Bonjour, Blogger! : Mel

Name: Mel
Age: 25
Location: Newcastle
Blog URL: Gladrags and Handbags

What is your blog about?

The main focus is plus-size fashion, but I also throw in a lot of personal posts about the adventures me and my husband have together.

Is this your first blog?

My first blog was a LiveJournal way back when the internet was first launched (yes I’m that old.) I’ve always been involved in blogging in some way, from LJ I moved onto Tumblr and then onto Blogger.

When did you start your current blog?

June 2011, me and my blog actually share the same birthday.

What made you do it?

I discovered the fat acceptance movement on Tumblr quite by accident, I’d gone through years of hating my body because it wasn’t like everyone elses. From there I started to read blogs like pocketrocket, archedeyebrow and fattyunbound.. seeing those people being unapologetically fat and dressing themselves well in the process was the lightbulb moment for me. I started my blog because I wanted to help the movement too, its a radical thing to be visibly fat and take ‘risks’ in the way you dress yourself. I hope that my blog helps people starting their body acceptance journey as much as they helped me.

What was your first blog post about?

It was wishing my husband a happy birthday, not that monumental to be honest!

What do you think is the most useful tool to you as a blogger?

I absolutely love Twitter, its opened up so many doors for me in blogging. The weekly chats are great for networking as well as finding new blogs to read, I’m just as obsessed with reading blogs as I am writing my own. It’s also a great resource for connecting with brands as well as promoting any posts I may write.

Do people in your “real life” know about your blog? If yes, has your blog helped you career wise?

Yes almost everyone I know knows I blog, I even tried to explain it to my nana! Opening it up to my friends and family was actually kind of difficult, I first started promoting it on a seperate Twitter/Facebook account but thought I already have so many connections on my personal accounts why not open it up there too? My friends are really supportive and I know a lot of them are regular readers. I’ve even inspired my best friend to start one of her own! My husband is usually my photographer, he has no choice but to support me haha! It hasn’t helped my career just yet, but I do have plans to mention it on my CV from now on, blogging has so many transferable skills for the workplace… not only does it showcase your writing skills it shows you’re dedicated and organised.

What has been the one thing (blog post, project, etc) you’ve been really proud of?

I’m proud of my little corner of the internet in every way to be honest, to see it grow from a handful of readers to the stats I have now has been amazing, when I started out I originally thought I’d be blogging for myself forever! The emails and comments I get from people like me, who are struggling through the world as a fat person, really keep me going… people who say I’ve inspired them in some way.

Where do you see your blog in a year?

I don’t know really! I tend not to have goals or anything because I’m happy with the way its going at the minute. I’d love to start writing more about body acceptance, I originally started out like that but morphed into focusing more on fashion.

What do you wish you knew when starting your blog?

You don’t have to blog about things everyone else writes about, I used to do make-up and beauty posts because I thought that was what got you noticed… but I know nothing about it!

What do you wish you know about now?

I’m trying to teach myself the art of SEO, its a total minefield but I’m trying!

How do you keep motivated to post?

I don’t have a regular posting pattern, which is something I want to look at but at the same time I’m not blogging ‘professionally.’ I blog when I’m inspired by something and I think the quality shows, rather than hashing my way through something I’m not interested in (like beauty.) I usually do outfit posts when I’m going somewhere, because its likely to be the only time I’m actually dressed up! I spend 80% of my time in my Pjs.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Blogging may seem like something difficult to get into, but its really changed my life for the better. Ive met some of the nicest people I could imagine through the community and that’s what makes it worth it.