Diary of a struggling fashion blogger
“At least I can take really awesome pics of my shoes…”
Ahh, the fabulous life of a fashion blogger. Front row at fashion week, parties and endless freebies, right?
Mmm, not really. Most people think the blogging life is a glamorous one, sitting in a plush office surrounded by inspo boards and expensive shoes. In reality, it’s sitting in my atrociously messy room, wearing a chocolate-stained jumper, furiously banging out a post before my laptop runs out of battery (because who can be bothered moving a few inches to plug in a charger right?).
It’s difficult being a small-time blogger trying to make it big when you’re stressed out and have no time to actually blog. I juggle a busy schedule of uni Monday to Thursday, an internship on Fridays and an overbearing hospitality job on Saturdays. Leaving me with Sunday to actually blog. Frankly, I’d much rather spend that Sunday sleeping in, waking up at 2pm and Netflix-ing the day away.
When I’m not being harassed by web designer wanting to ‘re-define’ my blog (don’t call me, I’ll call you), I’m stalking other bloggers’ Instagrams, trying to make sense of how they do it. I constantly feel this peer pressure-like force to conform to all things ‘blogger like’. But not all bloggers have a personal photographer who follows them around 24/7, ready to capture an Insta-worthy moment. Some of us just have an iPhone and occasionally the odd family member who (by some miracle) accedes to capturing our #ootd… for a few minutes at least.
And yes, there are a lot of skills bloggers possess that I am yet to master myself:
1. Being photogenic
It seems I missed the ‘how to be photogenic’ class in Blogging 101. Sometimes I set out to create seriously fab candid-but-not-really shots and then I remember just how photogenic I am not. I long for the day someone takes a candid of me where I don’t have three chins, frizzy hair and a seriously questionable facial expression.
2. The ability to afford expensive things
Trust me when I say, the majority of us don’t get paid. While I weigh up paying $20 for a H&M dress, Margret Zhang is struggling to pick which Chanel bag goes better with her Saint Laurent boots. Just imagine how it is, working in fashion but not having the money to work in fashion. It becomes a struggle posting a daily #ootd, when I’ve been wearing the same T-shirt three days in a row.
3. Flatlays
The white background, the clean aesthetic, the clever placement, the everything (swoon). One day I will master this talent and it will not turn into a three hour, full-blown phtotoshoot. (I just wanted to ‘gram what make-up I used, and now I’m late for uni.)
4. The art of vlogging
I can only imagine how awkward it is walking in public talking to a camera and pretending not to care what people think. I say ‘imagine’ because I’ve never even attempted it. Every time I do something remotely non-mundane, the word ‘vlogging’ flashes through my mind. But then I remember that a) I’m still not photogenic b) Talking to myself is something I don’t want to do in public and c) I’ll most likely trip over my two left feet and break a few bones along with my camera.
5. Perfect lighting
Because not everyone lives in a high-rise apartment where the light is just perfect thanks to a floor to ceiling window. Some of us still live with Mum and Dad in crowded suburbs with Neighbours Be Gone hedges that block any and all light that might have otherwise touched our living room floor.
Despite all this, I still love what I do. After all, the blogging life didn’t choose me, I chose the blogging life. I’m sure one day I’ll be strolling through VAMFF dressed in my best #ootd, sitting front row while taking photogenic selfies and vlogging the whole thing. Until then you can follow my many failed attempts here.
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