Fashion blog
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Fashion blogs are blogs that cover fashions in clothing and fashion accessories.
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[edit] Definition
A fashion blog is solely or primarily dedicated to coverage of fashions in clothing and accessories. This includes blogs about:
- runway trends
- fashion items, e.g. shoes, handbags
- celebrity fashion
- street style outfits worn by regular people. (Corcoran, 2006b; Weil, 2006)
There are blogs covering fashion at all levels, from big labels and indie designers (Weil, 2006) to clothing found on the street.
Many fashion blogs could also be categorised as shopping blogs as "most of the conversation is shopping advice, liberally laced with consumer recommendations", and some fashion retailers have now started blogs of their own to promote their products. [1]
Blogs that occasionally mention fashion, such as many "personal diaries of teenagers", are not categorised as fashion blogs. [2]
[edit] Number of fashion blogs
There is considerable disagreement regarding the number of fashion blogs in existence.
In a February, 2006 Women's Wear Daily article, Corcoran stated:
There is an enormous, and growing, number of fashion and shopping-related blogs: about 2 million, according to Technorati Inc., [...] or slightly less than 10 percent of the 2.7 billion blogs the company tracks. (That number includes blogs in languages that use the Roman alphabet and that contain anything fashion-related, including sites such as Pink Is the New Blog, which focuses on celebrities.)
It is likely that this figure is inflated by a substantial number of personal blogs that mention fashion. These are not considered fashion blogs using the criteria above.
All other estimates of the popularity of fashion blogs are considerably lower.
In September 2005, La Ferla stated that "as little as a year ago, the number of [fashion bloggers] could be counted in the dozens. Today there are hundreds". [3] Zamiatin (2006) agrees that there are now "several hundred fashion blogs". [4]
[edit] Types of fashion blogs
Fashion blogs can be categorised in a number of ways.
[edit] By writer's expertise
Fashion blogs may be written by insiders, outsiders or aspiring insiders. (Corcoran, 2006b)
Insiders are people who work (or have previously worked) in the fashion industry or for the traditional fashion media. Some examples of notable fashion blogs written by insiders include:
- Kristopher Dukes, by the eponymous freelance fashion writer (Corcoran, 2006b)
- LookOnline Daily Fashion Report, by former Harper's Bazaar fashion editor Marilyn Kirschner [5]
- Anina.net, penned by a top model [6]
In addition, some fashion insiders blog occasionally as guest on larger sites. For example, the fashion designer Nanette Lepore has contributed to Glam.com. (Corcoran, 2006a)
Outsiders are people who know a lot (or at least have strong opinions) about fashion, usually by virtue of being very dedicated consumers of fashion.
Aspiring insiders are people who want to work in the fashion industry or media and believe their blog may provide a ‘back door’ entry into a mainstream fashion writing job. Examples of people who have been employed within the fashion industry on the strength of their blogs include:
- Manolo the Shoe Blogger, who now has a weekly column in the Washington Post (Corcoran, 2006b)
- Heather and Jessica from Go Fug Yourself, who recently covered Fashion Week for New York Magazine [7]
- Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, who has been hired by Style.com [8]
- The Budget Fashionista, Kathryn Finney, wrote a book called "How To Be a Budget Fashionista" that was published by Ballantine Books. (Corcoran, 2006a)
[edit] By ownership
Fashion blogs may be owned either by individuals or by companies.
The types of individuals running fashion blogs are listed above.
The types of companies now running fashion blogs include large mainstream media organizations and fashion retailers. Mainstream media organisations that own fashion blogs include The Times (UK), Conde Nast (US) and the Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). Fashion retailers with blogs include Bluefly and Splendora.
[edit] By theme
Most successful fashion blogs follow a particular theme or angle. Some narrow their field to one type of fashion item e.g. shoes, handbags or denim. Some specialise in a particular price point: usually either very high-end or very budget conscious. Some cover celebrity fashion exclusively, while others cover street style. Some cover a mix of two or more of these topics.
[edit] History
Fashion blogs are a relatively new phenomenon, so no detailed published accounts of their history exist yet.
Fashion blogs first appeared in the blogosphere prior to 2002 [9]. Both the number of fashion blogs and the number of media mentions of fashion blogs has grown considerably since then. Published accounts of the growing number of fashion blogs are mentioned above, and a Facteva search reveals that media articles mentioning "fashion blogs" grew from one in 2002 to over 100 in 2006.
In 2006, the commercial success and growing profile of fashion bloggers have been the two main themes in coverage of fashion blogs.
[edit] Early fashion blogs
Fashion blogs first appeared in the blogosphere prior to 2002 [10], and at least one fashion blogger was invited to New York Fashion Week as early as September 2003. (Corcoran, 2006a)
In 2004, the first accessories blog, Manolo's Shoe Blog, was launched. This blog has proven to be enormously successful, bringing Manolo a six-figure salary, a top-1000 Technorati ranking and a job at the Washington Post. (Corcoran, 2006b)
[edit] Recent developments
Recent media reports state that some fashion blogs have become highly profitable, and that the influence of fashion blogs within the industry is growing.
Examples of the commercial success of fashion blogs include Manolo the Shoe Blogger's reported six-figure income (Corcoran, 2006b) and the growing number of large companies advertising on blogs, including H&M and Gap [11].
Examples of the growing profile of, and respect afforded to, fashion bloggers include the rising number who are invited to designers' fashion shows [12] and PR efforts of large companies like the underwear-maker Jockey to ensure they are mentioned on blogs [13]. The best fashion bloggers are now also being offered mainstream media positions, as mentioned above.
More examples of fashion blogs' commercial success and growing influence can be found in the references at the end of this article.
[edit] Fashion blogs around the world
The majority of notable fashion blogs are U.S.-based. Fashion blogging in other countries appears to have started later, but is also experiencing strong growth. The non-U.S. fashion blogs that have attracted the most media attention follow.
[edit] Australia
Two Australian blogs that have attracted media attention are Sassybella and The Bargain Queen. Sassybella is an online fashion magazine that allows anyone to "find information about the latest It bags, see what It girls are wearing, as well as what's going on in the industry". [14] The Bargain Queen blog is "dedicated to sharing information on how to sniff out a bargain and save money on food, fashion, furniture, gardening, decorating and life's little luxuries". [15]
[edit] Hong Kong
A popular Hong Kong fashion blog is the satirical Spirit Fingers. It "attacks Laura Ashley, monogrammed handbags and ill-advised outfits at Paris and Ukraine fashion weeks, while relishing products such as breast-enhancing chewing gum". [16]
[edit] Singapore
One Singaporean fashion blog that has attracted media attention is Xiaxue. A personal blog that offers fashion tips, it is now "amongst the most popular [blogs] in Asia" (Weil, 2006).
[edit] United Kingdom
The London fashion blog Style Bubble has attracted media attention with their "guide to trends, designers and shopping hot spots in Britain's capital city". [17]
[edit] Top 10 Fashion blogs
A June, 2006 Women's Wear Daily article included the following list of the Top 10 fashion blogs, compiled using Technorati rankings (Weil, 2006):
- Go Fug Yourself (celebrity fashion)
- Pink is The New Blog (celebrity fashion)
- Cool Hunting (new products and trends)
- Manolo's Shoe Blog (shoes)
- Hype Beast (streetwear and sneakers)
- Fashion Tribes (general fashion
- I Am Fashion (general fashion)
- English Cut (Saville Row tailor)
- Mighty Goods (shopping)
- Kristopher Dukes (must-have items)
[edit] References
- Corcoran, Cate T. The blogs that took over the tents, "Women's Wear Daily", February 6, 2006.
- Corcoran, Cate T. Blogging for bags - a growing group of writers is chatting up accessories, "Women's Wear Daily", October 23, 2006.
- Dodes, Rachel. Bloggers get under the tent -- fashion once dismissed them as snarky and small-time, but now they're getting respect, "The Wall Street Journal", September 12, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
- La Ferla, Ruth. Online, Feisty Critics, "The New York Times", September 8, 2005. Accessed November 24, 2006.
- Newman, Andrew Adam. What's That Label? Why, It's a Mongo, "The New York Times", April 23, 2006. Accessed on November 24, 2006.
- Pollock, Jennifer. Hemlines, Online, "Fast Company", April 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
- Sinclair, Jenny. Fashion blogs, "The Age", October 17, 2002. Retrieved November 18, 2006.
- Weil, Jennifer with contributions from Corcoran, Cate T. and Moir, Jane. In their sites -- Bloggers all over the world are providing detailed daily reports on fashion's ins and outs. Is anyone really listening? "Women's Wear Daily", June 29, 2006.
- Zamiatin, Lara. Let slip the blogs of wore, "Sydney Morning Herald", July 27, 2006. Accessed on November 24, 2006.
Categories: Blogs | Fashion | Clothing
