#BoohooAW13 Press Day Posted by Unknown |

Last week I popped along to the Rook & Raven gallery just off Oxford Street where blogger favourite Boohoo was holding their AW13 press day...

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Are You On Stylight? Posted by Unknown |

I know, I know, another online fashion community...

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Rose Headbands by Crown & Glory Posted by Unknown |

How to counteract the cold and snow? Gorgeous rose crowns singing out spring. Kind of over the top and a bit fruity, which is why they're proving such a big hit with the fashion blogging crowd – see She Wears Fashion and Wolf Whistle. I can think of so many ways to style these up, just imagine how good they'd look with a leather jacket, blue jeans and a white tee and even just trainers. So cool to contrast like that. Obvious festival wear but I'd like one just to wear round the house, and on birthdays. Crown & Glory.

Stylonylon Featured On IFB's Links A La Mode - One More Time! Posted by Unknown |

So thrilled to have my post In Defence of Fashion Bloggers – Blogs That Inspire Me To Buy featured on IFB's Links A La Mode weekly round-up. This is the third time one of my pieces has been featured and I'm really chuffed so, thank you ladies! As ever, it's a great way to check out other blogs and make new connections. Have a look at the round-up and enjoy!

Absolutely Perfect

It's been a very long time since I've done the Links à la Mode Roundup, and I have to say, it was a treat to see so many thought provoking posts. From perfectionism, Pinterest, diversity in fashion, frowning in fashion, and how technology (and bloggers) affect our shopping. We also had a heartwarming story from a blogger who found a vintage item like her mother had years ago (imagine that!), and some great DIYs. There's a lot of great stuff in here, so take a look and see you next week!  

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup For March 7th:

• De Smitten: Top 10 Distressed Denim Picks for 2013
• Arash Mazinani: How Luxe Fashion Shopping is Changing Our Shopping Experience with In Store Tech
• The Photogramps: 10 Tips for Thrift Shopping
• Anjelais: Tomqueen Style
• Nothing to Wear Novello: Pin This, Why Are We Hooked on Pinterest?
• Look Sharp Sconnie: Smileish: Is Frowning Cool?
• I Shoot Style: DIY Michael Kors Zipped-Split Pencil Skirt
• Calico Casa: Like Mother, Like Daughter
• Stylelinked: Love Affair with The Indian Jangle
• Trend Alert: Transparencies
• *Rocketraptor: How Blogging Made Me a Perfectionist
• Undercover Dress-Up: Hair Bow Tutorial
• Happy Pretty Sweet: Marie Antoinette Queen of Fashion
• STYLONYLON: In Defense of Fashion Bloggers: The Bloggers Who Inspire Me to Buy
• Inspirations and Celebrations: Spring Trends for 2013
• Indie Punk Goddess: Why Does Money Influence Diversity in Fashion?
• Collections and Volumes: Beauty, What the Hell is That?
• The Shoe Pendant: To Follow The Trend Or Not, It's Up To You
• Style Tab: Pajama Party
• Foxy Oxie Supernova: How to Style Sequin Skirt Series

SPONSOR: Shopbop New: Lisa Perry, Love Sam, Ketzali, Rachael Ruddick , Ivy Kirzhner, Chrissie Morris, LRK, Frye Bags, Love Leather, Lisa Perry, Wes Gordon  

In Defence of Fashion Bloggers - Blogs That Inspire Me To Buy Posted by Unknown |

Photo via Style Bubble from Refinery 29

Fashion bloggers have been having a tough time over the last few weeks, their role in the fashion industry brought into sharp focus by that article by a sharp-tongued Suzy Menkes. My two cents can be summed up as follows: Suzy Menkes is entitled to her opinion – if she finds fashion bloggers annoying and in her face, so be it – but she does seem to have conveniently forgotten the following:

1. Fashion, more than any other creative industry, is, by its nature, full of peacocks – some are bloggers, some are editors, stylists and wannabes – posing and preening for an audience that includes themselves and others. And I really see no difference between fashion bloggers parading the fashion week circuit and club kids out on a Saturday night – they're dressing up for fun and to be noticed and, contrary to what Menkes says, I can't think of anything that makes the club kids more authentic than the fashion bloggers (or editors, stylists etc) – what of it if they've contrived a more-outlandish-than-usual outfit? And if you prefer to be a black crow, well, nobody's stopping you. Being a peacock might be annoying in the way we tend to find any kind of show-off annoying, but it's nothing to feel guilty about, especially if, like many of the bloggers I saw at LFW, it's done in a sweet and gracious way – less of the judging, people.
2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but magazines and newspapers are often very much at the mercy of their advertisers – to the extent that I know of one weekend supplement beauty editor who left her position because she could not handle the extent of control the advertisers had over editorial. A stand-alone blogger can probably exercise more editorial independence than many a journalist faced with pressure from their editors and sales team.
3. Fashion journalists and editors are often on the receiving end of freebies, gifts and samples and, as far as I understand, are not required or expected, nor rarely choose, to disclose. I think that the transparency of fashion bloggers is paving a way to a new (and better) way of doing things. So, well done, fashion bloggers. I'm guessing the key is not to come off as bragging and showing off. A little humbleness is good.

Anyway, enough about that. The point of this post is to affirm the position of fashion blogs in the industry and the simplest way I can see to do that – praise for creative, inspiring and beautiful online editorial content aside – is to demonstrate how fashion bloggers connect readers (this reader in particular) with products they want to buy. Discovering well chosen and cleverly styled items that I find inspiring and desirable is one of the reasons I visit fashion blogs, and this is why the fashion blogosphere will continue to bloom and be relevant to the industry – like magazines, they influence and encourage buying and that's a yay for everyone. For the buyer, who has found something they love, for the blogger, who has the kudos and possibly a commission for introducing the product and for the brand who has made a sale. A very happy triumvirate as far as I can see. Everyone's a winner.

So, in support of my argument, here are the fashion bloggers who have recently inspired me to shop. Susie Bubble wearing a Sarah Frances Kuhn x Meredith Wendell camera strap (above) – currently next on my 'saving up for' shopping list; Camille Over The Rainbow featuring pony hair vans from Zara (which I'd also seen on Caroline's Mode) – I bought a pair last week;  Laura from Ascot Friday wearing Sam Edelman Petty booties – I bought a pair in the January sales; Andy Torres from Style Scrapbook wearing a neon beanie – on my shopping list, nice and cheap so no need to save. I could list you a whole load more but I'll keep things short for now. So, tell me, what have fashion bloggers inspired you to buy recently?

Fashion Bloggers' Delight aka My Macaron Migraine Posted by Unknown |

If you read enough fashion blogs you'll have noticed the obsession with what I'm guessing, thank God, can rightly be called the new cupcake (never got the cupcake thing). Oh-so-pretty French macarons with whipped egg whites and ground almonds. To be honest, as a dedicated eater of dark chocolate and rhubarb crumble, I hadn't really bought into this new patisserie favourite, but hey, live a little right? And the fifty odd or so flavours looked so pretty lined up in their cabinet. Did you know that some are alcoholic? Spot the light pink champagne one in the corner – decadent or what. Needless to say, they are scrummy, the nutty filling and meringue-like sandwiching both chockful of sugar. Lots of sugar. I am now suffering a serious sugar-induced macaron migraine. But I did manage to take these pics before scoffing them all, which is the other reason I imagine fashion bloggers love them so – they take as good a picture as they taste. Is that even a sentence? I need to go and lie down. Again. You've been warned. (These came from L'orchidée in Westfield Stratford; from what I understand the best to be had are from Laudrée.)

What I'm Wearing - Botanical & 3D Flowers - Boohoo #globalstyler Posted by Unknown |

Oh, it's so cold and windy outside! But still I feel like spring is on its way, hence the colour-popping outfit I bring you today as part of Boohoo's #globalstyler competition. I was thrilled to be asked to take part in the campaign (along with lots of other bloggers from all over the globe) and it's fantastic checking out all the entries – see the #globalstyler hashtag on instagram and twitter. For my outfit I teamed a pair of floral trousers (such a bargain at just £20) with this Boohoo Boutique 3D flower top (so Christopher Kane AW13 btw!). I wasn't sure if the look would work at first, but actually I'm really pleased with the result. A bit flower crazy for some maybe, but oh it feels good! Ah yes, the prize. The prize is a trip for you and a friend to a 'fashion destination of your choice', which I'm guessing could be just about anywhere. For me, it would have to be New York, I have NEVER BEEN, which feels like madness in this day and age. How about you, where would you pick? And what do you think of the outfit? I may have neglected to mention that come the spring I drop my sombre winter colours and tend to go a bit colour and print crazy. More to come. Enter the competition here at Boohoo.com

London Fashion Week AW13 - The Fashion Parade - Street Style Posted by Unknown |

Andy Torres from Style Scrapbook

Here we have some of my favourite street style snaps from LFW Day 1. It was great fun taking them and it's so lovely to see that even in the fashion world a smile still goes a long way. Above is Andy Torres from Style Scrapbook – you may have seen her in the current Canon campaign. I love her slightly 60s monochrome look topped off with a neon beanie (trend alert: there were quite a few neon beanies floating around Somerset House). And below is Olivia Purvis from What Olivia Did. Olivia quite unwittingly created a photo scrum for a good 10 minutes about which she was very sweet. The rest of these fabulous people I don't know, but if you do, be sure to tell me and I will tag.

Olivia Grace from What Olivia Did

What I'm Wearing - #LFW Day 1 Outfit Posted by Unknown |

All morning I avidly watched the #lfw tweets come in – you can't but help feel energised by the pace and level of excitement of the bloggers, journalists and PRs and come the afternoon I set off for the FelderFelder show. Stepping into Somerset House was a bit overwhelming at first, lots of fashion people milling about, the majority camera in hand looking for a shot. A huge queue snaking through the square turned out to be for FelderFelder and I realised arriving on the dot of two was probably pushing it given that I only had a standing ticket. An oversubscribed show means that the late standing don't always get in – which is exactly what happened to about 30 of us :( However, despite a few showboats storming off, we were ferried into an adjacent screening room where we got to watch the live stream. Almost as good (see my Vine clip of the show). Anyway, after the show and bumping into the lovely Rebecca and Phoebe from xoJane, I joined the loitering hoards of snappers to see what street style and moments I could capture. It went great, I was beyond thrilled to snap Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook (I don't think that girl can take a bad picture) and Olivia Grace from What Olivia Did among others. I can't wait to upload all the photos and get them posted. And, for my own outfit (my gorgeous Sophie Hulme satchel was snapped by Phoenix magazine) I am wearing, as you probably know by now, my new By Malene Birger cardigan, Sam Edelman booties and a last-minute change to these petite supersoft skinny jeans (c/o New Look – thankyou!) which arrived just in time. I'm really impressed with the fit and feel of these skinnies and they are down to £14.99 in the sale. Bargain.

The Anxiety of Blogging - Can You Feel It? Posted by Unknown |

Why blog? It's a question I never used to ask myself, until recently. Spurred on by a sense of angst in the fashion blogosphere. It was unnerving to read Shini from Park & Cube – one of the most beautifully designed and photography rich blogs out there – questioning herself and her blog. Despite being perceived as an extremely successful blogger with a large and loyal following she blogged she feels foolish doing outfit posts, only makes enough from the blog to pay for her 'dedi-server every month + snacks' and that sponsors prefer the 'tall, pretty ones with 6-digit followings'. It was sad reading, but quickly overturned by an overwhelming outpour of adoration from her readers who left a string of moving and supportive comments. That would be enough for many to carry on blogging. Hopefully it gave her the boost she needed. I was then reminded of Susie Bubble questioning her relevance as a fashion blogger to the fashion industry in a post late last year. From what I remember, she didn't go much deeper than that, but it was there in plain black and white. But again, Susie's huge and committed fanbase would be enough reason for most to blog. Finally, this article on IFB (What No One Is Talking About On Social Media) quite succinctly sums up a lot of anxieties bloggers face but rarely admit to – from Shini's high-traffic-but-little-income conundrum and how hard it can be to work with brands to envy of more successful bloggers and how much of your personal life/problems to reveal online.

But it's hard. Even the smallest, newest blog dreams of going pro one day and yet the majority of bloggers, even the ones with thousands of followers, don't manage to monetize their blogs enough to quit the day job. So I guess you have to ask yourself what makes you blog. For some its an all-consuming passion for fashion that needs an outlet, being part of an online (and sometimes offline too) community, for others its a way to get their writing out there, and for some the perks and freebies are a big part. (Slight tangent: It seems to me fashion and beauty bloggers get quite a hard time over 'being in it for the freebies' when this kind of thing is part and parcel of the majority of journalism, PR, music and fashion jobs. Everyone appreciates the perks of their job, whatever sector they work in and most people manage to be gracious, transparent and honest in their handling of samples, gifts, press trips etc.)

So why, then, do I blog? What's the point? Do people like what I write? Does anybody really care about my frivolous outfit posts? I've actually been blogging on and off for nearly five years on different platforms in a variety of formats (my first was MySpace, can you believe it?! Snippets of my personal life kind of fictionalised). I  love the process of publishing, seeing copy and images bound together and given life – my first job was in book publishing if that helps explain. I love to write and more recently I love to take photographs. Blogging is the obvious way to combine all those things.

But, up until last autumn, my blogging was an ill-conceived side-kick to my freelancing. I thought it was important for a freelance journalist to be able to say "Yes, I have a blog." And even though I'd get absorbed over quiet work periods I was never that committed and there was no real direction or purpose. Then I had a baby. With that came maternity leave and the realisation of one of my biggest fears – that, as a new mother looking after a baby and not working, my self identity and strong sense of self would quickly slip away. As soon as the first three months of baby initiation had passed, I flung myself into my blog. I re-designed, I re-focused and started posting as much as I could. Almost immediately I started seeing my traffic improve. I felt invigorated. Outside and around of the delightful but sleep deprived task of looking after a new baby I had a, albeit entirely self-defined, purpose. It slots together so easily – the journalist in me loves planning content, writing copy, meeting deadlines, networking and contacting brands and PRs; the rookie geek in me has become obsessed with tweaking blog design, embracing social media and improving my photography and photo-editing skills. And the outfit posts ('ego-blogging' my husband likes to call it) helped me get over a bumpy post-pregnancy self image quandary allowing me to indulge in therapeutic dressing up time when I'm not getting out to that many parties.

Of course, like most bloggers, I'd love it if my blog could make money but the reality is it probably won't. I do use affiliate links and make the odd commission, but to make any serious money you'd need a tonne of traffic. And while I still believe running a functioning upbeat blog adds a string to your bow as a freelance journalist – it keeps your profile up and out there, gives you a focus and strengthens your idea generation for pitching, plus helps with contacts – ultimately, my blog is about something else. For me blogging has helped transition from working to mothering without having a full-on identity crisis. And that, dear readers, is reason enough to keep on going.

What about you? Why do you blog? Do you question yourself? Do you ever think of quitting? Do you feel what you ultimately want for you blog is attainable? What does blogging fulfil  for you?

I'm listening to So Long My Love by Tomorrow's World 

Stylonylon on Independent Fashion Bloggers' Links a La Mode Posted by Unknown |

I was so pleased this week to have my Canon EOS M - The Fashion Blogger's New Best Friend? piece selected for IFB's weekly round-up of their favourite fashion blog posts – Links a La Mode. Here are the rest of the posts. Enjoy your reading! 

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: JANUARY 10TH

• Coolsario: Color of 2013 – Emerald
• Hey Mishka: Refresh! A Digital Clean Out for 2013
• IFB: Fashion Photography Tips For Your Next Blog Photo Shoot
• Incognito: Daydreamer- The E-Shop That Brings Korean Fashion Home
• Fashion Moriarty: Nothing Suits me Like a Suit
• Lazycatstyle: Messi and His Polka Dots
• Mis Papelicos: Seapunk in Fashion
• My Fashion Insider: 5 Tips To Organize Your Make Up Essentials
• Penny For Your Shoes: Shoe Challenge 2012 – The Aftermath
• Professionally Petite: Cobalt & Blood Orange
• SecretStyleFile: Brighten Up Your January
• Stylecurated: Style x Sample Sales
• Style Sizzle: How To Get The Perfect Blowout, a Q+A with Alli Webb
• STYLONYLON: Canon EOS M – The Fashion Blogger’s New Best Friend
• Sugar & Spice: Style Resolutions for 2013
• The Fluff Report: 5 Beauty Trends to Try in 2013
• The Girl With The Bun: What I Wore To Ring in 2013
• The Photogramps: All Ears
• Tricia Hall: What I Styled in 2012
• Undercover Dress-Up Lover: Baroque

SPONSOR: Shopbop Swimwear: Kors shoes, Hanky Panky, TB Totes, YSL, BB Dakota, Joie flats, Wang Shoes, Kushcush, Stuart Weitzman, Happiness Tops If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE where you see “Links a la mode next week’s date (official)”.

Blogger Debate # 1 - Pamflet vs Stylonylon: On Real Books & eReaders Posted by Unknown |

Welcome to the first in a series of little and lively debates by myself and the Pamflet girls. To usher in the New Year we start with something close to all of our hearts – books and how you like to read them. As you will see I am a true Kindle convert while Phoebe Frangoul – one half of of Pamflet – is die-hard for real books. We hope you enjoy the polemic! And do tell us which side you're on in the comments below.

My beloved Kindle! 

For The eReader

Stylonylon: I’ve been a bookworm for most of my life. Curled up in my little book corner in my bedroom wolfing down Jane Austen and George Eliot from a very young age. And for goodness sake, my first job was in book publishing, assisting with book cover design, writing blurbs and choosing fonts. My point is, I do love real books, the feel, the texture, the paper. I even tweeted a picture of the beautiful fabric Penguin Classics hardbacks last weekend. But dare I say it, if I had to choose between real books and a Kindle in hand, I’d take the latter. When the Kindle first came out I knew I had to have one. The prospect of hundreds, nay, thousands of books on one sleek little screen of technology was intoxicating. It was like being catapulted into the future and makes total sense in this age of information at your fingertips anytime, anywhere. In my first year of owning a Kindle (sorry Nook, Kobo and others, you came out later), I didn’t pick up a real book. And let it be known that I read more books that year than I had for a long while. Reading that soothing electronic ink (so easy on the eye, sorry iPad your screen is too bright for real reading) while holding something lighter than any book I’ve ever known was, still is, an incredibly exciting experience. Marry that to being able to download almost any book in minutes and slip an entire library into your bag whenever you leave the house at no cost to space, why would you not?

Kindle Books I’ve Read and Loved

The Game of Thrones series, George R. R. Martin (Yes, all of them)

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel 

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (YA bliss!)

A Visit From The Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan 

How to Be A Woman, Caitlin Moran

Phoebe's colour-coordinated books

For The Real Book

Phoebe from Pamflet: One wall of my living room is totally covered in shelvesthat contain books - hundreds of them. This eclectic mix (Tristram Shandy nextto Tolkien) is the product of an English Lit degree & Masters-worth blendedwith my husband's hilariously geeky collection. I arranged them in blocks of colour which makes it almost impossible to findanything (unless you can remember the colour of a particular tome's spine) butlooks amazing and also means I encounter intriguing things to read or re-readevery day.It's not the same as having a teetering stack of plastic CD cases collectingdust and cluttering up the floor because, to me, books - paperback, hardback,big, small - are beautiful objects in their own right. The way they smell andfeel, the associations I have with each individual one - where I found it, whogave it to me and when - make them a physical history of my life. If you wantto know who I am, just look at the shelves. You couldn't really start scrollingthrough someone's ereader in the same way, it'd feel impolite! In fact, it’s not just my life - I own books that my parentsgave to each other when they were dating - i can see the messages they wrote toeach other in the fly-leaves - words from a time before i existed speaking tome from the past. How could you replicate that in pixels? The books are starting to take over, creeping across every flat surface, but Idon't care – we’ll always make room –, I'm happy to throw myself into thepapery embrace of all this lovely lit. This isn’t to say I’m precious about mybooks - in fact, quite the opposite. I ruthlessly break their spines and turndown the corners of pages without flinching. I like being able to take a stackof books on holiday and casually abuse them on the beach - dripping seawater,sand and sun cream on pages that crinkle & crack in the heat. I'd be fartoo nervous to treat a Kindle in such a casual fashion. Another reason I couldn’t get on with an ereader is you can't get many old,obscure titles in digital form yet - when it comes to hunting down someforgotten mid-century female author of genteel domestic drama, second hand bookshops(and their presence on Amazon) are my friends. I just can't imagine my world without all those books in it – replacing themwith a single, sleek piece of technology would appeal to my love of order andlogic, but not my heart and soul.

Real Books I’ve Read and Loved
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Village School, Village Diary and Storm in the Village by Miss Read (literary prozac - gentle mid-century novels set in a tiny Cotswolds village, SO beautiful and funny!)
I've also been guilty of re-reading (for the millionth time) some of Margery Allingham's Campion novels, including Traitor's Purse.

Whose side are you on? Do you prefer real books or eReaders?
Tell us in the comments below!