OMG. I just unsubscribed to every single fashion blog in my google reader. I’ll add the ones I truly miss back in after a while, but right now, I need a break. I look forward to reading through all the new items in my reader all day – then, when I’m done, I feel unfulfilled & frustrated. The truth is, many of the blogs in my reader are blogs I feel like I “have” to read because they’re popular and I need to know what they’re writing about. Really Grechen? What a load of BS.
I like reading blogs that are inspiring, interesting, funny, written by my friends 
and teach me something. I don’t like being called pet-names (unless it’s by Ashe), scrolling through 10 full-size outfit pictures with pouty lips, seeing pictures of your babies or kids, or reading post after post about the SAME party/PR event that every other blogger went to AND the free stuff you got for going. Why I haven’t removed these blogs from my reader before, I don’t know. Oh, yes, I do know: because I thought I needed to read them. To be informed. To read what all the BIG PR companies and reps were reading. To see what they found so appealing about that blogger. And of course I end up trying to figure out what makes them BETTER than me.
Maybe I’m wrong to admit this, but I have insecurities too. I question what I’m doing, how long I’ll be able to do it, what I’ll do next. And I question my physical appearance: am I pretty enough? thin enough (no), interesting enough? For goodness sake, I don’t even have a DSLR! Or a boyfriend/husband/BFF to follow me around all the time with a camera. How can I possibly be good enough?
Yes, the last bit was sarcastic – but I’m not afraid to admit that I feel a little envy every once in a while. And now I’m done with that little green monster. I’m better than that. I’m DIFFERENT than that. We thrive on our differences. No one person is “better” than any other, just different. And I celebrate that.
But I’m still not going to read blogs that don’t inspire me or make me smile. I hope no one reads any of my blogs because they “have” to…
Do you read a lot of fashion blogs? How have you chosen the ones you do read? How do you deal with fashion blogger envy?
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Twitter: chatsters
April 22, 2011 at 7:42 am
I know exactly how you feel. I used to read twice as many fashion blogs as I do now, but, about a month ago, I delete more than half. I decided that if I wasn’t ready what they have to say or if I wasn’t particularly interested in their style that I was going to delete. There have been a few that I brought back, but, overall, I’ve been faithful to Selective Potential, Delightfully Tacky, Better Than Bland, Kendi Everyday. These women I (somewhat) feel a connection to while reading them. They offer content other than talking about events and items. They are humans who are interacting with other humans, not necessarily a spokeswoman for a Big PR company.
Kat
Twitter: gritandglamour
April 22, 2011 at 8:06 am
Grechen, I am totally with you. I really don’t keep up with the superbloggers, primarily because they never interact with their readers. I also detest posts with 20 shots and up-close facial shots. Unless it’s a beauty blog, why would we want close ups of your face?
I, too, have felt a little envious of bloggers who have partners who document everything for them. But that said, I am kind of proud that I am usually my own photographer. I can’t get the same kind of shots, but it pushes me to better understand how to improve self-portraits.
Anyway, some weeks it can be quite daunting to keep up with all the posts; it took me a long time to realize that I don’t have to comment on everything, every day. I do what I can, but I’m one person. With a full-time job that’s not blogging.
Hope one day you might add G&G back to your list!
haha! of course i’ll add you back in – i probably should’ve unsubscribed from all the blogs i didn’t want to read anymore and just left the ones i did, but i was being rash and just hit “unsubscribe from all” – anyway, sometimes that’s a better way to purge, just get rid of everything and add back the ones you miss
it’ll be a good exercise in what i really value.
Twitter: inkblotphtgrphy
April 27, 2011 at 7:24 am
i’m SO with you on the picture thing. maybe it’s because i’m not an OOTD blogger, (and also as a photographer) but i have SUCH a low tolerance for repetitive picture taking. you have to learn to edit these things down! i get it, you’re outfit is great and you’r a pretty girl. i got that after the 3rd picture. i didn’t need a 24th.
Twitter: makingmewonder
April 22, 2011 at 8:11 am
I really admire you for doing this and writing this post. I totally get where you are coming from, there were so many fashion blogs I was reading just because they were ‘it’ blogs, and I’m enjoying reading blogs so much more now that I am just reading the blogs that I appeal and that appeal to me!
yes. this
Hell yeah.
Sometimes when I write a post on IFB, there’s always one commenter who says something that makes me feel guilty– talking about reading every blog possible because they want to be part of the community or how they wouldn’t not read a blog…. and then I think, “Fuck that.” It’s just not feasible with my lifestyle. Not only that, I’m a picky bitch. I want blogs that are going to inspire me and motivate me. And in that regard…. I find the fashion community lacking.
Someone commented the other day that between things like Bloggers Do It Better, 30×30, Fashion Beauty Friday, and a bunch others I hadn’t heard of, that a blogger can have a blog with no original content anymore. It made me really sad, to be honest. Why would you want a blog and not original content? I just didn’t understand it…which may be why I skim over blogs who participate in those (or at least those posts), and why I don’t participate myself.
FWIW, I also love that you’re doing more outfit photos. Mostly because I feel like you’re a real girl, and have a real style that’s very much your own and unlike what I see. You have your brands you love, the pieces & styles you love, and you carry it off very well, even if I don’t comment & say so often!
you rock.
i love the point you make about original content – i hadn’t thought about those things that way, but i suppose it’s true to a certain extent. i guess they don’t appeal to me in general because i feel like they’re “made up” as a way to get even more attention…BUT. to each her own! we all have different taste, different ways of doing things, and that’s the beauty of fashion bloggers. all i’m saying is that my time is too valuable to read crap – and stuff that doesn’t inspire me or make me smile. so i’m not going to do it anymore.
Haha. I was that person who said that “between things like Bloggers Do It Better, 30×30, Fashion Beauty Friday… that a blogger can have a blog with no original content anymore.”
It was one of those things where I was joking, but it was completely true.
I feel jaded. Everything lately seems like a trick or a ploy to just get more and more and more and more traffic.
“Add this badge of MY PHOTO to YOUR BLOG that links back to MY BLOG”.
“Retweet or Reblog MY POST for more entries into MY giveaway!”
“Like ME on Facebook and I’ll like your page, too!”
“Do this photo contest of things that MY BLOG inspires you to do!”
And these kind of posts are THE NORM now. Really? Makes me want to delete my entire Google Reader subscriptions, too!
What’s next? I can’t even imagine.
In a way, I wish I could say all this on my site, but I’m sick of blogging about blogging, too. I know my audience, and -yes- the ones who comment are bloggers, but that only accounts for a small amount of my readership. The majority of my readers aren’t bloggers, so I don’t want to inundate them with posts about blogging and things going on behind the scenes in the blog world. I didn’t start off doing that, and it doesn’t fit to do that now.
I get it. I mean, I’ve created a new site where I want there to be community involvement, too. So I *get* that folks are trying to be all like, “My blog is about community” blah blah blah. But honestly, it’s starting to get overwhelming and trite.
My thing is this: if you’re one of these new bloggers who just do every blog community challenge, you’re doing NOTHING to stand apart. And most likely, you’re one of the bloggers who is desperately seeking out sponsorship and trying to become a super blogger (ala Kendi). Why would a brand want to partner with you if you’re doing the exact same thing 800 other bloggers are doing? In a year from now, how do you describe your blog? “Oh, I take my photo everyday according to some guidelines that other people have come up with…”
I don’t know about you, but a blog has to have three things to be interesting to me:
1. fun, original, well written content
2. great photos (does not need to be done by your professional photographer partner), and
3. regular updates
You must have all three. You can’t just do #2 and #3.
I want to motivate people to not rely on all the rubric that the super bloggers have laid out. They are the super bloggers because at their start they were among the first doing what they were doing. So if you want to copy them, copy them in the sense that you bring something NEW to the table. I need to work on this, too, because it’s so easy to just rest on my laurels and only do my outfits and to blog about blogging.
Trust me when I say this: my old blog roll is a ghosttown. If we’re not coming up with original content and having FUN while we blog, and if we’re just numbers focuses, you’ll consider throwing in the towel, and most likely (especially at the seven month and 1.5 year mark) you will.
As a side note: I also feel like a jerk because I don’t have time to comment on my own dang blog AND read all the other blogs in my readers AND comment on those, too. I can barely get my OOTD photos done and edited. My blog is not my full-time job. My family is. I have no idea how to combat this.
Twitter: wardrobe_oxygen
April 22, 2011 at 10:01 am
Girl, I always loved you but now I love you even more. You said so much that I have been thinking recently. YES YES YES!
Twitter: PrttyShnySprkly
April 22, 2011 at 10:08 am
I’m disheartened to hear that you feel blogger memes like Bloggers Do It Better populate blogs with unoriginal content. I couldn’t disagree more. For the blogger who is despairing and discouraged and in a blogging rut, challenges and motivation keep them striving to create more content–ORIGINAL content–and yes there is a button/badge in a sidebar, but that keeps the community growing, and creates a sense of belonging and membership. Yes it has my photo on it, but only because it’s my photos, which I own copyright to, that I can use however I like. I chose one without my face on it because that’s I’m not the point of BDIB–the fashion challenges are (like double denim in the outfit). Until I can find the time to make an original photo or graphic that completely embodies BDIB, I work with what I’ve got.
I completely agree you shouldn’t just participate in EVERY blogger challenge–while it may be original content, I think it points to the root of a deeper problem in that they cannot come up with original post IDEAS. Maybe the content is original (they shot their own photos, styled their own outfits, wrote their own text) but I agree that the ideas and post types would be lacking originality.
I just had to weigh in on this. I sincerely created BDIB as a fun, saucy, motivating community to help empower bloggers.
But I totally agree on the fashion blog thing – I find myself reading big blogs and looking at pictures of their totally unrealistic lifestyle (party after party) and then I’m like What the Heck…I don’t even relate to these people anymore. I did some blogroll/Google Reader purging a few weeks ago but I think I have a little more cleaning up to do.
To make sure that others don’t think BDIB is just a cool way to get more traffic to your site, I would suggest making it a URL seperate from PSS. I think your blog is stunning. Your photos are impeccable and you have a super attainable style and lifestyle. You do a great job showing that a person CAN balance a blog with a full-time job (or demanding school schedule, like yours).
The badge thing is understandable, but I was really more referring to personal blog badges (not community badges). If I were to add a badge for every blogger in my reader, my sidebar would just look insane. I’ve been asked to make badges for Adored Austin, and I *get* that it brings more traffic and awareness to my own blog, but I really should be focusing on the loyal readership that I HAVE vs. trying to get more and more and more attention. Right? I mean, I really love the actress Parker Posey, but I don’t have her photo hanging in my house. If someone likes my blog, I would much rather her link me in a post (like “skirt purchased because I saw a similar one HERE on Adored Austin”) or recommend me to a friend instead of seeing my face in her sidebar. It’s just… weird… but again, I could be in the minority on that.
I’m glad you weighed in! I’m a fan of yours– you’re a really hard worker and that’s why we thought you were the best person in the whole wide internet to lead Blogging 101 at TxSCC to make sure aspiring bloggers get started off on the right foot.
Twitter: PrttyShnySprkly
April 23, 2011 at 10:54 am
Thanks Indiana! I don’t think anyone really believes that BDIB was born with the sole purpose of bringing me more traffic – and thus far nobody other than yourself has brought up anything to that effect. In fact, most blogger memes are slow to lift-off, so to speak. If only 3 people had participated in the first BDIB challenge, I would have considered that a success. Indeed, if you read my first post on the topic, I was nervous as-all-get-out about even introducing it, for fear of rejection and that nobody would actually participate!
Truly, the idea of the project being a ruse to generate loads of traffic is not why the BDIB concept was dreamed up! But with all the man hours I pour into it since the seed of the idea was planted in my mind, why shouldn’t it at least bring a little bit of exposure, right? I mean, anybody in their right mind wants their hard work and planning to be successful, and one measure of success in a blogger’s world is popularity & community in the form of a large audience, which, in turn, is measured in traffic. The concept of traffic being viewed in a negative light, or as anything but “pure” or “altruistic blogging” is alien to me. Anyone who takes their blog seriously wants to be successful–just look at all the bloggers at TxSCC or Evolving Influence!
But this is certainly not–not even in the neighborhood of–a primary, secondary, or even tertiary aim with BDIB. The true reward has been the comments, tweets, and emails I’ve been getting from bloggers who have credited the challenge as being their first foray into, for example, outfit postings, color blocking, or even blogging in general (one reader even took the plunge and finally created her own blog to participate! wow!), and that now that they’ve tried the trend, they love it and are already planning more ways to get creative & style up the trend. I think that is so truly amazing and exactly what I was hoping for! 
I do completely agree with the separate URL idea, in fact it’s something I’d already been considering before the project even launched, but I wasn’t going to jump ahead of myself — I first wanted to see if anyone would participate. With the first challenge under my belt, now that I know that bloggers are interested, it’s definitely something already in the works.
I did take your badge comment to heart, however, and conjured up some graphical,non-photo buttons for BDIB. I think you’re right in that if the button is a requirement for anything, it should be non-intrusive.
I LOL’ed at your Parker Posey reference — you are so hilarious and likeable and that is even more apparent when meeting you face-to-face at TxSCC. I’m a fan right back, Indiana! <3
Love,
Kristina
P.S. – speaking of hard workers, let us not forget the amazing Grechen, who trumps me ten times over in terms of busiest blogger. How many blogs DO you run, now, Grechen? 25?
Keep up the amazing work, you have a fan in me. <3
“I completely agree you shouldn’t just participate in EVERY blogger challenge–while it may be original content, I think it points to the root of a deeper problem in that they cannot come up with original post IDEAS.”
That’s a really great differentiation, Kristina! For me, I know that I tend to get bored as a reader when my google reader is full of the same challenges (though I think I’ve got 2 who did BDIB)– and I know when I was editing Links a la Mode, it was frustrating to get 10 submissions from the same circle (like Fashion Beauty Friend Friday)– because then the community isn’t getting diverse, original ideas.
As a blogger, I’ve contemplated participating on my own time and maybe WITHOUT sharing for others… to break me out of a rut! But I always hope that if I’m inspired by something, it’d be more like Indiana suggests… where I can link back to one person and say, “Blah and blah said this, and this made me think this….”
“I couldn’t disagree more. For the blogger who is despairing and discouraged and in a blogging rut”– also, I think these community projects can be GREAT for that! But per Indiana’s original comment, the idea that a blog could be run ONLY on these… it just makes me sad. Because a site like that could become incredibly popular, and while it has original content, there’s no fresh or original ideas coming out of it… I just want to get excited when I read content!
I thought your post announcing BDIB was so cute, by the way…. it was so sincere and nervous! I just wanted to hug you and go YOU CAN DO IT!
“In a way, I wish I could say all this on my site, but I’m sick of blogging about blogging, too. I know my audience, and -yes- the ones who comment are bloggers, but that only accounts for a small amount of my readership.”
YESS! I’ve had people request that I cover blogging topics on my site. And you know what? That’s why I write for IFB. If you want to know what I have to say about that, I post every Monday on IFB– a place for blog posts about blogging. That’s not what I want my site for….because then it makes my site feel more like work & less like fun.
Also, I loved you for making the comment about being able to blog without original comment. It needed to be said. There’s doing things for fun and running your site for fun– and if that’s the case, by all means, do them! Have fun! If it inspires you, do it! But using others content does not make for original and engaging content. It’s why I don’t write about doing challenges without shopping–because others have done them, and inevitably better!
“As a side note: I also feel like a jerk because I don’t have time to comment on my own dang blog AND read all the other blogs in my readers AND comment on those, too. I can barely get my OOTD photos done and edited. My blog is not my full-time job. My family is. I have no idea how to combat this.”
I have that problem with my full time job (and family of a live-in boyfriend & cat). It’s HARD. And sometimes people don’t like, get that? It’s hard to comment on both. I stop responding to all comments on my blog and people are disappointed & call me out on it. I don’t always have time for both! But it’s not really my job to make everyone happy, I guess?
Twitter: katy_rose1
April 28, 2011 at 1:39 pm
I completely agree with your list of three things every blog should have. It should be original content, great visually and updated with some frequency.
But in part I have to agree with Kristina that the blogger memes don’t have to be about creating unoriginal content. I think it is all about what you do with it. For instance, FBFF was started as a way for us to interact and discuss current topics. It’s networking in the age of internet. I don’t require members to post weekly or stick a button on their site. It’s optional and totally up to them what works for their blog and what does not. I also never submit my FBFF post for IFB’s Links a la Mode because I know others will do the same as there is not originality in that. To me it is more about what you do with the meme and what you do on the other days. Maybe the meme is a launching pad for you to discuss an issue that is near and dear to you. Maybe it is a way for you to voice a contrary opinion you weren’t sure how to word before.
No matter how you use it you also need to think of what comes next. What else is filling your blog? If it is all meme’s it is too much and lacks creativity. But if you participate in the few you really like and that work with your blog focus it can be very rewarding.
Anyway… just my thoughts. (A little late to the party.)
Oh wow…. your post is so incredibly timely. I was considering doing the exact same thing last night. As a new-ish blogger who’s just starting to dabble in style posts, I’ve come to realize the superbloggers get in my head & jack up my potential. I want to do it or me… not because I feel like I want to keep up. I feel like the blogosphere is a bit too much like high school & I’m too old to feel like I need to keep up just to ‘be’ somebody.
Kudos to you for taking such a stand. Whoo-hoo!
Twitter: laurenNjordan
April 22, 2011 at 8:49 am
Very interesting post and I kind-of agree with you.
You put in words exactly how I feel lately.. I feel there’s much more than just clothes and I might do just what you have done. The blogs I love I visit anyway – I know their urls by heart.
I think it’s amazing that you can get to know people all around the world through blogging. And that said, I’d like to know more of them than just what they wore.. And you’re so right about the PR events! seeing the same photos on 10 blogs can be quite exhausting.
Thank you for saying what I’ve been thinking in my head for the last 6 months. I follow over 200 blogs right now. At some point in time they all appealed to be on some level but I’m no longer getting the same satisfaction from them all. I hate to unsubscribe from someone that I’ve been following, but when I think about it from the other perspective, if someone wasn’t getting anything from my blog or was annoyed by it for some reason, I would absolutely want them to unsubscribe. No hard feelings. Not every blog is for every person.
In fact, there are bloggers that I know in real life and love as people but don’t follow because I’m not their target audience. I just have to remind myself that’s okay.
that’s the thing…it IS okay!! and i’ve finally told myself that. i don’t have to read every fashion blog…unless it really speaks to me.
I totally agree with your sentiment. I am new to the blogosphere too and I wonder why I follow some of the bloggers out there. This seems to be the theme today though. I have read 3 other blogs this morning where someone is questioning why they do something.
I think it is a good thing to take a couple of steps back and evaluate what you are doing and why. I think it keeps us in touch with ourselves and our readers.
Stay strong.
It is sort of a Catch-22 isn’t it? On one hand, I want to be involved and stay up-to-date with the community, but on the other hand, I have to stick to what inspires me. The truth is, I don’t write a typical fashion blog- I don’t do a lot of outfit pictures (I’m seriously way too lazy to do my own pictures), I rarely talk about trends, and my closet is not at all photographable. But I do my own thing and I like it and the people who read it (seem to) like it. You know what I learned? Like people, no two fashion blogs look the same. Sure there are some that are practically carbon copies of each other (okay, more than some), and those are the ones that I don’t really follow.
I absolutely admire your post Grechen. Sometimes you just have to say “This isn’t working for me. Here’s why it’s not working, and here’s what I’m going to do about it.” It’s a great reminder of why we all started blogging and reading blogs- to inspire and to be inspired.
Thank you for writing this. I just started blogging about fashion, and its helpful to know what would turn readers off. I have to admit I have blog-envy when I read the posts with magazine worthy photo shoots. I can’t even come close to that! I just hope that my blog will be inspiring and make people want to smile, rather than have them desire something they can’t have.
hi erin! as long as you are YOU (the best you, you can be) that’s all your readers want. i do understand that myself, but it’s hard sometimes when you constantly expose yourself to things that make you question your success or at make you feel envious. that’s why i’m stopping exposing myself to stuff like that
too bad it took so long!!!
Twitter: wardrobe_oxygen
April 22, 2011 at 9:41 am
And this is why I follow your blog. You keeps it realz, girl!
Seriously, it’s like you have been in my head. There’s so many big bloggers right now, it’s easy to feel as though one’s blog isn’t good enough. And I see so many blogs try so hard to be popular that they lose their voice, the voice that made them great in the first place.
Last night I went to a blogging GTG and a new blogger asked me how to get more traffic. I said stop worrying about the traffic and just be true to yourself. Blogging is like high school – there’s the cliques, the desire to be popular, those who wish to be nonconformists, those who want to be class valedictorian. No one in high school becomes popular by trying to be someone else, they are popular due to confidence, often a great look (great looking blog), and being cool (which can be described in many ways but it’s usually having that special something).
I’m sick of the copycats, I’m sick of those pimping themselves out to sponsors, I am sick of the desire to be someone else. My Google Reader constantly gets updated, weeding out the monotonous and finding that fresh original content. Everyone’s tastes are different, but I think the successful blogs are ones like yours, those that are honest and authentic, no matter what!
Twitter: KPFUSION
April 22, 2011 at 9:41 am
I totally know where you’re coming from. I started my fashion blog last September & initially I went to all of the blogs that you’re “suppose to know about” and for some I…just didn’t get it. I couldn’t follow them bc I couldn’t relate and I decided that I’d only follow those that I love and/or could learn from. Everyone has (or should have) a unique voice; those that make me laugh or I actually learn something from are the ones that I read on a regular basis. Some are major and some are small but they’re all ones that I like.
This post is SO dead on. You’ve touched on alot of points many people are scared to admit. I’ve gone through the same bout of “blogger envy” to the point where I completely removed my entire blogroll so that I couldn’t see other bloggers’ updates anymore. I found myself constantly comparing my blog to theirs and wondering why I didn’t have that “It” factor and if that was why I didn’t have 485084094 comments on my outfit posts. It takes true honesty to admit that much of the pretentious and overdone fashion blogging in the blogosphere can have you feeling uninspired and bitter. Hmm, I’m inspired to post about the subject as well. You should totally submit this to IFB’s Links
thanks for your comment, and including me in your links today!! i obviously totally agree with this:
again, i’m not trying to tell anyone who or what to read, i’m just saying that it’s OK to NOT read the blogs that everyone else does just because everyone else reads them. you know? ESPECIALLY if they don’t leave you feeling positive. i read a lot of fashion blogs that make me laugh, smile and feel good about myself, why should i read the ones that don’t?? that was my point.
Twitter: workitblog
April 22, 2011 at 10:23 am
I am actually just getting my feet wet in this fashion blogger universe. Every now and then I sort through my Google Reader and toss out the ones that I scroll past everyday, so I under stand where you’re coming from. Try to stick to the ones you connect with and purge the ones you don’t!
I see some of what you’re talking about in my wanderings, but you should also consider thinking of things in a more positive light. Many people are just trying to join in a conversation. No one has malicious intentions.
I’ve been blogging for about 3 months now, and I have already learned a LOT about my own style and the potential I have in my closet. My blog has a specific niche, and the purpose is just to start a conversation about what creative professional women can wear to work without feeling confined buy the “conservative” nature of traditional professional womenswear.
The thing it is not about: Being “better” or more popular than someone else.
I did enjoy reading your thoughts on the subject! I hope your process helps you to figure out which blogs speak to you and which ones do not.
See, I feel like I am being positive by trying to remove stuff from my life that frustrates me. I wrote this not to demonize all fashion blogs but to make a point that there’s no reason to ever read or do things that make you uncomfortable. That seems to have resonated with a few of you! Everyone loves different blogs – everyone does things differently – and I’m not tying to tell anyone who to read or not to read. I just know what I like and don’t like…
Please don’t think I think anyone has malicious intents – I absolutely don’t think that! And there’s nothing wrong with being part of a community as long as it’s one where you feel embraced and appreciated not inadequate.
This is a great post and took a lot of balls to write. I’m with Indiana’s point about original content. I actually recently shut down my fashion blog b/c I was starting to feel like I was really losing my voice and doing a terrible job conveying my true persona via the blog. One thing that’s always bothered me about most fashion blogs is how heteronormative they can be – especially when most of the entries are about a husband/boyfriend/fiancee doing all of the photo editing and work. As a queer person I started to feel like I was being disingenuous having featured my ex partner (a guy) on the blog. I ultimately will go back to blogging b/c of the relationships that I made, my I highly doubt I’ll focus my energies on fashion blogging again. Between the inundation of spam comments, having people copy posts of mine, and just starting to feel uninspired, I’d rather focus my energies on creating original content that makes some small bit of noise in the blogosphere.
Just found your blog via a tweet about this post — I have to say your timing is impeccable. I just did something similar yesterday and cleaned out my RSS feed of the blogs that I read because I feel like I have to. Hopefully it will help me curb my own envy-monster!
Great post Grechen. I had a huge case of the envy monster yesterday and just had to X out of that window. There are so many creative people out there who dedicate their time and energy towards creating these amazing blogs and I just have to face facts that I am not one of them! My life is messy and hardly picture perfect so I have fears about putting myself out there too much. Your post has reminded me to stick to my core goal of blogging, which is blogging about things I love and am interested in, no matter if it gets me readers or comments or followers (though I admit it’s nice to have a little validation now and then!)
i don’t think you should fear putting yourself out there too much (your outfits are always amazing), but that’s beside the point
that you even have a core goal is very impressive – stick to what you love and what you know, but don’t be afraid to try new stuff…
THANK YOU! I’ve been going through a little big of a blog crisis lately, as I’ll hit my 5 year blogerversary this summer – that’s a lot to live up to! And my blog, and business, has grown and changed a lot over the years, and I struggle to remain true to both who I am, but also to evolve to where I am today, all the while hoping my readers still enjoy that… whatever that is right now. There are a lot of blogs, not just fashion blogs, but within any niche, that just sort of regurgitate the same stuff again and again, and I don’t want to be that. And yeah – it’s great when my boyfriend has the time to help me take outfit photos or something like that, but most of the time he’s busy working!
there are so many more blogs now than 5 years ago, huh? i think it’s wonderful, but it makes it harder and harder to stay unique and get your voice heard in such a sea of blogs…
Blah, I’m fashion inept and don’t read any fashion blogs. I actually blogged about “my annual shopping spree” because I literally enter the mall once a year. I despise shopping. Would that I could afford a professional shopper and stylist
I do know where you’re coming from on the blog perspective…I follow a lot but only subscribe to or read what I really love – mainly food blogs and some friends mom blogs. I did a big unsubscribe at one point out of annoyance for a cluttered inbox. I couldn’t keep up, it was stressing me out!
TGIF!
I get you on this. I think along the way I’ve deleted a lot because I just don’t get them…I don’t get how they just post on what they wear ALL. THE. TIME. If you read them for long enough you realize there is just nothing to them and it’s a waste of time. After being involved in the blogging world for a year or so with this blog I’ve recently really edited what blogs take up my time. The ones I do read are by people who I’ve made relationships with.
I don’t think that I could agree with you more.
LOVE IT!
This is a brave post-that’s why I like grechen blogs-real, concise. I hate that empty feeing you have after reading through several blogs The whole point is to be inspired–marketing and partnerships (to me) are not exciting for anyone except the blogger and the company.
Like the others (above), I’ve not only culled, but am finding other voices that are not just fashion-based, but quality-and-truth based. It’s easy to pose behind a fabulous life-in-pictures, but those who are honest, that’s what keeps ME coming back.
What a great post! I am always switching out my blog subscriptions, trying to get that “perfect” list. The only mega-blogger I read is “The Glamourai” and that’s only because I love her style. Other than that my list is pretty quirky. Mostly I follow people who interact with me, because that’s my favorite part about blogging. But I became really overwhelmed a few months ago and wiped out a good 90% of the blogs I was following. Some have been added back in, some haven’t. So don’t feel guilty!
Love,
Heather
http://thestyleconfessions.com/
Twitter: hajraks
April 25, 2011 at 10:03 am
I am a person who subscribed to ever blog I visited just because I thought I would learn…. quite the opposite, my inbox was flooded and I ended up deleting half of them because I couldn’t remember why I subscribed.
Now I filter by blogs that I regularly check out and blogs that I like to visit once a month.
i should do this – instead of waiting until things get so overwhelming!!
Twitter: tanvii
April 25, 2011 at 10:16 am
Great Post Grechen! Made me think what I want to do in future myself!
And what a GREAT discussion in the comments. Thoroughly entertaining and honest!
♡ from © tanvii.com
Thank you for this. I can’t even fathom the number of times I have looked at my blogroll and thought “I need to do some Spring cleaning” only to leave it alone because I don’t know where to begin!
I have thought about removing some of the super bloggers, only to tell myself “but what if some newbie to fashion blogging comes across my site and hasn’t heard of so and so? They might love their blog.” And then I leave it. I won’t add people just because they add me – if I like your blog, I have it on my blogroll. The problem is, I may have liked the blog at some point in time, but tastes change. I need to just go in and start making changes, and your post has inspired me to do that.
I think my content tends to be unique simply because of the anonymity factor – it forces me to come up with something different to engage my readers instead of OOTD posts. That being said, there are time when I am feeling particularly uninspired, so I end up with only 1 new post during a week instead of 2 or 3 which leads to increased risk of losing readers. However, I don’t want to just churn out content for the sake of numbers so I deal with that risk. I think too many bloggers think that quantity is more important than quality, and it’s not.
Again, thanks for writing this!
Twitter: redheaded
April 25, 2011 at 10:23 am
I read very specific fashion blogs. I unsubscribe or scroll through posts if I don’t feel invested in them. Sometimes, I don’t read blogs for a few days and return to 900+ new updates on my blog reader (um, crazy!). But, I also read other blogs, it’s not all about fashion for me, so maybe I’m not feeling as much of a strain.
I enjoy some blogger challenges (as someone who created one, I feel I must defend mine).I created Paper Doll Project, but it’s not me telling someone else what to wear. All I’m doing is randomly pairing up those that want to be involved with a partner, then they “dress” once another. This is only the second time we’ve done it, in the span of four months, so I don’t really consider this “challenge” the same as some of the other’s you’re mentioning. But, I totally understand and appreciate how overwhelming (and annoying) it can be to log into your blog reader and see everyone doing this challenge or that challenge, or just trying to comform to what everyone else is doing.
Like I said before, I do enjoy myself a good blogger challenge or two, and I’m sure as hell not doing it to be anyone else. I am myself, I enjoy who I am, and I enjoy those that get something out of my blog. I also realize that my blog is not for everyone, and it never will be, and that’s totally fine with me! And I agree with some of the others above- a blog should inspire you. If it doesn’t, don’t read it. Simple as that.
I’ve read many super bloggers for the reasons you describe, though I totally recognise the feeling of having to read just to know what’s going on. The blogs I read are mainly those people that i consider blogging friends, that comment regularly and i can have a chat with. I do follow a few purely for eye candy, but I’m being ruthless and cull my list regularly. I’m actually in the process of updating my blogroll and am dreading it somewhat!
Ooooh when I read your post I just wanted to stand up, cheer and do a little dance! I can totally apply this to illustration blogs. I love to keep up with fashion and beauty, so I have my share of fashion blogs, that’s how I found you
My job is being an illustrator and I always had the urge to subscribe to as many blogs as I could, just to stay up to date with illustration trends or what subject is drawn the most. I don’t know why I do this as I never follow the trends to the T. I’m not traditionally schooled, so I often get a bit depressed when I see all those illustrators graduated from art school. I always need to remind myself that I blog in my own way and not how others expect me to do so. I always add my own twist or do things my way, mainly because I feel that I will just vanish in a pool of awesome artists. Being different really makes you stand out more. It’s a risk indeed, but the rewards are much better.
Really love your writing!! Thanks for sharing this!
Ciao Xoxo
TJ
thanks so much for your comment TJ – I think this problem that we have to keep up with other bloggers, etc., is universal – my sister is a mom blogger and encounters the same problems. the key is like you said, to blog in your own way, always just being true to yourself. that’s the only way you’ll get anywhere -
Twitter: decodingdress
April 25, 2011 at 12:07 pm
What an amazing post, Gretchen. As someone new to this scene/community/whatever it is, I really, really needed to hear this.
For me, the whole point of blogging about this stuff is to empower women (read “me”) to own my own style, embrace my own creativity, love my own body. I made a commitment a long time ago to purge people couldn’t or wouldn’t support that from my life. So why would I read blogs that don’t encourage those things in me?
I think I have some deleting to do…
hi allyson! you’re absolutely right about purging – i should have done it a long time ago!! it’s very “free-ing” though and I’m glad I finally did…good luck with yours.
Twitter: cutiecolombiana
April 25, 2011 at 3:28 pm
This is exactly why I stopped fashion blogging. I got to a point where I had to ask, “Is this really important?” “Does this really matter?” I got tired of the same-old posts and quite frankly the superficiality of it all. I’m thinking of starting a lifestyle blog that incorporates fashion instead of making fashion the center focus, because women aren’t just one note. We care about many things, and fashion blogs (the big ones especially) have a way of making it seem like without fashion you are nothing.
Also, HUGE pet peeve…having to subscribe to someones blog, facebook, twitter, youtube AND leave a comment to get entered into a giveaway. Honey please. I have better things to do with my time then help promote you all over the internet for a free pair of polka-dot socks.
We’re all entitled to read what we want. To be happy, you should choose the mix of blogs that work for you.
I stopped reading the big fashion-blogs when I sensed their impersonality. Now I just interact with two dozen blogs made by people whom I consider friends. For me, half of the joy of these blogs is keeping in touch with people I like, which goes far beyond what they are wearing.
I learned not to envy other bloggers because ALL of them are more attractive and better-dressed than me, so I don’t waste energy on that emotion. I’m a dancing bear — you don’t ask how well I dress, you’re just surprised I can dress at all…
Gretchen! A friend of mine tweeted the link to this post and I’m very glad to have found it.
A lot of times, I feel obligated to follow/read blogs if they show support towards my blog.. but in a sea of ‘omg cute dress, follow me’ comments, it becomes overwhelming. I want to visit a blog and be inspired, to see original content, to feel something! I’m not even asking for a life-altering post, but still.. I really understand and agree with what you were saying.
Twitter: myheartblogged
April 25, 2011 at 9:40 pm
I’m a big fashion blogger. I’ve only been at this for a few months. I love the people I’ve met blogging. Those are the posts I look forward to the most, my blogger friends. Blogging is a creative outlet for me. I work a stressful job, six days a week, that I really don’t love. (I’m working on changing that.) I participate in a few fashion challenges. But, most of them are from blogging friends. Thanks for posting this I just unfollowed some blogs that I’ve been skipping for weeks. I don’t why I didn’t do it sooner. Blogger envy is a hard pill to swallow. I have a friend who started blogging after me who has 5 times the followers. I remind myself that not everyone is going to make it big, and blogging with that mindset won’t get me anywhere. I am working towards more realistic life goals, like finishing my degree, and finding a new job.
Twitter: myheartblogged
April 25, 2011 at 9:41 pm
Oh lord I meant to say I am NOT a big fashion blogger haha. I think I need to go to bed.
This might be the bravest post ever.
I am totally guilty guilty guilty of having an inflated reader. Truth is before I was a blogger I had a crazy reader b/c I have a lot of interests but the fashion blog roll has gotten out of hand and that is a true story.
RE: bigger bloggers, yes they might not be as interactive, and I am not a fan of most of the party pics, pr events, free stuff situations, but a lot of them have content that I really love so despite their interaction level being really minimal I’m not going to hold that against them. I actually don’t hold that practice against anyone. I read a lot of blogs that I don’t think would actually read mine just b/c of the kind of blog I like to make and I’m really ok with that. I want people who come by my blog to really find something they enjoy but I know that’s not possible for everyone who stumbles on my blog.
And I think everyone has blogging envy!! I have camera and Iphone envy like crazy since I have a mega super budget camera from an ex-bf and I’m in my kitchen using tupperware(!) as a tripod on my counter that is not even a foot deep, so usually I have to shuffle drying dishes and cutting boards to take pics. Before that I didn’t even have the confidence to show my face and took only mirror pictures cutting my mug off. I see these girls in fields of rolling grass and I envy them and it makes me super self conscious about my pics and my circumstances…but again I guess if my pictures aren’t pretty enough for you and pictures are your thing my blog will not be for you anyway because I blog about more than just what I wear.
RE: discussion of the challenges and traffic. Honestly it didn’t really occur to me that’s why people do it. I totally thought it was pretty awesome that there are so many bloggers taking one theme and interpreting in different ways. But that is probably a bit of me being naive and not savvy I do have mixed feelings on contests though; I mean I love and hate them. I love free things but I think the follow me on everything to enter is hugely deterring.
Wow, I have to finish reading the comments because this is incredibly interesting. So I may return with more commenting! Sorry!! Funny, I don’t really do loads of text in my blog but I love commenting in massively long novel form.
Good luck building your fashion blog roll back! I hope you find a lot of joy and inspiration in all the blogs you read. You’ve really inspired me to take a critical eye to my google reader.
Twitter: jazziefizzle
April 26, 2011 at 4:50 pm
Ah I totally understand your sentiments… i sometimes find myself reading the ‘big’ fashion blogs and thinking, ‘why am I reading this?’. I have started cutting back any who: have unattainable lifestyles (for me) or if I find myself skipping the text, or when I do read the text it annoys me.
With limited time in your life, there is no point reading more blogs than you actually enjoy reading… I think what you have done is a healthy process!
I find that if I like the person behind the blog or if I have a connection to the blogger (ie. Nicole from Gary Pepper Vintage), I have no fashion blogger envy and am just proud of their achievements. I do try to balance my blog roll with interior design, cooking and lifestyle blogs as well as fashion.
Hope you can find a happy balance soon
.-= Jasmine´s last blog ..three and a half =-.
Twitter: Mode_Plus
April 27, 2011 at 3:44 am
I’m visiting your blog thanx to Link of Love @Beautifully Invisible and I’m glad she linked you. I think you spoke out on something that is thought of but I don’t really see us talking about it. And that includes me too! When I first started blogging I discovered the big names. The more I searched for my own voice, the more I realized I didn’t feel in place with these (fashion) blogs. I still have not deleted them anyone, but I re-organized my reading blogroll. Finding a balance stays a challenge for me. Thanx for sharing sich a honest point of view. You have my respect!
Twitter: inkblotphtgrphy
April 27, 2011 at 7:18 am
i did this ages ago. i just started feeling like reading the ‘superblogs’ just made me feel inadequate instead of inspired. i didn’t need that you know? it gets so exhausting sometimes and i didn’t like feeling like i’d never get to where they were. it sucked. so i kept to just the smaller, more personable blogs, built relationships with those bloggers, and now i feel much more stable in being the kind of blogger that i am. it’s oddly liberating frankly.
.-= Cate´s last blog ..Ballet Photography by Vihao Pham =-.
I don’t have much to add that hasn’t been said already, but I just wanted to say that you rock, Grechen! I love Kendi’s style, but I have MAJOR envy over her pictures, and the fact that she’s obviously getting quite a bit of free clothing.
One of my favorite blogs has become Looks Good From the Back (http://looksgoodfromtheback.blogspot.com). They’re both very real, don’t have professional photographers for husbands, and have the best sense of humor. I’d like to see more blogs like theirs!
I only read the blogs I REALLY like, the ones that inspire me, the ones that add something good to my day. So I completely agree with you. I don’t read the “uber” popular one, and I’m not inspired by endless pictures of oneself (except for The Stylish Dutchman she’s soo funny and witty you have to adore her). I stick to what I enjoy, and if I stop enjoying it, then it’s out of my list.
Twitter: katy_rose1
April 28, 2011 at 1:00 pm
I completely agree. When I first started I followed all the blog I thought I was supposed to follow. But after a while it got old. Many of them look the same and dress the same. They even post the similar DIY projects of cooking recipes. It took me more than a year to realize I wasn’t enjoying the reading process on these. I wasn’t engaged, and many of them weren’t trying to engage me in the conversation at all. I skimmed down my list of must-reads to the couple that I honestly could say I was interested in what they were wearing or saying. The rest I follow very, very peripherally.
Here’s to you finding the blogs you truly like to read and eliminating the clutter of the rest! – Katy
Thank you for the post and I totally understand you.
) I have unsubscripted to the popular blogs, too. I guess the main reason was that I wanted to read blogs I can relate to but I couldn’t do that with ‘the blogging stars’. 
)) And usually the popular ones are just too, too self-centered. OK, all bloggers are self-centered if we think about it but still 
))
)
I guess the main thing that puts me off about blogs is giveaways! OMG, if I see one I run screaming! I understand the reasoning behind a giveaway but come on you can come up with something better than that!
After my first weeks reading many blogs, I settled into a manageable group and am happy to see them arrive courtesy of bloglovin. I don’t always comment because I’m busy and if I ever felt that was mandatory, I’d move on.
Do what you like. Returning comments is a courtesy but I don’t follow personal style blogs, except for the insanely beautiful Cherry Blossom Girl. I do almost all reading online and there are blogs that show and tell very good stories.
But Franca Sozzana nailed it – not everyone has the same qualifications.
Twitter: MS__FITZ
April 28, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Sometimes I find myself reading these stupid blogs, becoming more and more furious at the boring, reproduced drivel with hundreds of comments. Some days it makes me want to give up! But then I come back to my blog with ALL MY OWN CONTENT, that is progressive, avant garde, highly creative and original and I say to myself- someday just as many people will visit my blog simply because it is GOOD. Bloggers are getting bored, I know I am- so I focus my energy into creating something fabulous to enjoy
http://www.themsfitz.blogspot.com
Twitter: theaofa
April 28, 2011 at 2:01 pm
I actually have felt the same way you do and I go through each month and delete folks from my reader. I blog because it’s an outlet, it’s fun, it’s so not a business for me. I love each and every comment and I’ve learned that it’s okay to not blog everyday or to not get comments on some days. I do get tired of the blogs that post a million of the same photo in 1 post and barely interact with readers in comments on via Twitter/Facebook and I just move on. I’m not boho, hipster, or have this unusual sense of style, I’m just me and I’m totally happy just the way I am. Delete away, Gretchen!
grechen, i totally understand! there’s definitely been an over-saturation of fashion bloggers in the past few years. i am extremely picky about who i follow and even though it may probably get me more “followers” if i added everyone to my blogroll or accepted to be their friend on facebook, it would just be like twitter followers who drop you a day or two after they realize you’re not following them back.
i am always on the lookout for people whose style i admire and really have a point of view and personality to their clothing and to the design world in general. if it’s just ten photos of you trying to look cute, i’m sure your friends will love it but i think i’ll pass.
how do i get over blogger envy…i realize that i’m doing the blog first and foremost for myself and my own enjoyment and just hope other people can enjoy it as well.
really enjoyed this post
Wonderful post! I understand how you feel and am, also, working on cutting back the blogs I read because I think I “have to”.
What a GREAT post!
I recently stopped following a BIG super blogger for a few reasons, but the catalyst was a post that made me feel quite sad really. And then the commentary on the post made me feel even sadder because I couldn’t believe how her readers thought that it was the be-all and end-all of posts! When you showcase a collection of 11 objects that total more than an average person’s yearly wage and refer to them as “your babies”, I am sorry, you lost me. What ever happened to tact and modesty? Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have a collection of beautifully made designer labels as much as the next girl, but I follow personal style blogs to see your personal style (imagine that?!). When It just becomes one big designer advertisement you can count me out.
As for the topic of the ghastly green-eyed monster, I think we are all victims of it occasionally. I know it really gets me when I see some more popular bloggers finding super success doing something I consider to be sub-par or they do a post similar to something I did a week ago, except I did it better (in my opinion of course, there may be a slight bias here). Then they have 200 comments and I have 0, yeah, that makes me pissed AND jealous. But whenever that happens I remind myself that i am NOT a professional, sponsored blogger, nor is that my goal. I am blogging for me and anything else that comes from it is a bonus.
P.s. consider me a new found follower. Love a gal that speaks her mind!!
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