General

As you will know, I love outfit posts. I love reading, writing, creating and drooling over them, so I thought I would help you guys out. I know how annoying it is to go onto another website and have to put together a collage, or put two images together, exactly central etc etc, so I’ve come up with an 8-step tutorial on how to create your own outfit collage template, to use time and time again! You can do this in either Photoshop or Pixlr, but today I’m using Photoshop CS4 (on Windows).

STEP 1

Create a new transparent file. Make sure it’s the correct size you want, because it’s easier than re-sizing it at the end. Just in case you are wondering, all my blog images are 620px wide.

STEP 2

Select the line tool. You may want it to have some sort of effect on it, maybe you want it to look like a paint stroke? Fiddle around and see what you think works best! I prefer just a simple straight line.

STEP 3

Choose your preferred colour. I chose white as it blends well with my blog’s background, making it look like the images are separated by formatting.

STEP 4

Choose the weight/width of your line, this can be as thick or as thin as you want. I went for 10px wide in Photoshop.

STEP 5

Draw your straight line. You don’t need to center it at the moment, just concentrate on making sure it’s perfectly straight! Easy as pie.

STEP 6

Press Ctrl + A (Select All), then go to Layers, then Align Layers to Selection, clicking on Horizantal Centers. This will make sure it is dead straight in the middle. Of course, if you want it slightly off center, then just drag it to where you want it, and ignore this step.

STEP 7

You then want to right click on the line’s layer, and click on Rasterize Layer. This sort of flatten’s the layer so that it’s easier to manage.

STEP 8

The last step is to save your file as either a .PNG or a .PSD. You may want to save it as a .PNG file so you can open it in other softwares when you don’t have Photoshop to hand… just as long as it is transparent then you’ll be fine!

~ HOW TO USE YOUR TEMPLATE ~

So obviously, you are wondering…. so how do I use my template? Well, it’s super simple. Follow these four simple steps and you’ll have your very own, personalised, template for outfit pictures (or anything else, pictures)…

STEP 1

Open up your file, and the two images which you wish to put side by side. I usually go for either 2 full lengths, or 1 full length and a detail!

STEP 2

Go to your template file, and select one half of the template (make sure you haven’t selected your line down the middle).

STEP 3

Copy one of the images you opened up, go back to your template, and press Ctrl + Shift + V (Paste Into). This will put the image into just that one half. Drag and re-size the image to how you want it to look. The bits of the image that aren’t visible, go underneath the line and aren’t deleted, so you can move it around a bit afterwards!

STEP 4

Repeat with the over half, selecting and pasting into the correct space… and voila! A perfect outfit template.

To make this even more personalised or custom, you could add more lines to create a grid, or have an image floating in it’s own space. It’s really all down to ‘Paste Into’, so you can be really creative with it! Good Luck!

HOW TO TAKE OUTFIT PICTURES // OUTFIT PICTURES FEATURED

I’m so excited to share this post with you! You may remember at the very start of this year, I popped up a little ‘Let’s Get To Know Each Other‘ survey! I was pleasantly surprised when all of your entries came in… there were loads! It’s actually been the most interesting thing I have done and I would push every blogger to get their readers to do the same. So obviously I wanted to share my reader survey results with you! Enjoy… 🙂

87% of you said you read blogs in bed…

I kind of knew that you guys would be sloths like me, but I was surprised that it was pretty much all of you, who read blogs in bed. Doctors and sleeping experts (pffft, I’m probably one of them…) would probably be a bit annoyed but hey, I’m cool with it?! What I really want to know now is… what drink is on your bedside table? Hot chocolate, tea, coffee? Let me know!

44% of you prefer Coca-Cola to Pepsi…

…and 41% of you don’t like fizzy drinks at all! Shocking! I’m definitely a Coca-Cola and all round fizzy drink lover. How can you not like it?! Yes okay, dentists don’t advise you to drink it but I’m afraid I just can’t resist. My current fave combo is lemonade and cherry sirop (in France they call it a ‘diabolo cerise’).

Your favourite blog posts on Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion are My Style outfit posts…

YAY! I’m glad. They’re actually my favourite to put together. I’m such a weirdo that I genuinely enjoy spending a good part of an hour fiddling around on Photoshop making the pictures look even more pretty. They’re also a great way for me to store outfit inspiration so we win all round. Lifestyle & DIYs post come in close second… more on this later!

Your favourite blogger is Zoella…

This was super interesting. I think for bloggers, knowing what other blogs your readers like is super helpful for content ideas. Obviously copying is not what I mean, but taking inspiration from them is always acceptable. There were loads of smaller blogs that I had never heard of, but the most mentioned were some pretty cool girls. Obviously queen of the internet, Zoella, came out on top, but ma’ bae Liv Purvis was pretty close too. (No competition obviously, they’re all beauts). Here’s the list of most mentioned blogs…

• Zoella
• What Olivia Did
• Wish Wish Wish
• Zoe London
• Rose & Vintage

Most of you want to see more outfits, lifestyle + DIYs, and blogging advice on my blog…

I also found this question really interesting. So many of you want to see more outfit posts, and to me this is actually a big shock! I thought I was doing plenty, but obviously not! Of course I take into account how much I can physically do, and whether I want to, but I will take this on board. Lifestyle was also a shocker… I don’t do many lifestyle posts so this was interesting. What I want to know (other than DIYs… I’ll also do more of these, watch this space), is what kind of lifestyle posts? Days out? Photography? Let me know!

67% of you would prefer to stay on Earth than move to Mars or the Moon if you could…

Hmph. Boring! Haha, nooo, I understand why… obviously your scared of aliens, right? Ha! I was surprised. A fun question, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more of an adventurous side in my readers. That 8% who’d like to live on Mars are my kind of people. Comment below if you choose Mars… I shall reward you with (virtual) cookies.

So there you go! Pretty cool, huh? I’m definitely going to take this all into account and start putting your feedback to use in the future 🙂 But for now, I’m just gonna’ blow my nose for the 50th thousandth time today (poorly Tolly)… goodbye! 

Every week my inbox is bound to receive a question related to blogging, and it’s hard to answer every single one individually, so I’ve decided today is the day that I shall answer them all, and for good! Obviously some of you might have different questions, but I know that these are frequently asked ones, so it should help the majority of you, whether you have a blog already, or you have only just started. Don’t forget to leave me any questions in the comments too, I will try and answer them all for you!

What is the best blogging platform?

In my opinion this is very personal. I’ve only ever tried WordPress because that is what my family has always used. I’ve tried Blogger when working on other people’s blogs, and it’s just too dated and fiddly for me. WordPress has such a nice interface! Definitely look up what would work best for you, I’ve also heard that Squarespace is really good too.

How do I get more views and readers?

This is probably the most common question from newer and older bloggers. There really is no simple answer, and without going off on a tangent, you must not forget that views don’t mean everything. Social media, SEO and advertising are three basic and amazing ways to get those readers in, so definitely have a Google search on those topics.

Do I need a fancy camera?

No! You definitely don’t. The latest smart phones and basic digital cameras all do the job perfectly. DSLRs are expensive and are not for everyone. I actually did a post all about this topic so definitely check it out. Don’t go splashing the cash without some research! Oh and for all those asking, I use the Nikon D3200 with the 35mm 1:1.8G DX lens!

(Recognise this ‘lens’? It’s the mug from my Christmas wishlist. SO COOL! Also, follow me on Instagram, yeah?)

How many times a week should I publish a blog post?

This is really up to you, and when your schedule says you can. Things like school, work and family are much more important so don’t let blogging take over other aspects of your life. Perhaps try and blog at least 2-3 times a week, and see if you want to increase or decrease that amount. You’ll find out what works best sooner or later.

How can I get brands to work with me?

Another answer which involves the words ‘don’t worry’, because you shouldn’t. When I started blogging I had absolutely no clue that bloggers could be sent things to review, or just generally work with them. But I know for some older bloggers, still not working with brands can be annoying if you have lots of ideas in your head.

Although some people may disagree, do you know why brands put Press and PR emails on their sites? So bloggers and members of the media can contact them. So many more brands are opening up to bloggers, so if you really want, send a polite and inviting email to them and introduce your blog and idea. If you’re waiting for brands to contact you, then it may just be that your blog still needs to develop.

Brands use bloggers as a form of advertising, so it’s very rare that they will send you something just as a ‘gift’, so don’t be sad if nothing comes. Wait until those readers are rolling in (this can take 2 months, or 2 years), and you’ll see brands rolling in too.

What on earth is HTML?

Coding! It’s the magical stuff that puts together quite a lot of your blog. There is also CSS which puts together most of the structure and design of your blog. I would probably recommend learning some if you have the time. Even if you just learn the basics like how to center an image through HTML tags, or how to change a HEX number in your CSS. It’s really simple stuff that can be vital to the blogging process. If you need some extra help, check out Quack HTML. I’ve found it super handy!

P.S There is a new video going up (or already up) on my YouTube channel… yeah only took me since last summer!

So a while ago, I stumbled across the wonderful blog which is Elle and Company, and saw that Lauren had surveyed her readers in a really nice and simple way… so inspired by her idea, I want you guys to full in a fun little survey about Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion! You are obviously not obliged to fill it in, but if you want to, it would help me a lot! I just want to get to know a bit more about you guys seeing as you know a lot about me. Take it as a nice way to get to know each other. You don’t have to tell me where you live or anything, and I’m not even asking for your email, so there is no risk of spam! Just relax and take a minute or two to fill it in! I will display the results in a fancy little infographic at the end of this month!

This survey is now closed. Report back here soon to find out the results…

Thanks so much for filling it in if you did! It’s a big help, and I can’t wait to see what things we like and dislike… we might be really alike! 🙂

It is officially 2015… scary! This can only mean one thing! It’s time to do a good ol’ bit of soppy reflection and share with you my New Year’s resolutions. I never really used to do them, but after last year (2014… it went way too quick), I have decided to carry on setting goals, however big or small. So, let’s get on with it…

~ REFLECTION ~

2014 was pretty darn good. At the start of the year I had some big dreams and ambitions, and I am so happy to say that I am pretty sure that I achieved every single one… we’ll exclude the personal ones for now… 😛

Firstly I decided to set myself a goal of working with brands on product collaborations and by golly gosh was that a big thing to write down. I was in a recent Twitter chat about New Year’s resolutions, and I think somebody was actually quite shocked that I managed to do it without a plan of action. But here I am now with a professional design contract with a brand (Mooi en Lief). Sometime soon I will have a collection of socks and tights with my name on them. Pretty darn cool. Read more about that here if you are interested!

Next up I really wanted to do some more fashion design work. I’m not going  to say I have done that fully, but I would say it probably ties in with my previous goal. I have learnt quite a lot on what it takes to create a collection, and am pretty proud of that. I have a whole portfolio book full of designs, research and goodness know’s what that I didn’t even know you had to do! Stepping stones can be as big as you want them to be.

Create unique and interesting blog topics was my final goal, and I think this is down to you guys to judge. I would say I have achieved it. I think my posts have generally got better as I have grown. For me, the second half of 2014 was probably full of some of my best ever content, and I am not sorry, at all for saying that. Plus, look at my blog now. All professional with a swanky new design and layout… 🙂 YAY! You can read some of my favourite posts of last year, here!

~ RESOLUTIONS ~

I’m still not certain what I want to achieve this year. I feel like it will be a proper crack down year where I’ll just be doing a lot of stuff. Who knows what that stuff maybe, but let’s just hope it’s good. I obviously want my Mooi en Lief by Tolly Dolly Posh collaboration to go down well, and for you guys to love it, but other than that I’m okay with everything now. If my blog carries on growing then that’s brilliant! If I keep learning new things then that’s fantastic!

But to make some of you happy and to write down a proper bloggy goal, I think I’d like to work with brands for a longer time than just the odd post. Because brands, PRs and designers have set campaigns and schedules to work alongside, it’s really hard to work with them on different projects all the time. I’d love to collaborate with some of my favourites in different ways whether it be on my blog or off. I want to really work with people and gain experience. So there, there’s a goal for you! Oh and I also want to get back on that thing called YouTube. Yeah… I’m working on it!

Farewell 2014. You were a good year, but let’s see if 2015 can be even better!
LET’S DO THIS.

With Christmas behind us and the New Year just around the corner (2 days!), I thought I would round up some of my favourite posts of this year. One of my goals for 2014 was to really push myself with my content and would definitely say I have done that! I don’t know how amazing they have been but you guys still seem to be reading so… I’ll take that as a ‘pretty good’ 🙂 Hehe! So, if you want to flick through my archives, here is a list of my favourite blog posts from two thousand and fourteen…

Please do let me know which blog posts have been your faves of 2014! I’d love to know in the comments 🙂 Happy New Year if we don’t speak again, I hope 2015 is filled with thousands of lovely memories.

Hello my lovely people! I hope you are well 🙂 I’m sat at home looking after my ‘pawly’ cat (she broke her leg… well done Paloma!), so I decided to write a good old fashion blog post. Recently I’ve become a hat person. I’ve fallen in love with the whole ‘floppy hat on the back of your head’ vibe and the messy hair that sits underneath it. I blame Suki Waterhouse mainly… *sigh*

When a code from ASOS slipped into my inbox last Saturday night, I grabbed the opportunity to buy something sneaky from my Saved Items. The code was 30% off for Premier members (it’s a dead code now, sorry!), so I had a browse and decided to cave in and give them my ££ for a new floppy hat. Ever since I got my summer one, I’ve loved wearing it, so a winter version didn’t seem too bad an idea. The code made my purchase a lot cheaper, so I grabbed this basic felt floppy hat for just £14, and I’ve worn it a lot already! It’s the perfect size to wear properly, or on the back of my head like I mentioned earlier. What do you think? I’m loving it personally.

1//2//3//4//5//6//7//8//9//10

I decided to have another browse, just for you guys, and pick out some of my favourite styles in the ASOS hats section (I promise this isn’t sponsored, you guys know I love their stuff). There are some cheaper ones on there, and some more pricey versions, so if you like the look of one, just click the numbers above. My favourites are probably the blue fedora from Whistles, the kitty cat beanie and grey fedora with the braid detail. They’re all very autumnal even though it’s still pretty sunny, but I love them nonetheless. I’m definitely classing myself as a hat person now… are you?

Speaking of hats, you might be needing a new outfit for a wedding or prom, and want to wear a nice hat or fascinatior but still haven’t got the right dress. Why not check out TopWedding‘s selection of party and cocktail dresses? (This is a sponsored link. Full disclaimer here.)

Psst. It’s only one week until my new site design launches! Eeep! 😀

Dear Bye Bra,

The reason I have yet to reply to your first email about sampling the Bye Bra breast lift tape, is because…

1 – I am in no way interested in reviewing a breast lift tape.
2 – I am never ever going to show my ‘breasticles’ on this blog… EVER.
3 – I wouldn’t buy breast lift tape anyway, so why would I want to review it on my blog?

Oh wait, hang on! Silly me, almost forgot… I’m 14, and I have nothing going on in the breast department… FLAT. AS. A. WALL.

I’m glad you like my blog, but next time, I would recommend that you check the bloggers you are emailing instead of putting ‘Dear owner of [insert URL]’ and wasting my time (…I hope ‘the board meeting which you discussed my blog in’ went well…), and embarrassing yourself.

Thanks, but definitely NO THANKS,
Bye Bye Bra…

Today (19th May) marks the day where I have to change all of my social media bio pages to ’14 year old fashion blogger’. Yup, I’m 14 now. Like, what?! *dances to happy birthday* I thought I would do a post similar to this one, and tell you a few things I have learnt so far in my life… get the snorkel out, I bet this will be deep…

Neon Hood-Scarf (Claire’s)*//Smiley Top (Hero & Cape)*//Dinosaur Sunglasses (DIY)//
WANT TO WIN SOME GOODIES?! SECRET GIVE-AWAY HERE!

1. Comparison is the thief of joy.
2. Always take the path you’re on, even if it feels scary (..obviously not in all situations.. just life in general.)
3. Even if the bad times still feel bad, look at your position now and see how far you’ve come.
4. You have my whole life ahead of me.
5. There is always somebody out there in a worse position than yours.

6. Time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time.
7. Missing somebody only makes the heart grow stronger.
8. If you feel sad, a cat or a picture of your adorable nephew will always make you feel better… FACT.
9. Family is the most important thing… EVER.
10. People will always judge.

11. Feeling surprised when something good happens, shows that what you are doing, is worth it.
12. Always wear socks, even if it’s warm outside.
13. Learning to swim is one of the best things somebody can do. It will save your life in emergencies, or somebody else’s, and you’ll be able to make happy memories in the summer time.
14. Whatever happens, happens.

P.S As a little Happy Birthday present, it would make me very happy if you could vote for Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion as Best Teen Style Blog on Tab 8 of the Company Style Blogger Awards. Click here to do so. Thank you so much if you do!

Hello everyone! I am sat here with a stinking cold, looking out to clear blue skies, but today I have Part 2 of my AW14′ London Fashion Week Collections Review and I hope you like it! Thanks for the comments on the previous one, and if you missed it, you can read from A-the 1st L (haaaa) here.

London College of Fashion MA: A ‘multiple’ collections show from the MA students at the London College of Fashion. This was the collection that caught my eye. I don’t know who it is by, but I LOVE it. It’s so interesting and so me. I love the mix of textures and prints as well as structure. I love the faux fur too! My favourite looks are the ones in the middle. I love how the blue tartan is ruffled and I love the sort of mesh style coat. Absolutely gorgeous! Rating: 100/10

Matthew Williamson: A new discovery is Matthew Williamson. I really liked his collection with the pastel blue, and I adore the trousers (far left), and I wish I owned them! The print is simple, but the colour makes it way more magical. I also quite liked the embellished dress with the faux fur jacket, very snazzy. Not too keen on the sort of lycra stretchy material though…. Rating: 9/10

Meadham Kirchhoff: I’ve never been the biggest MK fan, but I enjoyed watching the show for AW14. It is a very big mish mash of different styles, from romantic pieces, to gothic brocade, and the metallic pieces. I feel like it’s what a young girl would put on her dolls in her dolls house, and nothing would really match but everyone would praise what she had done to them. I’m not saying I don’t like the collection, but I’m not saying I do like the collection. I will leave you to make that decision! Rating: 7.5/10

Mulberry & Cara Delevingne: The big reveal for LFW was the Mulberry and Cara Delevingne collaboration. As you will know, Mulberry is close to home for me so I was really interested in seeing what the collection is all about and I am so happy! It’s definitely a ‘Cara D’ collection, as all the bags come as rucksacks which is not only practical but also exactly the kind of thing Cara goes for. My favourites are the monochrome camouflage ones, I’d love to have one of them on my back! Rating: 9/10

Peter Pilotto: Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm. The reason I am ‘hmmm’-ing is because there was no Mary Katrantzou in the ‘M’ section of this post, and that is because I didn’t like the collection, and that upsets me, so I went out on a search for a replacement and found Peter Pilotto. I had heard of his Target collaboration so was intrigued when I was looking through this lot. I do quite like the pieces. They are simple yet the silhouettes and prints make them stand out. Although I don’t think I could say that I have found a new, better version of Mary K, Pilotto has certainly made me happy by filling in the gaping whole of mixing prints. Rating: 8/10

Shao Yen: Another new discovery! I really like this collection, and I love the mix of styles. It’s not a jumble like Meadham K, it’s a subtle mix. My favourite pieces are the sculptured round skirt and the grey look with the cape. I do feel it is slightly ruined by the faux fur as it adds that element of ‘tacky’ to it unfortunately. It’s nice though, and I will definitely keep my eye on Yen in September! Rating: 8/10

Sophia Webster: Oh my word. I loved her in SS14 and I love her in AW14. Mrs Webster, you go girl! I am obsessed with this collection. The colours and the prints are amazing. The backpack and the wedges remind me of Dolly Mixtures and those knee high flats and those pastel clear boots and those shiny robot heels and all the colour and all of it, and oh my gosh I could go on and on. I LOVE IT OKAY. I LOVE IT. It’s just so nice and I am so glad that pastel is going to still be around for AW14. Urgh, now I just have an urge to save up all my pennies and buy it all, but life and bills and taxes and stuff (jokes, I’m 13). Rating: Infinity/10 (that’s a pretty good rating)

Sorapol: I decided I would feature this collection just because it is so weird but also wonderful. Sorapol’s collections may be extravagant but some of the pieces always make me smile. I could imagine some of these pieces being in Star Wars (there has been a lot of Star Wars mentioned in these posts). My favourite piece is the lace dress in the middle. So beautiful, yet it has that element of sexiness (oh gosh Tolly, #cheese). This collection also reminds me that I need to do that interview with their Creative Director (Daniel Lismore). It’s well overdue! Rating: 8/10

Topshop UNIQUE: This collection is always interesting because it is just so… ODD. It’s like Topshop are trying to be a high end designer brand but it never really works out that well… in my opinion. I have to say though, it didn’t disappoint me too much this time around. I like elements of it like the sheer embellished tops and the ‘LBDs’, but I still don’t really get it. I can see the Topshop vibes running through but to be honest… it’s nothing special. Sorry peeps, but that is purely my opinion! I made a joke (well…  it’s kind of true) where if I was behind Anna Wintour at the show I would poke her on the shoulder and point at the other person if she turned around… just for the LOL factor. Rating: 7/10 

Vivienne Westwood: The last, but certainly not least of all the collections, is… *fan fair* Vivienne Westwood. Oh dear lord of all things fashion, I LOVE IT. It’s not particularly ‘me’, but I still adore it. The models have such charisma and sass (sass to the sass, roll over, roll over – random thing I made up whilst talking to Anna, don’t ask!), and the clothes just add to it. My favourite looks are the monochrome stripe dress and the regal style dress with the red sash. It’s all very Westwood style, but something just makes this collection 100 times better than last AW14. I praise Vivienne, because it really is a beautiful collection. *All hail Dame Westwood* Rating: 100/10 

I hope you liked this final instalment of the AW14′ London Fashion Week Collections. There were a few others which I skipped off the list just because I found them very odd indeed. How on earth is Hunter now got a slot at the shows?! The show was interesting because there was a water catwalk and Dynamo ended the show, but the clothes were not worth speaking about. So there we have it until September! Lets all cross our fingers and toes that I will actually be there at the shows for the SS15 collections… I have a feeling it could be my first LFW! 😀 😀 😀

(All images are via Vogue)