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Why I No Longer Consider Myself to Be a Fashion Blogger:
Well, isn’t this post ironic?
Let’s go back to June of 2011. I just returned home from six months of interning in the fashion industry in NYC, and I was getting ready to transfer to a new university. I launched my blog (formerly known as River City Chic) because I was no longer going to major in fashion at my new school, but I wanted to stay connected to the industry and share my OOTDs, and budget-friendly style finds.
I started my blog solely as a fashion blogger, and I loved it. I would schedule regular shoots with a photographer, religiously linked my outfits, and created style boards and collages on the regular. I’d follow NYFW every year from afar, and even landed myself an invite because of the blog.
Fast forward to 2019. While deep down I’ll always love fashion, I’m not sure if it’s the biggest priority right now. And I think it shows when it comes to my blog content.
I started introducing more lifestyle content after I graduated from college because, for the first time, I felt like an adult with a little bit of expendable income. Gone were the days where I shared my thrifting, and H&M finds. Instead, I shopped less, decided what pieces to invest in, and wanted to travel a lot more.
I’ve changed a lot over the last 8.5 years, and naturally, the type of content I want to produce has changed as well. Here are a few reasons why I haven’t particularly been interested in being a fashion blogger over the last year.
My Weight Gain Caused Me to Start Over
ICYMI: I gained about 25-lbs over the last year. To be candid, since I’m on the taller side, a 25-lbs weight gain doesn’t look like much on me. My weight would always fluctuate ~10 lbs or so when I was at my smallest, and you would hardly notice it.
Unfortunately, due to the weight gain, a lot of the pants/skirts/bottoms that I own no longer fit (I can still get away with most tops and some dresses, however). To be candid, I’m still rebuilding my wardrobe, replacing those items that don’t fit and learning how to dress my new shape. And let’s be real: fashion blogging isn’t that fun when you have a closet full of clothes that don’t fit you.
I’m a bit of a denim snob, and I spent several years building up my dream jean collection: I purchased about 2-3 new pairs of Paige, Citizens, J.Brand and Mother jeans a year, which my friends: did not come cheap. I’m a little upset that I can no longer fit into the designer denim collection that I carefully curated, and it’s been a bit difficult building that collection back up. I’ve snagged a few pairs of Madewell jeans in the meantime since they fit me well, and Joe’s Jeans seem to work with my new body shape a bit better. Most jeans are still a bit uncomfortable since my stomach has gotten pretty large/disproportionate with the rest of my body, but they’re kind of necessary in the winter.
Fashion Content Isn’t Very Evergreen
As amusing as it is to look at my OOTDs from 2013, it’s not content that will stand the test of time. What was trendy six years ago would likely make you cringe now.
There are some exceptions to the rule: Monica chats about key wardrobe investments, Jessica does a great job at styling denim and classic, casual ensembles, and Cathy offers an incredible petite style guide. I want to take a step back and see how I can start producing fashion post that will be relevant 1, 5 or 10 years from now — and not just focusing on a trendy item that will probably sell out in 3 weeks.
I Use RTR Unlimited
This isn’t a bad thing, but over the past year off and on, I’ve used Rent the Runway Unlimited. It works well with my lifestyle. Because of my weight gain, I haven’t entirely replaced my old wardrobe yet, so I can rent items in my current size and make it work. Second, I travel a lot, and since I’m venturing off to places with a different climate than my home state of Virginia, it’s nice to be able to rent appropriate clothes for whatever environment I’m headed off to. Lastly, I love how sustainable of an option RTR is: I’m not buying up a ton of fast fashion, and I can wear a dozen new pieces a month without having to commit to them. My closet has never been happier!
A lot of the stuff I rent isn’t available for purchase or might be at a crazy high retail price point, and I know my readers (you guys!) probably aren’t inclined to invest in super trendy items. That’s okay. Another reason why I’ve cut back on fashion content in the past year!
I’m Horrible at Casual Fashion
I blog full-time now, and honestly? My life is weird.
I’ll be real with you: I 100% wear yoga pants while working from home. As I said earlier, since I find denim to be very uncomfortable, there’s no reason why I want to sit in a pair of jeans just to work by myself at home. If I am running out the door, it’s usually for meetings with brands, media events or shoots, so I have a tendency to dress up. And my version of “casual,” really isn’t super casual. Last week when I was in Hawaii, I wore this out to get lunch with my family, and they were NOT happy with how dressed up I was (I was wearing flat shoes in my defense! I thought it was low key but LOL) I’m a little extra, whoops!
Do you guys want to see more casual ensembles? Denim? How I style yoga pants? Honestly let me know, and I’ll start shooting it more. It honestly always slips my mind to pull casual looks, and I figure that’s what most normal women are looking for!
Tell me your thoughts: do you want to see more fashion content? Less?
Loving this fashion blogger feature? Take a look here for more of my fashion favorites!
Photos by Tom McGovern
