Magazine Vs Blog
By Hayley Morgan
I am hardly the most fashionable person, lazy, sloppy, and broke, I live through others aesthetically with daily perusal (stalking) of about 10 style blogs. Magazines are too glossy, intimidating, and expensive, their articles narcissistic and repetitive, and I end up mostly enjoying the advertisements. Furthermore, the best blogs tend to post the cream of the editorials anyway, making magazines pretty much redundant. This is not a trend unique to myself of course. Magazines and print have generally been struggling for years, and are now challenged even further by the “blogosphere“. If your Elle subscription is running out, turn to these sites for inspiration.
First up is the classic, The Sartorialist, an extremely prolific photographer whose images of street style are consistently inspirational at thesartorialist.blogspot.com. Now with commissions from GQ and Burberry, and a successful book that he is currently touring worldwide for, Scott Schuman has found an incredible level of success and recognition. Similar in concept, although with an edgier eye, is Stockholm Street Style at stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se compiled by Daniel Troyse and Caroline Blomst, who run their own individual style journals, which are of equal merit Troyse and Blomst capture off-duty models leaving their shows, generally wearing a (perfectly put together) variation of the leather jacket-skinny jeans-enormous bag-intimidating heels ensemble, diversified by remnants of runway hair and makeup. A stylist and photographer, Blomst’s blog exhibits her shoots, love of skulls, animal print, and leather, as well as her creative outfits. She somehow manages to take remarkable photographs and update her blog frequently with videos, inspirational collages, and occasional giveaways, all while balancing on Acne Atacomas. Definitely a favourite.
Model and eBay entrepreneur, Rumi Neely, similarly offers an alternative fashion vision at fashiontoast.com, with almost-daily posts of mini-photo shoots taken by her aspiring photographer-boyfriend in the surroundings of her local neighbourhood in Southern California. The apparent source of income for her designer wardrobe, notably holding Alexander Wang, was Treasure Chest Vintage, through which she sold vintage finds on eBay. As of now there are no items listed, and Neely’s recent hints about collaborations with other labels may indicate that she has finally made it. Annoyingly petite, Rumi’s style revolves around 90’s grunge references and the current wave of some sort of neo-sci-fi-punk phase where giant studs, spikes, and six-inch platform wedges are as normal as a white T-shirt (and preferably paired with one). As I previously confessed, I hardly dress like Blomst or Neely- and I couldn’t, each has that ineffable coolness that cannot be consciously constructed. Sure, you should wear whatever you want, but I’m not about to wobble over the cobblestones of Market Street in a pair of Sam Edelman Zoe boots (not that I could, they’re $320).
Carolina Engman of fashionsquad.com, however, definitely would, and she’d probably take a picture of it. Although she is not as consistent with outfit posts, she makes up for it with daily updates comprising of images from Vogue, i-D, various street style sites, and other sources. I believe this contributes to the appeal of many of these blogs. Sure, they are ridiculously self-absorbed and often incredibly vain, but it’s much more interesting to see someone’s personal take on a look than yet another perfectly lit and styled editorial. Blogs are incredibly personal, and although I’m about as likely to buy anything they are wearing, as anything Mario Testino shoots Karlie Klass jumping around in, their style still seems much more relevant to my own life. I don’t have to make a £4 contribution to future recycling by logging onto seaofshoes.com, karlathatsme.blogspot.com, or julialapin.typepad.com. I’m not sure what exactly drives these people to bother with constant uploads, many have found success in being profiled by various magazines, interviewed by Style.com, even being offered design commissions, but many it seems are simply driven by viewers’ comments. Either way, they have saved me from expensive subscriptions and a guilty conscience over paper and ink wastage.
By Hayley Morgan
I am hardly the most fashionable person, lazy, sloppy, and broke, I live through others aesthetically with daily perusal (stalking) of about 10 style blogs. Magazines are too glossy, intimidating, and expensive, their articles narcissistic and repetitive, and I end up mostly enjoying the advertisements. Furthermore, the best blogs tend to post the cream of the editorials anyway, making magazines pretty much redundant. This is not a trend unique to myself of course. Magazines and print have generally been struggling for years, and are now challenged even further by the “blogosphere“. If your Elle subscription is running out, turn to these sites for inspiration.
First up is the classic, The Sartorialist, an extremely prolific photographer whose images of street style are consistently inspirational at thesartorialist.blogspot.com. Now with commissions from GQ and Burberry, and a successful book that he is currently touring worldwide for, Scott Schuman has found an incredible level of success and recognition. Similar in concept, although with an edgier eye, is Stockholm Street Style at stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se compiled by Daniel Troyse and Caroline Blomst, who run their own individual style journals, which are of equal merit Troyse and Blomst capture off-duty models leaving their shows, generally wearing a (perfectly put together) variation of the leather jacket-skinny jeans-enormous bag-intimidating heels ensemble, diversified by remnants of runway hair and makeup. A stylist and photographer, Blomst’s blog exhibits her shoots, love of skulls, animal print, and leather, as well as her creative outfits. She somehow manages to take remarkable photographs and update her blog frequently with videos, inspirational collages, and occasional giveaways, all while balancing on Acne Atacomas. Definitely a favourite.
Model and eBay entrepreneur, Rumi Neely, similarly offers an alternative fashion vision at fashiontoast.com, with almost-daily posts of mini-photo shoots taken by her aspiring photographer-boyfriend in the surroundings of her local neighbourhood in Southern California. The apparent source of income for her designer wardrobe, notably holding Alexander Wang, was Treasure Chest Vintage, through which she sold vintage finds on eBay. As of now there are no items listed, and Neely’s recent hints about collaborations with other labels may indicate that she has finally made it. Annoyingly petite, Rumi’s style revolves around 90’s grunge references and the current wave of some sort of neo-sci-fi-punk phase where giant studs, spikes, and six-inch platform wedges are as normal as a white T-shirt (and preferably paired with one). As I previously confessed, I hardly dress like Blomst or Neely- and I couldn’t, each has that ineffable coolness that cannot be consciously constructed. Sure, you should wear whatever you want, but I’m not about to wobble over the cobblestones of Market Street in a pair of Sam Edelman Zoe boots (not that I could, they’re $320).
Carolina Engman of fashionsquad.com, however, definitely would, and she’d probably take a picture of it. Although she is not as consistent with outfit posts, she makes up for it with daily updates comprising of images from Vogue, i-D, various street style sites, and other sources. I believe this contributes to the appeal of many of these blogs. Sure, they are ridiculously self-absorbed and often incredibly vain, but it’s much more interesting to see someone’s personal take on a look than yet another perfectly lit and styled editorial. Blogs are incredibly personal, and although I’m about as likely to buy anything they are wearing, as anything Mario Testino shoots Karlie Klass jumping around in, their style still seems much more relevant to my own life. I don’t have to make a £4 contribution to future recycling by logging onto seaofshoes.com, karlathatsme.blogspot.com, or julialapin.typepad.com. I’m not sure what exactly drives these people to bother with constant uploads, many have found success in being profiled by various magazines, interviewed by Style.com, even being offered design commissions, but many it seems are simply driven by viewers’ comments. Either way, they have saved me from expensive subscriptions and a guilty conscience over paper and ink wastage.