An unconventional fashion blogger trying to find her place on the internet

I got an amazing response to my post The Fashion Blogger From a Council Estate and wanted to do a follow up to a) thank everyone for their support and b) talk more about honesty and my history with fashion in general. It’s my most viewed post from Twitter (after I’d only just posted a couple of days before about how I found it difficult to get traffic from lol) so I’m hoping this can achieve the same. I’m not here to bash people for doing what they’re doing, but I do hope to motivate fashion bloggers to do their own thing – you don’t have to follow the crowd, if you’re doing that then you’re not being true to yourself.

One of the key responses I got was how we need to be real, honest and not pretend to be something we’re not. Now, I’m all for faking until you make it in certain circumstances; this can sometimes work in your career (not if you’re trying to be a surgeon or pilot, I’d like to know I’m going to survive my flight or surgery thanks), but there’s a line you can cross where it’s easy to get pulled up on some inconsistencies in what you’re sharing on the internet. I’m seeing so many blogs which have almost the same logos (watercolour splashed background overlayed with a scripted site title sound familiar?) same layouts, same props for flatlays (Blogosphere magazine, marble background etc.) – I want to inspire people to be a bit more original with their blogs so they reflect you and not what everyone thinks you should be. If you feel your blog is original – you keep doing what you’re doing. Like I said I’m not here bashing people, just pointing out what I’ve noticed.
When I started this blog, I wanted to make people laugh. I wanted to share my stories of how I went online and bought this dress that I definitely didn’t need and it turned out to be a bin bag feeling pile of crap; or how I can’t do my makeup very well despite spending hours trying to replicate the tutorials I’ve been watching. It’s so hard to stand out from the crowd and growing this to what it is now has been a long hard slog (I find the blogging itself comes so much more easily than the social networking and promotion) for what in the grand scheme of things isn’t a massive following. I just want to cheer people up, that’s what motivates me – the main reason I care about the numbers is because I want to make more people laugh or help people understand that you don’t need to spank all of your money on fashion. We live in a grim old world and if I can make that a little bit better for someone, then I’ll do what I can to make that happen.

I’m terrible at flat lays, I can’t pose very well (although I have gotten better over the last year if I do say so myself), I spank my money on payday and restrict life until the next month as I’m trying to also save money (because – logic).

But the one thing I can say is that I do love my fashion and I always have done. You know when you’re little and everyone asks you what you want to be when you grow up? I always always said a fashion designer – I used to sketch line ups of outfits I’d love to make with my signature label name “Gabri” (because I thought that was oh so FASHION and I couldn’t use Elle because of Elle magazine lol) and would use old curtains to make dresses with my sister and cousin – they’d fall apart when the model (sister or cousin) would walk in it, but I carried on.
Later in life I went on to study fashion design at university and got my Bachelors in it. If that doesn’t summarise my love – I don’t know what will! And yes, I did design and make the outfit in the following photo;

I don’t take 1000 outfit pictures per photo shoot – Aaron is far too impatient for that shit. He sets the camera on sports mode so it takes multiple shots whilst I walk out the door. I wait at the door, he says go and I strut my stuff. Unless it’s horrifically bad, I’ll work with what I have and post it on Instagram, whilst saving the others in case I can’t be bothered to get dressed one day (which is a lot more recently since I’ve been signed off work).

For the shoots in my room I set up my camera on the tripod, shut the bathroom door so you can’t see the toilet (god forbid anyone realises we actually SHIT!) and take a couple more shots than I would with Aaron as I’m not being rushed out the door – I also get a chance to get some close ups of any items I want to focus on.

All I’m trying to say is – don’t be a dick and pretend you live down that beautiful street full of white buildings – go and pose amongst the fag butts and dog poo – you’ll be appreciated more and save a pretty penny on train fares to London, I promise you. If you take a bedroom shot – who gives a fuck? If you can’t afford that pair of Christian Louboutin shoes because you need to pay your rent – don’t be ashamed of that! If you think you need to change your blog layout to reflect that of a successful blogger – you don’t! My late Grandma’s favourite song and saying was ‘Que sera sera, whatever will be will be’ and it’s my favourite quote of all time (I’ve even got it tattooed because deep down I’m just a basic bitch that loves mainstream tattoos) – be yourself and que sera sera.
Shout out to my little sis George for the title of this post 😉

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