Just Bloom

EAT, SLEEP, CREATE

A few months ago I drove past this field on my way home. From the corner of my eye, the rolling fields of bright purple and pink tones caught my attention instantly. I stopped my car, pulled up on the side of the road and just stood there for a few minutes, taking it in. Watching, listening and believing. The world can be so beautiful, nature so pure.

These purple fields have no idea how wonderful and beautiful they are. They just grow and bloom, completely unaware that they are inspiring, stopping people in their tracks as they pass on their way home. Where am I going with this, I hear you say.. well.. a blog post, of course.

So firstly these purple fields inspired this post. I had just the right dress, the right lipstick and the right frame of mind. Freedom, beauty, wonderlust. We parked up one evening and although the harsh sunshine had slightly bleached the purple haze, it was still such a wonderful location.

Complete silence filled the air, except the sound of a few bees buzzing through the petals and Chris’ camera clicking away. It was a beautiful evening and insanely calming… which is why I just love these photos so much, they basically sum it all up just how it really was – everything you see here is real.

This dress was the perfect pairing for this location. It’s baby pink colour matched perfectly against the delicate flowers and it’s lightweight material fluttering in the soft breeze. I absolutely love the delicate pleats in the material and the way the sleeves are slightly oversized, making it floating and close to a kimono description. If I could wear it everyday, I would.

Photography – Chris Bradshaw | Email

Dress*

Lipstick

Are Bloggers Ruining Fashion?

So recently there has been some internet drama involving a very well known fashion publication. If you’re a blogger, it’s most likely you will have scowled at it and naturally felt a big ol’ head shake coming on. Bloggers have basically been tarnished with a brush that I feel is very unfair, are we really to blame for “ruining” the fashion industry, or is the fashion industry simply threatened by us?

It made me think.

What has blogging done for me? Has blogging changed since I first started? Is it really that toxic? The questions kept coming, and I kept thinking.. and now I’m typing, so I guess it’s making a blog post.

Belonging

When I first started my blog, I was a bit lost in life. I didn’t have many friends, just a handful.. and my confidence was low. I was working in my first job out of university and was newly single.. life was weird. I always felt like I needed more – more than friends, more than my job and more than just being normal. The first day I hit publish on a blog post here at Tiny Twisst, I knew it was home. It felt right, I belonged and it was mine. I finally had something to look after and it allowed me to create.

Sharing

I never really counted myself as a fashionista, I liked shopping and enjoyed clothes. However, blogging made my hobby into a passion.. I loved coming up with new outfit ideas, laying them on my bed ready to shoot. Matching my lipstick to my new jumpers, curling my hair, colour schemes and shoot ideas.. it was fun. I still read magazines, I still found inspiration from “proper fashion people” and celebrities – it’s not competition if we’re all learning and growing from each other, rather than competing.

Being me

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had bad blogging moments too. I’ve had people ignore me, snub me because they have a higher following (yeah, really) but, it doesn’t really bother me anymore. I have also been through my own blogging blips, feeling as though I can’t live up to others, like I’m not fashionable enough, I don’t have enough designer pieces. But I always think back to the beginning… when I would blog what I liked, for me, and then if other people like it too… well, that’s a bonus. And even now that my blog is my job, I still like to keep this real and keep this all me – and when you guys like it, well.. I class it as a job well done, and thank the heavens I have such amazing readers.

Bloggers are saving it

So, to conclude what I’m trying to say here, I think bloggers are saving the fashion industry. Bloggers are making it more relatable and for me, that’s what I prefer. I can’t afford half the things I’m shown in fancy magazines, I don’t want to spend thousands on a bag I don’t need. Bloggers show me cheaper alternatives, true style and adventurous ways to wear new clothing. That is exactly why I started this blog, I knew I could show people that you can still dress cool, quirky and on-trend without having to spend mega bucks.

These images we create? I want to show you guys that even though editorially they may look high-end (or at least, I hope so!) everything in these photos is completely affordable. That isn’t killing the industry or lying – it’s showing you the truth and actually making you see that everyone is good enough – no matter your budget.

No magazine has ever done that for me.

A flower does not think of competing to the flower next to it.

It just blooms.