If Instagram exists for any other purpose than to not-so-subtley announce to the world that, hey, we are all successful and VERY cool...then it exists for fashion people. Bloggers are pretty much the royalty of the Instagram world and in many ways, popular fashion bloggers are only remaining popular because of Instagram. Blogs might be dying, but Instagram + fashion bloggers is a combination that is very, very alive. And for those of us who live and breathe fashion (or just really like looking at pretty pictures of shoes and coffee), Instagram is a pretty big deal.
As someone who writes about fashion most days and has a very intense relationship with the art of online shopping, I adore Instagram. I probably post too much, and I'm certainly not on the level of those people who have the perfectly arranged aerial shot of their legs, coffee and super comfortable bed spread. But do I follow all the fashion people that post those shots? Of course I do. And I love it. Even though I love Instagram as much as the next fashion gal, there are always some thoughts that go through my head as I'm scrolling through my feed, seeing photo upon photo of peonies and lipstick collections. From "For the love of GOD, how do they go out to brunch so much?" to "I really need a new set of pencils," here are some thoughts that go through every fashion girls head while scrolling through their feed.
1. "WHY CAN'T I JUST TAP FOR BRANDS?!"
Loading {Fair Isle} π π @liketoknow.it www.liketk.it/uzV6 #liketkit View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
If you haven't already noticed, there's a new trend with some bloggers of having to go through a couple different steps JUST to know the brand of the item in the photo. I don't want to click something and check my email and sell my soul and go to a site just to find out where to buy something. I just want to tap the photo and know where things came from and be disappointed about not ever being able to afford it later, OK? Is that so much to ask, guys?
2. "Wait, do I have to refer to my significant other by only first initial too or...?"
Loading Walking through Cambria with this one! So glad we were able to get away for a few days. View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
I don't know exactly how this started, but recently I realized that fashion bloggers/Instagrammers just started to referring to their SOs by only the first letters of their name.
"A and I took a stroll down to the farmers market yesterday and bought some AMAZING kale." or "C loves when we walk to our local used book store during fall and find the cheesiest romance novels to giggle about in the corner together. Gosh, we're just such old souls." What about the rest of the name? Give the other vowels and consonants a chance! SOs are people too!
3. "I wonder if she really looks like that all the time..."
Loading Friiiiiyay! π View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Is it the lighting? I bet she took a lot of those just to get the best one. Maybe she ALSO had a piece of broccoli wedged in between her teeth for the first eight shots before she realized and took a decent one. Maybe. But what if she actually DOES look like that all the time?
4. "HOW did she even get that angle for the photo?
Loading Slept for 10 hours last night and it was heaven! Feeling ready to conquer the day and take care of business! View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
But really though. Legs, coffee, cozy blanket... it all seem so ideal, but isn't anyone asking HOW IT HAPPENS? Does she have drones? A very patient boyfriend? Freakishly long Gumby arms? Someone tell me the secrets.
5. "Oh my gosh, I totally need a set of cute pencils/pens."
Loading Did you catch yesterday's post on devonrachel.com? I talked about/shared some home stuff and my love of sharpies/office supplies + more. Get on with ya bad self and read π(link in profile) View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Something about Instagram and fashion people just makes me want to seriously up my stationary game as soon as possible. It seems important.
6. "Must. Have. Coffee."
Loading Back to life, back to reality βοΈ #monday #coffeeme View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
I don't even know if I really, truly liked coffee before I got an Instagram and started following a bagillion fashion bloggers. Now? All I do is crave coffee. Specifically, coffee paired with my casually placed ring-adorned, manicured hand resting in the shot. Obviously.
7. "Ok, enough with the selfies."
Loading New #dress, fun shoot for @cfashionista and now chicken and waffles for #brunch with my sweetheart. #mysunday View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
We've all done it. "Have you seen how many selfies so-and-so posts? A little ridiculous." We're so much better than them, right? We reserve selfies for good make up days and new haircuts and you know, when we're just feeling really, really happy; we save our self-indulgent Instagrams for IMPORTANT days. We silently judge everyone, and then go take more selfies anyway. Ah, millenials. Also: This photo is a selfie of myself.
8. "How can one possibly, ACTUALLY go out to breakfast/brunch that much?"
Loading Striped sweater, fresh manicure, and my favorite breakfast in the city. #happygirl π΄π³βοΈ View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
But, really, HOW? I barely make it out of bed most days, let alone to a fancy breakfast spot to meet with friends or clients or other super fancy eggs benedict-eating people. Someone tell me how I can attain the breakfast six times a day lifestyle. Someone. Tell me.
9. "I wish I lived somewhere with cuter street corners."
Loading Stopped by Neal's Yard for a smoothie and an extra dose of color #London #gmgtravels #nealsyard #colorful View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Because, yeah, a cute outfit is good and well to post on Instagram, but the background really makes it, you know? You just start wishing that you were casually twirling in your dress on the coast of Italy or in front of a hip graffiti-covered wall in New York City instead of just standing in front of a Subway. And no, not like, the trains... the actual sandwich shop.
10. "I should send more thank you notes."
Loading Confessions of a thank you-aholic. I can't leave @homegoods without a new set! It's a problem. #wedding #thankyou #homegoods #colorful View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Like I said, stationary + fashion Instagrammers is a powerful, powerful thing. And, after all, what is old fashioned gratitude anyway if the whole world doesn't know you are employing it? Nothing, of course. Absolutely nothing.
11. "Well, I guess a green smoothie/juice IS probably a good idea."
Loading Working for the weekend. #tgif View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Being healthy is trendy for fashion people. This is incredibly confusing because photos of pizza and/or pasta and/or wine and/or fries are also very popular on Instagram...but I digress. Sometimes you just think, "You know what this photo needs? Proof that I like a trendy juice now and again." It doesn't matter that you just shoveled Chipotle into your mouth two hours ago.
12. "But I don't WANT to like Birkenstocks..."
Loading Headed out to celebrate #juicykohls @kohls π View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Suddenly, they just seem necessary. And then you love them in all their weird, clunky glory. You just do.
13. "I should really be less self-conscious about having pictures of my outfit taken."
Loading Don't miss today's sporty chic look on TheStyleScribe.com! Wearing @jamesjeans, @theory__, @jcrew, @alexanderwangny and @aquazzura #ootd #thestylescribe #ontheblog #jamesjeans #aquazzura View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Anyone can take 20 to 40 semi-decent selfies by themselves in their apartment, but you follow fashion people and you know that people really just want to see a good outfit out on the street. Totally staged street style is really popular, but it can be a little scary to execute IRL. "What will people think? It'll be so clear that I'm not REALLY just casually walking down the street... I'm actually getting a totally self-indulgent photo of my outfit taken." So you just sit there drinking your chic coffee, the possibilities of the photos you could have taken multiplying by the minute. The struggle is real.
14. "Ok, that's DEFINITELY not the real contents of her purse."
Loading Sharing my favorite travel beauty tips & products on galmeetsglam.com today Narrowing it down to just the essentials that I can't go without! #beautytips #beautyproducts #travel View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Bag spills: They're fun. They're pretty, cool to look at and give you a "real life" look into what fashion girls put in their purse β but let's be real, we all know they're lying. I guess the 12-mile long CVS receipt with coupons wasn't cool enough for the photo, right? The hidden stash of tampons and cough drops not very chic? How about the weird pile of crumbs at the bottom that no one ever does anything about? Right? I mean, we all love these shots anyway, but we know the truth.
15. "Nope. They didn't eat that candy."
Loading One of my favorite shoots, ever. A Halloween-themed candy bar with @sugarfina. View on Instagram @-webkit-keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} } @keyframes"dkaXkpbBxI"{ 0%{opacity:0.5;} 50%{opacity:1;} 100%{opacity:0.5;} }
Fashion people really love Instagramming candy shots. Why? I don't know, it's just a thing. And it's always the most glorious, bright, beautiful candy. Did they really eat it? I think no.