Are the personal style bloggers the new fashion icons?

[chicisimo]

Personal style bloggers share their style and influence others. Some blogs are visited by thousands of girls, others by just a few girls The number does not matter. What matters, in my opinion, is that the Internet allows us to inspire each other! And not just be influenced by the industry, as it's always been.

I dont really like the word "icon" but... are personal style bloggers the new fashion icons? Are real people the new models?

I say yes, each and everyone of us can be a model!
What do you think??

 

[MulletProof]

To be honest, one of the reasons why I'm not really a dedicated follower of any fashion blog is the abundant lack of individuality and this need to be an it-girl or celebrity.. I don't have that much energy to elaborate as I wish or cover all my thoughts on this subject right now but to me, blogs are just a new alternative outlet to broadcast your wardrobe, a new gigantic kind of avenue people go to see and be seen.. I do love the fact that it's a worldwide phenomenon so certain towns or regions are no longer excluded from knowing what's going on in terms of fashion on the other side of the world and people have the opportunity to choose and create imitations of what isn't available in their area but, it's a double-edged sword as the marriage of internet and fashion has in some way made the entire world seem like one tiny small town where if you're not wearing clogs this summer you might not really be of interest or if you're not vocally praising Miu Miu or Rick Owens at any point, then you're not really that much of an inspiration, there really isn't much space for.. freaks and I doubt the freaks are that interested in broadcasting every tiny detail of their clothing on the web.. it's like suddenly the same old restrictions of fashion have gone global, but remain untouched.

So, anyway, in my case, even if I might enjoy some outfits from time to time, I haven't really found a personal icon and I doubt it's going to happen.. for me dressing is still about inspiration and ideas and movement and thoughts and expression.. I don't see any of that in most blogs.. I just see trends, attempts to wow readers, not even something genuine, let alone slightly poetic.. maybe I demand too much and that's why I'm still unimpressed, the same way I'm unimpressed when I go to a mall, no big deal.. then again, if I have any icons, they tend to be the kind I don't see everyday or know anything about.. they lead a certain kind of life and reveal only tiny bits of it through their clothes, and you don't feel like imitating them, you look at them and find excitement in celebrating your individuality.. there's something still attractive about mystery to me.. unfortunately, the concept of a fashion blog promotes the exact opposite, that's why I find it hard to be moved at all.

I'm more rambling than anything here, but just my 2 cents on the blogger as a fashion icon subject.

 

[XxXRedRubYXxX]

^

Wow.. Interesting post I agree and it brings up so many things that I don't like about blogs being icons. It seems they don' really even like fashion, they just want to be "famewhores" and everyone will name the big, bad designers without even thinking about the "product" which is the clothes. It seems as the more human become web-obsessed, it provides for us a platform for the entire world to see how "fabulous" they are when they are just in it to please others and be the next "top" blogger. Some blogs are actually cool like Stray Souls but she doesn't do personal style posts. I honestly don't think any blogger can become icons, they just have cute style.

 

[tullepen]

NO
Icon,along with supermodel,is SUCH a misused term these days.Icon to me is a style that is permanent and prevalent in history,not a trend.

 

[tangerine]

Andy Warhol is laughing somewhere... everyone can indeed be famous for fifteen minutes.

There are so many bloggers now that the currency is devalued. Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than finding a style icon among the thousands - millions? of bloggers.

The access is great, and self-expression is great, but just as word processors did not create great novelists, just as desktop publishing (dating myself here) did not create publishing empires, just as youtube has not created award-winning directors, so shall fashion blogs not create arbiters of taste. The true icons will rise due not to any technology or media trend, but because of their ideas and individuality*... just as they always have.

Can we all be models? Sure. But who is watching when everyone is busy creating their own showcase?

*Great post, MulletProof.

 

[YoninahAliza]

When I think of icon's people like Grace Kelly, Jackie O, Princess Diana all come to mind. Not bloggers. Although I think that a few bloggers have the potential to reach "icon" status, however this cannot occur until they are a household name (and no, not just amongst those who follow fashion but the throughout whole world). As Tangerine has so elequently said, "true icons will rise due not any technology or media trend, but because of their ideas and individuality... just as they always have." As for the question of real people being the new models, I hope this trend doesn't last forever as I personally prefer those who started as models, not as bloggers. Not all those who blog can model (at least thats my own opinion) and the same is vice versa.

 

[wekilledcouture]

No. Well at least the vast majority.

I think that personal style blogging has lost the "personality" as everyone is subscribing to a format. The bloggers who follow the "trends" are the ones who become so popular.. Not because they are different and unique and have an amazing sense of style.
Lookbook is a perfect example. I swear if you post a look on there and your wearing black framed glasses with clear lenses or doc martens.. or something with crosses... or floral. you will immediately get tonnes of hype.

It feels like people are putting less effort into producing something special.
Bloggers like Susie Bubble and Luxirare to me, have more of a chance of becoming "iconic" ( i agree with posters above - a completely misused term) because they are different, they take effort in their posts and the calibre is so high, not to mention that susie has had her blog for 4 years - way before the rise of blogging in 2008.
To me it seems that bloggers are always overly praising of designers and brands, either in the hopes they will be given free stuff, or have a fast track into the industry itself. The motivations are questionable.

Mulletproof said it perfectly:

I just see trends, attempts to wow readers, not even something genuine, let alone slightly poetic

This is the vast majority of fashion bloggers in a nutshell.
All posting the same looks, the same trends, the same scans of magazines.
And Mulletproof.. Long live the freaks!

Icons are people who inspire, who stay in our hearts and minds for decades.
How many of the thousands of bloggers will make a difference, and will we remember?
I guess only time will tell, my bet is possibly 2 or 3.

 

[wekilledcouture]

plus, im a blogger and would never consider myself an "icon"

 

[EnVogueLove]

I would say no. People do style blogs cause they want to be famous( that's my opinion). Fashion bloggers follow trends. And trends are now.....but style icons will be style icons forever and I don't think that fashion bloggers will ever be that high loved and adored by people. I know some of the bloggers but not really reading their blogs. I like Julia Freaks's blog. She is really not trying to be famous. I also have blog but it's just for things that I like. I would never comment other people just to have as much comments at my blog. It's ok if fashion bloggers do that cause they love fashion but most of them want to be famous and known.

I think that people who follow fashion bloggers just to see what they need to wear don't have personality or life. Bloggers are not fashion icons. It's not that easy to be a fashion icon imo.

 

[Ennaira]

It's not only blogging, it's just our entire society - and maybe even just humanity. Feeling so special and unique and having the need to be in the spotlights, to have people look up at you, to raise yourself above the masses. But at the same time 99% fails because they're all the same in expressing their individuality.

That said, there are a lot of fashion blogs I enjoy looking at, even though they're not that special.

 

[Meg]

I agree a lot with what has been said above, especially by Mullet.

And wekilledcouture - I was going to mention those two blogs as well. In my opinion, the most lasting blogs are those that bring us something more than 'me doing trend x,y,z' as so many new blogs do. Susie brings real fashion content (ie not just posts about her - and usually the posts about her are related to a new and emerging designer) and I think there is probably no other blog out there that features as many emerging designers and offbeat accessories, etc. So she brings something that no one else does.

Luxirare on the other hand, has mystery - which very few other bloggers seem to treasure (and something which I think goes hand-in-hand with being iconic). Beyond that, she brings something else to the table, her food 'experiments', her style and photography which no one else does.

So I think it's possible for bloggers to bring something new but as others have noted, icons do not emerge over night. Most blogs just get lost in a sea of of blogs and until people up their content beyond 'here's me in this outfit, here's me in another outfit' they will, deservedly, sink into obscurity.

 

[wekilledcouture]

^^ You hit it on the head there.

Uniqueness and originality is what makes a blog stand out, and until enough readers recognize this.. your blog is lost in the millions of others.
Believe me, it's insanely hard to have a "different" blog, because people only want what's popular and trendy. and as much as people respect those that are different, they criticize them. And it takes a lot longer for a different blog to get attention - But they are longer lasting i believe.
Just as trends go out of style - Trend blogs will as well.

Then again, i have read somewhere that bloggers such as Ji from luxirare don't have as many followers as perhaps the trendy "i cant afford to wear designer so im very a heap of vintage" blogs, simply because readers are put off by the amount of money she must spend on clothing, which according to them is out of reach of the blogging demographic on the most part. (i wish i could find where i read all this)

So really we cant win either way and we just keep blogging and let time and our readers decide.

 

[Meg]

^
that's interesting - post the link if find it, please

I think if people are put off by that - which I wouldn't be surprised if they were, it also points the finger that a lot of people looking at fashion blogs are younger readers who probably don't have the desire to read as much text or more precise photography/ideas and simply want pictures and more obvious content.

And of course, view counts don't count as much as industry recognition and I'm sure there are many popular blogs out there that won't get recognition because of the content while smaller blogs with perhaps less viewers do. (or at least - I hope )

 

[wekilledcouture]

If i find it again i will!

and i was talking to susie about that the other day, how people are reading less and care less about the words and just want to look at pretty pictures.
They are less concerned about really good content.

And i hope that as well!

 

[Zarina]

I never really understood what is a style icon. Many people who are interested in fashion have a good style, but I don't think many of those who are praised as style icons are really unique. Far from.
I hardly ever read blogs and I am not a fan of that media at all, but I don't think it matters in terms of being a style icon if you are a model, actress or blogger.

 

[gimmethatbag]

I think it could have turned out that way if it had stayed "sacred" -- the truly visionary bloggers were the only ones out there and you didn't have to dig through the wannabes.

 

[softgrey]

i wonder what happened to the original poster...
they ran away...
...


anyway- i agree with what many others have said....
you can't be an icon if you aren't an original...
and most bloggers aren't...

 

[chicisimo]

Thanks to everyone for your comments, really thought provoking.

I don't think the value of blogs is having millions of girls "putting more or less effort into producing something special" (wekilledcouture) or being the "arbiters of taste" (tangerine), but to have millions of girls with a voice, it's like an alternative to the top down traditional approach this industry has had.

MulletProof, beautiful words, you've said it beautifully!

About the lack of individuality of fashion bloggers, I think you find everything, as in all aspects of life. Having a blog does not mean necessarily willing to have this strong fashion presence or willing to be famous, it might just be a way to document what you wear, for you or for your closest friends. Or even if you want to reach many people, I still think that's fine. I respect it, what I think it's important is to feel well with how you dress, whatever others think, whatever your motives for having a blog are.

What I like about blogs, however, is that you can now be inspired (or not inspired) by real people, just like before you could be inspired (or not inspired!!) by models/magazines/etc. Again I think MulletProof said it beautifully "blogs are just a new alternative outlet to broadcast your wardrobe, a new gigantic kind of avenue people go to see and be seen". And that's what I like, you don't have to listen only to the industry experts, there is a new side to this industry.

wekilledcouture asks How many of the thousands of bloggers will make a difference, and will we remember? And I don't think that's the relevant question (but I really enjoyed your comments!!), people don't need to have blogs to make a *world* difference, maybe they are making a difference just for themselves, or for their friends, or just having a good time blogging or maybe even influencing their small group of friends.

Anyway, I really appreciate everyone's thoughts, very interesting!

xx

 

[MulletProof]

Thanks for your kind words, chicisimo, I'm glad you appreciated everyone's opinions. We are currently having an interesting debate on fashion bloggers in another section, click here. I think you might like it and feel tempted to join us there.

 

[TheStyleStrutter]

Interesting topic, while I mostly agree with everything said, I still think there are a few (very small few) bloggers who are gaining "icon" status. An icon doesnt have to be just a household name, the way things are going these days an internet icon holds just as much status in my opinion. If you look at Rumi Neely from FashionToast, personally I love her blog and her sense of style. She has fronted the new Forever21 campaign and is plastered all over the new Times Square store, but I think the most important thing is that it still looks like her and exudes her personal style! Has she inspired the brand and thus inspiring people all over the world? Interesting how they used a blogger and not a professional model, just a thought, and Im probably rambling now