As we enter the sphere of love and leave January behind it is time to reminise, rejoce and celebrate the achievements that the gifts of January gave us. Welcoming in the new year I was so thankful for all the love and support I had been given during my time as a blogger and was looking forward to seeing what 2016 would bring me and boy was I surprised. January was an excellent month for blogger achievements including an increase in traffic and followers across all social platforms and my very first sponsored post which was on ‘How To Find A Photographer’ and you can read more about that below.
But my personal life was in tatters and my health on the decline. For those of you who do not know me outside of the blogging world I am battling several conditions that can make my daily life a bit of a struggle and it takes a brave face to pretend that I am ok because the truth is I am not. I can’t sleep, can’t eat without being sick and am in constant pain and it affects my ability to concentrate and do work. Yet despite the pain I am in and how sick I am I still push myself to succeed because I know that doing nothing will make me feel worse. So no matter how s****y I am feeling I still carry on like normal because I don’t know any other way. Friends felt like they were being pushed away and got annoyed with me if I wasn’t texting them despite me stating that some days I could not even bring myself to text people back because I had tunnel vision or felt like I was constantly doing something without any rest. I was burnt out and in need of a serious detox but some people didn’t understand that because I looked ‘normal’. But how can we define normality when there are so many of us out there who suffer with invisible illnesses yet say nothing because we are too afraid that we will be judged for daring to speak out of line.
Despite its ups and downs January has been for the most part a positive experience and I am grateful that you continue to support me without fail.
1st My New Years Resolutions
Instead of a recap post I chose to share my new years resolutions and how they would make me become a better person inside and out of the blogging world. I shared how blogging had opened so many doors to me that I never knew existed and explored both personal and blogging related goals including managing a spending budget and increasing my social outreach to push myself to succeed.
You can read more about the post HERE
Outfit: Hat, Shoes & Top-Primark, Coat-Topshop, Skirt-H&M
4th How To Create Picture Perfect posts On Instagram
Learning how to curate the perfect Instagram feed I shared my own personal expertise on what makes a good photo and how concepts like photo composition is intergral to creating picture perfect posts on Instagram. Tips included using a theme i.e. mine is colour whereas others may use minimalism and creating a signature aesthetic.
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Outfit: Playsuit-Luxemme, Heels-Public Desire, Coat-Missguided.
5th History Of Fashion: The 90’s
Moving away from the disco-trash aesthetic of the 80s, the 90’s was a period of aesthetic liberation where minimalism or norm-core dressing replaced the neon brights and boxy silhouettes of the 80’s. Influenced partly by music the 90’s introduced a range of iconic fashion trends such as dungarees, hair scrunchies and mini backpacks.
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Outfit: Jumper- Primark & Dungaree Dress- Topshop
6th Is Fashion Inclusive Of Disability?
The belief that the fashion industry needs to diversify its image is commonplace and has brought about changes to who fashion designers employ as the face of their company. But many have argued that its diversification is false and they have used disabled models as tokens to appear more diverse rather than looking to represent the best interests of the disabled community.
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7th Elie Beaumont: A Review
Inspired by the timeless elegance of rose-gold, Elie’s watches are a serene representation of femininity in its purest form and takes a stance against the statement jewellery trend employed by many retailers today. Its soft delicate craftmanship and equisite use of the finest metals is what makes this exceptional watch brand one to watch.
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8th Friday’s Lookbook
The first in a weekly series, the Friday Lookbook is a style challenge chosen by my readers to express the endless possibilities of what fashion could offer you and its ability to make you feel more confident in your styling abilities. For this weeks Lookbook there was no theme as it was the first feature and I explored the history and context behind jumpsuits and its transcension into modern fashion culture.
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11th How To Find A Photographer
Sponsored by Bark.Com, I curated a comprehensive guide to finding a photographer across the UK covering all 48 counties and a range of niches to suit all bloggers. Reflecting that research and making the most of the web is the basis for finding a photographer I went further to add that alt search terms and checklisting reviews will allow you to narrow down your choices.
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12th Blogger Outreach Programmes You Should Sign Up To
With a whopping number of programmes for all bloggers, I broke down key blogger outreach programmes and explored the pros and cons of each programme. The Blogger Programme came out on top although I pointed out that there needs to be better surveillance other what brands are sending to their bloggers as some take advantage of new bloggers.
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13th Places To Shoot In London: A Directory
Splitting London into Street Art, Museums, Artitecture and more I explored the best places in London to shoot for your blog and why you should take photos there. Key places included Shoreditch, Brick Lane, Southbank and London Bridge.
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14th Six Ways To Wear Sequins
Proving that sequins are not just for the festive season I create six sequin looks that were appropriate for both day and night signalling that texture clashes were the key to creating a casual luxe look outside of an 80’s ball.
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15th Friday Lookbook: Beautiful You
This months second most viewed and commented post, Beautiful You was about embracing your flaws and taking back all the negative comments people have said about you and turning it into something positive. I explored how ‘sunglasses’ were often a security blanket for me in photos because I disliked my small eyes and resolved to cut back on the sunglasses a little bit and show the real me. I also spoke candidly about body image and how we should reject claims that certain clothes won’t suit our body and wear them regardless because we are all beautiful no matter what shape we are.
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18th David Bowie: Embracing Androgyny
When David Bowie died there was national outbreak as millions mourned the loss of one musics most iconic musicians. Challenging societal expectations until the day he died Bowie was known for his infamous alter-egos including Ziggy Stardust who trod the line between feminine grace and masculine virility.
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19th The History Of Androgyny
Androgyny was until the 21st century a relatively unknown concept but is now widely accepted by both sexes. One of the key early pioneers of androgynous fashion was Katherine Hepburn who left society astounded with her preference to wear trousers rather than skirts as was the flavour of the day. Her rejection of fashion norms became a pivotal moment in the history of fashion and proved that women had the right to wear what they felt comfortable in.
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20th How To Make The Most Of Your Wardrobe
From purging to selling clothes I no longer wear I shared my top tips on how to make the most of your wardrobe, proving you don’t need to spend a penny to utilize the contents of your draws. A top tip of mine is to create a top 5 list of clothes that need to be photographed or envision a theme and then create a shoot centered around that theme.
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21st Why I Became A Social Justice Advocate
This months most popular post was a bit of a surprise to me but I was pleased it did so well because it was an issue close to my heart. Being a social justice advocate is part of who I am now and despite everything I have been through it has made me more determined to help others who come from under-privilledged backgrounds or are seen as a ‘social other’ and different social groups who have received abuse or been bullied because of their social differences. *Update* In less than week it is the 7th most commented on post of all time with 144 comments.
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25th The Influence Of Fashion Bloggers On Consumers
Since the first web blog was set up in the 90’s the gradual rise of fashion bloggers influence on consumer trends and methods of purchase has been an integral process of 21st century culture. 2016 is a living blogsphere but seven years ago blogs were far and few between; with the rise of social media networks blogs exploded into popularity and bloggers like Aimiee have amassed a huge social outreach and is cited in the top 5 most influential bloggers.
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26th Should We Boycott Primark?
In 2013 the Rana Plaza tragedy had a huge impact on the way that consumers chose clothes and for a while and even today some consumers will not buy from Primark ever again. But is boycotting a brand beneficial to the workers caught in the slave labour trap or is it a means of production that for the most part is their only income to provide for their famillies.
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27th Dreaming Of Another Tomorrow
As a humanitarian I dream of a world where war dosen’t exist and where all social groups or accepted regardless of whether they fit the social norm or not. Difference should be accepted and it makes me sad that some people still continue and discriminate simply because someone is unique. Surely being unique is a beautiful thing?
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28th 365 Blog Post Ideas For Fashion Bloggers: Part 1
A three part series week one looks at January to April and explores a range of topics; from the serious- ‘The representation of class in the fashion industry’ to style challenges ‘How To Dress Like Your Favourite Cartoon character right through to ‘How To’ posts such as ‘How To Make The Most Of Your Wardrobe’.
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29th Friday Lookbook: Primary Colour Challenge
Nominated by Kaz Dee she suggested I try centering five days worth of looks around primary colours which I admit was a real challenge. Usually seen more in rich autumnal tones or softer pastels tone the brashness of primary colours seemed terrifying but it was a challenge I was willing to accept. It turns out that colourblocking primary colours can be more versatile than you may think.
Read More Here
Top 5 Most Viewed Posts
Why I Became A Social Justice Advocate
Friday Lookbook: Beautiful You
How To Create Picture Perfect Posts On Instagram
Blogger Outreach Programs You Should Sign Up To
Elie Beaumont: A Review
Top 5 Most Liked Instagram Posts
1. With a whopping 619 likes and 127 comments in 2 weeks this photo got your seal of approval and was even featured on four different Instagram feeds ( see below) and shared by various companies across all social media platforms. In just 24 hours it had reached 400 likes and by its second week had 600 likes. This was the first photo to reach the 500 like milestone and then surpassed that by reaching the first 600 like milestone.
2. In second place and a great deal behind-but lets face it how can you compete with that many likes!- with 448 likes and 91 comments this emoji wall got you smiling and you praised the uplifting street art that made a refreshing change from the usual political street art orientated photo. It reached 400 likes in a week and in its 4th week has now trickled to a still.
3. Not far behind is last weeks photo with 431 likes in a week and 92 comments and the gritty background juxtaposed against the khaki jumpsuit and faux fur stole tickled your fancy and was last weeks most liked photo. It was unusual as normally it is Monday looks that get the most likes and Friday’s the least.
4th With 2 likes behind and posted 5 days ago the party sequin disco theme made you want to get up and dance. Currently standing at 429 likes it will not be long before this photo overtakes number 2 & 3 on the list.
5. In 5th but not leastplace is another sequin themed look that has 418 likes in 4 days and has been described as one fan as looking like a poster which made my day.
Most liked Facebook Post
With 173 likes in comparison to Instagram it might seem minimal but I am still happy with the feeback I recieved on the post associated with it and the look itself which challenged my own personal fashion boundaries.
My Favourite OOTD of January
Keep Your Eyes Peeled Because I have some very exciting opportunities coming up!
What was your favourite post this month?
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Can I just say how much I adore and love your positivity. i am dying to meet you, and know i’ve been a bit pants, ‘mummy duties’ so please do forgive me. But i think you are a shining star. I totally love and connect to your posts. xx