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Over the past few months I’ve made a real effort to make sure that I am known as being an ethical blogger. I want to put out a message that I believe in, whether it be easy or not to do so. I want to attract the right crowd and I want to create a new one! I’m only in the early stages of making this change, but I thought my experiences so far in making the change to become a specifically ethical blogger, might help out those making a change of direction.

IN THIS POST: Blogosphere Magazine Issue 11 

1. Your followers might change…

I can’t say that I’ve lost a drastic amount of followers since publicly changing my social media bios from “fashion blogger” to “ethical blogger”, especially not enough for me to get worried over, but I’m sure that ever since my blog post topics have changed, some of my readers have lost interest.

This can be because of a handful of different reasons. One of the reasons I’m trying to avoid is guilt and the idea that they’ll feel bad for their choices or what kind of lifestyle they lead if they read my blog. That’s not the idea, of course.

Another reason, especially as a fashion blogger who used to post a heck load of outfit posts and feature heavily on affordable high-street brands, might be the fact that you’re not publishing blog posts they “can’t” buy into anymore. Blogs can be a huge inspiration and influence for purchasing new items, and of course what I’m doing now is sharing better options, but for some people, those options just aren’t what they’re looking for. That’s okay. It ties back into the guilt reasoning, in a way.

One of the best ways to deal with this is part of my next point…

2. You’ll be able to work out who to support, and who supports you…

Thinking about quality over quantity is vital when making a shift for the good. I don’t know about you but I’d rather have a handful of readers who are truly interested in my journey and the message I’m trying to spread, than thousands who are reading for the parts of my blog that are in some way still carrying through from when I wasn’t an ethical or conscious blogger.

You’ll be able to pinpoint who has your vision and who to attract in the future. You can narrow down on those who want to help push you on further and that’s rather exciting and refreshing. Your vibe attracts your tribe, as they say.

You’ll also be able to connect with people who you want to push on further. When people get together for positive change, it’s very unlikely you’ll find someone wanting to compete and better only themselves. It’s about bettering each other and the whole community.

3. You’ll realise you can’t do everything…

This point comes from a tweet I received about my personal choices of eating meat. For some people, it might seem two-faced or hypocritical for me to talk about ethical fashion and all of these human rights issues when I still continue to eat meat. I understand where the person was coming from, but there are many reasons why someone might not focus on all aspects of a part of life. It’s about accepting that everyone is on their own individual journeys and we’re not all out to reach the same destination.

It’s also about understanding that you can’t do it all! My blog is about promoting ethical fashion. There is a much greater need for people to start opening the conversation up about the industry than there is for more people to start talking about the issues around food. There are so many more people already promoting veganism and the reasons behind it than there are people talking about why we shouldn’t support fast-fashion and what other options people have.

I don’t want to start focusing on food because fashion is where my heart lies. That isn’t to say I don’t believe in it, though, and that I won’t one day change my diet – it just means that I, and whoever else you’re taking from, can’t focus on everything at the same time. Nobody is perfect!

4. Brand collaborations are about to change dramatically…

I recently turned down the opportunity to work with major footwear brand, Kurt Geiger. If this was a couple of years ago, I would have said yes straight away and easily featured their shoes in a heartbeat. But this isn’t then, this is now and my focus has changed. After trying to get a response about their ethics, I declined the opportunity and moved on because I didn’t believe in working with a brand that didn’t match up to my mindset and beliefs.

They were actually extremely understanding and it was a really wonderful way to start my ethical brand journey, but I’m not going to deny that was a difficult decision.

I’ve worked with brands like New Look and ASOS, and many others which aren’t exactly advocates of ethical and sustainable fashion. Sure, they might be doing their bests at making small changes here and there, but for me, they’re no longer the sorts of brands I want to try and attract unless the collaboration focuses on openly discussing the topics I want to talk about.

So, for those of you who have worked with big brands who you’ve always admired, but want to make the change in able to change the world (dramatic, I know), it’s not going to be easy and I’ll admit that.

Start looking for brands that do have the same mindset, though. Even just following them can set you on the right path. Join in with #EthicalHour or research brands thoroughly when they get in touch. Know who you are working with, and not just by name.

5. Your income probably will too…

Working with different brands will most likely change how much money you earn, too. This is simply because a lot of ethical brands are smaller brands, which means they have smaller budgets, which means… they might not be able to afford what prices you were offering before.

This doesn’t mean you have to personally change anything, but it might mean compromising certain flows of income or settling for something different. Don’t ever undersell yourself or accept something for free if this is the case, though. Your work is still valid as a blogger and you deserve to receive compensation for promoting something so positive to the followers and readers who support it. You have a platform to influence people, and brands and businesses should respect that.

Do you want to start blogging more ethically? Let me know in the comments!

This blog post was of course not meant to deter anyone from going down the ethical blogging route, more as to help you along and bring up some of the challenges I have faced to make them easier down the road for you!

I’m sorry for the rather boring title of this post but I really had no other ideas on how to describe this one! The thing is, I’m in a bit of a pickle… well, not literally; my head is not inside a small chunk of gherkin (although do feel free to imagine that scenario)… I’m just in a bit of a puzzle about blogging… once again, not literally, but do feel free to imagine that as well!

~ OOH, AN UPDATE ~

The weird thing is, a few weeks ago I was actually rather stressed about my blog and I was panicking over pleasing brands and not cramming too much in… and now I’m at the complete opposite end of the scale.

I’m not having a “blogger’s block” but I’m completely dried up. I’ve been busy with my offline life and suddenly my online one feels a bit deserted. My blog schedule has been empty and when I go to write a post, the idea has gone and the motivation has been used for something else.

I strive to make this blog interesting… I know that it has the capability to develop even more so I have to have 100% concentration, and right now I don’t. I’m one of those people who gets stuck in ruts very quickly and it’s a real shame because I have definitely not given up or anything like that.

WHAT I WORE: Crochet Top (Jumble Sale) // Zebra Top (Jumble Sale) // Necklace (Chelsea Doll) // Bun Crown (DIY)

I believe one of the main reasons I’ve been quiet is because of the very exciting thing that is, Mooi en Lief by TDP. It’s all coming together and I know that once it’s off the ground I’m going to be full of energy again. It’s like watching a big wave come towards you. You know it’s coming but when the water crashes, you realise that you rather underestimated the size of it. I guess I just really don’t want that to happen.

I’m a perfectionist too, so I always like to make sure what I do is tip-top-a-roo, and letting down people can really make me feel rather paranoid. So, I suppose this is me saying to you that you should just hold your breath whilst this wave comes because I promise you it’ll be worth the wait… does that make any sense at all?!

Here’s to the next month or more and this blog taking on new and exciting adventures. Sometimes it’s nice to take a breather even if it’s unexpected, hey? …seriously, I have genuinely know idea if any of this made a single bit of sense!

…also, here’s to new profile pictures! Cheers 😉

I am really really excited (and kinda’ freaked out) to say that my blog has turned 3 today! 3 years old. Wow. I seriously find that absolutely mad to think about. I honestly cannot thank you enough for supporting me for this long and giving me so many amazing opportunities, it’s been an awesome experience. You may remember last year on this very same day, I put up a post answering the question, ‘Why Do I Blog?‘, so this year I thought I’d answer ‘How Do I Blog?’. To celebrate my 619th blog post and 1095 days of Tolly Dolly Posh Fashion, here’s a little insight into my creative process… (excuse the messy/curly hair by the way… curls just don’t work with me!)…

~ STEP 1 – THE INSPIRATION ~

The first place I go to for blogging inspiration when I’m a bit of a rut is magazines. I find them really inspiring to flick through. Back in the day I used to love Company Magazine (as most of my posts were celebrity style etc etc) but now-a-days I love more photographic and editorial magazines like VOGUE, Glamour and more recently, Wonderland.

I also love to scroll through places like Business of Fashion and Pinterest because you can find some really interesting articles and just one idea or thought can spiral into hundreds (okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration) of others.

TOP TIP: Put on some headphones, listen to some music which you love and flick through your favourite magazine. I always end up in a different mindset for new ideas after the album/playlist ends.

~ STEP 2 – JOTTING & DRAFTING ~

Next up is to get jotting down notes. I find it super helpful to have everything planned out before hand, especially if I’m taking pictures. I don’t usually do this for wishlists or the actual writing (although, I do, do that for long, chatty posts… like this one!) but either way, I would definitely recommend this if you’re also a blogger.

I have a notepad for this and some pens specifically set aside but if you’re an online-tech-obsessive then I recommend Evernote. I didn’t actually use a notepad for this post but I in fact used the web app for Evernote and thoroughly enjoyed typing it out. When I haven’t taken my pictures, I usually prefer to do it out of my actual blog so it’s free of the frills and extra bits and bobs that is behind the scenes usually.

TOP TIP: Have a notebook set aside just for your blog. Label everything clearly and fold down pages when you’ve published a post you’ve written down. It’s such a handy and easy way to stay organised.

~ STEP 3: PHOTOGRAPHY ~

These days I would say a good 90% of my blog posts have photographs I have taken myself included within them, so my 3rd step is to get ‘shooting’ (I have to say, I feel most bloggers use this term just to sound a bit more fancy… “Ooh, I’m off to shoot an outfit post…”). As most of you will know, Papa Posh (my dad), usually takes all of my outfit posts, but if I’m not in the picture, then I’m sure to be behind the lens. I will say though that most of these pictures and my prom outfit post were mainly taken by my big bro!

I use the Nikon D3200 with my trusty 35mm f/1.8 DX lens (Phyllis is her name), and they’re a nifty little combo. A few other items in my ‘kit’ are an IKEA side table – it’s perfect for taking pictures of things like my scrapbook –, a set of 2 soft box lights – great for when I sometimes dabble in YouTube and for photos I take inside – a white wall – for posing in front of – and a very large memory card.

TOP TIP: For outfits, read what my dad has learnt whilst taking my pictures, and for other sorts of pictures, just remember to have clear daylight… not too bright, no harsh shadows and not too much clutter… unless you want that kinda’ look!

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