Why I'll Never Be a "Real" Fashion Blogger

Ages ago when I started following blogs, I followed a small sampling of fashion blogs. And very quickly stopped following most of them when I realized they were just making me covet clothes and accessories that I couldn't afford and couldn't justify buying even if I had the extra cash lying around.

I got an email today telling me the about "6 Shoes [I] Should Own" - not one pair made sense with my lifestyle, but I still opened it to see if hey, maybe there was something I need that I didn't realize I needed! And I deleted it, because no way do I need "heeled sandals" or "over-the-knee boots."

See, my kind of "fashion" blogging mostly revolves around finding quality secondhand pieces and shopping sales to fill wardrobe gaps or replace worn out or outgrown clothing that I can't wear anymore. It takes me a long time to be willing to try a new trend, which is why I could never be on the cutting edge of fashion bloggers even if I did have a limitless disposable income, an even fancier camera, and a photographer husband.

I might show you the same dress 20 times, worn a slightly different way each time. Who's got the money for 20 new dresses a year?

I'm not trying to help you be the trendiest, or impress the most people, or have the most ridiculously amazing collection of shoes. Because who cares about all that?

I do, however, think it's important to be mindful of what you wear. And, especially for moms, to remember that you matter. That you're worthy of a little extra time to make sure that you're presenting yourself not as a weary, bedraggled mom of many who hasn't had an unbroken night's sleep since you were a newlywed. You are a beautiful, beloved child of God. And you don't have to sacrifice yourself on the altar of frump just to prove that you love your family so much that you neglect yourself.

I'm not going to tell you to go purge your closet of all but 33 or 41 or 17 items of clothing (or whatever the number of the season is). I'm not going to keep you updated on every single sale of the season so that you can buy buy buy all the things and contribute to the overwhelming downward spiral that is the consumerism of this country, fed by a hunger for fast fashion.

I'm just going to keep trying to show you what works for me in my constant cycle of pregnant-post partum-nursing-pregnant again, because I know I'm not the only one who has to balance these constantly changing body shapes with the need to spend most of your budget on clothes for your children, because they just keep growing!



My photos might be blurry, my hair tangled, my boots muddy because I live in the country... But hopefully my unpolished "mom style" posts help somebody else learn what it took me far too long to learn - that you don't have to sit around unhappy in ill-fitting sweatpants just because you feel guilty spending money on clothes that actually fit!

It feels frivolous, most of the time, whenever I blog about fashion... And I know it rubs some readers the wrong way if I include affiliate links or have a sponsored post every once in a while. But being able to use blog earnings to buy new shoes for my kids is pretty darned helpful! So thank you for your support, and thank you for using your own good and prayerful discernment when considering any recommendations I might make - the last thing I want to do is encourage unhealthy spending habits, so know your own limits!

So here I'll remain, posting awkward pictures of myself on the internet in an attempt to show that you *can* have 5 little kids and still put yourself together decently, without spending a ton of money!

These posts might help, if you're looking for some realistic style tips that help you realize you don't have to spend a ton of money on an entirely new wardrobe!

Fashion in the First Trimester & the Fourth Trimester

Mom Style: How to Start

Building a Transitional Wardrobe