I like yo’ face.

At this point, I’ve been running this blog for about 5 months. I’ve learned a lot of cool, basic computer skills (how to write on pictures, how to put links in documents, how to set a featured image), but I feel like now that I’ve gotten comfortable in my skin, it’s time to look for ways to broaden my horizons. Since finding Bloglovin‘ I’ve been perusing a ton of fashion blogs to see how I can do it better. From Sydney, Brighton, Georgia and Paris, here are my four favorites (keep in mind I am such a fan of the dramatically adorned, custom costumed, and anything vaguely reminiscent of bygone eras).

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

And in looking through these blogs, I’ve realized It’s time to move beyond tweaking formatting and into content expansion. So I’d love to hear your ideas on a few things:

• Twitter
  Am I the only person who still doesn’t have one of these? I’m mostly just tempted because then I would be able to enter more contests for free stuff, and well, free stuff. Do you find them useful?

evolution?

• Share-in Style Forum
  Post-exams I think I would like to start a share-in forum. It seems like it could be a good way to find new blogs and expand my community. I’m thinking of a theme like: “why is this in my closet?” where people could showcase funky, weird, or cool items that they can’t really live with or without.

I just can’t seem to part with it…

• Instagram
  It seems like at the end of the week, everyone does a mashup of their weekly instagrams. Is it because they’ve run out of blog posts or would you really be interested in my pictures of bacon and random Catholic imagery (#nd)?
  

  Failing law exams…

But is all this for naught? I could add have all this technology and more, but looking at all these cool fashion blogs, I noticed a trend.

All these it girls have a look.

Be it red hair, cat eyes, what have you— for Manrepeller’s Leandra Medine, I really think it’s her ever-present chokers. They just have signature faces.

Now, I’ve been told that I have a distinct style, but I think my look (like this blog) changes by the day (and let’s be honest my mood, what I had for lunch, the last movie I saw…). So here’s the real question. Do you think that people with a more distinct look are met with greater success fashion blogging? Or is diversity an enviable and noble pursuit? What do you look for in a fashion blog? Should I try to corner one market and wrack up a fan base (a la Wes Anderson)? How did you start building?

Cheap Designer Label Clothes: What’s not to Like?

Opening February 9th is Target’s newest collaboration: Peter Pillotto for Target. I’ve said before that Peter Pilotto is the future, but this is a groundbreaking collection from a business perspective (for several reasons besides team designers. Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos’, genius). This marks the first time the Peter Pillotto label offers both swimwear and accessories. To celebrate, Target has taken a step in the global direction and is making the collaboration accessible by featuring it Net-a-Porter.

The designs look great — almost like a cross between scuba gear, Jackson Pollock, and the office. No doubt come February, I will find myself perusing Target’s aisles, silently salivating as the sweet smell of design meets affordability.

But before I get overwhelmed by the ever-beckoning lure of the label, I have to ask myself and my readers. Why do we like these collaborations? Do we actually like them? Every so often with mixed success, Target, H&M, or Kohl’s tantalizes us with these  oh-so classy looking displays; you get to the store, pulse racing, thinking, “Ah! The joy of having nice clothes made by someone who understands!” Then you touch the fabric, and in a moment of dizzy realization and confusion, it’s just glorified polyester with more thought exerted on it. But I go. every. time. And every time, I ask myself, why would I pay $40 for a white shirt from Target?

Am I being too snobby? Looking back at past Target collaborations, they are undoubtedly cool. Even celebrities wear them!

Jason Wu:

In real life:

And Philip Lim:

So essentially, by buying the collaborated label, you sacrifice fabric and tailoring, leaving yourself with design. Is that a worthwhile trade, or am I better off to save up my money and thrift like mad? Then again, maybe my expectations are too high. No one is walking out of Target, fanning their fingers together saying, “YES! Runway gold!” Still, if we know that we aren’t really getting designer, why are we buying for designer? The Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine posited in her article Pilotto for the People that the reason to shop these collaborations is to cash in on the prints (making Pilotto the perfect designer). Now we get Peter Pilotto prints without the Peter Pilotto price tag… I don’t know, but that bathing suit is sure calling my name.