Fashion Blogs: Is It the Beginning of the End?

"That Sartorialist guy ain't got nothin' on me"

Let me start this post by stating that I mean no disrespect to the many blogs out there dedicated to chronicling fashion. Many of these sites form part of my daily browsing routine and I value their contribution to my style perspective. It's just that there are an awful lot of them out there now and it seems that they keep growing in numbers. A few of them are also getting awfully cozy with the industry. It leads me to wonder whether this in fact spells the end of the trend? Or at least the beginning of the end?

Part of what made the perspective of fashion bloggers' fresh and alluring was their outsider's eye. How long can they preserve that freshness if they're no longer outsiders? While I applaud their success and the determination that has propelled them to this point, I can't help but wonder whether this will undermine their appeal. What made them compelling to many followers of fashion (myself included) was that they offered an alternative vision of style and more importantly, a genuineness sorely lacking in mainstream fashion publications. Front row seats at fashion shows, free merchandise, lucrative collaborations with brands and whatever other perks are being flung in their directions place them in the same pot as the many editors and journalists out there who are part of the fashion industry ecosystem.

The question is far from purely academic or moral. The disclosure rules adopted by the FTC have recently come into force in the U.S. and although they may be deeply flawed, they do point to the growing influence of blogs and other forms of social media amongst consumers. But with influence comes responsibility. The lack of transparency and blatant cashing in of many fashion editors and journalists that has largely undermined the confidence of consumers in traditional fashion publications are just as much a threat to the influence of bloggers.

As the legend goes, just before the U.S. stock market crash of 1929 triggered by the rampant speculation on Wall Street, Joseph P. Kennedy, patriarch of the Kennedy clan, later claimed he knew it was time to get out of the market when he received stock tips from a shoe-shine boy. While I'm certainly no Joe Kennedy, I do wonder whether fashion bloggers are ruining their own appeal and that of the genre they helped create by rushing to cash in? I would hate to see the actions of a few ruin it for everyone.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Comments

[kristophine]

I think fashion blogging is experiencing the same sort of thing that music has--"outsiders" end up co-opted by the mainstream, and fans have to decide for themselves what they want out of the experience, how much the concept of authenticity is worth. I'm thinking there will be obstinate outsiders, "indie" fashion, and there will always be a market for the mainstream, but that will only encompass the bloggers who successfully package themselves in that dynamic. The success stories will be rare and the faces will be constantly changing in our novelty-loving world.

[Debra Healy]

I purged my Google reader, it is now empty. The chatter was mind-numbingly distracting. I check in now and then with less than a handful of clear blog voices.

[Helene]

Dear Dahlia & Ms. P&C:

I share your frustrations - it's sometimes difficult to know whether you're shouting in the wind. This said, call me an 'optimist' but I firmly believe that the cream always rises to the top ... eventually. That's as true for the Blogosphere as anywhere else.

Dahlia - I wish you would take a step back and reconsider before you pull the plug on Dualite. I've always found your posts (and your comments on this blog) thoughtful and genuine. It would be a shame to lose that.

Helene

[Ms. P&C]

Like Dahlia, I find the better part of the blogs completely boring and reiterative. I cannot stand that when I go to my Google Reader that six in ten of the design/fashion/style blogs I follow are covering the same product launches, ad campaigns, and unsubstantiated rumors. Combine this with the "outfit of the day" posts and I really want to run away screaming.

Unfortunately, these types of posts seem to be what the reading public want. The blogs that provide this content have much higher traffic than those that don't, and from my (somewhat biased) perspective I think that the blogs that provide more challenging, creative content are consistently overlooked.

There is also (as I've said before) the same smacking of rarefied elitism among the power players of the fashion blogging world, that before was only found among the magazine editors and insiders.

I've been considering throwing in the towel myself, but I do love my blog, and I'm thankful that I haven't limited myself *just* to fashion topics. There's so much more to talk about!

[Dahlia]

Indeed, I myself find that my interest in fashion blogs has waned significantly. Although I don't keep a huge list of fashion blogs to read, I certainly am no longer as enthused of finding another quality fashion blogs among the millions out there now.

It also makes me want to read them less when they have ad sponsored by big designer brands splashed across their pages, and that they are yet again, gushing about the latest trend. It's nauseating and boring. I know one must love fashion, but I suppose I'm snobby in defining what "loving fashion" is. Is it to consume fashion or is it to really experience it? I'd rather the latter.

I have not blogged about fashion in a month or so and perhaps will retire my blog from the fashion world. I've sort of lost interest in it, mainly because its lying problems and the spinning wonderkins of the industry are simply too large and often times vapid for me to even cover. What more can I say about the topic? I will continue to love some creations by a select few designers and will continue to live through my mantra of buying quality over quantity. I will certainly continue to read your blog Helene, as perhaps you are the only blog I love reading at the moment.

But I believe for myself, it's time to move on. It's been a fun experience though, and I think I'm ready for something else.

Cheers!
Dahlia