Part Two: Of Blogging and Negativity

I realise that I have not shared an outfit post in rather a while, so here is what I have been wearing today. Apologies for a somewhat mundane outfit, however not to worry, I have a few more summer appropriate and colourful outfits to come.

I am not usually one to pair a t-shirt with a cardigan, however I wanted to create a nice balance between the white and black, so chose something with a deeper cut than a simple v-neck sweater. With these I wore a pair of slim raw denim jeans, with the bottoms rolled back slightly for a more summery feel. Given the lovely warm weather, I also opted for my espadrilles, rather than any heavyweight footwear. As I went out for a short walk this morning, I wore my single breasted trench and flat cap, just to cover up slightly.

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What made you start up a blog?
Why did you start your blog?

I think that blogging is about personal expression and sharing thoughts. Once a blog loses these aspects, it is at risk of becoming merely another information based site. I suppose the simplest answer is that I started a blog in order to share my thoughts and ideas on fashion. I have a number of female friends with whom I am able to talk to with regards to women's fashion, however there has never really been anyone with whom I am able to do the same about menswear. As such I decided to create a blog in order to express that interest, in a way where I was free to indulge in what detail I found to be relevant.

I guess I wanted to create a space in which I could express myself, in particular, the part of myself that may not otherwise be expressed to the fullest. I did not want a space where I would only simply scratch the surface of a thought lightly, highlighting its nature, but being far from understanding its conception and existence. I wanted a platform through which I could truly plunge into those thoughts and ideas, describing in detail my fascination with a collection, or garment or indeed my own daily outfits.

My blog allows me the chance to fully realise my thoughts and consider my initial reactions in more detail, whilst also cataloguing that process. One of the wonderful things about blogging is in essence the idea itself. One slowly builds a collection of posts, in which are contained thoughts, ideas, inspirations and indeed experiences. The very evolution of a blog is an interesting concept, for one can truly chart the change in one's aesthetic tastes and ideas.

I always feel that blogging about a certain subject, allows one the freedom to truly explore that subject, whilst essentially keeping a thought diary as one progresses. Even the most impersonal blogs manage to reveal something about the writer, even if only by the content they choose to post. A blog is somewhat of a public diary, for one chooses what to share, however it still acts as an arena to share you.

Indeed I have always sought to share the things that excite and interest me. I try to only ever post about things, which I am personally interested and fascinated by. I do not like the idea of a blog where one criticises others, for indeed I do not believe that any of us are in a position to do so.

If our blogs are the gardens of our minds, make them not ugly with the weeds of criticism, rather make them beautiful with the passions of our expression.

How would you like your blog to be perceived by others?

I am not really sure how others perceive my blog, and in a way I would like to leave it up to the reader to feel about it how they wish. However that being said, I would naturally like those who visit to enjoy my blog. I would like them to be interested by what I have to say, but also to share what they think. I would like to think that my blog allows one to get an idea of who I am - that my blog is truly an expression of me.

What is it like being one of very few male fashion bloggers in a sea of female bloggers?

I try not think of fashion blogging as being divided between male and female bloggers to be honest, I am more interested in the content and personality of a blog. However there certainly are a far greater number of female bloggers in respects to fashion than male.

I suppose that as being one of the relatively few male fashion bloggers, there is an added impetus to maintain a higher quality blog. I do not mean that in terms of being better than the female-run blogs, or indeed other male-run fashion blogs, but rather in terms of trying to do my best. I think that regardless of which activity one applies oneself to, it should be done to best of one's abilities. I try to make sure that I run the best blog that I can.

I blog for the love of blogging. The moment that I feel that I am blogging for another reason, I think that I would have to reevaluate my decision. I try not to compare myself to other bloggers, otherwise one runs the risk of blogging for the wrong reasons.

What is your favourite blog?

My favourite blogs are those which I can read or view, and truly gain an understanding of the person behind it. They are not necessarily fashion blogs, for to confine oneself to a singular subject does not allow one to truly grow as a person.

What have you learned or gained from reading other peoples' fashion blogs?

In the initial stages of creating a blog, I think that reading other blogs allows one to understand the more casual nuances of maintaining a blog. Whilst there is no correct or incorrect way to blog, I found that finding my own way of blogging required not only developing a form that complimented me, but also seeing what worked for others. So reading other blogs initially helped me to form my own.

The main strength of blogging is the community experience behind it. One can connect with others who share the same interests, or indeed others with whom one shares no common ground. The immense diversity within the world that blogs, means that one is truly open to a wealth of ideas and interests. As such, I find that I enjoy other blogs for the same reason one enjoys the company of other people. I am able to read the blogs of people with whom I may share interests, yet their individual views open a new way of thinking about a topic, which I may have never otherwise thought about. Indeed other blogs will inevitably influence my own thoughts and tastes, and that is what I enjoy about the experience.

Does anyone of your friends or family know about your blog?
Have you told anyone about your blog?

In a word - no. I did not really announce the creation of my blog to anyone who I know, although some do now know about it. I do not really think that my family would be interested by my blog, although they may have seen it passing. With regards to my friends, I think the only real announcements I made, were either mentioning it in passing or placing a link to my blog on my Facebook page. I would like to think that those who are interested by what I write about, read my blog.

How do you deal with negative comments?

I do not use a security word box and allow anonymous commenting simply to allow those who may be interested to comment. I invite those who disagree with what I have to say to comment, provided it is polite and constructive. Indeed if we all shared the same views, the world would not be as exciting a place as it is. If somebody wishes to leave an abusive comment, I ignore it, and in the case of profanities, delete it.

I feel that life is too short to have anger in your life. I do not get angered by abusive comments, nor do I give them any real thought. I think that those people who choose to hide behind the anonymity of the internet to leave such comments, are cowardly. I feel that they are simply at a bad place within their lives.

They do not leave abusive comments because they dislike a person as such, but rather because it makes them feel better about themselves. They are at a point in their lives where they may feel alone or angry at themselves for not being where they would like to be, and so they lash out so that they may concentrate their anger somewhere. Far from getting angry at them, I hope that they can find happiness within their lives and smile once again.

Currently playing: Starstruck - Santogold

xxxx