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.

MOD/FOD really get on my nerves with how contrived they come across so I unfollowed them very soon after following them. Thanks for the recommendations, I've found a few new accounts to peruse.

Fashion Instagram accounts are a recent thing for me to follow, but I can tell you it's exactly the same for interior design accounts and fitness ones. They all end up looking the same, repeating themselves, doing paid promotions etc

I'm not an IG fan but this thread inspired me to have a nose. I like the sound of 40plusnotgivingup so had a little look at her. Realised I know her!! She is a school mum. I don't know her well but from what I've seen and heard she is fairly self-absorbed and obnoxious! Yeah won't be following her! She comes across as thinking she is a bit special at school now I see why.

I literally don’t know why anyone would follow an insta mum or family. I want escapism 🤣

Yes nothequeen partnership means they've been paid.

Often a partnership is bigger than, say, a one off ad - it might be a longer campaign with more sponsored posts.

Which means more lovely money for our insta-heroes.

Lelleybells she's had an utterly horrendous year, so don't follow her by all means, but give her a break.

Jagta8 is a German instagrammer. I follow her, like her style. Also I really like les futillies, She s French but wears a lot of zara etc.

@ElspethFlashman mine hasn't been too shit hot either but I don't behave like this. As I said I know of her and have seen her behave in ways that's not portrayed on her IG. I hope this year is better for her though.

I'm trying to find a black long woolen smart coat that can be worn to work and over a dress and was hoping to get some inspiration from instagrammers - it helps if I can see how it looks on a 'real' person - but they are all really expensive the ones that the insta's wear. There are too few affordable instagrammers, and too few curvy instagrammers who aren't always in weird patterned dresses.

My Insta thread has just thrown up #myspaceanddecor to follow. No. Does everyone now have to have a feature dark blue or green wall with a picture gallery mash up including some framed motivational quotes perched above some retro looking sideboard? Insta really is becoming very, very dull.

Not read TFT so apologies if she's already been mentioned but Lydia Elise Millen can be pretty entertaining, for all the wrong reasons.

I think the trouble with insta & pinterest is that it’s really hard to be individual now as there is so much exposure if that makes sense.

I think the Insta influencers really trawl new depths when they start with the, oh so innocent, recommendations wanted, the ones where really they just want a free this, that ........ oh, I don't know, a new bathroom washbasin or whatever, cos they actually think we are that stupid!

You've obviously just watched MOD @AtHomeInFrance! I did wonder about that too; I think they got a discount on their kitchen that way.

I know I would get into huge amounts of strife at work if I traded on my professional reputation to secure non stop freebies.

ivegotthree using partnership instead of ad somehow just seems shady

cailindeas35 thank you - added her to my list

Yep agree notthequeen suspect that's the point!

@AtHomeInFrance I think it's because they just have a different style to what is seen so much in the UK, they don't seem to have as many 'paid in partnership with' either.

@NotTheQueen my German recs would be emmaleinswelt, fashionstyle50s and ankipankistyle. I much more of a jeans wearer and they tend to show ways to style them.

I've also just come across thesisterstudioig from Texas, I'm in love with her hair!

Following to read later

I like following overseas accounts precisely because you can't often buy the clothes. It make the images for inspiration only.

On a similar note, I find it interesting that a common complaint on these threads is to find accounts of real women wearing their own clothes, without sponsorship and advertising. Yet at the same time there are complaints when some accounts feature the same clothes on repeat, or wear old out of season clothes which can no longer be bought, as if that's a negative.

Surely for most of us, the size of our wardrobes mean we do wear the same things on repeat, and gasp some of clothes may have been bought last year, or even worse are some years old?? The need to have a link to where something is from and rush out to buy is what these accounts need to transition from amateur to professional, and the gifting and advertising is a natural move on from that as they get bigger. Be careful what you wish for is all.

I'd happily settle for some creativity, individuality or, at very least, some honesty. When you see the third, fourth, fifth influencer wearing the same (not so nice) outfit, it is clear that they are just mannequins with cash registers rather than genuine influencers.

I’ve followed lots of them for ages and have started unfollowing when they start moaning about losing followers (obviously mean losing cash) who needs to see the bloody same stuff on repeat anyway?

The fashion Instagrammars are losing the plot a bit. Steal my style 40 set off for the school run in almost £600 of 'casual' jeans t shirt and trainers!! And almost everything gifted. The smugness is ridiculous. I can honestly say I think I look great on the school run, I wear great high street clothes for work, get the kids dropped off and get to work without having to spend ages taking selfies for Insta and flogging stuff I got free to followers. It's the best feeling.

They've really lost their way and I've unfollowed most of them. They stated out as mums we could relate to teeing clothes on from the high street. Note it's just ad, aff, gift, free free free.....

There is a lady i follow called fashionqueen40's....the other day she posted a pic of herself wearing high boots and a cardigan....that it....nothing else....she looked ridiculous and yet all the comments on her outfit were positive and gushing.....i must live on another planet !!!

I will never use the #aff links to buy anything...they get enough stuff for free as it is....they are not going to make money from my purchases aswell.

Apologies if you already know this but if feel strongly that you don’t want influencers to benefit from affiliate links then be aware that if you click on them they usually store a cookie on your device which lasts about five days. If you come back to the site and purchase the item within that time they still receive a payment, unless you use a private / incognito browsing window or clear your cookies.