I originally named this post my Almost Spring Outfit and do the whole low-down and general catch-up but then I realised that there was something that was bugging me for a while. I didn't want this space just to be a place for photo dumps and surface-level conversations consisting of clothes I liked and here's-what-I-wore's and waking up to comments that read "Love that outfit x" and no real conversation behind the person who took their time to type that out.
Lately, I've been feeling that disconnect with the blogging community – I feel dismayed and disappointed whenever I try to talk to someone (with meaningful intentions) but get an extremely generic and uninterested response. I log onto Twitter after work hoping to catch something interesting and funny but always get swamped by POSITIVITY-FIRST messages and relatable tweets which ironically, aren't very relatable.
Why is everyone talking about that same damn top from Zara, or that book, or that podcast?! Why is blogging now becoming a perpetuation of consumerism and trends-led buying habits? Gone are the days where I could talk about my new shoes without the worry of an SEO-worthy title.
And I feel like this 'Cookie Cutter Culture' isn't going to stop anytime soon. And it frustrates me because everyone talks about being special in their own way, and how we've got to embrace individuality; either I'm blind but I just can't see that in a crowd of samey content and running to hottest cafe in town that costs £4 a coffee.
Don't get me wrong, I love and indulge in my fair share of lifestyle and blogger-type posts: pretty flowers, outfit shots, beauty products but when all YouTubers go on about their luxury bag collection totalling to my annual salary and more, you know your girl has got to draw the line. Originality seems like it's now a formulaic approach of being pretty, attending events, going to Maldives and buying the new Givenchy Antigone.
So is anything Original? Cue my inner Critical Theorist à la Adorno and Horkheimer (lol I don't mean to be pretentious but their piece on The Culture Industry has been an enjoyable read for me), spontaneity is now meekly rehearsed and anything enjoyable is something that we curate and monitor as a result of / with intention to seek affirmation from others. We feel closer to happiness if we ruthlessly envision unity: between you and I, because you love the same Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk and if I also say that I love it equally, we are now.... self-empowered women making our beauty choices known because we can.
... wow, I did not mean to get so ~deep~ but you get the flow. What I'm trying to say is, we are trying so hard to advertise Original when ultimately, our photos, our lives, they live a "surrogate identity" that betrays the truth we know very well within ourselves.
For the years that I've been blogging, I have always tried to write things I believe in and with a conviction that I hope conveys meaning (there was a time where I believe my photos on Instagram were good enough without hashtags but man I was so wrong) – I know and have met some terrific pals through blogging, and some days I wish we all know that we don't always have to like, or post, or post pictures of the same things for the sake of talking to one another or god forbid, be liked by another blogger.
Now on to the outfit bits - my sailoresque top is one of my favourites in the wardrobe and find that it works really well with my ochre corduroy trousers that were €4! I threw on my 10 year-old Converse's and stomped around one afternoon.
(Outfit: Top - Korea / Trousers - Pull & Bear / Shoes - Converse / Bag - Coach)
Anyway - serious talk is over! Hoping you are having a good week ahead :-) What are you looking forward to?
