within fashion in the last year or so, i have certainly noticed a trend where bloggers try to showcase as many new pieces and accessories per outfit / post as is possible. i have recently found myself drawn to Kaitlyn's work over at the Brisbane-based blog Modern Legacy as she has an element of reality that many other successful bloggers lack / overlook. she doesn't coat every post with excess or try to dress for a trend that is taking place on the other side of the world. instead her look is pared back and purely Australian.
Kaitlyn was kind enough to provide some wonderfully elongated responses - my favourite kind ! have a read for yourself..
why did you decide to start a blog?
my predominate motivation was to have a creative outlet for my (somewhat extreme) fashion obsession, but additionally i knew it would be a fantastic networking tool and a way for me to carve out a little place of my own in the vast fashion world, and hopefully become a source (big or small) of style inspiration for others like so many blogs are to me.
is there a story behind the name 'Modern Legacy'?
it is an ambiguous term for how i view my blog personally, and also style and fashion more generally – a kind of modern version of how we express ourselves in this world, how we leave our mark. in the digital sense, rather than writing letters or memoirs, we have blogs. in the physical sense, we use clothing to express our unique style and personality. i guess i see myself carving out somewhat of a legacy to leave behind in the world by blogging about my personal style.
do you have a way of categorising your wardrobe? (eg. colour / style / season)
i so wish i could say yes but unfortunately my innate tendency towards disorder has left my wardrobe half on hangers and half on any surface in my bedroom that can hold it. i attribute this state of chaos though to a kind of wardrobe mid-life crisis i am currently having, where i am in the process of re-assessing it all and sorting through and replenishing it.
that’s my excuse, anyway.
what inspires your outfits on a day-to-day basis?
my mood definitely plays a huge role in what i feel like wearing on a particular day, as well as the weather of course. i will always stick to a certain set of silhouettes i know i love, but really from there on it can change dramatically in terms of the prints, colours and textures i may feel like wearing. on some days i’ll crave a splash of colour or striking print, while others only the most basic outfit will do.
do you tend to mostly buy new or vintage pieces?
there is a definite combination of both in my wardrobe, but more new pieces i would say. i used to buy quite a few vintage pieces (mainly to save money), but have found myself recently gravitating towards newer and somewhat more expensive staples. i buy a lot on eBay though – both new and old.
was there a particular person / event that started your interest in fashion?
not that i can remember specifically, i remember being interested in style and clothing generally from a very young age. i was just born with it, i think.
do you mostly follow local or international blogs?
a combination of the two, though a lot of my favourites are Australian in origin.
has your personal style evolved or changed as a result of beginning your blog?
yes, it has definitely evolved. personal style blogging gives you a great reference point for past outfits, and can help you really hone in on what suits you and what you obviously love wearing. this has really helped me to experiment with my style over the past year, and also to really focus on building a good, solid wardrobe of pieces i love and will wear for a long time.
what characteristics do you believe make a successful blog?
the most important factor in creating a successful blog is finding your own unique voice, and express it consistently throughout your blogging experience. even if you are not blogging about your personal style, you have to know your preferred aesthetic and what inspires you and express this to your readers. your heart and mind have to be in it 100%, because if you don’t love and believe in what you are putting out there, no one else will.
on the more practical end, i would also say to post consistently (i try to do about 3 posts per week at least) and interact with as many other bloggers as you can – networking is key!
how much time do you generally spend on putting together each post - do you have a particular strategy to your blogging?
if i count the time it takes to take photos, edit, and write a post, i would say about a solid two hours (rarely all in one go though). this is only because i am a perfectionist and also because i usually have so many photos to sift through choosing just a couple to post is always difficult. but really, it need not take a long time – you definitely get quicker at it. i don’t really have a strategy per se, i usually go by instinct when it comes to shooting and editing images to post. i do try to mix up angles and settings though.
what do you think your point of difference is to all of the other fashion blogs out there?
i can see that maybe my physical attributes set me apart somewhat from a lot of bloggers. i am almost 5’10” without heels, with broad shoulders and a kind of thin-but-curvy frame that causes me to wear clothes in a different way. i almost never wear heels either. above all though i think i have my own unique style and perspective on fashion, and i really tend to shy away from trends and keep to what i just love wearing. i also never stop experimenting with my style and the clothes i own. i have been wearing so many things backwards lately i must look a little crazy, but i love it!
what have you found the most difficult during your blogging experience so far? are there any reasons why you would not encourage other fashion enthusiasts to begin their own blog?
what i have found most difficult in my blogging experience so far is worrying about keeping that clear sense of who i am and why i am doing this. it is so easy, especially in the early stages, to get discouraged and lose your enthusiasm for it all, and you will always have periods where inspiration will wane. but if you absolutely love whatever you are blogging about, be it fashion or otherwise, then you cannot fail. i would only discourage other fashion enthusiasts from starting their own blog if their hearts are not completely and utterly devoted to what they will be blogging about. you have to truly believe in what you are creating, otherwise it is meaningless.
if you had unlimited money, do you think your style would change?
nope, but everything would take on a far higher quality (and perhaps a little quantity). my $30-courtesy-of-eBay Guess leather shorts, for example, may have been purchased at retail price and have a few more siblings, and my vintage cardigans and jumpers would likely be replaced by those dreamily perfect pieces by Isabel Marant or Acne. my shoe and bag collection would also increase significantly as well, but they’d all still look pretty much the same i would say.
are you influenced by any particular designers, or more so by street style?
mostly street-style as it is just an endless source of inspiration on how to mix things up and play with your look. but there are those designers and brands that always seem to get things right almost every time for me, like Isabel Marant, Acne, Alexander Wang, and Aussie labels like Friend of Mine, Ellery or Dion Lee. they just seem to produce the freshest shapes, cuts and silhouettes every season, yet still keep their own unique and familiar aesthetic and essential nature. i one day hope to be able to describe the way i dress just like that.
does the style of the city or country that you live in affect your choice of outfit?
to a point perhaps. living in Queensland definitely influences outfits weather-wise, as the heat can be inhibiting. the fashion culture here is also on the more casual side i would say, so you can feel overdressed very easily if you are not careful. i dress a bit differently when i am in Melbourne, for example, as people there are far more into experimentation and layering. then again, there is something to be said for minimalist, free-flowing outfits that heat forces upon you.
(all images courtesy of Modern Legacy)
Kaitlyn was kind enough to provide some wonderfully elongated responses - my favourite kind ! have a read for yourself..
why did you decide to start a blog?
my predominate motivation was to have a creative outlet for my (somewhat extreme) fashion obsession, but additionally i knew it would be a fantastic networking tool and a way for me to carve out a little place of my own in the vast fashion world, and hopefully become a source (big or small) of style inspiration for others like so many blogs are to me.
is there a story behind the name 'Modern Legacy'?
it is an ambiguous term for how i view my blog personally, and also style and fashion more generally – a kind of modern version of how we express ourselves in this world, how we leave our mark. in the digital sense, rather than writing letters or memoirs, we have blogs. in the physical sense, we use clothing to express our unique style and personality. i guess i see myself carving out somewhat of a legacy to leave behind in the world by blogging about my personal style.
do you have a way of categorising your wardrobe? (eg. colour / style / season)
i so wish i could say yes but unfortunately my innate tendency towards disorder has left my wardrobe half on hangers and half on any surface in my bedroom that can hold it. i attribute this state of chaos though to a kind of wardrobe mid-life crisis i am currently having, where i am in the process of re-assessing it all and sorting through and replenishing it.
that’s my excuse, anyway.
what inspires your outfits on a day-to-day basis?
my mood definitely plays a huge role in what i feel like wearing on a particular day, as well as the weather of course. i will always stick to a certain set of silhouettes i know i love, but really from there on it can change dramatically in terms of the prints, colours and textures i may feel like wearing. on some days i’ll crave a splash of colour or striking print, while others only the most basic outfit will do.
do you tend to mostly buy new or vintage pieces?
there is a definite combination of both in my wardrobe, but more new pieces i would say. i used to buy quite a few vintage pieces (mainly to save money), but have found myself recently gravitating towards newer and somewhat more expensive staples. i buy a lot on eBay though – both new and old.
was there a particular person / event that started your interest in fashion?
not that i can remember specifically, i remember being interested in style and clothing generally from a very young age. i was just born with it, i think.
do you mostly follow local or international blogs?
a combination of the two, though a lot of my favourites are Australian in origin.
has your personal style evolved or changed as a result of beginning your blog?
yes, it has definitely evolved. personal style blogging gives you a great reference point for past outfits, and can help you really hone in on what suits you and what you obviously love wearing. this has really helped me to experiment with my style over the past year, and also to really focus on building a good, solid wardrobe of pieces i love and will wear for a long time.
what characteristics do you believe make a successful blog?
the most important factor in creating a successful blog is finding your own unique voice, and express it consistently throughout your blogging experience. even if you are not blogging about your personal style, you have to know your preferred aesthetic and what inspires you and express this to your readers. your heart and mind have to be in it 100%, because if you don’t love and believe in what you are putting out there, no one else will.
on the more practical end, i would also say to post consistently (i try to do about 3 posts per week at least) and interact with as many other bloggers as you can – networking is key!
how much time do you generally spend on putting together each post - do you have a particular strategy to your blogging?
if i count the time it takes to take photos, edit, and write a post, i would say about a solid two hours (rarely all in one go though). this is only because i am a perfectionist and also because i usually have so many photos to sift through choosing just a couple to post is always difficult. but really, it need not take a long time – you definitely get quicker at it. i don’t really have a strategy per se, i usually go by instinct when it comes to shooting and editing images to post. i do try to mix up angles and settings though.
what do you think your point of difference is to all of the other fashion blogs out there?
i can see that maybe my physical attributes set me apart somewhat from a lot of bloggers. i am almost 5’10” without heels, with broad shoulders and a kind of thin-but-curvy frame that causes me to wear clothes in a different way. i almost never wear heels either. above all though i think i have my own unique style and perspective on fashion, and i really tend to shy away from trends and keep to what i just love wearing. i also never stop experimenting with my style and the clothes i own. i have been wearing so many things backwards lately i must look a little crazy, but i love it!
what have you found the most difficult during your blogging experience so far? are there any reasons why you would not encourage other fashion enthusiasts to begin their own blog?
what i have found most difficult in my blogging experience so far is worrying about keeping that clear sense of who i am and why i am doing this. it is so easy, especially in the early stages, to get discouraged and lose your enthusiasm for it all, and you will always have periods where inspiration will wane. but if you absolutely love whatever you are blogging about, be it fashion or otherwise, then you cannot fail. i would only discourage other fashion enthusiasts from starting their own blog if their hearts are not completely and utterly devoted to what they will be blogging about. you have to truly believe in what you are creating, otherwise it is meaningless.
if you had unlimited money, do you think your style would change?
nope, but everything would take on a far higher quality (and perhaps a little quantity). my $30-courtesy-of-eBay Guess leather shorts, for example, may have been purchased at retail price and have a few more siblings, and my vintage cardigans and jumpers would likely be replaced by those dreamily perfect pieces by Isabel Marant or Acne. my shoe and bag collection would also increase significantly as well, but they’d all still look pretty much the same i would say.
are you influenced by any particular designers, or more so by street style?
mostly street-style as it is just an endless source of inspiration on how to mix things up and play with your look. but there are those designers and brands that always seem to get things right almost every time for me, like Isabel Marant, Acne, Alexander Wang, and Aussie labels like Friend of Mine, Ellery or Dion Lee. they just seem to produce the freshest shapes, cuts and silhouettes every season, yet still keep their own unique and familiar aesthetic and essential nature. i one day hope to be able to describe the way i dress just like that.
does the style of the city or country that you live in affect your choice of outfit?
to a point perhaps. living in Queensland definitely influences outfits weather-wise, as the heat can be inhibiting. the fashion culture here is also on the more casual side i would say, so you can feel overdressed very easily if you are not careful. i dress a bit differently when i am in Melbourne, for example, as people there are far more into experimentation and layering. then again, there is something to be said for minimalist, free-flowing outfits that heat forces upon you.
(all images courtesy of Modern Legacy)
Love the shorts!
ReplyDeletekiss
Silvia in FashionLand
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Kaitlyn is a gem and I love love love her blog. X
ReplyDeletethere is a definite combination of both in my wardrobe, but more new pieces i would say. i used to buy quite a few vintage pieces.Pakistan Fashion
ReplyDelete