Fashion bloggers are ubiquitous. They're becoming international fashion icons, sitting at the front row of runway shows, debuting their own collections, replacing traditional ads with sponsored posts for many of the world’s top brands and gaining more daily followers than most religions. (OK, we don't have the data to back up that last claim.)
Every major city has its own breed of famous bloggers, and Dallas is no different. Most have turned fashion blogging into full-time careers, and most say they are constantly busy — either buying clothes, trying on clothes or Instagramming clothes. (When we emailed all the fashion bloggers to ask for quotes, one told us she was so busy she needed a deadline.)
Their online presence allows us to know everything. We know what they wear. What they eat. Their husbands' birthdays. We know too much, yet we only know what they share with the world. It may be hard to keep up with them or even distinguish them from the rest.
Allow us to be your fashion blogger whisperer. Here's everything you’ll ever want to know and never need to know. Your guide to the world of Dallas fashion bloggers is here.
The Most Enviable Wardrobe and Wedding: Lauren Murphy, lomurphy.com
Lauren Murphy is our Dallas version of Blair Eadie, blogger at the-atlantic-pacific.com. Murphy's style is bright, monochromatic, silhouette slaying and very first lady. We wish we could afford even the straw bag that grazes her hand, which dons an engagement ring that rivals the size of a 4-year-old boy. Her stylish black-tie wedding is second only to William and Kate's royal wedding, and it may have received just as much media attention. Are we obsessed? Deranged? Nope, just subscribers.
Over Amy Havins' dead body would she hang a sign that says "girl boss" in her home.
courtesy Amy Havins
You may notice that many bloggers dub themselves (often jokingly) interior designers, posting as many photos of their living spaces as they do their #OOTDs (outfits of the day). Fashion blogger home-decor posts overflow with all things Pinterest; themes of pink, glitter and leopard; and framed signs that say "girl boss" or "#Hustle."
Not in Amy Havins' house.
Havins' room reveals put our wannabe Ikea and Urban Outfitters apartments to shame. They put heaven's gates to shame. According to her latest posts, she just moved into a new, possibly even more immaculate home. Blog post room reveals are not enough. We want to move in.
"What makes me stand out amongst other girls is being relatable and sharing bits and pieces from my day to day life," Havins writes in an email. "From outfits that you can actually wear (not over styled), to mom tips to home decor; I try to cover it all!"
The Most Professional Fashion Blogger: Kate (she's secretive about her last name), lonestarsouthern.com
Kate might be a robot. She seems far too perfect to be real. The first thing you need to know about Kate is that she mostly sticks to fashion. The second thing you need to know is she's the cutest thing in the world. Her aesthetic is pink, preppy and always put together.
Most of us fill our Instagram Stories with video rants, wine-influenced selfies and posts not good enough for the feed. But this is not true for Kate. She is always a role model for little girls and exactly who you'd want to bring home to mom.
The Blogger Who Is Low-Key YouTube Famous: Dani Austin, thedaniaustin.com
Dani Austin boasts more than 146,000 YouTube subscribers, and that is nothing to scoff at. Building an IG following is hard enough. Austin posts the same content you see from the blogger world (make-up routines, wedding planning updates, etc.) but hers is in video form. One of her most-watched videos is the masterfully produced surprise engagement mini-film created by her fiancé. And we're out here just hoping that one halfway normal guy on Tinder responds.
The Most Relatable Blogger: Brighton Keller, brightontheday.com
Some bloggers thrive on exuding the picture-perfect life. Brighton Keller is not one of those people. One might argue she is more of a life coach than a fashion blogger. She dives into her daily struggles, whether mental, spiritual or physical. Some may say TMI, but others likely relate. Subscribe to BTD, and within one week you'll have 15 Self-Love Solutions for However You’re Feeling, 20 Ways To Make You Feel Like You Have Your Life in Order and 8 New Methods for Being Productive. Do you feel like a new you yet?
The Blogger Who Is Basically a Physical Trainer/Nutritionist: Krystal Schlegel, krystalschlegel.com
The fashion content is there, and the Instagram color palette is there, but Krystal Schlegel packs the biggest punch with her fitness content. The amount of fitness content she posts is second only to outfit posts. Find food diary printables, running tips and schedules, and even a marathon training plan. Are you motivated to lose 10 pounds? Or at least spend hundreds at LuluLemon? We know we are.
"Southern girls are known for wearing big smiles and all of the Dallas fashion bloggers are really sweet as well as hard working," Schlegel tells us via email.
The Blogger Whose Style We Most Want To Emmulate: Taylor Gardner, @dallastyle
Let's be honest. Most bloggers wear the same items from the same places. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. They help us overworked civilians with no sense of what's trendy find good deals and places to shop. Yet we're blessed with rare gems like Taylor Gardner, who can pick out unique pieces we would never think to buy and style them in creative ways. Although she ditched her blog at the beginning of this year and maybe isn't technically a blogger anymore, she's still an Instagram style goddess, and she still has the best style.
The Most Hilarious Blogger: Courtney Kerr, kerrently.com
Does anyone remember Courtney Loves Dallas? Does anyone care that she would open her closet door and say, "Hello ladies!" to her clothes or that she once took a dozen raw eggs to a potluck brunch? These are the moments America needs right now. #BringCLDBack. The humor from her short-lived reality show translates into her everyday social and blog posts. If you've ever wondered what microblading, CoolScultping or any other beauty procedure is like, your girl Kerr is regularly posting on Instagram Live in real time.
The Most Traveled Blogger: Amanda Miller, themilleraffect.com
Following Amanda Miller on Instagram is like following a distant friend who is on a never-ending beach vacation. But as many bloggers will attest, blogging ain’t a day at the beach. It’s hard work. (They really do say that.) However, a cruise through Miller's travel guides may have you debating a career change. She also doesn’t shy away from the newfound culture of #TryOnHauls, in which bloggers try on clothes from home, recording the entire process in real time on Instagram Stories. Swipe up to buy, fam.
Katey McFarlan is Dallas's Martha Stewart.
Madison Katlin Photography
Katey McFarlan works full time and is married with a toddler. Unlike the rest of us, she’s actually good at doing it all, with how-to posts to prove it. Subscribe and watch your inbox fill with advice like How to Organize Your Handbags, How to Organize the Inside of Your Handbags, Tips for Unpacking With a Baby, Go-To Look with Baby, Preparing Dog for Baby, Graduation Gifts, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridal Shower Gifts, Hospital Nurse Gifts, Morning Skincare Routine, Summer Makeup Routine, Sunday Night Routine, Daily Makeup Routine and Everyday Eyeshadow Routine.
If you have a problem that McFarlan can't fix, we can't help you either.
"I love Dallas fashion because it celebrates strong women," McFarlan writes in an email. "In Dallas you can be as over-accessorized or as minimalistic as you desire, and it's more than welcomed. Women that blog fashion in Dallas really encompass that spirit of wearing whatever makes you happy and in turn I hope we allow our readers to feel confident in their own personal style. I think we also have a unique insight to the industry and where it is going thanks to the RewardStyle headquarters being located here. My blog is a little different than the traditional fashion blog as I've always incorporated my home and now I have a daughter and share her in little glimpses."
We hope this has been insightful and that you feel wiser in both the fashion and lifestyle areas of your life. Subscribe to our city's local bloggers. Unless you have exes in common. That might be awkward.
