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Canberra Today 13°/16° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Canberra’s fashion bloggers

The face of fashion is changing. No longer just the domain of glossy women’s magazines, fashion writing has become hands-on, with style mavens from around the world creating their own blogs (short for web logs, for the uninitiated) online.

Fashion blogging’s having a huge impact worldwide on the industry – and closer to home, Canberrans are part of the trend. “CityNews” spoke to the creators of two Canberra-connected fashion blogs…

Lian Hingee – Frocks and Frou Frou

When she was a child, Lian Hingee would throw tantrums when her mother attempted to dress her in trousers.

“It had to have a skirt, and it had to twirl!” says Lian, 32, creator of the “Frocks and Frou Frou” blog, who grew up in Duffy and Fadden, but is now based in Melbourne.

“Frocks and Frou Frou” documents Lian’s finds in Melbourne, Canberra, the US, online and more.

“I started the blog in September 2008, after becoming frustrated by the limited resources online for Australian plus-sized girls,” she says.

“There were a number of ‘Fatshionista’ blogs that I read, but more often than not they were reviewing brands and shops that didn’t ship outside of the US.

“I knew that there were a lot of options for shoppers in Australia, but most of it was either from internet shops or from small, independent boutiques.

“I decided to start Frocks and Frou Frou to try and take some of the guesswork out of shopping for women who were struggling – for whatever reason, whether it was dress size or not – to find clothes they liked.”

She says that at heart, the blog is “a style diary of one compulsive shopper’s wardrobe, with a focus on independent designers, individuality, colour and a hefty dose of whimsy!”

Fashion blogging is becoming increasingly popular because it’s seen as more “honest” than traditional media, says Lian.

“Bloggers are not constrained by labels, or by who’s advertising in their pages – they will pull together a look from many differing sources.

“I think for the readers of fashion blogs, there’s an appeal in being able to see what an item looks like on a ‘regular’ person, rather than a model, and also how the same item can be worn in different ways.”

Lian is a big fan of retro, classic and vintage styles, and says the full-skirted look currently coming into vogue is perfect for plus-size figures.

“A lot of bigger girls have been brainwashed into thinking they need to wear loose-fitting, shapeless clothing in dark colours to hide their shape,” she explains. “I think that the traditional “vintage” dress style – cinched waist, full skirts – is particularly flattering on curvy figures because it emphasises a womanly silhouette. And everyone deserves a bit of colour!

“The tide is turning – slowly – on plus-size fashion in Australia. A lot of stores are extending their size ranges, there’s more shops catering for women over a size 14, and a few labels that used to be exclusively straight size are taking the foray into plus sizes. It’s still nothing like the range in the UK and the US, though, which is why I still buy a lot of my clothes online.”

Carly Jacobs –Lady Smaggle

Carly, known by her “blogging name” Lady Smaggle, says she’d love to see Canberrans shaking up their wardrobes a little.

“I think the fashion scene is developing, and that’s really good, but people need to take more risks! Canberra people are a bit too conservative. Occasionally when you walk down the street in Civic you’ll see someone who looks stunning, and that’s a breath of fresh air. People can be a bit conformist here.

“There’s a lot of money in Canberra, but fashion seems to be something people don’t spend a lot of money on. I’m really supportive of people bringing high-end fashion, and boutique buying, here.”

She says she loves Material Pleasures in Fyshwick, the Bourgeois Pig in Braddon, and Bell’s Aviary in Manuka.

Carly’s a qualified jeweller, who “did arts and education at uni – and I teach children with special needs. I’m also a freelance writer. When I wake up in the morning I just do whatever people are paying me to do that day!”

She defines her own look as “very monochrome… lots of white and grey and black. I really like playing with shapes. I also like to play with mixed media and recycled materials, especially in my jewellery.”

Carly, 27, started Smaggle in 2007 after becoming inspired by Susie Bubble, a British fashion blogger.

“I spent the next eight hours on her site,” she laughs. “When I got home, my partner said, ‘do you want to do that?’ and I thought, ‘I’m not allowed to just do a fashion blog!’ But he bought me the Smaggle domain name that day, and it went from there.”

She defines “Smaggle” as: “That kind of violent affection where you’re in a new relationship with someone” or “a cross between a smash and a snuggle”.

“The blog is kind of a little dose of happy. It’s style, and lifestyle, and how to live a beautiful life. I think people forget the importance of the little things in life.”

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Ian Meikle, editor

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