Over the World Wide Web, there
is a continual influx of information over the internet
highway, including, most recently, a trend in fashion
blogging. Currently, there are hundreds of new fashion blogs
being created everyday, and over millions of already created
websites. With these massive amounts of people posting their
opinions on style, how can you stop wasting your time
reading useless fashion blogs? Is there anyway to separate
the quality blogs from the irrelevant ones? This review of
five top rated fashion blogs gives insight into what
standards should be used in deciding which blogs are worth
your time.
Fashion
blogs are ranked on a 10 point scale in four areas: (1)
clarity of thought, (2) timeliness, (3) relevance, and (4)
degree of opinion.
Style
File blog:
Total Score: 28
Style.com is a
primary source and destination for where people receive
their fashion news, trends, and photos of seasonal runway
shows. In addition, the renown website has a chief blog
site, Style File, where writers can post opinions on various
aspects of fashion in a more informal setting and approach.
Even though there are several writers for Style File, the
writing style of this blog site is distinct and individual
to Style.com's website.
1.) Clarity of thought:
6.5. It is decent. You are able to read through it, although
some postings may be a bit long-winded. Also, some entries
may be difficult to understand if you don't have a lot of
knowledge of people in the fashion industry, such as Sophia
Hesketh and Byrdie Bell.
2.) Timeliness: 8.5. This
blog seems to lack consistency. It will have 5-6 entries in
one day, and then skip three days entirely without any new
posts and then continue on with 5-6 entries. This is
probably because people are not working on the weekends. On
the upside, it does post slightly more than the average
blog, but for a blog that is on a website of considerable
size and prominence, you would expect that it would.
3.) Relevance: 7. I don't
think this blog really provides any new information that is
of importance or is really interesting. It attempts to draw
on styles outside of the US, which can be informative, but
it doesn't focus enough fashion in the homeland. Focus of
articles tends to stray away from American fashion, and
stick more with foreign matters. In the past several days,
there have been over five postings purely on Moscow fashion
alone. This is completely unnecessary. Information can also
be quite dry at times.
4.) Degree of Opinion: 6.
While it does provide news, writers do not write to form
their own opinions really, but just blog to create a place
for viewers to post their own insights and opinions. The
writers tend to say something that they feel is true, such
as the "Prep School Blazer style is very trendy," yet it
still opens the discussion for debate, by asking viewers
whether they agree or what their thoughts are. This makes
the writer's opinions seems inconsistent and weak. The blog
would be better if the writers had a stronger point of view
in their critique. It is unnecessary to ask the reader
whether they agree with them or not, because the reader will
post his or her opinions anyway.
Hint
Magazine blog:
Hint Magazine is an online
fashion magazine, where you can read fashion columns and
story features with a wide ranging selection of topics
including music, art, dance and, of course, fashion. It has
a separate blog to informally discuss various areas of
interests that cater to more independent styles and are
usually humorous and entertaining to read.
Total Score: 30
1.) Clarity of thought: 8.
The blog is clear to read and understand. It is written in a
contemporary manner that appeals to a younger audience.
There are not copious amounts of text in each entry compared
to the Style File blog, and instead they include many photos
and videos that go along with the postings. This makes it
look less daunting to get through, which is important in
today's fast paced world of Twittering.
2.) Timeliness: 6. In an
era where bloggers are uploading new entries a dozen times
per day, this blog only has, on average, 1-2 posts per day.
In order to maintain a blog with readers constantly tuning
in, it is imperative that there are multiple entries in a
short span for readers to regularly come back to.
3.) Relevance: 7. Where
Style File's subject content was entirely about the New York
fashion world, this blog seems to veer slightly to the left
of that direction. The information posted seems to target a
more indie audience by showcasing unheard of designers,
writers and artists. I found also that it seems to post a
lot on Brazilian artists and designers. I am not sure if
there is a correlation between the writers and Brazil for
them to do so, but either way, it is a little inconsistent
with balancing foreign matters. Some posts are completely
irrelevant and hold no interest for me, but for those that
enjoy reading about marble urinals in art exhibits and gay
porn awards, this is your destination. And if you are one of
those readers who enjoy this blog, good luck with letting
them know your thoughts, since they have disabled the
commenting feature on this blog.
4.) Degree of Opinion: 9.
Writers on this blog seem to enjoy writing about what they
write about. While news information can be lackluster and
tedious at times, this blog tries to send out their messages
in a humorous and enjoyable way. While not all of the
content on this blog is PG, I did enjoy reading it, even if
I wasn't too interested in what they were actually saying.
Fashion
Tribes:
Fashion Tribes tends to
appeal to the average fashionista who is well versed in
various areas of fashion, such as new trends, beauty and
accessories. The reader is usually familiar with popular
styles and substantial fashion news occurring on in the
fashion world. Taking elements from various aspects of
fashion, such as advertisements, magazines and events, this
website is pretty solid and well rounded.
Total Score: 30
1.) Clarity of thought: 9.
The blog is portioned into smaller paragraphs, which makes
it really reader friendly. Also, if you find yourself done
with the reading, but are still interested in the topic, it
allows you to read more after the jump, which gets rid of
extra writing clutter, and opens up space for more easy on
the eyes photos and videos. A lot of good pictures and
examples, which make the posts look lively and not
overwhelming to read.
2.) Timeliness: 6. For a
website that is well known across the nation as one of the
top rated fashion blogs, you would think that there would be
much more blog entries, but instead I was disappointed to
find that it only updates only 3-4 days per week. Even
though there are a good amount of entries per day, the blog
does not allow readers to view older posts, since there is
no backlog feature. This makes it really disappointing for
those that want to continue reading the rest of the blog,
but are unable to.
3.) Relevance: 9. I really
enjoyed the content on this blog and thought that it had a
lot of good, useful information. It draws in various news
about upcoming websites in fashion, as well as information
about fresh spring beauty regimes and free giveaways, which
everyone loves. Considering the wide-range of topics
featured on this blog, I think that it is very good for an
everyday shopaholic.
4.) Degree of Opinion: 6.
There is hardly, if any, critique in any of the entries
posted. However, when creating a blog site, you usually
write about what you like, so with that in mind, you
definitely know what the writers for this blog like to write
about, which explains why I gave it a more generous score,
since it posts things assuming that you know that these are
things that they enjoy or find pleasing, without really
having an opinion about them.
Go Fug
Yourself:
Combine Hollywood celebrity
style with a Perez Hilton sense of humor, and you have the
love child of Go Fug Yourself. Known for its uncanny humor,
it leaves no celebrity unharmed or unnoticed. This blog is
probably one of the most hilarious fashion criticism blogs
out there in a sea of fashion blogs on the internet, but
then again, I am being completely biased, since these
writers' humor is right up my alley. Warning, this blog is
not for everyone.
Total Score: 38
1.) Clarity of thought: 9.
This blog uses the adverb, "A picture speaks a thousand
words" and makes it its central point. Uploading a photo of
a celebrity in a ridiculous outfit pretty much speaks for
itself, since that is mainly how it shows the reader the
ridiculousness of the celebrity's outfit choices. Using the
photo as the butt of its jokes, the writers then
unapologetically bash the outfit.
2.) Timeliness: 10.
Finally! A blog with a little consistency! It updates well
over the course of the day. You can expect around 5 entries
in a day, expect on weekends, which is understandable.
3.) Relevance: 9. Depending
on your sense of humor, this site may or may not be right
for you. For those who enjoy reading about bashing
celebrities based on their clothing choices, then you have
pretty much found gold, but for the fainthearted, you may
cringe a bit more when you realize how harsh some of the
critiques may be. No worries though, this website is all in
good fun! Luckily, for this website, I fall in the former
category, and enjoyed this blog thoroughly.
4.) Degree of Opinion: 10.
Go Fug Yourself has made a career by casting its opinion on
what others are wearing, so if it would be difficult for me
to give it anything but a full score rating.
Fashionista
Fashionista is the product
of two staff writers from Nylon and Elle Magazine, and
joining to give you news in the fashion world faster than
most other blogs. With a combo of gossip, rumors, sale
tip-offs, internship suggestions, free giveaways, editorial
photos and every other relevant news in the fashion world,
Fashionista is a comprehensive and delightful read. Perhaps
I am just being completely subjective, because this is one
of the few blogs that I actually read everyday, alongside
Perez Hilton, but Fashionista combines all the New York
style straight out of the city's oven.
Total Score: 38.5
1.) Clarity of thought: 10.
The blog is written in small paragraphs, making it easier
for the reader to get through it, without feeling
overwhelmed. If the reader is still interested in a certain
blog entry, she can click on a separate link taking them to
"read after the jump." It uses a combination of lively
photos, videos and own photo-shopped writing, making the
blog more personal and distinct to Fashionista. Also, as a
helpful measure, if you don't understand some fashion
terminology, they have a dictionary specifically just for
that!
2.) Timeliness: 10.
Fashionista updates several times a day, throughout the day,
to give you the most recent and important news. This blog is
an archetype to how other fashion blogs should operate.
3.) Relevance: 10. The news
featured on this blog involves news occurring in the New
York fashion scene. While this may not include everyone, it
does deal with high fashion in a very real way, something
that can be understood no matter where you are. It also
includes subjects from other fashion websites to give you
the most relevant information, such as its "Mid-Day Snack"
section. This blog also includes various areas of fashion,
such as models, beauty, and editorial spreads, so the viewer
can be well read in all aspects of fashion.
4.) Degree of Opinion: 8.5.
While some blog entries are created just to provide readers
non-biased information, other entries are made to showcase
models or photo shoots that the writers really like. Either
way, you will read this blog learning what is important to
the creators of Fashionista. In most news, however, the
writers write the entries in a critical way, with a strong
point of view.
