Why I Don’t Do Outfit Posts

Posted in Blogging.

Ok, so I’m being a touch dramatic with the title of this post, but “Why I Don’t Do Outfit Posts That Much Any More” just wasn’t as catchy.

In almost three months, I’ve shared just one outfit here on the blog. Compared to a year ago when I was posting at least three a week, or a couple of years ago when I totted up five a week without fail, sometimes six, that’s a marked difference. So what’s changed?

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Outfit posts are the fashion blogger’s bread and butter. In my experience, an outfit post will get far more views than any other content – people want to see what you’re wearing, how you’re wearing it and where they can buy it. It’s the perfect example of the ‘real life’ element that makes blogs so popular.

The thing no one really says, though, is that outfit posts are a bitch.

They’re by far the most difficult to photograph – there’s the weather, the location and the light to consider as well as the actual outfit. And unless you’re up for lugging a tripod out to some remote back alley where you can take your self-portraits in peace (I did this for years and it was not fun), you’ll also need a willing photographer. Outfit posts often take ages to write up, too, as you’re constantly searching for interesting ways to say ‘this is what I wore today’, as well as hunt down links to stuff you bought two years ago. With a full time job – which inconveniently takes place during those precious daylight hours – and some semblance of a life, creating just one outfit post is an absolute mission.

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For me, though, the real killer is how this kind of blogging can make you feel. Although blogs are generally nice, happy, positive places, offering your personal style up for comment is a dangerous game. There’s an expected standard for outfit posts, and if you don’t meet it – too bad. When I was sharing my outfits regularly, I stressed over what to wear almost every day. I was so caught up in keeping up, I felt like I needed new clothes constantly and I shopped like a maniac. Anything for fresh, new, relevant content. Buying clothes was no longer about what I actually wanted to wear – which is, as it always has been, jeans and a t-shirt – but about what would look good in an outfit post.

I was literally shopping for page views.

I didn’t really realise how hard trying to maintain outfit posts had become until I stopped. Standing in front of my (full-to-bursting-rail’s-already-collapsed-once-and-it’s-a-double) wardrobe despairing at the lack of anything to wear, I thought about what I was doing that day. Going into my studio, where I have no boss because I work for myself and no dress code because I’m not a lawyer, to sit at my desk and work. I could wear my pyjamas if I really wanted to. Basically, it was time to get a grip.

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For the past couple of months, I’ve worn a rotation of leather leggings and skinny black jeans, various pieces of oversized knitwear and my DMs, all in shades of black and grey. Sometimes navy. It’s not that I’ve sacked off fashion in favour of floor-length hemp dresses and Crocs – I’ve just cut out the rigmarole that comes with creating ‘outfit posts’. I still want to share what I wear, but more full-length mirror selfies on Instagram than artfully posed professional shots at sunset.

Since realising that I’m not the next street style star and adopting a more laidback approach to getting dressed, I actually feel stylish. I guess it’s about being comfortable – I’m much more myself in jeans and an oversized shirt than a mismatched co-ord and pointy heels.

So here’s to spending a little more time behind the lens than in front of it… with the exception of heavily-filtered selfies, obvs.

29 Comments

Helen

This is exactly me!! I quit my fashion blog and have started up a lifestyle blog instead for the exact same reasons. Photographing outfits around a full time job was completely impractical, and I found myself feeling the need to buy into all the latest blogger trends just for outfit posts. And I feel so much more stylish now that I dress just for myself and not for page views 🙂

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Corinne

I totally feel you. I haven’t posted a outfit post for many reasons such as; the weather, the lack of person to take the photos and the lack of nice backgrounds, despite wearing an amazing outfit I wanna share xx

CORINNEXDAVIES

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Devyn

Preach, sister. I love looking at fashion blogs but as I’m a jeans and a t-shirt girl all the way I always find myself feeling like maybe I’m doing the dressing thing wrong because I never wear heels and especially not to brunch. It’s really refreshing to see someone feeling the same way and I love that you post content that you love (and don’t have to spend hours trying to get the perfect outfit post picture)!

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Alice

Hey Jen, I’ve liked you just the way you are since 2011 lols. It took me almost two years to do one outfit post (I know) so needless to say they don’t happen often.
I’ve always favoured your content and writing over said outfits! After all clothes are only tomorrows cast offs x x x

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The Glitter Fashionista

Such a great post and so true. I have never done outfit posts as I haven’t got the time or patience to shoot them, but I did contemplate starting last year but didn’t for all the reasons you said. There are so many “what I wore” bloggers out there, that I love to look at and be inspired however blogs such as yours offer me so much more. Keep up the good work x

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Gwen

Really interesting. I’ll be honest and say that I’m not a massive fan of outfit posts. I think I might be the only blog reader that isn’t… to be honest, as someone who struggles with fashion (I’m ‘the wrong shape’ and I hate shopping) I find them a turn off unless they tell me a bit about the blogger rather than how much they spend on clothes. I’m with you – skinnies, trainers and a tshirt is much more my style, but I do sometimes find myself feeling a bit slovenly and frumpy which sort of defeats the point in my mind…

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Charlie

Preeeeeeeach!! I only ever do outfit posts when I’ve bought something I absolutely adore and just so happen to be with my friend who owns a great camera. I’m definitely not the next big fashion icon, but I still love clothes and I will still write about them. It just isn’t the be all and end all of my blog. I’ve always said that writing shouldn’t be a task and I was struggling to write outfit posts because I wasn’t interested in them a lot of the time. I write about what I love and that is so much more fun.

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Paula

I’ve stopped doing as many too, mainly the weather just puts me off in Winter but pretty much all of the above! I really praise those that have outfit personal blogs as I definitely couldn’t do a look a day! X

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Seanín

I totally get what you mean, and I feel like having a specific blog focus and writing on that blog often can facilitate overconsumption and also take away your enjoyment of it because of fear of what other people might say! Glad you’ve found your happy medium and I look forward to seeing your content from here on out 🙂

http://www.agreatperhaps.com

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Michelle

Loved reading this, Jen! I actually miss posting outfits as I’d been doing a once-weekly thing last year when I still had someone to photograph for me. On top of lack-of-photographer though, it is too intensely crowded in Hong Kong to even think of shooting a comprehensive outfit post without about 20 baffled photo-bombers around! Instead I’ve found that my blog is now reflective of thoughts, experiences and places that matter, not just ‘things I bought and wore’.

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sara

Personally I don’t do outfit posts because I’m hesitant to inundate the web with pictures of myself that will stay there for posterity. While I don’t have anything to hide from fellow bloggers and blog readers, I am a pretty fiercely private person in my day to day life.

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Louise Victoria

Amen sister! I find outfit posts so tricky – especially as I work full time and also tend to wear a rotation of the same clothes (or clothes that look v similar). Interesting to read your perspective on it all! LV x

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Diana Cloudlet

Oh, I Like your blog and your style of writing! Also I’d like to say that you have beautiful photos! Great job! I know that it requires so much time to update blog, but keep doing it!)
I’ll be happy to see you in my blog!)

Diana Cloudlet
http://www.dianacloudlet.com/

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Adelle

I have to say I admire you for this step back that brought you back into the light. The light of your life, not of the flash lights. Good points and lessons to teach other fashion never-really-born stars.

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bubblesarah

I understand the pressure, this is why I have never featured outfit posts as I would never want to dress for others instead of myself. I used to enjoy this aspect o your blog but I enjoy the new tone and subjects you are exploring.

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Fiona

I can totally relate to this which is why my blog is now only updated once a week!
I much prefer Instagram for showing off and Facebook.

The time I’m saving is huge!

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Maria

I really miss outfit posts when I don’t do them, I get very cross when I am looking for something to show someone and I can’t just send them a blog post! I always love what you wear but your other posts are brilliant so I don’t mind too much 😉

Maria xxx

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Jessica

I totally agree with you – I haven’t posted an outfit post in a long time for lots of reasons; one being the horrible lighting and weather, another my self-conscious opinion of my body and another being the feeling that I simply don’t have enough clothes! It’s harder to do than people might think, so I find myself snapping a quick Instagram and that’ll do. However, I must say that I love your outfit pictures when you do post them!

http://www.jessicainyourear.com

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Carla

Thanks for sharing this Jen. Your comments really struck a chord with me. I’ve been thinking of starting a blog for ages, but felt like it would bomb without some outfit of the day posts. Like you say, they’re so popular. But I don’t have money for lots of new clothes. I’m a PhD student so I don’t need a uniform…why am I trying to shove myself into a box I won’t fit??

You’ve given me the courage to just go for it and post about what I like, not what will get the most views. Thanks, Jen.

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Sophie

I would love to see your outfits of skinny black jeans, baggy knits and DMs – that’s the sort of stuff I would actually take outfit inspiration from. I don’t really follow the high fashion blogs where bloggers wear a new dress and heels in every outfit post – if I want to see a bunch of dresses I can go onto DPs or H&M. I’d rather see how bloggers wear day to day things and make them stylish 🙂

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jennifer frank

Yas! I totally agree with this, i’ve not blogged for long but everytime i attempt to do a #ootd post i cringe, I don’t have a photographer and i hate being behind photos. Preach to the bloggers that can work it though!
love jen | jennifer’s journal x

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Janay

Hi Jen,

I don’t blog myself but have been a long time follower of you along with many others. What I do do (or used to do) is dress for the blog I will never write because fashion (and instagram). I was buying endless items of clothing because my “look” had to be 100% put together. I never wore jeans which meant I was spending a small fortune in tights. I was regularly having “nothing to wear” meltdowns. Something had to change.

So came about the realisation that only I cared, I simplified, re-introduced denim and started wearing and rewearing peices simply because I loved them. Since then I have been receieving so many more compliments.

What I am trying to say (albeit long windedly) is that I came here because I enjoyed your personal style, I stayed because you always have witty and engaging content. If you want to write 100 post wearing jeans and a t-shirt do, because those are posts us non-bloggers can take actual style tips from. If you don’t feel like doing outfit posts, that’s fine too. It’s your blog and as long as you are writing about what you are passionate about, people will enjoy reading it.

Janay

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Caz

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experience as a fashion blogger. It was exactly what I was looking for. I blog about fashion too and find it extremely difficult to get fashion ootd posts up. I have enough inspiration and outfits so I don’t feel pressure as you’ve described with shopping. It is more the photography part. I have a tripod now, but it takes me ages to get ‘the pictures’. I keep running back and forth ending up with 200 pics for one outfit which needs to cut down to 4-8 max. I haven’t got a friend or family member to be the photographer so that option falls flat for me. I’ve worked out how to use the tripod now but I’m still unsatisfied with the picture quality. There are so many people who have amazing photographer friends and the most stunning pictures, how on earth can I ever keep up with them? I bought a DSLR cam recently and though I know I’m good at shooting pics I can’t do them myself for outfit shoots. So stressful. 🙁 Sorry the comment got a bit long. Hope you’re well and we’ll speak soon xx

Caz | Lunch Break Adventures

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