An expert’s guide to starting a fashion blog

Starting is the easy part – maintaining it is where it gets tough


Taking the leap and starting a blog can be a daunting task. At first, it may seem simple. However, maintaining a blog and its audience can be a challenge that takes dedication and passion.

The Tab spoke to UNC student and fashion blogger Grace Lee. She’s been curating her site Gracefullee Made for six years. She started her blog her sophomore year of high school to document outfits and express her interest in fashion. Today, she is interning for Rebecca Minkoff and Lele Sadoughi in New York City.

“Starting a blog is the easy part. It’s continuing to keep going, even when you want to quit or you’re not seeing any progression, that is the hard part.”

For the first two years, Grace didn’t have a lot of recognition. She used Instagram to further push out content. It wasn’t until her freshman year of college when things started to turn around. She purchased her site and a DSLR camera. Today, she has 8,000-10,000 monthly visitors to her site.

For a blogger starter kit, Grace recommends a DSLR camera for great photo quality as well as a computer and phone for blog posts and social media. She thinks Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are essential and photo-editing apps like Snapseed and VSCO help out a lot. Grace also recommends a portable phone charger, so you never miss the perfect shot.

When it comes to what blogging platform to use, it all comes down to personal preference. Grace uses Blogger, but if you like WordPress, go with what you’re comfortable with.

With so many blogs out there, it can be hard to stand out. Grace says it’s important to find out what makes you unique and to highlight that on your site, whether it be humor, style or a specific talent.

“There’s so many bloggers that have the same style, voice, and blog. You want to find your own voice and let it shine.”

Grace has provided some tips on how to turn your passion for fashion into a job:

Social media is important. “I recommend starting a Facebook page for your blog. A way to keep readers up-to-date with your posts. And invite your friends on FB to like it! Also, this is up to you, but you can either create a separate Instagram for your blog ONLY, or what I do is, I use my Instagram as my ‘brand’ and a way to represent my blog. That is where most of my followers see my content. But if you want to post pictures that are not blog-related or just a bunch of other shots, I would definitely recommend a separate Instagram.”

Get the word out. “I was hesitant on sharing with my friends, but it’s important to have friends who support what you do, so if you’re passionate about it, I say share it on Facebook or talk about it or whatever you need to put it out there.”

Be consistent on when you post. “I stick to MWF (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) posts. But make sure you are consistent on the time your posts go up daily, so your followers know what to expect and will be able to come back to view it as expected. That is very important to gain readership!”

Read other blogs. “If you want to grow as a blogger, it is SO important to reach out to other bloggers around the blogosphere. Make new friends and follow each other on social media and comment back on their blogs. Seriously! Blogging isn’t a one-way street.”

Grace also mentions that while reading other blogs is so important, it’s equally important to not compare your blog to other sites. She says some sites take off faster than others, but in the end, you should focus on yourself.

“Starting and maintaining a blog is definitely tough, especially since blogs have become the norm nowadays and everyone has one. But just being consistent and creating content that makes you stand out as an individual is an important step to taking it to the next level. Better yet, always remain true to yourself. That’s something you should never forget.”

Blogging can teach you many valuable skills. Grace says blogging helped her learn networking and to be a better person. So, if you’re looking for a creative outlet or a way to show your unique voice, maybe take the leap and start a blog. Just remember that it takes passion, responsibility and hard work.

Keep up with Grace on Instagram or visit her blog to follow her adventures interning in NYC this summer.