Daily Inspiration: Every Artist Was First an Amateur

Yes, it is true, every one begins as an amateur. I would even go a step further and say, we suck at first. Maybe some have a gift and do something ok the first time. But for the most part, to really beco...

10 Surprising Phrases You Might Be Getting Wrong

Many of us bloggers may not have started our blogs out of our love for the written word. There are many bloggers who are "ideas" people-- those who love sharing information about a favorite topic. Personally,...

Get Paid: Invoice Template for Your Blogger Services [DOWNLOAD]

The good news is, your blog is in business. You've got your first project approved by the client, and now what? You need to GET PAID! Sometimes business is done with a handshake, but for tax purposes, b...

7 Common Traits of High Quality Fashion Blogs

"Be so good they can't ignore you." ~Steve Martin I keep going back to this, because it's at once sage advice, and completely subjective advice. For bloggers wishing to become professional, getting noticed i...

The 6 Fashion Bloggers Personality Types

Fashion bloggers are an interesting mix aren't we? Who else takes photos of ourselves (often with a tripod) and posts them on the internet? Sounds strange when you say it out loud doesn't it? But somehow it's...

4 Creative Examples of Successful Sponsored Posts

After affiliate links & advertising, sponsored posts are the third tier in monetizing your blog. But how do you present these without them seeming like adverts in the midst of your otherwise heartfelt con...

Collaborate: 23 Beneficial Ideas To Do With Blogger Friends

By Jessie Holeva of trendhungry.com Blogging can be lonely. Whether you blog in the early morning before your 9 to 5, on the weekends, or 24/7 it’s usually a solo task. But take a look on Instagram. A lot of y...

Beginner SEO Tips for Fashion Bloggers

When you take a look at your analytics, where is most of your traffic coming from? For many blogs, as much as 50% of traffic can come from search engines.  With IFB, 44% of our traffic comes from Google organ...

Daily Inspiration: Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.

There are days where everything goes wrong. Toothpaste drops on your silk blouse, late for work, given bad news, accidentally deleted a 1000 word post, someone says something rude to you... ug. There are th...

Daily Inspiration: Doing what you like is freedom, Liking what you do is happiness

The search for happiness goes beyond the ages, as is the quest for freedom. I've found that after working a day job for most of my life, day jobs I never really suck with, that doing what you like is sup...

Daily Inspiration: The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It

We've all heard the "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" cliche. It's a great saying that keeps us aware that we tend to compare ourselves and think that other people have it better. It's perce...

8 Business Books to Inspire the Entrepreneur Inside You

As the sunshine finally returns to those of us who've been under a long winter, why don't you head outside to get some vitamin D with a book that will help you take your blog & business to the next level....

Daily Inspiration: Small Things Become Great When Done With Love

Never underestimate what love can bring to the table. Your blog might be small, your tweet might only reach a few people, but if you show up and put your heart into what you do, it will show. When you...

Daily Inspiration: It takes nothing to join a crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.

One of the characteristics of the fashion blogging community is that we have a strong desire to be liked. I say this as compared to celebrity blogs, political blogs, hey, even tech blogs, all are here nor t...

Six Tax Tips for Bloggers

Have you filed your taxes yet? In the business of blogging, taxes are the biggest drag. For most of us at least. In fact, you many be reading this post in procrastination of actually doing your taxes. But no ...

Daily Inspiration: Sometimes Good Things Fall Apart So Better Things Can Fall Together

There was a lot of great energy this week, but over the last few days I've heard of a theme of things falling apart from various people. When I saw this quote it struck home, as every time something I wante...

Daily Inspiration: Nothing Great Was Ever Achieved Without Enthusiasm

The thing about blogging is that it is a long term activity. It's easy to be enthusiastic in the beginning, but as time goes on, it becomes easier and easier to become jaded, frustrated, burnt out. And true,...

Daily Inspiration: If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face like sunbeams…

One of the best beauty tips I know of is to be happy. Happy people radiate a beauty like nothing else that can be found in a jar. It's the truest kind of beauty. I know, sometimes we can have bad days. ...

6 Graphic Design Resources For Fashion Bloggers

Great graphic design is a critical part of branding your blog. It's as important as your Twitter strategies, your photography, hey, I would go as far as to say as it's as important as your text. Why? Becaus...

9 Fashion Bloggers Worth their Weight in Words

There are more niches in fashion blogging than we could ever begin to cover, but its worthwhile to explore bloggers whose main tool is words, not photographs.  Those who are exploring (and blogging about!) fa...

How to Protect your Blog from Plagiarism

Guest Post by Sandra Miller After investing that much time and effort in creating fresh, interesting and completely unique content for your blog, it would be best to also make sure your posts are protected...

Daily Inspiration: Nothing Great Ever Came That Easy

It always fascinates me how people think that bloggers just sit around all day taking Instagrams of cupcakes. For some of us, it might be that easy. But for me, it hasn't. It's important to note that ...

Daily Inspiration: You Can Never Be Overdressed…

Gotta love Oscar Wilde. But it's true, especially in fashion blogging. You can never be overdressed in this industry (even if some say we are "peacocking"). And even more so, you can never be overeducate...

Daily Inspiration: The Only Person You Try to be Better Than

When it comes to fashion blogging, it's hard not to compare. I don't know why we do it, but comparing ourselves to other bloggers: who's thinner, prettier, has more designer handbags, the list goes on, and ...

Daily Inspiration: Don’t Stumble Over Something Behind You

What happened, happened. Learn from mistakes and obstacles and move on. Easier said than done, no? We all tend to carry lessons from the past (if we're smart), which is a good thing. That's how we lea...

Daily Inspiration: If Your Dreams Don’t Scare You…

  Who would want to have scary dreams? Probably not very many people. When we say, if your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough... we're not talking about the kind of fear you see in zombi...

Daily Inspiration: Everyone Is Perfect

"You are perfect, just the way you are." Either you love hearing that, or roll your eyes. But the truth is, that more often than not, we subject ourselves to self-criticism in the name of improvement. Ho...

A Fashion Blogger’s Guide to Covering Events Like a Pro

Last week we did a little bit of crowd sourcing to get an idea of the kinds of posts that the community might want to see from us. One such idea, which I really liked, was to discuss how to cover events as a ...

Daily Inspiration: A Head Full of Fears Has No Space For Dreams

When I was young, I didn't really know people who really went after their dreams. Not in the sense of reaching for the top of the top anyway. When I met someone who wanted to be a photographer, and just app...

Create Your Own Digital Magazines With Glossi

Click to view OntheRacks on GLOSSI.COM When I was in High School, I wanted to create magazines. More like fan 'zines with a photocopied issues with handwritten and typewritter'd text and collaged ...

Blogger True Story: My Blog Helped Me Get My Dream Job

I met Kiley Stenberg of a Sequin Dress at Breakfast a few fashion week seasons ago at a brunch (where else?) and we've been fast friends ever since. While living in Des Moines, Iowa, Kiley has been working at a...

Quotes from the Lost Generation on Writing

I've recently started reading  The Paris Wife; at 70 pages in, I'm completely captivated by this historical fiction piece and forgetting it's not an autobiography. More so, I'm reminded of my fascination and ...

Get To Know This Season’s Smart, Sassy & Stylish IFBcon Speakers

As we mentioned briefly in one of yesterday's posts, celebrity clout is not the most important quality in selecting our speakers each year for IFBcon. We work very hard to put together panels and select key...

Viral Content in Fashion: What Makes It Go Big?

  In digital media, we're all looking to capture that special something that could make our content go viral. It can feel like luck of the draw and often prove difficult to pin down just what exactl...

The 6 Best Tablets for Fashion Bloggers

Can a tablet make keeping up with your blog easier and which ones are the best for fashion blogging? I resisted the call of the tablet for a while, thinking that all I needed was my trusty MacBook. But aft...

How To: Use SWOT Analysis to Strengthen Your Blog Business

Why fashion bloggers should start using a SWOT analysis to strengthen their blog business

Daily Dose of Inspiration: The Quieter You Become, the More You Can Hear

Why listening is your best business weapon.

True Story: I Went Two Weeks Without Social Media

Sounds dramatic, right? (Or maybe you look at the headline and think, "Two weeks without social media? That's so EASY!" Shush you.) Since I began blogging 5.5 years ago, social media (and my blog) have ...

5 Easy Ideas for Your Next Blog Post Series

How to find and create content after the holidays have passed.

Daily Dose of Inspiration: Mistakes are proof that you are trying

Why your mistakes are learning lessons and proof that you tried. Effort points, everyone!

Why There is No Such Thing As “Privacy” On Social Networks

Yesterday news broke that Randi Zuckerberg, former Marketing Director at Facebook mistakenly posted a family photo (reacting to the new "Poke" app on Facebook) to her subscriber feed. She thought the photo ...

4 Timeless Blogging Lessons From Carrie Bradshaw

By Emily VanderBeek, Isn't That Charming It’s safe to say that if Sex and the City had started 10 years later, Carrie Bradshaw would have been a blogger. New York City’s “It” girl would have tweeted to M...

Jealousy & Envy in the Blogging Community

Perhaps it's not the most festive topic this time of year, but I've been thinking a lot about jealousy and envy in the blogging community. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's felt more than a tinge of one o...

Design Tips: Color Combinations For Your Blog Made Easy

When you think about the world around you, color is one of the most important things we see. It affects our mood, can bring us joy, strike up memories, or draw attention. Think about how absolutely dull our w...

Blogging Tip of The Day: Grab Your Bloglovin’ Custom URL

We've been big fans of the highly handy and easy to use blog reader Bloglovin' for years. It's a great one-stop-shop for browsing and discovering fashion and lifestyle blogs. It's also a great tool to get y...

You Are Creative: Here’s How To Ignite Your Spark

By Emily Vanderbeek of Isn't That Charming Pablo Picasso is turning in his grave. Ernest Hemingway is shouting from the heavens. Andy Warhol is glaring at me with warning in his eyes. Why? I’m about to g...

Graphic Design for Bloggers: Design Details You Should Add To Your Blog

Designing your blog is not an easy task, especially if you are a beginner to the graphic design world and can't afford to hire a consultant. But you don't want to leave your blog bland and boring, right? Wha...

27 Signs You’re Addicted to Instagram

We'll be the first ones to raise our hands and admit that we might be addicted to Instagram. Okay, okay we definitely are. The photo-sharing app has become something of a phenomenon for everyone from blogge...

14 Quotes from Fashion Icons That Will Inspire Your Blogging

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! -Audrey Hepburn Just be true to yourself, and listen as much as one is able to to other people whose opinions you respect and look up to but in th...

6 Great Custom Logo Shops on Etsy

Getting that perfect logo is never easy. The FedEx logo famously cost $1Million dollars because it has a hidden arrow. Paul Rand, designer of the iconic IBM logo once told Steve Jobs that he would only design o...

Write Your Next Post – in 30 Minutes OR LESS

Bloggers and gentlemen - prepare to be amazed! I'm about to dazzle you with instructions on how to complete a feat of Internet magic: You can write your next fashion blog post in 30 minutes - or less. ...

8 Tips to Jumpstart Writing Your First eBook

By Glee of The Gleeful Fashionista One way to monetize your fashion blog is by selling your own products such as eBooks. Its a good source of passive income which can generate revenue for years to come i...

How To Have A Strong Voice In Your Writing, And Why It’s Important

The photos, the site design, and the social media outlets are vital limbs in developing a cohesive blog -- but at the heart of the whole operation lies the writing, and more importantly, the voice.

Don’t Lie About Your Blog Traffic, You’ll Get Caught

Everyone knows lying is bad. However, when it comes to selling services the line between fact and fiction gets blurred in trying to paint the best picture. My favorite example of this is the food label, "Fa...

25 Ways To Get Your Blog Featured

Be the first, be the best. But what else can you do to get your blog featured? We've rounded up 25 ways give your blog that extra push into the spotlight...

3 Ways To Say “Thank You!” To Your Readers

You know that feeling you get when you open up your mailbox and see a small, pretty envelope addressed by hand, specifically to you? It makes you feel special, doesn't it? It's even better when it turns out tha...

25 Ways To Make Money Blogging

Bloggers from all areas of the globe have different ways of sustaining their lives as independent professional bloggers, we wanted to put some options together for you... all in one place.

Why Being An Entrepreneur is Better Than Having a “Day Job”

Have you ever thought of starting your own business? Of being your own boss? The reality is that 66% of businesses fail in the first two years, which can be scary. Yet, the dream of being your own boss is s...

4 Tips For Writing Your Fashion Blog Like A Magazine

By: Mignon A. Gould of  The Chic Spy So, you’ve decided you want to launch your very own blog or revamp your current style blog. Others in the blogosphere have inspired you, but you can’t decide which ty...

School of Hard Blogs: What a Bachelor’s Degree in Blogging Could Include

Explore the potential courses that would be offered to get a degree in fashion blogging.

10 Ways to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

Do you ever find that the mind can be seriously annoying? At least that's what I thought last Friday. I was frustrated, overwhelmed and wasn't sure how to get myself out of my very own creative rut.</ Ins...

Is Polyvore Still Relevant for Business-Savvy Bloggers?

Remember when you first started your blog? You asked around about what sites and networks you should join, who to follow on Twitter, what platform is best... When I first began blogging in 2009, one tool that ...

How To Not Suck At Instagram

Filmmaker Casey Neistat is on a personal mission to keep up the quality of the social media platform and wants you to follow some simple rules to make it a better experience for everyone.

Join the “Make Your Graphic Design Shine” Twitter Chat with Stoli

Sponsored by ORGNL.TV by Stoli – The search for the most original people in art, music, and fashion. Submit your work or nominate someone at www.orgnl.tv (STOLICHNAYA® Premium Vodka. 40% Alc/Vol. Distilled from...

Will The Blogger Making $10K Outside NYFW Please Stand Up?

Last week, the New York Times published an article about how bloggers were paid to wear clothes to Fashion Week so they can get shot by street style photographers, "Popular bloggers and other so-called infl...

Does Your Blog Need A Terms of Use & Copyright Notice?

Now, I know this is going to sound strange, but I have to tell you something: Not everything about setting up a blog is fun. I know, I know, crazy right? Some of the boxes you have to check off as you prepa...

Fashion Blogging vs. Magazines: What Does The Future Hold?

As magazines begin to tap into bloggers more and more, I began to wonder: will this progression continue to meld together, eventually evolving digital magazine platforms and blogs into one? Or will magazines and blogs forever be of two different mindsets in fashion?

Being Backstage At Fashion Week, A Personal Experience

Once upon a time I was an intern for a fashion PR company, and as a part of the internship I was required to help out backstage at a fashion show.

Shop Your Heart Out: The Ultimate Blogger Gear Guide

It never fails, once mid-August comes around, I get hit with a major shopping craze. Blame it on the classic "Back to School" mentality, but the end of summer and the coming of fall makes me want to wipe th...

Bloggers & Body Image: Are We Helping Or Hurting Ourselves?

Update: 8/14/12 Taylor Davies has issued an apology. *This post has been edited and updated as of Saturday, August 11th, to clarify the intentions of both IFB and the author. I can almost guarantee th...

The Asian Influence: 15 Chinese Fashion Blogs We’re Excited About

From Beijing to Shanghai to Hong Kong and beyond, check out these cool China-based fashion bloggers, both large and small.

App Fab: the 10 Best Shopping Apps for Fashion Bloggers

Everyday, it seems that a new shopping app launches itself into the fashion digital space. You're either get Fancified or you are Lysting your entire fall wardrobe. I never thought I'd be a mobile shopping ...

Try, Try Again: A Failure Can Lead To The Ultimate Success Story

Sometimes trying to be both a resource and a support system can be a challenging line to straddle. IFB wants to motivate you, help you, inspire you and make you the smartest, most successful blogger you can...

10 Blog Posts You Can Create From A Summer Vacation

Exotic locations. Automobiles, trains, planes and private jet. Total relaxation and quality time with friends and family. A vacation in the summer months is one of the most cherished experiences we have each...

10 Fourth Of July Inspired Blog Posts We Love

While most of us in the good ol' USA are hitting the beach or a barbecue right about now, if you happen to be by a computer we've rounded up a little inspiration on how to use your blog to highlight a holiday.

No Gifted Items For The Duchess: How Much Do You Spend On Fashion?

The duchess, unlike many celebrities, doesn't accept free stuff. So all those designer dresses you spot her in? Somebody's got to foot the bill.

Pinterest Pulls Plug On Link Shorteners, Makes Exception For RewardStyle

Those of you who use rewardStyle may have noticed your links not working on Pinterest last week -- don't worry, you weren't alone. Last week, Pinterest, an online hub for bloggers and inspiration, decided to ban all link shorteners, including rewardStyle links, without notice.

50 Instagram Accounts You’re Probably Not Following Yet

Last week we wrote a post about 25 Instagram Accounts We're Totally Obsessed With. While it seems like you're obsessed with them too, there was also an overwhelming response asking for more under-the-radar acco...

25 Instagram Accounts We’re Totally Obsessed With

Would it be inappropriate if we wanted to climb to the top of our New York City office building and shout, "We love Instagram!" Seriously, we could literally shout it from the rooftops. The photo-sharing app ge...

IFB’s 20 Favorite Menswear Blogs

We have a confession: We love menswear blogs. Seriously, sometimes we love them even more than we love fashion blogs about clothes that we actually wear. There are a lot of reasons, and you may be surprised...

Blogger Compensation: To Charge or Not To Charge?

When you're starting your business as a blogger, one of the toughest questions you'll face is knowing when to charge and when something should be done for free. It's a delicate process as you want to make s...

Going the DSLR Route: Blogger’s Share Their Favorite Digital Cameras

There's been a long-standing debate in the blogosphere as to whether or not you really need a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. Combining the single-lens reflex capability with a digital interface, ph...

30 Spectacular Style Bloggers Over 30

Someone once told me that your thirties are the best decade of your life. Your angsty teen years are more than a decade in the past, and perhaps you overcome that whole "figuring out who you are" thing of y...

J.Crew Catalog: Diversity or Racism?

J.Crew catalogs have always been a treat to peruse, sometimes even more so than a fashion magazine. Always showcasing a life where everyone is beautiful, expertly layered and perfectly accessorized. However, ...

9 Books Every Style Blogger Should Read

Put down that copy of 50 Shades of Grey, do you hear me? Perhaps that sounds a bit harsh, and if you must, you can go on and finish it. When you're done though, why not pick up something of a little more...

Why Your Job Title is Killing Your Credibility

A quick scroll through LinkedIn offers a dizzying array of job titles. CEO, Editor in Chief, Social Media Guru. Funny? Yes. Entertaining? Sure. Professional? No. As a blogger, you want to showcase your many ...

Separated At Birth: Fashion Blogger Look-Alikes We Love!

As fashion bloggers, our individuality is what makes us stand out. We each have our own sense of style, our own way of layering, mixing and matching, accessorizing and hair-doing. The diversity of looks, shapes...

Blogger True Story: My Pinterest Account Was Deactivated

Be honest: What would you do if your Pinterest account was deactivated? That's what happened to DIY blogger Donatella Mestriner of inspiration and realization. The Italian blogger used the social-image shari...

IFB’s 15 Most Gorgeous Beauty Blogs To Watch

I've been doing my make up the same way since I was sixteen. Black eyeliner, loads of mascara, bronzer and a dash of pinky lip balm. It wasn't until I started blogging about fashion that I was introduced to t...

Are Personal Style Bloggers Impacting Retail Trends?

Do you take your Prada with a side of Old Navy? How about that Jimmy Choo shoe with a Hanes white t-shirt? Last week Women's Wear Daily reported that there's a new shopping trend emerging in the retail world...

7 Fab Style Blogger Videos To Inspire Your Next Vlog

We're big fans of video over here at IFB. It brings content to life, and adds a fun, multimedia element to style blogging. Whether it's a haul video, a tutorial, a musical performance, an outfit brought to life...

The Thinspiration Problem: Where Do Fashion Bloggers Factor In?

Body image and health are two topics not often touched on over here at IFB. However, all the recent thinspiration controversy has caused Terms of Use and Community Guidelines updates on some of the most popular...

The 30 Best Android Apps For Fashion Bloggers

By Jennifer Booth, fashion nerd of frayed threads There's always been a great deal of hoopla around Apple products - let's face it, that company can build followers like Ashton Kutcher on Twitter. But what a...

Guilty Pleasure or Just Guilty? An Interview With Get Off My Internets

Since its inception in 2009, Get Off My Internets has been one of the most controversial sites among fashion and lifestyle bloggers. Its editors critique and examine the posts and personalities of bloggers,...

10 Apps To Boost Your Instagram Photos (iPhone and Android!)

The last couple of weeks have been huge for Instagram. First, they launched their app for Android phones (yay!) and next, they sold their 18-month-old company to that other social media giant, Facebook (for a...

20 Tips For Breaking Through Writer’s Block

We're not writing novels. We're not writing academic essays or lengthy progress reports. We are writing sassy, fabulous, informative and fun blog posts. We're writing about what we love: fashion, beauty, design...

5 Startups that Could Change the Way You Shop

Not so long ago, if you wanted to sell your old or ill-fitting clothes you'd have to host a garage sale, a clothing swap or start up an eBay account to hawk your closet excess. And when the fashion blogger comm...

10 Celebrity Blogs We Heart, and 10 We Wish Existed

It's not our fault we care about, read about, stalk and fantasize about celebrities so much. It's society's fault, it's our media-obsessed culture, and it's because they're so darn good-looking. At some point y...

Jane Aldridge in a Sea of Controversy

As you may have read last week, there was a flurry of controversy over a recent profile of Jane Aldridge, the blogger behind Sea of Shoes, in a publication called Texas Monthly. In it, the reporter rather candi...

5 Things Every Blog Should Have

We talk about blogs a lot in the office. Would you believe we actually talk about blogs almost all the time? Shocking, I know! We talk about what we love, what bothers us, what we wish we saw more of, less of, ...