Beret: Miss Selfridge, Blouse: H&M, Jeans: Miss Selfridge, Suglasses: Jimmy Fairly, Shoes: By Far, Bag: Sezane
I pretty much joined Instagram at the beginning of time and I remember initially I didn't even know what it was - I assumed it was just an app to filter your photos. Once I'd gotten into it a realised that actually, it is in fact a social media app where you have your own gallery of images, I rapidly got on board and began sharing snaps of my outfits, my friends, my nails (I was big into nail art back then) and generally happy times. What I'd like to emphasise here is happy times. From the very beginning I have always shared the good parts of my life, because lets be honest, no one takes pictures when they're crying into their Papa John's at two o clock in the morning do they? Recently however, it has become apparent that people are desperate for 'realness' online. I have read SO many articles, and listened to podcasts, and read on Instagram how increasingly, people want raw, unedited and real life on their feeds. They want deep and meaningful, heartfelt declarations and feelings. Now this is completely fine should you wish to do so, I'm not nocking it, however I don't think that in order to still be relevant online it is a necessity. I'm very much of the opinion each to their own. To me, obviously Instagram is a highlights reel, I don't feel I have to drum this into my followers because there is no such thing as perfection and everyone is human at the end of the day. Everyone has down days, feels like shit sometimes or things don't always work out for them, to me, it's a given.
One of the most important pieces i've read in informing this post was by the lovely Brittany Bathgate because I completely agreed with everything she had written. I have followed Brittany since day dot, we regularly used to private message each other on Insta about Bella Freud jumpers, Acne scarves, the Vivienne Westwood shoes and basically anything Alexa Chung had been spotted in, and she has always been one of my faves to follow. She just shares her outfits and always has done, which is something I myself have always done and have pretty much always used instagram for. I am a blogger and I share my outfits online, however I don't share my life online. I don't do Youtube, I don't vlog, I don't really talk about myself or my family an awful lot online (unless I specifically think it would be helpful to you guys to write about a certain topic), and I don't feel the need to do so (right now, never say never..) I share my outfits, I talk about fashion, beauty, travel and anything else that is exciting me. I like to share my latest findings and help people in tracking down the perfect teddy coat or that jumper that had sold out almost everywhere. I will write the odd D&M post now and again, but it's more about a topic with reference to myself, than it is directly about me.
I use Instagram as an escape in the same way I'd flick through a magazine as an escape. I'm not saying that those who do want to share realness online shouldn't do so, because absolutely each to their own and it can be so helpful to others, but for me personally, it's not about being fake it's just about sharing my outfits and the good things that I'm lucky enough to get to experience. I think regardless of all of the noise, it's so important to just do you. Life is hard enough, and sometimes it's just nice to have a little escape.
Rachael
x
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