Black Lace Dress + Blogging

Sunnies.  Dress.  Bag.  Heels.  Currently Craving These Heels.

Alexandra Wolf Photography

First, let’s discuss this dress, because I know some of you are here purely for the fashion and details and aren’t so interested in the blogger gossip… Or my rant addressing said blogger gossip. I chose this dress because it is so beautifully made, I knew it was one I could wear again and again and again. It’s perfectly my style… Feminine and classic, with just a hint of modern detail. I followed the sizing measurements listed and found it to be very true to size. It is a bit of a splurge, but I feel that because of its classic style and color it’s something you’ll have for years and years; you can pull it out for weddings and showers and parties and its intricate details will continue to wow everyone each time. It’s the classic LBD every woman should have in her closet.

Such a crisp black dress definitely needs a pop of color and I added some bright heels to the look so it isn’t too serious. This was one of those outfits I never wanted to take off at the end of the day… Even after multiple shows and an event at night, I still felt like some classic Hollywood star in this dress.

Other NYFW Posts: 

Burgundy Lace Dress

NYFW Fall Trends

Lacy Top Black + Black

Flowing Burgundy Dress

Now… On to the comments Vogue writers made in an article summarizing their takes on Milan Fashion Week, which incorporated a discussion regarding bloggers and streetwear stars. I typically don’t like to address things that are controversial because I prefer my content brighten your day and make you happy as opposed to writing about things that could cause any of you distress or hurt feelings. However, this time the issue hit especially close to home for me because the writers’ statements were ones I had heard many times from interviews to networking events to my own living room. And whenever I hear such statements, I have to admit, it hurts.

In case you didn’t want to read the entire article, the commentary regarding bloggers can be summarized into the following: Vogue‘s Creative Digital Director Sally Singer addressed the polarization between designers creating a collection to highlight the art of fashion and creating a collection to gain clicks and get attention on the streets, saying, “It’s a schizophrenic moment, and that just can’t be good. (Note to bloggers who change head-to-toe, paid-to-wear outfits every hour: Please stop. Find another business. You are heralding the death of style.)” To which Vogue.com‘s Chief Critic Sarah Mower responded, “So yes, Sally, the blogger bit, with the added aggression of the street photographer swarm who attend them, is horrible, but most of all, pathetic for these girls, when you watch how many times the desperate troll up and down outside shows, in traffic, risking accidents even, in hopes of being snapped.” Then Vogue Runway‘s Director Nichole Phelps criticized brands a bit, adding, “It’s not just sad for the women who preen for the camera in borrowed clothes, it’s distressing, as well, to watch so many brands participate. No coincidence that Versace and BV are two houses that don’t play the game.” The rather harsh commentary was finally packaged up by Alessandra Codinha, Vogue.com‘s Fashion News Editor, who said, “Am I allowed to admit that I did a little fist pump when Sally broached the blogger paradox? There’s not much I can add here beyond how funny it is that we even still call them “bloggers,” as so few of them even do that anymore. Rather than a celebration of any actual style, it seems to be all about turning up, looking ridiculous, posing, twitching in your seat as you check your social media feeds, fleeing, changing, repeating… It’s all pretty embarrassing – even more so when you consider what else is going on in the world. (Have you registered to vote yet? Don’t forget the debate on Monday!)” Quite the statements, right?

I’d like to play devil’s advocate for a moment and say that, while at NYFW this year, I did feel a bit frustrated at some things I saw happening. In case you didn’t witness it yourself, I’ll give you a play-by-play of the less attractive pre and post-show moments. Many street style stars/bloggers/models often crowd around the fashion show venue in droves before the show wearing loud, eccentric pieces to attempt to attract the attention of style photographers posted outside the venue. Once seated inside, I was shocked to see that some of these people completely tuned out of whatever show they were attending to look down at their phones the entire time; literally not looking at the designer’s collection at all, choosing instead to text or scroll Instagram. Before the show even ended, some bloggers would fly up out of their seats and dart to the bathroom to change so they could be among the first to exit the show (in their new look) and have the style photographers outside to themselves. Girls from inside the show (and ones who weren’t able to secure a seat but showed up solely for the photographers) then walk and pose for the style photographers lining the streets. Sometimes girls will block traffic or walk up and down the road numerous times (keep in mind this is in 95-degree, gritty, sweaty, NYC heat) all to try and get photographed by a photographer. Repeat – again and again – for every fashion show that day. But there is a point to this mad process… Keep reading.

When I first arrived at NYFW last year, I didn’t really understand how this all worked and I was a bit confused as I tried to catch a cab and got caught in a mob of snapping and posing. This year upon my first post-show exit, I noticed that the pandemonium had even increased, much to my chagrin; I was sweaty, my feet hurt, and I was mostly thinking about getting back to our hotel and meeting my mother for lunch – #priorities.

Keep in mind my observations above do not apply to all fashion show attendees or all fashion bloggers, by any means. In my opinion, some bloggers even do the post-show walk in a respectable way; walking naturally toward their Uber or taxi and getting a photograph or two along the way. But those who parade back and forth along the streets surrounding the fashion show venues so incredibly intent on getting snapped – and I hate to be this critical – exhibit behavior that smacks of desperation. I even had a fellow blogger point to a photo of a streetwear star in front of a wall of cameras and exclaim with envy, “That’s my goal!” Not that craving fame is bad, but I think there’s a right way and a wrong way and it’s up to each blogger to decide what is right for their own business.

So why do bloggers do the “Walk of Shame”, if you will? Part of the blogger business is creating your own publicity, as is fulfilling the photograph requirement of paid contracts with brands and designers… Both of which can come about by way of those “hordes of street photographers” the Vogue writers mentioned. Say that a blogger’s brand is all about eccentric looks and pure street style. Being photographed by the right photographer could land him or her in the pages of a magazine, newspaper, or fashion website… So posing for street photographers outside shows could be completely on-brand for that blogger and a smart way to spend their time. In contrast, I don’t focus on edgy looks and I prefer creating editorial content that tells a story. And I could care less about fame; I just want to help make women feel beautiful. As a result, I just don’t feel that walking up and down streets post-shows is a good allocation of my time at this point in my blogging journey. It’s nothing personal, it just doesn’t really make sense for my business right now.

And it is a business. The biggest misstep in the Vogue comments above is the minimization (or feigned minimization) of an industry that has been statistically shown to drive sales better than more traditional forms of advertising or promotion. A prime example; the monetization company for digital influencers called rewardStyle has driven over $1 billion in sales through bloggers for its 4,000 retailers since its 2011 launch. As we increasingly turn to our phones and laptops to shop, it’s clear that blogging is an industry that isn’t going away anytime soon. Shopping via bloggers is efficient, convenient, and more relatable; customers want to see clothing on real bodies and real people, styled for real life.

I felt disappointed to see that these negative comments were made by women against an industry that is predominantly made up of women. As women, they should understand the unsurmountable pressure we face every single day. I cannot count the nights I’ve stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to edit photos, fix tech issues, answer emails, and complete a project by deadline because I had to take care of my husband, our home responsibilities, and our dogs or something simply went wrong that day; I can’t even imagine how bloggers who juggle two jobs or children do it (you are superwomen!). And then to hear someone ask, “So what do you do all day?” It’s incredibly frustrating. And what’s even more frustrating is reading fellow women in the creative industry suggest that bloggers “find another business” when their very company features them on it’s website, in the pages of it’s magazine, and on it’s covers.

Furthermore, most of us have worked in other businesses before growing our blogs to a point where we can support ourselves with our income. This isn’t an easy industry; it takes a lot of time, work, and dedication to grow and develop as a blogger. Most of us have taught ourselves the ins-and-outs through trial and error and lots of research; we have learned to be businesswomen by doing hard work and making lots of mistakes. Harvard Business School did a case study on The Blonde Salad and Aimee Song recently signed a $500,000 business deal with Laura Mercier. The Vogue comments minimize all of those achievements and accomplishments by reducing the blogging industry to an army of clowns parading outside fashion shows.

Yes, bloggers need to respect others in the industry and take it seriously; dress in a way that is authentic to their brand, give respect to designers at their shows, and conduct themselves in a way that honors the art that is fashion. But women should support and uplift other women; we are up against enough as it is. Above all, it’s time that the world recognizes blogging is a business and deserves as much respect as any other. And if we bloggers have learned anything from our jobs, it’s how to shrug off negative comments.