he as an illustration of these ideas that are floating around the blogosphere and society in general."
I love this. Because it's true AND because I have said stuff about why certain blogs are so famous and mine isn't. Now I just say whatever, if I get famous, I get famous and I'll be happy about it but my whole life isn't devoted to being the best blog around.
28.9.10
ifb: Links à la Mode
Are You a Follower of Fashion?
Edited by: Ann of Holier than Now
Last week marked the end of New York Fashion Week. Post-show, the editors, buyers and bloggers went to work to define and list the trends, hoping we'll follow along. But for many of us, the sheer shirts of Spring '11 were are about as realistic for our wardrobes as a meat dress. Instead, we looked outside of Lincoln Center at the street style of individuals, hoping to find the inspiration to zig when everyone else is zagging. This week's post celebrates the path less ... followed, with counterpoints on everything from current trends to blogger compensation and competition.
Links à la Mode: September 23
- Any Second Now: Dolly Bats & Clobber at Bona Drag
- A Pretty Penny: Newsprint Manicure
- Beauty and The Recession: They Put WHAT in Your Lipstick?
- Beautifully Invisible: The Meat Dress: Fashionable, Art or Just Controversial?
- Beyond Fabric: How To Pull Off A Bow Tie
- Cloud of Secrets: Wishing for a Spirit Style Guide
- Despising Life is So Passe: The Glories of Thigh Highs (and How to Make Them Work)
- Gretchen Blogs: When To Work For Free
- Holier than Now: Animal Print, Rainbow Hair, Layers - It Must Be Fall '10. Or Is It?? A Contest.
- Independent Fashion Bloggers: Evolving Influence Recap: Love & Links
- It's Symmetrical: A Shopping Revelation Inspired by an Anonymous Comment
- My Closet In Sketches: Unlikely Combinations for Fashion Inspiration
- Oranges and Apples: On Competition in the Blogosphere
- The Button Owl: On Liberation in the Age of Implants, Pornography and Pole Dancing
- The Chic Addict: A Pale Skin Girl in a Tan Obsessed World
- The Column of Samantha Tyler: A (Sarcastic) Look at Winter's Hot Trends
- The Daily Julie: fashionSpark: Fashion Design, North Carolina Style
- The Pursuers: A Love Letter to Legwear
- Tickle Me Chic: Labels that Lie: How Vanity Sizing has Become an Epidemic
- View from 5 ft. 2: New York Fashion Week Street Style - The Pictures You Haven't Seen
- Violet Revolution: Edgy and Stylish Fall Fashion
Latest at Shopbop: Denim -Madewell - Skirts - Under Ligne - Obakki -Dresses - DKNY
links a la mode from the ifb website
a few of my favorite things
source
Sushi Cat: Click on the link, I dare you! While doing my usual stalking of StumbleUpon (read: procrastinating on StumbleUpon), I came across this game. You drop a round cute cat. Into little Chinese (yes, I know, sushi is not Chinese). But the catch! You have to collect sushi by dropping the cat onto the sushi that is in between the dropping area and the take out boxes. CAN YOU THINK OF ANYTHING BETTER THAN THAT?!?!?! NO! You can't. Neither can I.
source
Nylon Magazine: I would like to start of by saying DO YOU SEE WHAT SHE IS WEARING? It's so random, but it is perfect and amazing and pretty and I. Want. It. This happens to be my first Nylon, I carry it EVERYWHERE (everywhere... not kidding). It's just so darn good! I like it so much that I even read all the little notes on the ads that I usually just skip through.
source
Cameras: My friend and I had this epic conversation about cameras and what we wanted to do if he went into the fashion industry today. It made me really want to research cameras and buy every single kind I can find. This is an Holga (hopefully, you can read, because it's on the picture, just wanted to clarify to those who have issues reading pictures but not reading text), I don't know what it does, but they sell them at Urban Outfitters. I will find out what it does. Eventually.
source
IFB (International Fashion Bloggers): Yes, I do spend the time I don't spend watching Daria (below) and StumbleUpon on IFB. I love it! It's really cool because a bunch of bloggers are member and they write articles for it and stuff. My blog was just 'approved by an administrator' so now I'm a member! Yippee! I don't know what that means!!! But it's cool anyway!!! Yay!
IFB (International Fashion Bloggers): Yes, I do spend the time I don't spend watching Daria (below) and StumbleUpon on IFB. I love it! It's really cool because a bunch of bloggers are member and they write articles for it and stuff. My blog was just 'approved by an administrator' so now I'm a member! Yippee! I don't know what that means!!! But it's cool anyway!!! Yay!
source
Tapered Sweatpants: I'm craving a pair, so much! They're comfy because they're sweatpants, and they're cool because they're cool (I'm good at adjectives...) and they're pretty, and they look nice, and they're soft, and they're like harem pants but better, and I could go on. But I won't. WHERE!?!? Can I get a pair of these for cheap?!? (Oh, never mind, I found them at UO for $38... Hmm, I still want to know of other places).
source
Daria: I found Daria over the weekend, I've only watched three episodes, but I am HOOKED! It's so good, and she is so cool! I think Tavi says it best in her bio on her blog:
"I wish I was Daria but I get too excited about things like candy to be deadpan all the time." -Tavi
I agree. Fully. Watch it! Please! Do it! NOW (the first one is called "Esteemers")!!! It's all about this girl, Daria, who goes so against the flow of highschool, she makes fun of her self and doesn't care about popularity, she thinks everyone is a jerk and her best friend (at least from the three episodes I watched) is Jane, who happens to be an amazing artist.
PS. It doesn't air anymore :( Sadness! You has to watch it online (see links below). Which I do.
source
Blink 182: (All the Small Things) They're one of the two radio stations I listen to on Pandora. A few of my friends live by them. They are amazing. Anyone want to get me a CD?
LINKS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS POST:
stumbleupon
ifb
daria
nylon
urban outfitters
sushi cat
blink 182
Tapered Sweatpants: I'm craving a pair, so much! They're comfy because they're sweatpants, and they're cool because they're cool (I'm good at adjectives...) and they're pretty, and they look nice, and they're soft, and they're like harem pants but better, and I could go on. But I won't. WHERE!?!? Can I get a pair of these for cheap?!? (Oh, never mind, I found them at UO for $38... Hmm, I still want to know of other places).
source
Daria: I found Daria over the weekend, I've only watched three episodes, but I am HOOKED! It's so good, and she is so cool! I think Tavi says it best in her bio on her blog:
"I wish I was Daria but I get too excited about things like candy to be deadpan all the time." -Tavi
I agree. Fully. Watch it! Please! Do it! NOW (the first one is called "Esteemers")!!! It's all about this girl, Daria, who goes so against the flow of highschool, she makes fun of her self and doesn't care about popularity, she thinks everyone is a jerk and her best friend (at least from the three episodes I watched) is Jane, who happens to be an amazing artist.
PS. It doesn't air anymore :( Sadness! You has to watch it online (see links below). Which I do.
source
Blink 182: (All the Small Things) They're one of the two radio stations I listen to on Pandora. A few of my friends live by them. They are amazing. Anyone want to get me a CD?
LINKS THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS POST:
stumbleupon
ifb
daria
nylon
urban outfitters
sushi cat
blink 182
27.9.10
GEORGIA MAY JAGGER
Another lesson I learned from this post: When pictures aren't normal sizes, they are really hard to resize without become all gross. I spent so long on trying to get this right, and its still not. GRRR!!!!
26.9.10
CRAVINGS FOR OREOS
Didn't do anything today. I only went out to get tennis shoes and magazines so I didn't really bother to dress up, besides the shoes- I want to break them in more. Haven't started my homework yet because I'm watching Daria, found out about it today and I really like it (not obsessed yet seeing as I'm only on the first episode). Also I've been reading articles on IFB, I registered for it too but the people have to approve my blog before I can be a member (if I get approved). Ciao peoples, back to Daria!
PS I have a craving for oreos.
PSS Hype me on LOOKBOOK.nu :D
25.9.10
JEN KAO
I'm not dead! I promise! Just busy! I was on StumbleUpon the other day (get one! they are soooo addicting!) and it took me to the Jen Kao Spring 2011 RTW collection. I've never heard of the designer (maybe I live under a rock....)(as far as I can tell I don't though) but I LOVE this. It's so flowy and beautiful and check out the shoes!!! I wouldn't mind a pair of those knee high sandals. My favorite part? The green pants and the green shorts, I would DIE for those!!!!
Today I totally rearrange my room (finally!), I really like it. I wish my walls were white though (they're kind of light purple). It's a total mess now, I'm gonna go clean it.... yay?
Today I totally rearrange my room (finally!), I really like it. I wish my walls were white though (they're kind of light purple). It's a total mess now, I'm gonna go clean it.... yay?
22.9.10
DROPS OF JUPITER
I'm starting a digital photography class in two weeks. I'm so excited, I don't think it's comprehendable the excitement that wells up inside of me... Uh, no, joking. I only think that way, never write that way! Haha. But seriously, I'm excited. I can show you guys the pictures I take for it too. Other than that there's nothing new, oh, sorry for the lack of outfit posts (this doesn't mean I go naked)! The light is really awkward when I get home from tennis so I shall try to rethink my picture taking strategy. Ciao!
-c
21.9.10
PEACE DAY
I drew this.
It's international Peace Day today. Tell your family. Tell your friends. Tell people in your class, at your work. Tell random people on the street, just tell SOMEONE. Today is a day of international ceasefire, listen! Wars aren't being fought today. Today is a day where people get help, people who otherwise couldn't. Happy Peace Day. Spread the word.
19.9.10
18.9.10
THRIFTING WEEKEND FINALLY
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