So you wannabe a fashion blogger?

You will not believe how many times I have sat down to write this piece and failed. I have several drafts of blogging 101 but they were mostly researched points with a bit of me thrown in. 

Today I will be sharing Tiwi's Tips on why 

a) I think we should all be fashion bloggers ( a bit of exaggeration for you)

b) what it takes to be a fashion blogger

Now seriously if you have a great sense of style or something’s to say about fashion. Why haven't you started a blog? Blogging in the last 5 or so years has become a big thing. There are millions of people out there who want to be seen / share their passion for fashion. A blog is like your fashion CV. If you are seriously interested in fashion in any capacity then it kind of blows if you don't have a CV to really back up your passion.

1)    

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The first thing you need to start a blog is ... Confidence. Pretty obvious ( you are probably thinking) However when I say confidence I mean you have to be confident that whatever you are going to share will find a reader or someone who will like it. You have to be confident in your abilities to start. You need to have  confidence in your knowledge and originality because there will be a lot of things out there that make you question yourself. When you start your blog you will notice that there are many blogs out there. Some you will admire some will baffle you as to why they exist but as with anything in life there will be people who are better than you and you will need to keep believing in your abilities and what you are about or you will fade into oblivion or becoming a copy of someone else.

2)    

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Originality:  You need to have an idea about what you want to say. You want to try and communicate exactly who you are through the work you put out there.  Your originality is your selling point. It will be that thing that makes you different and stand out and believe me people know when you are being original or just copying someone else out there.

3)     Time: This is something I used to skimp on and I will tell you now. In order to be a person that blogs about interesting , engaging content you will need to dedicate some of your precious time and energy into your blog. Having a blog takes a lot out of you. You have to be committed to it if you want to grow ( in audience and knowledge). Readers can tell when you have taken time to work on a post. You pour more of yourself into something you invest your time in.

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   If you are blogging about fashion , especially your personal style then yes you will need money to invest in your wardrobe. I am just saying. You will need a variety of clothing to come up with interesting outfits. This doesn't mean you will have to spend thousands. You might just have to shop around. Only buy things that are truly your style. There is no point buying what everyone else is buying and styling it exactly like them. You can wait for sales , shop online. There are so many options out there but yes you will need money to buy stuff unless you already have an extensive wardrobe then hey you're all sorted.  

5)     You have to have a developing vision for your blog. This point goes hand in hand with the point on originality.  Ask yourself this question. What do I want my blog to say? What is my message or my angle? However you must be opening to growing and trying new things. For instance when I started blogging I just wanted to share my personal style. It has since evolved to include a lot about vintage, my hair and my love for lipstick. My vision about what I want to say is constantly evolving but it always includes my original idea which is my personal style and sharing my ideas about fashion.

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  Research: I can’t stress how much you need to research. Depending on what aspect of fashion you want to discuss on your blog you need to know your stuff and keep up to date with what is happening.  You can do this by reading other fashion blogs, Tumblr, twitter and fashion magazines are your friend. Also reading fashion books will help you build your knowledge. The more you put into learning about fashion the more inspired you will be and the more your originality will grow.  Research is also important when it comes to learning the technical side of blogging for instance making a header, editing pictures, editing your theme in html and so much more. YouTube and Google are your friend when it comes to learning these things. No one will come and give you the information ( unless you are lucky and you know very nice people who don't mind doing it for you). 

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  You will need to make an investment at some point in buying your blog name and making it an actual website and also changing the theme of your blog. When you use @blogpost.com or @wordpress.com all your work belongs to WordPress or blogger. They can decide to remove your blog at any given time. They basically own the rights to your content and your blog. So it is well worth investing in a domain name. Yes I know what you’re thinking. Hey Tiwi you haven’t done that yourself. Well I have bought my own domain name  I just haven’t got round to changing my BlogSpot to a .co.uk. Another thing to consider is that someone else may buy the right to use the name you want to use … Eventually you will have to up your theme game. Add social media buttons, make it look pleasing to the eye. It's hard I won't lie but it all it takes is patience and a willingness to learn.

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  Camera. You will need a decent camera to take good quality pictures. This doesn't necessarily mean you need to buy a DSLR but you will need a camera that takes decent pictures. Your pictures will be what people see and if they aren't good quality people will lose interest. You have to look at your blog and ask yourself if this wasn't mine would I be interested in it. Your pictures are the first thing that people see when they go in your blog. The pictures capture them and then they read what you have to say. I would say that if you want to take your craft seriously and move onto the next level you might have to consider investing in a DSLR. I’m just saying. 

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   Social Media.Yes chile you will have to familiarize yourself with all social media platforms. That is how you will get your blog out there. It is where you will mold your image and your voice. Get on that twitter, Instagram, make a Facebook page, get on Tumblr and Pinterest. These platforms will also help you meet other like minded people and will help you have regular interactions with your audience. Social media is your marketing tool and your networking avenue. Stufy it , learn it and use it well.

Well lovelies that is all auntie Tiwi has for you today. I hope someone finds this useful. I know I enjoy writing these long posts filled with loads of Tiwi tidbits. Let us all flourish and blog.

Love and Light

Tiwi x

Wardrobe Essentials

What are Wardrobe essentials?

Wardrobe essentials are the pieces of clothing, shoes and baubles that make up a complete and structured wardrobe. I describe them as the pieces that every diva must have to build a successful wardrobe.  Essentials pieces are the starting point of every wardrobe.

So what is classed as an essential piece?

That can vary from person to person. I personally believe that it is something an individual must research to suite their style but a universal agreement would be the black dress , black pencil skirt, classic black pumps, white button down shirt, white t –shirt and pearl or diamond studs should be included in any list that calls itself an essentials wardrobe list. I think this can also vary from country to country and climate has a big part to play in what makes the cut. For instance I would argue that if you live in the north of England like I do. Then a collection of boots (if you like variety) will be more useful for you than lets say a collection of ballet pumps. But if I lived in Swaziland ( the country of my birth whoop whoop). I would have a massive collection of cute open toe sandals and slippers. You get the gist.

Here are my wardrobe essentials:

Why should I think about wardrobe essentials?

It is the easiest place to start if you are looking to find your personal style or just build up a robust wardrobe. The essential pieces are versatile and can be styled in a number of ways.  I can bet you that if you decided only to invest in essential pieces you would have many creative outfit options. Investing in your wardrobe essentials is well worth it. With pieces such as the lbd and black pencil skirt styling possibilities would be endless.

Where Should I shop for my wardrobe essentials and where should I start?

My advice would be to invest in quality pieces. Why? Simply because you want them to last more than one season and assuming we call them ‘essentials’. Let's assume that these will be pieces you reach for on a regular basis , so it is well worth investing in quality garments you won’t have to keep replacing. Quality doesn't mean expensive mind you. Quality can mean waiting for the sales so you get them at a better price or scoring vintage stores and flea markets for some pieces such as coats, skirts and dresses. You can find some really good quality , well-made pieces in vintage stores and flea markets.

Summary

1. You are the person that will define what is an essential piece to you.
2.  Invest in quality pieces because essential imply that you will wear these pieces often. 
3. Trawl vintage stores and flea markets for some of your essentials and wait for the sales for others. 

I really have enjoyed writing this piece. I know my posts will be far and few in between in the next few months but best believe I will be giving you some quality information. 

Let me know what you think and please share what an essential piece is to you.I would love to share some of your replies on the my Facebook and twitter.  I will try to do a follow up post of my personal essential pieces. 

Have a lovely and productive week

Love 

Tiwi.