*nodding* about everything Angie said;-) And I am enjoying reading this discussion and everyone's point of view.

From a personal point of view, I feel the same way as Kari does: "Seeing outfits I like on a blogger is just another tool in the style
inspiration toolbox even if I might choose different pieces or am sized
out of the exact items they wear."

The outfit bloggers feature on YLF is the only aspect of YLF which I regularly skip over, although I think Inge does a remarkable job of analyzing and dissecting outfits. Frankly, I’d rather see the feature using outfits sourced from a retail shot or store mannequin so Inge could express her thoughts without the constraints of “celebrating” a particular blogger. I think Inge’s analysis and dissections of what works offer a nice complement to Angie’s outfit suggestions.

While I understand the rationale for monetization—and appreciate bloggers who clearly indicate their alliances—I find thinly veiled info-advertising boring and disingenuous. Yes, it is nice to see clothing on different bodies, but that’s not enough to make me visit a site. The best blogs, like Angie’s YLF, provide more than just pretty pictures; they make me reflect, ponder, and understand how to make my clothes look better on my body and how to express myself through my wardrobe choices. It’s the difference between quality content and fluff used with the intention of info/advertising.

Angie, you have created a very unique, very special, very valuable part of the online world. No one comes close to doing what you do. <3

Sterling, I think there has to be something I like and can identify with in an outfit or blogger's style for me to feel that pressure. Penny Pincher's ensemble is great! But the only elements of it that I would even imagine doing are the sunglasses and the bag; the rest would be hard to find and look pretty bad on me if I did find it. That's the rule with bloggers for me, not the exception.

I was influenced by Sal McGraw quite a bit, in her fit-and-flare-with-color period years ago. Both color and silhouette - I'm there! I bought colored and patterned tights and got more colored shoes, and I think that's when I really started shopping eShakti. I do feel a little pressure to do what Kate does! Tall suede boots, some jewelry styles, and keeping an eye on her chosen dress styles. But honestly, she's not a blogger, and I would call her both inspiration and aspiration. Unfortunately I can't wear Fashion Hats on a regular basis.

lisa, I get it how most of the bloggers are kind of the same. Different would be nice; not necessarily alternative but edging more in those directions, maybe. For example, I don't wear all vintage, rockabilly, or pinup, but I glean bits of inspiration from them. That said, Inge does a terrific job of analyzing the outfits and how they work, and how small elements like nail color tie things in.

I have never really considered the difference in the types of blogs/bloggers. I can definitely appreciate the time and effort that goes into this line of work.
It may be a personality quirk but I cannot wrap my head around getting all dressed up and then not wearing the outfit. I can see changing shoes or perhaps adding/subtracting a topper but beyond that, it just clashes with my practical and realistic self.
Regarding the bloggers featured on YLF, for me the highlight is Inge’s descriptions and commentary, she does it like no other. Very well written.

One qualm I have with bloggers who are clearly in the advertising business and wear new things pretty much every day, is when they talk about work horses in their wardrobe. How can you have work horses when you are always wearing new things?!

One more thing to add about the specific post from Penny Pincher - she created the outfit in response to reader requests for vacation outfits but states that she has no need currently for such an outfit herself. So when the post is in the context of her blog, it's pretty clear that it's not a "what I wore post," though she did state that she would remix the stuff she normally wears if she were on vacation.

Christina -- I missed that piece of information about Penny Pincher. It might have made a difference regarding the empty bag.

Tina -- I too am pragmatic. I have seen those bloggers that speak to their "workhorses." I scoff the same way you do. Furthermore, bloggers that wear a different outfit every single day are sending the wrong message to women. There is no way I can afford to own that many clothes. I repeat and am proud of that fact from an environmental point of view (and budget).

Ginger -- Kate is both inspiration and aspiration!!!! There is so much to admire about her.

Gaylene -- Every word you write inspires me, no matter what the topic. If I were to meet you in person, I would sit at your feet and take notes. Copious notes. And even then I would miss things.

Thank you for commenting, Inge. I understand exactly where you and others are coming from. I respect that sentiment.

I would never intentionally hurt anyone's feelings, Angie. I do respect the hard work and the need to support one's self. I almost deleted this post, but once a few people commented, I felt it was too late and I hope this conversation was fruitful. I know I learned a lot.

Hi Kate -- I will certainly check out the Directrice's blog. As a woman, I am thrilled that outfit bloggers are showing greater diversity in body shape and in age. However, at the same time, do you feel that there is any type of race to be mirror images of one another. I sometimes get the feeling that outfit blogs and instagrams are all geared to look alike. Exactly alike. I saw an article on the internet recently that railed at the sameness.

Thank you for the website recommendations, MsMaven. And good luck at the Reunion.

Congratulations on starting your own blog, Kim M. You look lovely in those colors. I hope your blog is successful.

Lisa P -- Inge saw your comment and responded above.

Interesting discussion. Thank you for starting this thread, Sterling. I have noticed similar things about bloggers before (high heels in snow is one example). I do like Inge's description of the bloggers' outfits and some of the outfits are of interest to me. I know that some bloggers are selling merchandise and I have accepted that. At first, it bothered me but they are doing "their job".
I appreciate all that Angie has done here. She is really an amazing woman. I have developed an appreciation for my style and others thanks to YLF.
Other blogs I follow are Vivienne's Files (appeals to my analytic side). I do find her on the conservation side but I love diagrams and charts. I also read High Heels in the Wilderness. There are a few others that I check in with but not consistently.

High Heels in the Wilderness. Now that one I have to check out. Thank you, Style Fan.

Haha, I have to share about high heels in snow. Forever Amber *does* take outfit pictures in heels in the snow, but she is delightfully self-aware about it every time. Just a few examples from last winter:

https://foreveramber.co.uk/out.....isa-dress/
"...no, I didn’t freeze to death while taking these: they were taken literally about 5 steps from my front door, and in 20 seconds flat. Because I might be stupid, but I’m not THAT stupid, seriously. Oh, and I don’t have dandruff, either: I just look like I do because of the snow."

https://foreveramber.co.uk/abs.....hing-wear/
"Usual disclaimers apply here: yes, I was wearing a coat, no I didn’t walk around in thick snow all day in high heels (the paths were all clear, as were the roads, I just deliberately stepped into some snow to get a better photo, because I’m shallow like that…), no I didn’t freeze to death, and no clothes or bloggers were harmed in the making of this post."

And even...
https://foreveramber.co.uk/thi.....loggers-do
(when it snows)

She is very funny. I especially like the line about "no bloggers were harmed in the making of this post."

Hmm well the only blogs I follow are the ones that include some extra content in addition to “click here to buy”. For example, ylf obviously has masses of valuable content, as well as some links to Nordstrom etc. so I’m happy to go with it, on balance. 40plusstyle also has some excellent, informative content as well as monetized links, so I read it pretty regularly. I kind of need more than just advertising to keep me “hooked in” to a blog.
Another interesting one is inside out style. Imogen includes a raft of useful styling info.
Ultimately, it’s not that often I find a blogger whose personal aesthetic I really like either... but I like Angie’s, Sylvia at 40pluss, and also the lady at chic over 50 has great style. There’s a YouTube blogger called Carly Christman who’s quite funky too.
Most others are so, so SAMEY!! Blah.
Very interesting thread.

I love YLF and value the content and the forum. It is a fun part of my life and I feel better dressed and more understanding of women internationally because of it.

I do read a variety of other fashion/lifestyle/outfit blogs - a bit more intermittently though. These other blogs have replaced my previous love of magazines and I rarely buy Vogue, Elle, Red or NZ equivalents any more or get them from the library (I used to do both). As I read a variety of sources I am aware that some women blog for a full time income, some for pocket money, some for the gifts etc.. And they change over time - some I follow have grown in popularity, others have declined. The public can be fickle. Regulations have changed around what bloggers have to disclose now regarding sponsored posts and gifts.

I also follow a handful of instagrammers....

The bloggers that appeal to me are either aspirational (eg their pictures and outfits just look fantastic) or they provide great content, food for thought or humour.

I was born cynical (it might not come across on the forum as I do try and temper it)......

Interesting discussion - Sterling thanks for the thread and for the interesting and wise words from so many.

I use to buy fashion magazines but I never do now. I don't think I learned much from them. I actually think I felt worse about myself when I read them. There is some research on this.
I also read Style Bee but lately, I have noticed she does reviews on sponsored items. I do like her style and she has introduced me to some interesting clothing lines that are available in Canada.

Well...I’ve just now had time to check in on my favorite blog and forum and found this interesting discussion.
I follow a number of bloggers-both those who write about fashion & those who just post outfits. Ive generally found that the older the blogger, the more upfront they are on what is gifted and/or sponsor. Or maybe it’s my reverse ageism.
Anyway—one blogger who I think is interesting is Atlanta-Pacific. Not so much for her outfits- but she’s added a section called notepad—and if you read thru she talks a lot about the business of blogging. I’ve found it very informative. She had been blogging a long time, and until last year had a full time job in fashion.

The three blogs I follow are YLF, The Vivienne Files, and High Heels in the Wilderness. IMHO, all three focus on very wearable, inspirational (but real) and thoughtful fashion.

Forever Amber has become a little too much “mom on the go” for my taste (I’m a bit older) (ok, a lot older) but for those of you in that demographic, I think it’s a charming blog.

ETA: I also follow Directrice, but as much for her witty writing as her quirky outfits. She has a very distinctive style in both.

I guess you'd better put me in the naive group. This thread was my first indication that the outfits featured were not actually worn by the bloggers!

This was a very interesting read. I look at lots of fashion bloggers, instagram, etc. and am well aware due to my cynical nature that it is about money in most cases. That does not stop me from enjoying seeing what's on trend, new combinations (sometimes hard to find), different types of style and beauty, etc. Because I can not click and buy easily (at least without a huge shipping cost and without free returns) I am saved from that temptation. But I am still interested in what is trending and it inspires my thrifting and even my shopping of my own closet. I even find it interesting to speculate on the legal and business aspects of it all, but I realize that is a bit weird.
But after all most of us do need to make a living, and that does not stop me from reading books, watching movies, looking at art etc. by creators being paid for their work, and, yes, taking their audience and income into account.
What Angie does here is in a league of its own.

Well Sterling you certainly hit a nerve in this one! And your posts often do, I love reading them. I am another one who is actually a bit disappointed when it is an outfit blogger post day on YLF, even though like many others I love how you analyse the outfits, Inge. I think I feel I don't learn as much from those posts. Maybe I learn from Inge's analysis, but I learn more from other types of post.
When I woke up this morning I opened to the forum as usual, then looked at the blog post, saw it was a blogger and went straight back to the forum. Upon seeing your post Sterling I had to go straight back to see this empty bag!
I only follow YLF, but have looked in the past at Recovering Shopaholic ( found YLF through her) and Already Pretty and Inside Out Style. The depth of the information is greater here than anywhere else and the forum a whole 'nother layer, thank you Angie, Greg and Inge plus all Fabbers!

I like using outfit bloggers for inspiration. I like seeing the kinds of outfits they put together. You often don't need the exact pieces to get the same look, so the pictures are still valuable.

I remember especially an outfit from Penny Pincher on a previous feature of hers on YLF. It was a cute sweatshirt with a big heart on it, paired with a leather pencil skirt. I adored the high-low combination and was able to create it myself with similar items.

I already knew that a lot of outfit bloggers get a financial kickback due to the items, so I don't feel betrayed (though I can see how some people would feel that way). I can't imagine how much work it would be to have to take a new photo every day--a photo that meets very high standards for quality--and create a new outfit every day. That to me is overwhelming. I'm glad that they enjoy the work enough to do it, because I do find it inspirational when I am in the fashion "blahs" and need a jump start.

Hi ladies, Kimberly from Penny Pincher Fashion here! Since this conversation was started based on my post, I wanted to chime in. As someone mentioned above, I was creating this outfit post to share an idea for a vacation look (which my readers had been requesting). However, all of the pieces were purchased by me with my own money and they are items that I love and continue to wear often. The day we took these photos, I did actually wear this outfit - though I did grab the bamboo bag on the way out the door to style it with for the photos (hence why it is empty). I do think it can be practical as a day bag if you add in a neutral drawstring bag liner (lots of options on Amazon) - this way it's still functional and no one is seeing your contents...also less chances of it spilling out! I do know there are lots of fashion bloggers who shoot with professional photographers and will take pictures of multiple looks in one day, but I have personally never done this. It's always my hope that people are inspired to look at their closet in a new way and try different combinations/silhouettes after reading my blog. I don't want to promote constant consumerism and I always encourage women to shop within their means.

Kimberly, thanks for weighing in and explaining your own process. It's gracious of you and helpful to know your thoughts.

Thanks, Kimberly for taking the time to share what happens behind the scenes in your blog.

Thanks for weighing in, Kimberly. I especially appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments. They are very informative to me. I hope in no way did you ever feel maligned. That was never the intent of this original post. Best wishes.

I meant to comment on this a lot sooner, but, life... I haven't read the other replies here yet.

Sterling, I came to the same realization a couple of years ago, when Caroline of "Unfancy" was still doing the capsule thing strictly and religiously. In one of her outfit photos, she mentioned that she shoots a bunch, if not all, of her outfits, in a single day. It made me think, "How do I know you're actually wearing these outfits, for your real, daily life?" (Although I'm pretty sure she was wearing all of her outfits, because they were practical for every day, not some $5k jacket that has to be specially laundered with unicorn tears). But her comment made me take a step back, and reassess all of the other blogs I was following.

I used to shop to try and copy aspirational outfits, until I realized I had a closet full of clothes that were really event-specific, and not for everyday. I had to realign my thinking and my shopping habits, to fit my everyday life - which is why I love YLF so much.

In the end, I don't know that the authenticity of fashion bloggers really matters that much to me - I enjoy seeing new ideas, that help me think of new ways to use what I already have, and that fit my lifestyle.

Hmm, I think there's an untapped blog genre here: "How I Pack this Seemingly Impractical Bag"... I would read posts about that!