An anonymous commenter suggested that I have been Needlessly Savage toward other, younger bloggers. I don’t understand the word “needlessly” in this context. And I can’t really attack older bloggers, because Ha, there aren’t any!
Anonymous (and I know who you are because I can see your IP,) help me out. Who are the bloggers I should champion? Just point me to them! God knows I am always looking for something interesting to look at or read.
I’m finding that style-driven blogs are falling into two camps, and I’m sorry about using “driven” like that. I’ve already complained about the Clueless Goth blogs here, and I’m standing with those complaints. If you can judge a blog by its comments, these are the worst by far. The “Fuck yeah!”, “Hell yeah!” and “Sick!” quotient is just off the chart. The accompanying blogrolls are full of like-minded girls who love the word “black.” Is it mean to make fun of this shit? Fuck yeah! But you’re tough, you leather-and-chain girls, you can take it.
The other camp I will have to call the So What Blogs. They are the work of average looking women who want you to look at their average looking outfits all the time. They have nothing to say and they don’t say it with any distinction. They sometimes show us pictures of themselves drinking with friends or taking vacations. It’s the kind of stuff that only their families would care about. When they stop posting for a few days, they apologize, like the whole world was gasping like a fish out of water in their absence from the blogosphere. (Sorry about the word blogosphere.)
The one blog that stands above all the rest is Kingdom of Style, and it’s the one I would miss the most on a desert island. The Queens never waste my time, and they’ve created an atmosphere of grown up creativity that always gives me a lift. My friendship with the Queens has been one of the chief perks of blogging. If I ever make it to Loch Ness (one of the 5 things on my bucket list)(sorry about bucket list), I’ll be stopping off first at Marie’s house for a cup of tea.
Is there a great blog out there that I’ve been missing? I promise not to be Needlessly Savage about any recommendations.
Isn’t there a third camp? The rich cunt show-off camp? I’m rich, and look what I bought today!
Mark – I think that’s more of an aberrational outpost than a camp.
Garbage Dress, Vintage-a-Peel, and “The Fashion Void that is DC” are good reads, and two longtime inspiring standbys remain Stylebubble and The Moldy Doily. All great people with killer style just doing what they do. Not as much sass as Kingdom of Style or you maybe, but their earnest enthusiasm is catching.
I knew it! I’m not counted as a fashion blog. *Shaking fist at skies* Blast you, categories that I don’t fit into!
I want to start a “send me free shit” blog. Luxury end. You can moco that endlessly and make it famous by association – so they send me even moré free shit…. xx
Hammie, you should totally start that blog – I predict large quantities of free stuff would be forthcoming.
I think I fall pretty neatly into the “So What” category, but I’m ok with that.
whats a blog?
Kate – Thanks, I’ll check them out.
WendyB – I think of you as pop culture, not fashion per se.
Hammie – ME TOO. How do we get that going??
skye – Come on, you’re in the I’m Almost as Cute as my Boy camp.
jeff – It’s a thing you write online about the shit that interests you.
i really want to dominate the world through my blog, but am poor.
How do you do it! You always hit the nail on the head which makes me laugh. Pick on me I’m feeling needy!
Sister you need a Reality Tv show to take your Voice to the Masses.
That’s all I’m saying.
And you and Jane from SOS look a bit alike as teens.
And we LOVE you! You have been amazing to me, giving me great advice in hard times which I always try to listen to as best I can xx
I think there is a thing sexier than angry women lashing out, but I can’t remember what it is. DO continue while I look for it.
*”angry intelligent women” was the frase I planned to type
**phrase even
The fashion blog world (I refuse to use blogosphere correctly without shooting myself in the face) needs to toughen up. Everyone is so touchy when someone leaves a less than 100% supportive happy comment. As a kid growing up with internet access, I gave and received endless harassment and trolling. I don’t see why people get upset when they are called out on their materialism or are even mildly criticized. I mean, it’s not as if their blog is suddenly flooded with a thousand pictures of scat porn and goatse. I’ll take someone talking snarky about me over that. At least if someone talks snarky about me, I could just call them fat and “non-fierce”. I can’t really combat a flood of gross pictures.
http://thepetitgarcon.blogspot.com/
Check this out – cannot believe I haven’t promoted it!
I find your blog entertaining but your spirit sometimes sort of shriveled with hate and the glee of hate. not sure why–I know you’ve been thru some rough stuff.
I don’t always comment but i always like to visit: godammit and kingdom of style and then when i’m in a generous mood that is not easily annoyed – sartorialist, luxirare, atlantis home/sea of shoes. I like this blog savage – and it’s never needlessly savage because I need to read it. Logic!
For all things “honest” and full of “integrity”:
acontinuouslean.com
There are a couple of fashion blogs worthy, but a very few indeed. Most of them look like porn or a bad mood-board. I don’t mind their existence, they give us something to cunt about and make us look smarter, don’t they Sister?
When I read your post on SOS, my stress levels are very low, my skin clears, I laugh, I sleep better. Anger and hate are good for blood circulation. How can that be bad?
Needlessly savage is therefor not needless, it is very necessary for yours and your readers well being.
Ooh! Ooh! What am I?
LOLs
Ok, but seriously, I dig Garbage Dress. And other blogs where I believe the blogger is a real person who actually does shit outside of taking pictures of themselves everyday. And blogs that are needlessly savage toward younger bloggers…
I really like Make Do Style’s blog – I also like NotCot.org but that isn’t fashion more design. Lately I am leaning towards design blogs instead of fashion blogs. I find myself increasingly annoyed with the bland and frankly ugly wardrobes that others have. My eyes can’ take all that bad fashion. I also like The Sartorialist and Garance Dore. I like to imagine her saying these things aloud in her french accent. Far more interesting and soothing than my California accent.
Also my own blog will soon become more clothes geared as I launch myself into world domination through Vintage clothing. I also make my own clothes and jewelry so yeah, there’s that.
There is a blog called That Was Subtle. I really like reading what she gets up to.
Erm, Death Wears Diamond Jewellery is a thoughtful girl who writes well.
For fashion it has to be The Kingdom and James Lillis over at Too Many Tights.
Regretsy is pure chuckle land. This lady is very mean and funny.
Peekasso is a social commentator through the medium of art, if you are easily offended though, dont go there.
If you want to be savage and annoyed, go visit Cotton Style Blog by a girl called Sandy. I am morbidly obsessed by her narcissism.
Oh, afterthought. Your question made me think what kind of blog hag am I?
I am a dreamer who sneaks into a narcissistic bubble of art and musings whilst I pretend to work.
Thank you for your blog, which, idiot that I am, I just discovered. In particular, thanks for the endlessly entertaining comments on Sea of Shoes, a blog so sad and appalling that I couldn’t look any more. You took the more socially conscious route — you ranted.
And, having read hundreds of stories about horrible health “care,” I am still shocked by your son’s experience. I am hoping for the best and glad he has you as an advocate. If this is hate, hate on!
Braindance, I read your blog too. I love the images that you use. If I may say they are futuristic, sci-fi, fantasy, feminst. and gorgeous too!!
I nominate Petite Sophist.
She writes about fashion, sex, gays…fun stuff.
But she is smart and witty- so rare a blogger quality.
http://petitesophist.blogspot.com/
Well, I’ve already devoted too much type time to my pet “So What” blog hate (the truly tragic http://whatiwore.tumblr.com/ ), but what I’d really like to know is, who is this “Anonymous” who called you needlessly savage? Even if you only have a city, please do share; I’m sure your loyal readers can sleuth it out!
My guess: a certain badly nose-jobbed former trophy wife from Trophy Club, TX?
The list of blogs and most particularly fashion blogs I can tolerate grows increasingly smaller and smaller by the day. I still follow Garbage Dress, but she tends to lean toward the Clueless Goth crowd, although only really in that most of her wardrobe is black and full of studs, and frankly, I’m right sick of that shit now. The party photos get old too, but hey she’s 21 so I’ll cut her a break. But she does seem to just do her thing.
I like threadbared , and you because you say almost everything I think and still make me laugh even when I don’t 100% agree (sorry I do like the tabi flats), I like Karyn Starr’s reasonigetupinthemorning because she is a real, 30something, very kind person with a great sense of style. That’s about it as far as fashion blogs go. Completely stopped watching the Sartorialist b/c Scott Shuman is the very definition of a cunt (he’s like the James Cameron of the fashion blogging world) and I’m about to remove Garance Dore, because frankly, reading her blog is like being around a good girlfriend who is dating the douchebag that everyone hates. I can’t really take much more of the Scott this Scott that, well and the celebrity shit is starting to wear thin.
Needlessly Savage would make a wonderful name for a punk rock band! I would brand it if I were you.
Queens Michelle and Marie are the women I wanted to grow up to be when I was a teenager. No joke.
I love all my old favourites-
Style Bubble (do I need to explain why)
Libertylondongirl (libertylondongirl.blogspot.com) one of my longtime blogger friends- I bet you know her, Sister, she just borrowed your fashion blogger bingo.
Luxirare -I know she annoys you, but I respect the fact that she attempts to actually make stuff, even if other people don’t love what she does. Can’t go on there too often though- the site makes my browser slow down.
Tokyo Bopper (www.tokyobopper.com) this might be where people start giving me the hairy eyeball- it’s a blog run by the staff of a Tokyo shoe shop that specialises in colourful hiking boots. They take pictures of themselves posing in the merch a lot, but I can get why- and it’s nice to be faced with such stubborn (if inadvertent) opposition to the sea of high heels and Balmain out there.
Mermaid Hair (erithemermaid.blogspot.com) Found this one just last night, it’s written by a girl who works at one of the CdG-associated shops in New York. She doesn’t just take pictures of herself, she’s also a pretty decent illustrator and sometime designer (went to Parsons)
I second Threadbare, with all their references to punk girl bands and an academic take on fashion.
I second kate’s nomination for The Fashion Void That Is DC (moohoop.livejournal.com). That blog doesn’t get half the love it should, probably because it’s on Livejournal instead of something more google-able.
I am often confused about the popularity of personal style blogs which just feature outfits with no accompanying text, you can see that kind of stuff done much better in a magazines.
Kingdom of style is defiantly one of my favourites, also style bubble who you’ve mentioned before. PSYNOPSIS is a good one, run by a really lovely lady who often includes an interesting discussion aspect to her posts http://psynopsis-english.blogspot.com/
I agree on the so what brigade, that terrible whatiwore is the fucking worst though, jesus does she have a life why is always updating? Does anyone know about whatkatiewore? Isnt it just so creepy and weird to have your boyfriend post pictures everyday of your outfits? My biggest pet peeve though is this one fashion blogger whose always posting those fucking “arty” images from fffound or etc or le love to fill space, they’re like bleached out polaroids of a flock of doves with insightful and heartfelt messages like “I want us to be friends when we say goodbye” or the most puketastic “you will have every kind of kiss, in every kind of way in every possible place when we are together”
Anyone who reposts these piles of crap should be immediately cheated on by their significant other, and then sent a video of it.
Oh and im sure you’ve heard of trashforce reaper through the queens SW, but she is one of my favourite bloggers. Outsapop is also a really good blog for diy
I’d say that I’m happy to be a So What blog? I post so frequently that even I go “So what?”….my beef is….why not just let all bloggers GRIND away and push on without bestowing so much commentary on it…. they’re just bytes in cyberspace…. goes out there onto the web without physically affecting the majority of human beings… ? I dunno…just….err…you know…get on with it…
I think you would like the infrequently updated Footpath Zeitgeist, who has a sharp, smart take on hipster and “boho” style.
I have a pointless ‘so what’ blog, but I am ok with that.
Also: “I am a dreamer who sneaks into a narcissistic bubble of art and musings whilst I pretend to work.” Brilliant!
It wasn’t really a critique, per se – cuntishness is never wholly needless, I suppose. I just genuinely wanted to hear what you actually liked, instead of the negative, if only to ascertain that you weren’t feeling completely bitter about the whole of the internet. I knew there had to be something positive to come.
(“Younger” not being a pop at your age, by the way, more a reference to their usually teenage status. Which is normal for the “blogosphere”, admittedly. And you know I check this blog on a daily basis, I assume, and am hard-pressed to name many others that I do the same to.)
Also: I was extremely hormonal that day, and consequentially believed everyone should be upbeat and nice to each other, or I should cry, but now I feel suitably chastised. There’s a very soft interior under all that leather. But then isn’t that usually the case?
I’ve been checking out all suggestions, thank you for the tips!
susie-b – I can’t just leave bloggers alone, because it’s an area that fascinates me. If blogs are an art form, they are subject to artistic criticism. Stylebubble is kind of the prototype for fashion blogs, so it’s far from So-What! You led the way!
Anon -We do have soft interiors, my dear. That’s why I didn’t name you. xo
girl who said my spirit is shriveled with hate – Oh please. Why not “engorged” with hate?
This is kind of a joint reply to Susie and Sister Wolf, so here goes:
As fashion bloggers, as people operating sites that are visible to the public, we do put ourselves “out there” to some extent- so if criticism comes with the territory, I believe in either ignoring it, or taking it on the chin (and then writing a blistering riposte, if one is necessary). I tend to ignore the blah blogs (for all I know, mine is one too)- but I do occasionally find it funny when Sister Wolf turns in an Inquisition report on one of them- even if I don’t always agree with what she says 🙂
Also, if a blog is part of the ‘new media’, I don’t think that criticising its content should be off-limits just because most blogs tend to be run by individuals and not media houses, any more than we’d hold off complaining about, say, American Vogue (influential, but bloody boring).
Of course, re: comments sections and the presence or absence thereof (the latter is starting to become a bit of a trend these days), it’s up to the blogger- if your chosen platform gives you the option of not having comments, it’s ok to roll with that.
Sister W, I’ll always LOVE your commentary….I’m referring to all this ‘talk’ in mainstream media that are basically just fluffy articles with not much concrete basis for their so-called ‘blog analysis’…. and thanks, that does mean the lot…. I fear I’m becoming about as relevant as a Victorian chimney sweeper though…
Oooo, I meant to add
http://calamityjems-vintage-vaudeville.blogspot.com/
She is a style queen for sure, and most of her stuff, if not all, comes from car boot sales, charity shops and ebay. Plus she seems really decent.
borellana – Satorialist = James Cameron! Hahahahahahaha! Fantastic!
aine – Eeeeeoooooow! Who is that one??
Scout – You think that’s a nosejob? I think it’s a Statement nose. A Power nose, if you will.
susie-b – I actually need a chimney sweep. If only I could get a Victorian one!
I don’t even blame the blogger SW, for she is just a moron. I guess I should really just be aiming my ire at the photo blogs she gets this stuff from i.e le love. I’m thinking of setting up my own unimaginatively called le hate, it’ll feature poisonous screeds from the recently broken up imposed on arty, bleached out polaroids of for example dead seagulls washed up on a dirty beach or diseased lungs. If anyone is still reading this thread take note that all submissions will be welcome
I always feel like I’m setting myself up to get torched if I leave a comment on your site, but I do read it often and enjoy the discussion, so….deep breath, here goes: I feel you about the “So What” blogs, I really do. My blog is one, no doubt. This troubles me. I have deeply ambivalent feelings about this. There is nothing special about ANYTHING I have or do — most of my clothes cost between 3-5 dollars and my pictures are jacked up because I don’t know anything about photography, and I’m okay-looking but of course I use the best shots out of 80 because who wouldn’t, and the writing is pretty much unedited because I just get tired of trying. I’m not saying I’m poor, or that I even really understand the value of money — I am and will probably always be firmly middle class. And I’m a “writer,” which means I waste my life composing pieces no one will ever much care about (I have no illusions) and that also means I get paid not often. I blog for many reasons, but being bored is certainly one of them.
But I do like fashion blogs, even the So What blogs — it’s nice sometimes to see “average” people experimenting with clothes because this is not something I get to see in editorials, in fashion magazines, or even much in real life (being that I am a shut-in). What I do NOT like is the tit-for-tat shtick that seems to be the order of the day in fashion blog world — the trading comments. There is definitely an etiquette (at least at smaller blogs). The issue of commenting, and in particular bans on negative comments or comment-removal altogether, is fascinating.
I always read your Sea of Shoes comment forum with interest because the Aldridges seem to incite SO much feeling amongst your readers. Mostly anger, which is understandable, of course. However, my honest opinion is that I have no opinion about them. Their “reality” (which of course is projected–who knows who they really are or how they actually live?) is what it is and everyone at this site (and others) seems to revel in watching them, so I suppose I don’t get why your readers can’t man up and admit to their morbid fascination. They love to hate them. I might go so far as to say they NEED to hate them, on some level. There’s some proverb that says it way better than I can:” “Hate is merely love standing on its head.” Or something. Or maybe, in America we say “All press is good press.” Anyway, the point is, the nasty comments are really just as affirming as the positive ones.
Oh god, I’m going to get torched. Rest assured, Sister, I have no hate for you. I like your Talk to Sea forum and I also am at times wearied by the many and sundry ho-hum fashion blogs. I think your stance on criticism is pretty admirable, seeing as how it seems analogous to the the Matt Stone/Trey Parker stance: If it’s okay to make fun of something, it should be okay to make fun of EVERYTHING.
Thanks for listening!
Julia – Define “need.”