Bob the Builder had his toolkit, and I have mine too.

Dear Readers,

This week's entry for 'Independent Fashion Bloggers' is about a fashion blogger's 'toolkit'. In other words, I'm going to write about the essential bits and bobs for us bloggers. Whilst I feel rather awkward giving suggestions about blogging since I'm only been doing this for less than six months, at the same time I think sharing these tips is a good idea.

I'm going to skip the obvious 'you need a computer, a camera, and a blog' argument and focus on some things that might be easily overlooked. If you don't have a computer, a camera and a blog already think about those and then read this post *feels awkward*.

Get your stylish hands on a photo editing software

You don't need to be the world's next photo editing prodigy, but you should have some basic knowledge of a basic photo editing software like Photoshop. Obviously, pictures are a basic element of every fashion blog, so you want to make sure they're all set to shine. This means you should be able to do basic amendments like cropping, adjusting contrast and brightness, rotating images. If you can tweak a picture even further then good for you! You don't need the latest camera on the market to capture a good photo, but you do need a photo editing software to make sure it's perfect!

Set up a Twitter account and get yourself a Facebook Page

Yeah, for sure. Both social networks are an excellent way of promoting your blog posts. They're also an ideal platform to interact with your readers and followers. All those who 'like' my Facebook Page are immediately notified when a new post is up, and in addition, I like to post certain things I wouldn't have posted on my blog. You know, sometimes I post an extra picture or two for all those who read my blog and bothered to like my page as well.

Establish a good relationship with your readers

Don't neglect your readers. Answer their requests, reply to their comments, ask them for advice, get their feedback. Don't ever forget that you're writing for them. They keep you going. I strongly believe that a bunch of good, loyal readers is a prerequisite for every successful blog. Love your followers, and they'll love you back. 

Save up your pennies and get a Smartphone

If you're always on the move, and you don't have time to sit down at your desk all day - well, you shouldn't, it's not very healthy - then you need a Smartphone to keep up with all the latest news from Fashion World. This is a competitive industry, and the earlier you write and react to a piece of news, the better it is. Smartphones help you to be more on the ball. You can also use your Smartphone to take pictures - emergency pictures only! - post pictures and update your Twitter and Facebook. If you can't afford a smartphone, then try to get a netbook or an iPod touch. I have them all because I'm a tech geek, but one will suffice!

Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe!

Let's admit it, there's so much to write about! So many things happen in one day and personally I don't want to miss any of it! In order to be as updated as I possibly can, I subscribe to many fashion newsletters from leading fashion websites including Vogue, Elle, and WhoWhatWear amongst many others. I receive about 30 newsletters per day and I read through all of them. I make it a point to skim through all the articles. Receiving all this information in my own inbox saves me a lot of time as well. I always recommend setting up a separate email for all your blog related mail, and make sure you receive all of your newsletters on that email. Yeah, I think an inbox full of good newsletters is a must for every fashion blogger. 

Make sure you have a Polyvore account

Polyvore is one of my closest friends. Whenever I write a post about a specific trend, for example, I always give as many illustrations of the trend as possible. That's where Polyvore comes in. It allows bloggers to create sets to embed in their blog posts. Polyvore also has many other perks, but I'm sure you're good enough to find them yourself :)

One page of Vogue per day, keeps writer's block away

Fact. It also keeps fashion disasters away. Every blogger's toolkit must contain a decent amount of Vogue magazines and any other important fashion magazines like Elle, V, W and the like. Read as much as you can. It doesn't matter if your magazine dates back to 1986, read it anyway. Look at the pictures. React to what there is and write something about it. I love flicking through old editions of Vogue and write about something I've spotted to try to bring back a new trend. I also suggest referring to some books about fashion and style. Your inspiration gland (I invented that so don't look it up in your anatomy books) will swell with enthusiasm.

Mind your language

The nerd is in the house. As an English graduate, I want to make sure that my posts are as grammatically correct as possible. I'm not a native speaker of English, so I have to be extra careful. This is why I always have a dictionary next to me when I write. I also like keeping a thesaurus handy to look up synonyms or else everything I describe would be 'nice', 'pretty' or 'horrible'. Diversity is a lovely thing, even in a linguistic context. Thankfully, there are plenty of online dictionaries and synonym finders to make the task easier!

A Fashion-Glossary translates into Mega Descriptive Precision

I'm a perfectionist so I either describe things precisely or I don't describe them at all. I'm currently compiling a glossary of fashion-related terms, including words related to sewing and textiles, to make sure my posts contain all the precise words they require. I'm gathering all these terms from a number of sources including fashion magazines, sewing magazines, and other online glossaries. I want to study fashion later on this year, so this is sort of my prep work as well. It's so helpful, I promise! Now I can identify different waistlines, cuts and materials instantly. Having a handy list of basic terminology really works wonders!

Thank for the Music!

I strongly believe there's a strong relationship between music and fashion. I can't write unless I have the right type of music in the background. For yesterday's post on Androgyny, for instance, I needed a good dose of Jessie J and Robyn playing to write. Every blogger needs his or her music. In my opinion, having a specific music playlist to listen to whilst blogging is essential. Just put in a selection of music you find particularly inspiring. Here's a screenshot of my 'Let's Write' playlist. Click it to see a larger version. Yes, it has a cheesy name. Don't judge me.

Pile on plenty of Patience, Determination and Individuality

Last but not least, every blogger needs a great deal of patience, determination and individuality. The first is one of those really important things. Be patient, don't spam people to read your blog. You won't become the next Anna Wintour overnight. It takes time! Just sit back, write and enjoy it. The second is what keeps you going. I feel committed to my blog and to its readers and I'm determined to do anything in my power to do the best job possible. The last is what you should hold tightest to. Be yourself. Don't imitate others. Write about things you feel strongly about. Don't write about something just because everyone else is writing about it. You are who you are, and the sooner you learn to appreciate that, the sooner you'll see people flocking to read your stuff!

That's all I have in my little toolkit! I feel like concluding this post by encouraging many more people to start blogging because it's a truly fulfilling experience! Geez, this conclusion sucks.

-B

I know you want to know what's in my bag.

Dear Readers,

What are you up to? I'm listening to one of my favourite songs from my oh-so-melodramatic teenage phase: Uptown Girl by Westlife. I have no idea why I included this irrelevant detail in my post, but hey, I just felt like telling you that okay?

Back to business. This week's Independent Fashion Bloggers challenge is called, 'What's in your bag?'. Ehh, there's a lot in my handbag dear readers, because if boots were made for walking, then handbags were definitively made for carrying half your wardrobe around town. 

Now I'm listening to Sara Bareilles's 'Gonna Get Over You', a song that reminds me I need to get over a pair of shoes I saw in a shop window last Saturday. 

First thing in my bag is my dearest, loyal friend: my iPod touch and its cover in the flashiest pink ever. My iPod touch is my best friend. It has a pretty agenda application that I downloaded to keep me updated with all the events I have to attend. I use it to play Angry Birds and obviously to listen to music. I'm quite obsessed with my iPod, and I spend hours uploading album artwork and making sure there are no spelling mistakes in any of the song names.

I'm always carrying a pair of sunglasses around although, alas, I always forget to wear them. The pair in the picture are from Ells and I love them to death. They're in a gorgeous maroon colour and their shape is somewhat whimsical. They make me look like the robot in 'The Wizard of Oz', but I'm slowly accepting that now.

Item number three is my house key, which yes, I forget very often. I only got my house key recently - a year ago I believe - so I'm still relatively new to the 'carry your house keys around because mum will be asleep when you get back home' idea. Don't ask me why I got my house key at the age of 21. I have a strange life I guess.

The fourth item is probably the most boring item in my bag. Tissues are boring. I used them to blow my nose and to wipe my face after stuffing my face with a pizza. Now I feel like pizza. You know, I always wondered who that girl on the packet is. 

My fifth item is a bit embarrassing. That little packet over there is a packet of disposable toilet seat covers. I'm rather obsessed with personal hygiene and all of that stuff, so I carry them around just in case I need the loo. I hate using using public loos. It's a nightmare. I imagine little organisms playing on top of the toilet seat, singing along to a cheesy song like Britney Spears's 'Crazy' and laughing their afternoons away. I would carry toilet wipes if their packet wasn't so big! It's all my mother's fault you know. I couldn't even use the school toilets when I was a kid because she warned me that those 'were never clean!'. I never used a school toilet, though I did go to the school bathroom once per day, count to thirty and go back to class, just to make my schoolmates believe that 'even Lara Boffa uses the toilet'. 

I bet you're not surprised with item number six. It's a little round mirror, with an embossed Eiffel Tower, that my cousin got me from Paris. A vain, wannabe French person like me needs that mirror on a daily basis.

Don't think I'm an alcoholic because I have a Pina Colada flavoured lip balm in my bag. I got my lovely lipbalm from Peacocks for just a couple of euros and it tastes so good. I always make sure I also have the lipstick I'm wearing just in case I need to reapply. I never reapply though, because I'm lazy.

That flashy coral pocket, numbered 8, is the pouch I use to carry my bus ticket. That's one of the reasons why I love the public transport reform here in Malta: it gave me an excuse to buy that coral pocket.

I have huge hair. My hair has a mind of its own and it drives me nuts on a regular basis. This is why I have to carry a couple of scrunchies, bobby pins and an Alice Band in my bag.

I have to carry number ten around because it's so damn hot in Malta at the moment. Those are my two fans. I bought the yellow one from an open market, and the cute strawberry one is from Accessorize. They should still have it, and I think it's on sale :)

Number eleven is my pink camera who decides to strike every once in a while. I noticed it likes to let me down when I try to take photos of myself at the beach. Should I be offended?

My iPod touch is my best friend, and my Blackberry Curve is my bad-ass boyfriend. It's gonna be a year old very soon and I plan on buying it a nice shiny cover for the occasion!

As I said, Malta is  a very warm country during the Summer so I have to make sure I have some sort of perfume / deodorant should I start sweating and smelling like a horse. At the moment, I'm carrying that little sample around and it smells good, so I'm covered!

Moving on to number fourteen! Have I ever told you that mosquitoes love me like crazy? It's a sad story of unrequited love my dear readers, because I hate them with a passion. Every morning I wake up with a dozen new mosquito bites, so I'm carrying that cream with me because it soothes my poor irritated and swollen (very!) skin.

Number fifteen is my purple, New Look purse that carries the little money that I have at the moment. It's sad.

As I look at the pictures, I realise that I should keep my spectacles in my handbag. Why? I didn't realise that my pretty polka dot wrapping paper did not cover the entire floor. I'm becoming blind. ALAS!!

-B