When we think way back to the early days of online fashion media, Who What Wear‘s daily email sticks in our minds as one of the originals. The site and its emails have come a long way since then, but they’re remained a constant favorite for everyone looking for a fashion-forward dose of celebrity style, runway trends and our favorite features – blogger style profiles. To find out a little more about Who What Wear and their take on fashion and personal style blogging, we asked Editorial Director Hilary Kerr, one half of the founding pair with Katherine Power, a few questions.
When did WhoWhatWear first start to feature style bloggers?
We’ve featured style bloggers since the site first started; we started running a story called MySpace Muse in 2007, a story that has evolved into a monthly piece called Style Stalker that we feature currently. The reason we started featuring these stylish young women was because we found them inspirational and accessible and knew our readers would too.
What do you look for when setting up a project with brands / bloggers? What elements help make it feel natural for your readers?
We always look for people who have a unique, fully articulated point of view and have editorial sensibilities. Our readers also love seeing bloggers who really know how to mix high and low price points to create their outfits.
Do you read many fashion or personal style blogs? Which ones stand out to you?
As fashion fanatics, everyone at WhoWhatWear checks out fashion and personal style blogs—it’s part of our job to do so! In terms of fashion websites, we have always adored The Coveteur (we also collaborate with them on a monthly story called Fashion Office, which features the offices and careers of fashion insiders) and IntoTheGloss. Jenn Camp is another true talent; her sites, including Le Fashion, have always been some of our favorites because she really is such an excellent curator. We also appreciate Geri Hirsch’s Because I’m Addicted, Blair Eadie’s Atlantic-Pacific, Cat Khan’s KnightCat, and Leandra Medine’s The Man Repeller.
What do you think about the proliferation of fashion and style blogs of late?
I think the proliferation of fashion and style blogs is wonderful! Though Katherine and I come from a traditional print background—I worked in ELLE‘s feature department for years and Katherine was the West Coast Editor for ELLE and ELLEgirl—we very firmly believe that great fashion can come from anywhere and anyone. As far as we’re concerned, anything that makes fashion more accessible and inspires women is a good thing!
With such a saturated market of style blogs, what can bloggers do to stand out?
Having a deep and throughout knowledge of what’s going on in the fashion industry now, as well as historically, is of paramount importance. I’m also always interested in anything that feels fresh, so I look for people who are doing their own, unique thing rather than just emulating what’s already out there. Again, a distinct point of view is crucial.
When you land on a blog, what usually grabs your attention? What keeps you reading? What do you dislike seeing?
I’m interested in cohesive visions, so if I land on a blog and see that a girl has a specific narrative, that makes me immediately interested. Color is another big thing for me, specifically how someone combines colors and makes pairings feel fresh. I love unplaceable pieces over a very obvious “it” item. A sense of humor is always good, as is an understanding of what a person is referencing, whether that’s a movie or a designer or a music genre. Personally, I’m a bit tired of seeing arm parties and the popular “personal style blogger” shot (standing in the middle of a deserted street, head down, and feet turned in).
If a blogger wanted to use their site as a sample when applying for a job in fashion publishing, what advice would you give them?
Show that you can curate images and make it more about the fashion industry and trends rather than your own personal style. You’re applying for a job and your potential future boss wants to know your taste level, understanding of the industry, and ability to research.
If you had to make a prediction, what do think (or hope) the landscape of blogging and online fashion media will look like in a year or two, or 5 years?
I’m certain that fashion bloggers are here to stay and I think these independent voices will only grown in importance as the fashion industry starts to fully understand the impact of the internet and embrace it.
Image credit: WhoWhatWear.com and Glamour magazine
We know what Hilary means about the standing int he street, feet turned in, head down style shots but everything moves and gets dated so fast on the internet, it’s almost as though things can become parodies of themselves so quickly.
So it’s the challenge between remaining consistent and being able to spot when what you’re doing might become “dated” and evolve into something fresh. It’s something we think about a lot – especially in such a saturated market.