Can we chat about fashion Instagrammers/influencers..

[Cherrypie32]

..because I don’t have anyone in real life to carp about it to. So, I follow a few, am addicted to the stories/feeds of some but don’t always know why. The ‘high end’ ones, The Frugality, Dress Like A Mum, Emma Hill etc pop up but quite designer and high end for me. I like the ramblings of Does My Bum but I’m nothing like her body shape so don’t wear her clothes. There are a few more ‘high street’ ones I follow, Steal My Style, What Kathy Did, Forty not Frumpy and more but they tend to be repetitive. Is this because they are so heavily sponsored to flog something? At the moment they are all banging on bout All Saints leather bikers and maxi skirts. And they all copy each other so there’s not much new to look at. There are a few I follow with nowhere near the amount of followers that seem more creative and have different body shapes so I presume that they have more liberty to do this as aren’t under afflilate deals.
I don’t need advice to ‘unfollow’, I enjoy looking at it all, just interested in how it all works really.

BeerFlavouredNipples
“All this faux exasperation at the rules is so unprofessional. You make money from this shit? Then you act like a professional and adhere to the code of conduct like anyone else in any other industry has to.”

EXACTLY THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️

I think LS referred to earlier on this thread is Little Spree. I’ve followed her for quite a while on Instagram and like her blog, but I have been shocked at her response to the new rules. She comes across as bitter and petulant and seems to be wilfully ignoring the fact that the rules are for the benefit of those that follow her. I suspected an And Other Stories partnership of some sort but was really surprised to hear she gets a free monthly voucher and wonder why this hasn’t been disclosed before as I believe it is relevant.
Saying that, if she had responded professionally I would not have a problem with the sponsorship (although the level is surprising) but as it is the sheer number of eye roll emojis have massively turned me off and I have swiftly unfollowed.
(Also, I don’t mean to single her out, it is clear from this thread that lots of influencers have responded in the same way, but I don’t follow many influencers on Instagram.)

Oh & Erica Davis is another blogger who is always v clear about ad/spon/paid partnership/gift etc

edinamonsoon absobloodylutely!

Little Spree has really disappointed me. I gave her a chance after yesterday’s post as I have really liked her blog but she has double-downed today.

What this has made me realise is how much clothing is gifted or gift vouchers are given in payment and I’m therefore surprised anyone wants to do this for a job, a bursting wardrobe isn’t wages!

@marypoppinjay I really like Deborah Brett - she's obviously loaded (that house in Ibiza!!!!) but she seems really nice. I DMed her a few times and she always replies!

I wonder if Wardrobe Icons can get around it as being more magazine like?

Urgh, just looked at Little Spree's posts #wishinstawasstilljustprettypicutures or whatever it says ... Yes love, but then you wouldn't be making any money off it would you?

Do these people not realise how they are coming across?

I don't follow LS, her feed is nice. 18k followers and so many freebies though, wow. She has put in the comments to someone "As one friend said to me earlier, looking at instagram is starting to resemble looking at a catalogue "

Well that's the crux of the issue isn't it? It is one giant shopping channel, only we (the followers/mugs) didn't realise we were being played like this. The issue isn't the disclosure, it is the avalanche of stuff being covertly sold to us on our feeds.

I didn't realise H&M gifted stuff either actually. I've never see anyone mark anything from there as a gift before I don't think.

I agree PleaseDoNotBend! That catalogue comment was really misjudged. Instagram IS essentially one giant catalogue - it just hasn’t been transparent about it before now.

Christ that catalogue comment was silly. She has no grasp of irony does she.

I want to know about Joanie Clothing. One of those brands that are ubiquitous on IG, virtually unknown in the real world, but never declared as a gift.

Surely all these IGers aren't spontaneously buying it all?

It must be a voucher set up. Has to be.

PleaseDoNotBend

I didn't realise that about H&M either and I have also now seen Whistles & Net a Porter mentioned, it is endless.

I've seen a few Joanie clothes disclosed as gifts over the last couple of days. Never heard of anyone in RL owning anything from there.

I've had my suspicions about NAP for a while. They also run a fairly good affiliate programme I think and with high end stuff I guess the % a blogger could earn from not doing much other then hiding an affiliate link in a swipe up must be pretty decent.

Which blogger is going to be the first one to admit that Bicester Village give them vouchers as an incentive to go visit and plug it on their feeds?

I love joanie clothing but yes, I only discovered them through insta

Quick scamper through my regular feeds; 3 x vase of flowers, 2 x coffee cups, 1 x cleaning cupboard and 1 x #shopmywardrobe. Oh, and 1 x Sunday pub lunch. Really does tell you everything about the Insta selling game. Not to mention the indignation. Obviously all received the same memo and obviously all think we are stupid.

Why can't they just put the AD at the beginning, is it really that difficult? You really think it is ok to still try and mislead?

One of you is running an agency

From the CMA rules

Practices we have seen, which we consider do not go far enough to comply with the legal requirements, include:

• when the disclosure (for example #ad, #advert) is not prominent because it is hidden at the end of or among other text and/or hashtags

I do agree with the concept that gifts, gift vouchers and freebie holidays don't pay the mortgage. However if you rarely have to spend your own money anymore clothing your family, or buying a family holiday or car, or even toiletries then that does free up a substantial amount of your private income to pay the mortgage.

Same as if you have been gifted with a high end kitchen in your new house or a new bathroom or flooring. When the time comes for you to sell that house, its value will be greatly enhanced.

I tried last year to unfollow a lot of people and they crept back in... but I feel the need to prurge again.

It’s all fake bullshit. Everything I’ve ever been influenced to buy has been disappointing, usually in quality.

I’m beginning to realise just how seedy a lot of the game is.

I disrespect the lies, and half truths and I disrespect people who think that getting paid in vouchers is ok. I mean, really?

If someone asked me to trade my reputation to stealth advertise, I’d want more than a few biker jackets. Where is the integrity and self respect?

Very fair point @theharlotletter. Expenses (clothes, kids clothes, house stuff, beauty products, food - yes looking at you Hello Fresh, nights out) all add up to a fair sum. Probably as much if not more than a lot of people’s mortgage payment.

Let’s see which ones just bite the bullet and declare the free clothing, kitchens, flooring etc (basically lifestyle) on their volition. People here have said it’s not freebies per se that put them off but the extent and the hiding of it.

Erica Davies and DMBL40 did it a while ago and although I was surprised at the extent at first I respected the transparency and so continued to follow and engage.

One of the biggest interiors bloggers has a new (refurbished) kitchen and although says some things are #ad refers people to the blog. The blog is as murky as a churned up pond as to what is a freebie... provided by is too general a term. Followers should know if it has been #gifted as surely that influences the Influencers decision as to whether they would have gone with that brand (price/quality etc) or pootled on down to the local Howdens.

The pushback has led me to unfollow a lot of people. I saw some stories by Lulu Dumas who thinks all these new rules are a bit OTT and boring and not fair when there's different kinds of advertising. Yes but it's still an AD! If you can tag the brand, you can write 'ad'.
While we're on brands what is it with the proliferation of Alexis Amor eyewear? Literally every other influencer is wearing their glasses/sunglasses. Surely they've all been gifted (unless the influencers are just copying DMBL40). Wears My Money posted about her eye test there the other day with no mention of gift/ad just a 'it's a lovely place, check them out'.

True, as long as the payment isn’t always gifted clothes. If it’s vouchers, homework, furniture even food then I can see that this is wages in a way

Wearsmymoney is yet to use #ad... and has only just started saying gifted.

Are they all going to do their insta stories when they ‘pop’ into shops and try on stuff and admit they have vouchers? Probably not, as they only last 24 hours. Or admit they get nice discounts when they do spend their own cash?

Or just tell everyone they don’t want their followers to be ‘confused’ by the ASA rules.

I don’t care if the rules are boring. Work is that’s why you’re paid to do it.