Yes friends, it is once again time for one of those slightly-lazy-yet-still-useful Best of the Year posts, where we compile our favorite articles from the past 12 months into one glorious, link-heavy Hulk of a post. Here we go!

1. Don’t miss a post: Create and editorial calendar for your blog

Make it easy to post regularly by creating an editorial calendar for your blog.

2. Free photo editing sites you must try

Tiffany of I’m a Shoe Whore shares some of her favorite image editing sites.

3. How to write a media release Part I and Part II

If you’re treating your blog like a business, a media release might be just the thing to help spread the word.

4. Five ways to promote your blog in real life

People are much more likely to check out your blog if they’ve met you in person, so get out there and promote yourself!

5. Developing relationships with retailers

For aspiring stylists, forming relationships with boutiques can help you create a base of stores from which to pull clothing and accessories for photo shoots and fashion shows. Here’s how to start.

6. How to create your writing portfolio and Setting up your online portfolio

Some of the best options for online portfolios for writers and visual creatives.

7. Five ways to increase your Twitter followers

One way to complement your main blog is to use microblogging service Twitter, which offers an easy way to connect with online friends, network with people who have similar interests, broadcast to your audience, and keep up with events happening around the world–all in real time. So how do you get people to actually follow you?

8. Eight Fashion + Interior decorating blogs to inspire you

Given the similarities between the highly stylized worlds of fashion and home interiors, it’s not surprising that people interested in fashion are often intrigued by interior decorating, and vice versa. Here are some well-edited blogs that address both disciplines–with beautiful results!

9. How to prepare for a career in fashion journalism

Fashion journalism remains an increasingly competitive career to enter and takes a lot of preparation. But if you’re ready to put in the hours, hard work, and a little free labor, you can certainly make your way to the top!

10. What to include in your blog’s media kit

In issue 10 of Style Sample magazine, there’s a handy list of the 5 things you must include in your media kit. However, there’s always room for more!

As of December 2009, the FTC requires bloggers who get freebies or payments for online content to disclose gifts and compensation to readers. Browsing a bunch of legal code is not our idea of a good time, but if companies send you free products (and really, who doesn’t like free stuff?), you should have a basic disclosure policy for your site.

What to include

1. A list of the ways you earn compensation–usually in the form of gifts and money–from your site. This could include advertising, product reviews, affiliate programs, etc.

2. Whether or not your content is influenced by advertisers. If you post about certain topics, shops, or products solely because you’re being compensated to do so, that should be clearly stated. It is considered ethical to mark those posts as “Sponsored” or “Paid content.”

3. If and how your opinion–not your content, but the way you feel about it–is influenced by paid advertisers or free gifts. If an advertiser is telling you what to say or insisting you use certain keywords in an editorial post, your “opinion” is being influenced. This is strongly discouraged because it’s often the result of a blogger being taken advantage of by a company. It’s best to say no to these types of offers!

4. Whether any affiliations–your employer, organizations you’re a part of, financial interests, family ties–influence your content and opinions. Many bloggers list the organizations and brands that might present a potential conflict of interest in the disclosure policy.

On GP

• Label ad space as “Advertising” or “Sponsors” so readers know who is paying you for space on your blog. If you mention sponsors and advertisers in a post, it’s good practice to note that in the post–it could be as simple as adding (sponsor) behind their name.

• In the case of product reviews and the like, it’s best to remain as impartial as possible. However, if someone is sending you free stuff, it can feel weird to say something negative. This is where a policy of only endorsing brands you really like–and preferably use–comes in handy.

• Post the policy on your sidebar, About page or add a separate Legal page–whichever works best for your site.

The easy way

Don’t feel like wading through all the legal mumbo-jumbo? Yeah, us either! Luckily, Disclosurepolicy.org has made it simple to generate a basic disclosure policy with a few clicks.

This time of year, most communities are fraught with holiday craft markets and pop-up shops specifically designed for small vendors and crafters to sell their unique goods. If you sell handmade items, art, or vintage clothing and accessories, fairs and markets are a great way to promote your business and make a little extra cash for the holidays.

Finding markets

Search the ever-helpful internets for “(your city) holiday market”, check with your local etsy street team, Yelp, and Craigslist, event listing sites like Festival Network Online and FairsandFestivals.net, or even your local Chamber of Commerce.

Fees and traffic

Most markets charge a fee to participate, usually anywhere between $15-$700. Smaller markets will charge a lower “booth fee,” while larger, more established events–which usually draw more traffic–charge more. If costs are high, see if the event will permit you to share a booth and split the rental fee. Ask the market organizers to provide statistics about past and projected attendance and average vendor sales if available.

If you’re in the US, you may also need a license or permit to sell–check with the local government to determine the requirements.

What to bring

Besides merchandise to sell, there are other things you’ll need to bring to set up your area.

Set-up

Most markets that take place this time of year don’t require a tent, but a table and chairs, rolling racks, and collapsible shelves are inexpensive basics for setting up. Make sure to bring bags for customers to carry your products home in!

Administrative

Since this is a sales venture, you should bring plenty of business cards, a calculator, pen and pad, a cash box and cash (for change). Each individual piece of merchandise should be clearly priced, and it’s a good idea to bring a mailing list sign-up so you can keep in contact with people interested in your stuff.

Help

You’ll need at least one other person to help take care of customers and watch the booth when you need a break. Portable snacks and a water bottle always come in handy, too.

Make it look good

This is the fun part! The type of merchandising permitted may change depending on the market’s rules and the amount of space available, but remember to stay true to your branding–use your logo and the colors on your site in your decor.

Signage

Make sure your business’ name is clear and legible from a distance. Try to hang the sign with your business name and URL above your table or booth so it’s visible regardless of the crowd.

Displays

If you sell clothing and accessories, display pieces on a dress form or mannequin, or prettify your set-up with colorful table cloths, baskets, boxes, or a backdrop. The more it looks and feels like an inviting boutique, the more people your booth will attract.

Stand out!

Nancy of brick-and-mortar shop Talk of the Town Vintage started out by attending markets and fairs, and often received attention for the hats she’d wear. People would stop by her booth just to see “the Hat Lady.”  You don’t have to have a gimmick, but a unique feature that draws attention never hurts!

Follow up

You’ll make contacts with customers and potential customers, in addition to connecting with other vendors–who can keep you in the loop about future opportunities. Keep in touch with your fellow vendors! Send a follow-up email, comment on their blog, friend them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, or arrange to chat over coffee. Networking contacts are invaluable.

Mailing list

If you collect emails, add them to your mailing list and send a message welcoming new subscribers and asking them to join you on social networking sites. It also helps to remind new subscribers that they’re on your mailing list because they signed up at XYZ market.

Special projects

If people ask you about custom orders or special projects, make sure follow up with an email or phone call. They could turn out to be your best clients!

In issue 10 of Style Sample magazine, there’s a handy list of the 5 things you must include in your media kit. However, there’s always room for more! Other information you may want to include:

Editorial Calendar

Give potential partners and advertisers an idea of the type of content you create and which types of media you use (ie posts, videos, etc.) so they can see how they’ll most naturally fit into your content. Listing these options out–giveaways, product review, ad, etc.–can be helpful as well.

Rates

If you have an idea of your pricing structure, you have the option of including rates for advertising, sponsored posts, giveaways, text links, product reviews, and whatever other options you offer. Unless you have a lot of traffic–well over 100,000+ uniques per week–it’s best to sell your ad space based on flat weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly rates.

Press

Any press you’ve received–especially from well-known media outlets–is seen as social proof and general reinforcement of your awesomeness. Include positive quotes as well as screenshots and links (if the article is online) and scans (if the piece was in print).

Affiliations and social networks

Include and link other sites you write for as well as the social networking sites you use. You may also want to include any other pertinent experience or accomplishments that relate to your site or the industry you’re a part of. Anything that adds cache to your personal brand–for example, interning for a PR firm or design house–is a plus.

Contact info

This was one of the five must-haves listed in the issue, but it bears repeating: You must include contact information.

Include your name (people want to know how to address you) and email address or phone number in the media kit, on your site, and set up a Contact page as well. Offer both options to make it convenient for potential sponsors to get in touch with you!

Traffic is important!

If you don’t know your stats, install Google Analytics or another counter program, and use the three-month average in your media kit. You can also sites like Compete and Quantcast to help you determine your traffic.

Search engine rankings

Compile a list of keywords that you rank for that you can include in your blog media kit. Companies targeting those same keywords will be interested in partnering with you in order to improve their own ranking.

This is a guest post by Ceri Heathcote of Style Eyes Fashion Blog. If you’d like to write a guest post for Style Sample, check out the guidelines and submit your idea.

In the past, fashion has been perceived as elitist and inaccessible by many people. However, since the birth of social media that is definitely no longer the case! Social media now allows anyone and everyone to have their say about the fashion industry, and more importantly, the industry is really listening.

Influencing the trends

Traditionally, the fashions and trends for the seasons ahead have been set out for us based on the predictions of a small group of people. The Shopping Forecast, a new fashion democracy, offers an alternative where the trends are decided by the public voting for and rating items for the coming season. The website acts as a link between the public and retail buyers allowing them to actually have a say on what clothes they want to see in the shops.

Creative input

For some, putting together an outfit is just not enough, they want to have a say in the design process of the clothes that they wear. There are now a number of new websites–Beta Fashions, Usabrand and t-shirt site Threadless, to name a few–which allow budding fashion designers to upload their own designs. The designs are then voted on and those with the most votes will actually be made.

Feedback

Facebook and Twitter have become key methods of two-way communication between customers and fashion brands. Some brands are setting up their own social sites and forums to make sure they get the chance to hear what their customers are saying. Even Marc Jacob’s plus sized collection was a result of feedback by the public on Twitter.

Fan funded collections

Who would have thought that you average shopping-obsessed fashionista would actually be able to fund a designer collection? It’s happening! Fashion enthusiasts can support designers they love by buying shares in a collection through Catwalk Genius. Social media plays a key part in spreading the word about the designers, and knowing that you have a stake in a collection will make you really want to share it with your virtual friends.

…And of course, fashion blogging

Anyone can set up a fashion blog, it is really easy. Fashion bloggers are becoming an increasingly important force in the fashion industry, with bloggers occupying front row seats at designer shows and even collaborating with brands to design new collections.

This is a guest post by Christina Jones. If you’d like to write a guest post for Style Sample, check out the guidelines and submit your idea.

Growing your blog’s traffic is probably your number one priority in the beginning stages. The best way to gain exposure and increase your blog’s traffic is through networking. Get to know as many people in your niche as possible, and exchange links.

Interview!

An effective method of networking and increasing traffic to your blog is interviewing. That is, reaching out to someone who has expertise in an area relative to your blog (like a fellow blogger, fashion editor, stylist, etc.) and ask them a few questions. Choose a minimum of five and maximum of ten (depending on who it is) insightful questions to send to them. Once they send you back their answers, post them to your blog for your readers.

Most of the time, the person you are interviewing will advertise the interview on their site or post the link to their social network. This not only allows you to make a new friend in the industry, it also boosts your credibility. Remember, the goal should be to:

• Educate your readers
• Make new friends in your niche.

If you don’t already have connections with fashion editors or the hottest new designers, look for editors of the popular blogs in your niche that you read regularly and connect with them via email. Begin the e-mail referencing a recent post or endeavor they blogged about, or your favorite feature on their blog. Make a connection by referencing something they have done that has inspired you, or connect what they do with something you do similarly.

When reaching out to prospective interviewees keep the following in mind:

Remain professional at all times.

If you are reaching out to a big name editor or blogger who is accustomed to interview requests, you do not want to seem like a newbie—even if you are. Keep it simple, however, do not treat them like a buddy—yet. They could be your contact for a cool internship or opportunity with their blog.

Edify the interviewee from start to finish.

Do some research outside of what is on their blog, and include the details in your introduction paragraph. Highlight all of the cool things they are currently doing, and how they have inspired you. Flatter them, and they will most likely want to work with you again!

Proofread and proofread again.

Sending an e-mail with a lot of contractions and typos will turn the reader off, and diminish your credibility. Remember to proofread both when you send the initial e-mail, and when you post the interview to your blog.

Ask questions that will elicit insightful and useful answers.

Remember, the purpose is to help educate your readers, not just to show them you can get a great interview.

Think outside the box.

You don’t necessarily have to e-mail your interview questions. The interviewee may want to meet with you in person or chat over the phone. Be flexible with their preference. If you can meet them in person, that is even better!

Have fun!

The purpose of interviewing is to move your blog forward, however, have fun in the process.  Soon enough, there will be an email in your inbox from a blogger who wants to interview you.

Hard to believe we’ve made it to issue 10–double digits! Who’da thunk it?

The next issue of Style Sample magazine comes out Tuesday November 9th! Expect more fashion, shopping, photography, art, and tips and advice from your favorite established and up-and-coming bloggers! Here’s a sneak peek at the cover:

We’re bringing you interviews with fashion stylists, fashion writers, photographers, illustrators, and creative entrepreneurs making their mark on the online style world. Look for advice on marketing your fashion business online, tips for shopping your closet, a fun holiday DIY project, captivating photo spreads, and more!

Be sure to follow the Twitter list of contributors to keep up with everyone, and catch up on past issues in the meantime!

Carla Isabel Carstens runs freefashioninternships.com, a site offering–you guessed it, fashion internship listings. Good ones!

We asked Carla a bit about how she got started, what makes a good intern, and the one thing you want to make sure you never do when applying for a fashion internship:

Why did you decide to start Freefashioninternships.com?

It was honestly never intentional. While I was in college I would always research internship opportunities online, and one day out of sheer boredom I began posting them on a blog. Looking at these internships almost served as motivation because most of them were in New York, and I was attending school in San Diego at the time.

A few months after I initially began posting the opportunities, I had a friend of mine refer me to my own site! I knew I was on to something so I added contact information and a counter. I discovered that I was getting great traffic, and within a few days companies were contacting me to post their internships.

The site grew very quickly! Why do you think that happened?

I think a lot of people were/are in the same boat I was in. I didn’t know where to begin looking, I didn’t attend a school that had an emphasis in fashion, and I never came across any resources that were consistently updated with quality internships. Craigslist can only get you so far!

You went from in-demand intern to fashion PR maven–tell a bit of that story and how you did it.

I came across an internship on Craigslist for a San Diego-based that had actually been up for over a month. It was the first fashion internship in San Diego that I had ever come across, so I took my chances and contacted her anyway. I can honestly say that my first internship had the biggest impact on me out of any other I ever did. I was a jack-of-all-trades, handling everything from PR to Sales to Photography. I definitely learned how to be resourceful!

I then decided to take the plunge and move to New York to intern for a summer. I only intended to be there for 6 weeks, but I got another internship and ended up staying for 5 months! When I moved home, I began research companies online and saw that most action sports companies were based in San Diego and Orange County. I didn’t have the time to commute to LA as I was still in school, so this was a better option for me. Through my 4 years of college, I basically would intern in San Diego and Orange County during the school year, and move to New York to intern there during the summer.

You interned for a lot of great companies! What did you do to stand out among the applicants?

A good resume and cover letter! You would be shocked to see how many cover letters and resumes I get that are just awful – misspelled, incoherent or just plain unprofessional. Use the resources you have, like your Career Center at school. Although my Career Center couldn’t help me find a specific internship, they helped me with everything resume and cover letter-related.

What are the do’s and don’ts of the interview process?

• Bring multiple copies of your resume.
• Cancel your internship interview if you don’t plan on showing up! About 30% of the people I schedule interviews with do not show up, which is extremely disrespectful of my time.
• If you are going to be late, make sure to call ahead of time to inform your interviewer.
• Research the company you are interviewing with, and come up with a list of questions for your interviewer. This is how we gauge your seriousness about the position.
• After your interview takes place, make sure to send an e-mail thanking your interviewer for their time.

Most internships posted are for major cities like New York. What’s the best way to get an internship if you’re not in a major metro area?

Research local companies in your area, you’d be surprised what you’ll find. There are up-and-coming designers in every city who I’m sure could use an extra pair of hands. Also contact major retailers like Saks or Neiman Marcus in your area – most have in-house event and PR teams.

Any tips for ensuring a positive internship experience?

Be accountable, hard-working and positive.

If you’re in the market for a fashion internship, be sure to subscribe to freefashioninternships.com.

Flickr is one of, if not the largest photo sharing site in the world. With over 40 million registered users and over 40 billion photos, Flickr is a great source for finding and sharing fashion photography. Editors, designers, and writers are known to cruise the site looking for undiscovered talent, and it’s a great way to network–or just find some inspiration.

Here are 16 of the best Flickr groups for showing, critiquing, and sourcing fashion images:

Fashion Photography

The oldest fashion group on Flickr, with an active discussion community and over 30,000 members.

Wardrobe Remix

Around since 2005, Wardrobe Remix is a DIY street style community with over 14,000 members and hundreds of photos posted daily.

Street Fashion Worldwide

This group encourages anything original that people put together themselves creatively; anything that screams individuality.

In:Site Magazine’s Vintage Fashion Show

A place for showing off your very own cool vintage clothing and accessories for a chance to be featured on In:Site.

Fashion: The Cream

Juried group is for the best, most creative fashion shots found on Flickr.

Guerrilla Street Fashion

A collection of hardcore street photographs showing what everyday folks are saying through what they are wearing.

Fashion Tops Top

A small group for the top of the tops fashion photography.

The Fashion Times

An open group for all types of fashion images.

Fashion World

Group pool open to photographers, models, and hair and makeup artists to post their work.

Fashion editorial photography (critique)

If you’re interested in shooting editorial, this group has over 13,000 members posting and offering suggestions for improving each other’s photos.

Fashion & Style

A group focusing on the hottest models, real people, fashionable, stylish, fabulous as well as fashion do’s and don’ts.

Fatshionista

Fabulous fat fashion (North American size 14 and up) and size acceptance community open to all genders.

Fashion Photography Blog

A place for fashionistas, photographers, or groupies to come and post about all things fashion on Flickr.

Passion for Fashion

A place for creatives to show off their skills and work.

Striking Fashion Photography

A group for posting images that are striking , compelling, and fit for a magazine.

Flickrista

While technically not a part of Flickr, Flickrista is a place for visual inspiration from Flickr’s best photographers.

Remember, all work belongs to the artist, so always credit where credit is due.

Images: Amyseder, little black skirt

With all of the the hullaballo surrounding the recent MySpace and Gap logo redesign (and de-design, in the case of Gap), two things are clear:
1. People don’t like change
2. Your logo matters

A logo is a visual representation of your brand. It can be simple, it can be intricate, it can be clever, it can be witty, it can be anything you want it to be, as long as it’s clear and it’s you.

Consistency is key

Whether you’re a blogger, designer, writer, or an individual establishing your personal brand, it’s important to develop a mark that you can use consistently. It can be confusing to your audience if your site bears one logo, your cards bear another, and your products yet another! Imagine if one of your favorite brands did that: they’d look disorganized and unprofessional, even if their product was still great.

Please take heed: your site, your business cards, your labels, and your products should all bear the mark that represents your brand.

Simple is good

A logo doesn’t have to have a lot of bells and whistles to be great–as a matter of fact, simpler is often better. Think about your favorite international fashion brands!

If you don’t have design experience, a simple text logo will more than suffice. Creating a logo can be as simple as choosing an appropriate font, using a vector graphics program to create the image, and saving the file. You can follow these step-by-step instructions on how to design a simple text logo.

Looks are important

Fashion lovers know that aesthetics matter. And while substance is important–great content, incredible products, beautiful photos, etc.–how you present your brand is the first step to getting noticed.

Lots of people use Blogger because it’s simple and easy. There are plenty of built-in features that make it a cinch to set up a blog in minutes, but some of those features aren’t needed–or wanted–if you want your site to look more professional.

Two not-so-pretty things seen often:

1. The Blogger navbar, which resides at the top of the page and can get in the way. It takes away from the blog design, a definite no-no for people who love style!
2. The double-line border that encloses header text and images in the default Minima template–which often winds up off-center or with the photo overlapping if the header isn’t the right size.

Here’s how to do away with both:

Hide the Blogger navbar:

1.Go to Design>Edit HTML

2. Search (control + F) for the following line of code:

]]></b:skin>

3. Right before that line, paste the following:

#navbar-iframe {display:none !important;}

Ta-da!

Remove the header border

There are two ways to do this:

1. Change the border color to transparent, or
2. Edit the HTML code and change the border size to zero so it “disappears”.

To change the border color, go to Blogger Template Designer > Advanced > Border color. Click the arrow on the dropdown menu, then click “Transparent” (the gray and white checked box) at the bottom.

To edit the HTML, go to Design > Edit HTML
Search (CTRL+F) for #header-wrapper in the HTML code.

Change the border size to 0px under #header-wrapper and #header

Et voila!

In the current issue of Style Sample magazine, Shauna of Meowsk provides an extremely helpful step-by-step process for designing a 125×125 badge for your blog.

What is a badge?

As noted in How to Create a Badge for Your Blog, a badge is like a mini-advertisement for your blog. It’s usually an image link, and can be posted in the sidebar of another site to drive traffic your site. Fashion bloggers exchange links all the time, and badges are just another (prettier!) way to do this.

Here’s ours:

And here’s the code to copy and paste into your sidebar:

If you don’t have Photoshop, here’s a good article with resources for free image editing sites and creating animated gifs.

Make a badge, take a badge!

Once you’ve created your badge, post the code in the comments here and we’ll add it to the sidebar on this site!

The code should look like this:

<a href=”http://YOURBLOG.com“><img border=”0″ src=”http://THELOCATIONOFYOURBADGE.jpg“></a>

UPDATE: Disqus doesn’t seem to play well with code, so just post a link to your badge’s image and your site’s URL. For example:

http://bit.ly/ssm125.jpg

http://stylesamplemag.com

Hopefully, this works…

Get creative and show off your badge!

*Please note: We are accepting graphics from fashion, style, and beauty bloggers only. All designs are subject to review and we have the right to refuse if a badge is deemed inappropriate.

The IFB Evolving Influence Conference brought together fashion bloggers and brands. IFBCon Part One covers the first two sessions of the conference. Here, the remaining two:

Foot in The Door: Launch your new career with your blog

Susanna Lau – Style Bubble , @susiebubble

Style Bubble started as an obsession, with Susie rushing home from work to post 3-4 times per day. She wanted to show it was possible to have fun with fashion and how to play with clothes, that fashion was “this thing that you could experience yourself.”

Getting Traffic

Her first major press in Teen Vogue, a few months after starting her blog in 2006. Along with press building traffic and several small writing gigs on the side, her readership grew organically.

Creating content

Susie confessed that in the beginning, she had no concept of having relationships with brands. “I was just emailing indie designers to find content for my site. I was doing everything on the sly.”

Beyond Blogging

In 2008, Susie famously became the Commissioning Editor of Dazed Digital. “It was so valuable to work in an environment like that.” The position gave her the opportunity to improve her own writing as well as experience commissioning work from others.She decided to leave in March 2010 to work on her own full time.

“I have no idea what I’m doing from week to week, going on from project to project.” Recent projects include an installation with Joyce boutique in Hong Kong, commissioning a newspaper celebrating Selfridges London shoe boutique, freelancing for Pop magazine, and partnerships with Doc Martens & Sanrio. She’s also been styling the Ting Tings–frontwoman Katie is a fan of Style Bubble. “Katie has own style, so it’s really a collaboration.” Susie noted that she works to keep blog content and projects separate.

Acting as a contractor of sorts for fashion brands, Susie does custom projects for each brand, but admits that “It’s been very stressful working for myself.” She has a literary agent that she works with to help manage the business side of things.

Advice

• Keep your content fresh by seeing as much as possible and narrowing it down to what you’re really passionate about.

• When deciding which brands to work with, look for synergy with the brand–it should feel like you can do something incredible together.

Image, SearchingforStyle.com

Bryanboy, @bryanboy

Bryanboy started in 2004 as a travel journal, and has always been a diary of sorts–fashion just happened to play a part. “I’ve never really had a job in fashion,” says Bryanboy. “My interest comes from being a consumer. Over the years, my interest evolved.”

Before blogging, Bryanboy worked as a freelance web designer. Now, his energy is focused on his blog and his readers–and he wants to keep it that way. “I’m just doing something I really love and I’m just having fun in the process. For me, why should there be a next step? I can see myself doing this for 10 more years.”

He admits that he’s come a long way since the faux-cocaine pics of yore. “I also evolved as a person. I have to be a little bit more responsible. I can’t really forget where I came from and my blog is a reflection of my life.”

Getting traffic

The blog really took off in 2006. “Facebook was a good tool for me because any time I posted my link, it would send traffic.” As long as you have something that appeals to people,regardless of where they are, you can build an audience.

Adding value

As a professional blogger, Bryanboy’s value to brands lies in his ability to generate discussion. If he blogs or tweets about a brand, it encourages discussion, awareness, and inspiration. “I have so much energy, when I obsess about something I have to share it with everyone.”

His dream project? Something long-term: “Bryanboy dolls with Jason Wu!”

Content is Queen: Captivate your audience with compelling content

Emily Schuman - Cupcakes & Cashmere , @byemily

Emily started out writing restaurant reviews online. She quickly grew tired of just doing that, and decided to create a site that talked about everything she loves. Her main focus? Compelling content, pretty photos, and a clean layout.

Outfit posts

With outfit posts, she wanted to show how to mix and match pieces. “Being an effective editor is important” when deciding which photos to keep, so she tries to keep the posts short and use 4-5 of the best photos. Her boyfriend takes the photographs when she’s wearing something post-worthy (“not every day!”) that incorporates items at different price points.

Emily spends time planning which parts of an outfit to showcase–detailing, nail polish, hair. “We take a lot of pictures–horizontal, vertical, details. A good outfit post takes time and preparation.” She tries to take pictures on the weekend or in the evening during “the magic hour”–the time right before dusk, and uses a tripod and remote if her boyfriend is not available.

Food

“Shooting food is different than shooting clothing.” Emily says she started reading food blogs and photography books to get a feel for how professional photos looked. For visual interest, she recommends investing in props: napkins, place mats, ribbons, etc. “I take my time staging the shots. I want it to be visually appealing, inspiring, but still attainable.”

Naming your blog

Emily asserts that choosing a name is important. If you’re struggling, she advises writing down a bunch of words you like, putting them together, and crossing off what doesn’t sound right.

Site design

Favoring sites that are simple–white background with black text–Emily points out that people are visual. Visitors should be able to get an immediate feel for what’s going on and where to find what they’re looking for.

Getting traffic

“I commented on sites that I liked and found ways to get on people’s blogrolls. Blog growth was a gradual process. There was never one big break–there were several big things that happened.” It’s also important to be consistent: “Keep writing so people know they can come to you for more content.”

Staying organized

“I typically have some sort of schedule lined up. There’s a lot of work involved. I think about what I’m going to post, what I’m going to cook, what I’m going to wear.”

Advice

• Think like an editor. When choosing photos for outfit posts, narrow it down to 4-5 of the most visually appealing images.

• Get a feel for what you like by finding inspirational pictures online and narrowing it down to a few common elements.

• Write about what you love instead of trying to fit into a specific category.

Amy Odell - The Cut, @cutblog

Having earned a Journalism degree from NYU, Amy now reports fashion news–entertaining fashion news. While in school, she applied for all kinds of internships. “No one wanted anything to do with me.” Deciding to work for the school paper, she was then able to find events to cover, and took the initiative to go to editors to ask if she could write stories. “It’s wonderful training–going up to people at events to interview them.”

Keeping up with the news

Amy pointed out how important it is to be first in the news arena. “You have to get your post up first, make sure people know you’ll catch EVERYTHING and they can rely on you. Pull new things that come up throughout the day–I write about what I think is entertaining.” To keep up, she reads multiple news publications early each day.

Blogging for a magazine

Blogging for a magazine is a bit different than blogging for personal reasons. You have a larger platform, but you also have to stay true to the publication’s voice. “You do have to consider things like ads being pulled,” she points out. As far as content, daily Trackur reports indicate that Anna Wintour, Beyonce, and celebrities are popular. She notes that it’s important to have a good mix of news, high fashion, and celebrity news.

Even so, it’s still necessary to have your own point of view. “Blog things you feel strongly about.” She also advocates being authentic. “Be honest with your readers. Don’t be afraid to say something because no one else is saying it.”

Advice

• Stay on top of the news. Read print publications, set up an RSS feed for alerts, keep an eye on social media streams, and post quickly!

• Do something different. When multiple outlets are covering the same stories, it’s important to take a different angle–try to get a first look, or a quick quote, or go behind the scenes.

• Don’t lose your voice. If you want to be funny, be funny. Or sarcastic, or sweet, or curious…whatever suits you.

Image, Elle.com

Rumi Neely and Colin Sokol - fashiontoast, @rumineely

Rumi started fashiontoast when she noticed how many questions she got from customers who purchased vintage clothing from her eBay store. “There was a lot of curiosity from people on how I was styling outfits,” so she started the blog to show them. After a while, she noticed that the personal photo posts got the most response, so she figured she needed to put more effort into those.

Popularity

“Every day I’m shocked and amused at where the blog has gotten me. That wasn’t really my goal.” Rumi feels an obligation to her readers, and says that she and Colin are always ready to take pictures wherever they are. Though he has no formal photography training–or even real experience with photography prior to Fashion Toast–Colin says “I have a camera on me 24 hours a day.”

Pretty pictures

Regarding the photographic content of the site, “It’s just something we have fun doing, we don’t think too hard about it, and we don’t always plan.” Their process is very spontaneous–inspiration could strike at any time. Rumi notes that this spontaneity is also reflected in her stream-of-consciousness writing style, which, along with the editorial-style imagery, garners approximately 75,000 unique visitors per day. “It’s about knowing what you like and capturing it as you see it,” she says.

Getting traffic

Rumi notes that there was a slow build-up, and that there was no magic secret formula to getting readers all of a sudden. She and Colin take feedback seriously, too: “We both read all of the comments.”

The NEXT level

After receiving multiple offers to model and collaborate with brands and not really knowing how to handle it, Rumi went to NEXT to find an agent and bookers to help her manage projects. Soliciting professional assistance is a great way to ensure that contracts and financial agreements are handled properly.

Advice

• Be unique! Even if you do decide to do something someone has already done, take inspiration from the concept and do it in your own way.

• Choose projects that seem natural and are a good aesthetic fit. The Forever21 job came about because Rumi says, “I’ve been wearing Forever21 forever.”

Whew! That’s the end of our event coverage–thanks for making it this far! So…what did we miss?

Last week’s Independent Fashion Bloggers’ Evolving Influence Conference was just as informative and stylish as we expected. There was a lot of information to take in, so instead of putting up one 4,000-word post (whew!), we’ve decided to create a series with detailed coverage of each session, complete with insight and advice from each speaker. Let’s get started:

It’s Just Business: Make a living with your blog

Mattias Swenson - Bloglovin’, @mattiasswenson

The business of blogging, especially in the fashion and style sector, has come to the forefront over the past few years. Mattias Swenson of Bloglovin’ predicts product placement will expand in the coming years as brands realize how much influence bloggers have and how that influence can drive sales.

Partnering with brands

Mattias maintains that brands generally look at basic factors when determining who to work with: Unique visitors, comments per post, and number of followers. While transparency and authenticity are important, “As long as you’re selective with your brand endorsements and choose things that you stand for, your readers will trust even paid endorsements.”

Measuring success

He also noted that brands and bloggers currently measure success by revenue (money coming in), though brands rarely share their return on investment from a blogger-based campaign, making it difficult to determine how much to charge.

In general, price points have been pushed up over time and are determined by the market rates as opposed to influence. Which means that bloggers with different sized audiences might be making the same rate per campaign, instead of being compensated based on their respective influence. In a perfect/fair world, the more successful your campaigns, the more you should be able to charge.

Advice

• “Don’t sell your media like magazines or TV–you’re more than that.”

• Think of how you can use your influence to sell things you believe in. Make sure to partner with brands you really like or use.

• Spell out a clear value proposition in your pitch. Be specific about what you bring to the table and how it benefits the brand.

• Use Google URL Builder in conjunction with Google Analytics, and tag your links. Read more about installing Google Analytics on your blog in this article.

Phil Oh - Street Peeper , @mrstreetpeeper

Phil opened by talking about how he got to the point where street style blogging is his career. “Everybody thinks the road to blogging is paved with Hermes,” but he decided to differentiate by covering street style in different cities, a unique concept at the time. Part of his monetization strategy involved implementing a brand tagger so people could search for products and see people wearing those items–a very attractive proposition for potential advertisers.

Finding advertisers

He started out with three ads that he gave away for free to friends in “glam” industries. After a few years and an unhappy stint with an ad network, he started building a media kit–which he highly recommends for everyone. “The hard part is finding who to contact,” so Phil used Google and LinkedIn to find ad managers of the brands he was interested in working with.

He also teamed up with other big bloggers to pool traffic as a group, noting that trying to attract CPM advertising with big brands means you’re competing with the likes of Conde Nast, Yahoo, and AOL.

“Everybody thinks the road to blogging is paved with Hermes.”

Charging for your services

If you’re small or new and a brand wants to work with you for free, Phil advises “Do it if you want to and think it’s a fun project, not because you eventually want to charge. You have to have guts and stand up for your work. If you think the time and effort you spend is worth something, charge.”

Advice

• If you’re just getting started, offer free advertising for a few brands in industries you’d like to work with. It gives the impression that you already have contacts in the right places and companies want what you have to offer.

• Build a media kit–even if it’s as simple as a two-page presentation. Trawl Google and LinkedIn to find the right people to send it to.

• Form an ad network with 4-5 other bloggers so you can charge more money and attract larger advertisers.

• Treat your product or commodity as valuable–your pictures, your writing, your audience, and your time are worth something to brands. Make sure you’re fairly compensated.

Get Involved: Cultivate a passionate readership

Yuri Lee - LOOKBOOK.nu , @lookbookdotnu

According to Yuri, Lookbook sticks to two tenets: Do less and be good.

1. Do less. Do one thing, and do it the best. For Lookbook, it is important to showcase the best content, so they spend a lot of time on algorithms designed to filter out spam and celeb photos. They also focus on fresh new content, and try to make sure every post has something worth value.

2. Be good. Be good at what you do, and treat other people well. Leave meaningful comments, drive traffic to other’s sites, read and respond to feedback to engage with your readers. Create a relationship so readers know there’s a real person behind the site. Every contact or relationship is an opportunity.

Getting Traffic

When first starting, they tried several techniques to attract users: they printed fliers at Kinko’s (that didn’t work), they sent personal emails to target audience members, and relied on word of mouth to help grow their audience. All in all, Lee says Lookbook grew organically.

“People notice when you put love into your work. Press is overrated.”

Making money

The current business model is simple monetization through advertising. “The first year, we were very poor,” notes Lee. As the site grew, they included more ads, and took time to make sure those ads were relevant to readers.

Fun fact

The site is Lookbook.nu because they couldn’t get .com, and were too late for .us. .Nu is the domain for island nation Niue, but they thought it sounded cool and went with it anyway!

Advice

• Keep it lighthearted and strive to have fun. Invite people who embody the spirit of your site to be a part of your community.

• Keep in touch with your most enthusiastic users. Make personal contact, ask their opinion, and encourage them to be a part of the process.

• Focus on one or two things and do them to the best of your ability.

Gala Darling - Gala Darling, @galadarling

Gala opened with the importance of defining what a passionate audience is for you. Work that out first, then it’s easier to find. She pointed out that not everyone is going to like you, and you just have to get over it. “You’re being judged no matter what, so just be yourself.” Needing to be liked all the time can dilute your voice–if you’re going to do something and have it resonate with people, you have to be passionate about it.

Authenticity is a must. “You need to be honest and truthful, brave and bold. Online, everything is recorded so you can’t get away with any bullshit.” Even vulnerability can work in your favor. “It makes people feel like you’re real.”

Encouraging interaction

The best way to get people interacting depends on what you’re doing with your blog. Encouraging conversation in multiple places is good for building Google juice. “I do most interaction with readers on Twitter, Facebook and email.” Doing that helps the audience grow organically.

Truly successful communities

The true measure of a successful community? When you get people talking and thinking about what you’ve said in their own space, that’s an engaged audience. Encourage people to draw their own conclusions and run with their own ideas.

“Making people think is a good way to start a dialogue.”

The downside to comments

She noted that the downside to having a large volume of comments is that it can feel like voices in your head all the time. If you’re constantly thinking about your audience, that can be counterproductive. “Writing in anticipation of a response is dangerous.” On the subject of negative comments, Gala says “I ban people who are rude to me. Why should you put up with that? People can say whatever they want on their own site, but not on mine.”

Making money

As far as monetization, Gala notes that her podcast makes the most money. “I could cut ads, etc. and still make a good living.” She uses e-junkie to sell podcast, and records in Garage Band or QuickTime Pro. She recommends establishing an audience before starting your own podcast.

Advice

• Offer something of value to your readers. Help them with something.

• Practice facilitating discussion.  “The more you do it, the more you learn.”

• Have conversations using multiple platforms: Facebook, Twitter, email, message boards.

Check back tomorrow for the remaining sessions with Style Bubble, Bryanboy, Amy Odell of  The Cut , Cupcakes & Cashmere , and Fashion Toast!

Issue 9 of Style Sample magazine will be released in less than a week! Expect interesting articles, beautiful photos, the best shopping, and useful advice about fashion, blogging, and everything in between, including:

• Inspirational interviews with your favorite (and future favorite) bloggers

• Step-by-step instructions on how to create a badge for your blog

• An in-depth look at the world of fashion marketing–and how to get your foot in the door.

The issue will be released on September 7th, but in the meantime, here’s a peek at the cover:

You can also follow the Twitter list of Issue #9 contributors and get to know everyone!

IFB Evolving Influence & Fashion’s Night Out

Attending the Independent Fashion Bloggers Evolving Influence Conference? We’re looking for people to write about the sessions (and the after party, of course)! If you’re interested, email editor(at)stylesamplemag.com.

Whether you’ll be in NYC for the Fashion’s Night Out festivities or have something special going on in your own city, we want to hear how much fun you’re having and what you’re buying (’cause you know you will)!  Blog about your #FNO experience on your site, then add the link to the collection. More info will be posted as the event draws near.

Most fashion and style bloggers are familiar with the online world and social media–after all, we’re posting our looks and our lives on the web on a regular basis. One way to complement your main blog is to use microblogging service Twitter, which offers an easy way to connect with online friends, network with people who have similar interests, broadcast to your audience, and keep up with events happening around the world–all in real time.

So how do you get people to actually follow you on Twitter?

The most important way is by engaging with other people and organizations using the service. If you’re new to the game or just want to increase the number of people following you, try a few of the following techniques:

1. Follow more people

This sounds simple, but when I first started using Twitter a few years ago, I just posted random stuff and wasn’t really following anyone. That’s not the point of the service. Making connections is a two-way street, so go forth and follow! Research shows that most people have a roughly equal number of follows and followers.

If you’re not sure who to follow, try these fashion lists:

• Twibes
• Listorious
• Mashable

You should also check out who other people are following–it takes a bit of time, but it’s a great way to find less well-known individuals who have a fun and interesting perspective.

2. Connect and respond

One of the great things about Twitter is the fact that two-way (and often three- and four-way) communication is so easy. If you see a tweet asking a question relevant to you, respond. Ask for help and give help when asked. Use Search.Twitter.com to find people talking about the subjects that interest you, and respond to them. Interaction is the most genuine, organic way to grow your following.

3. Be visible

Make sure your Twitter profile is part of your email address, your message board signature, on your business cards, linked to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media accounts, and prominent on your blog’s homepage. Include your Twitter handle (ie @StyleSample) so people can immediately see what you’re called, and link it to your Twitter page so people can easily find and follow you.

Add yourself to Twitter directories so people who are interested in similar topics can find you. Try:

• WeFollow
• Twellow
• Just Tweet It
• TweetFind
• TwitDir
• GeoFollow

4. Re-tweet

Use Search.Twitter.com or an application like HootSuite to see which of your tweets are the most popular, and then re-tweet them at various times during the day. This increases the possibility that different people–and new people, see your best tweets. Those people will then either re-tweet those posts, or start to follow you.

and, last yet most important:

5. Create and post good content

Even though it’s limited to 140 characters, Twitter is still considered blogging. Do what you do to keep your long-form blog fresh–create and post interesting content. Share article links, retweet quality posts, ask insightful questions, and don’t be afraid to include a bit of humor!

If you’ve ever browsed photographic inspiration on sites like ffffound! and WeHeartIt, you’ve probably seen and admired pictures with the dramatic colors and contrast characteristic of cross processing and Lomography.

While you could achieve these effects using expensive photography equipment or by making multiple adjustments in Photoshop, there’s an easier way: Phixr. It’s free, it’s fast, and the results look pretty good!

Original photo

Upload your photo at Phixr.com. You don’t have to register–just click the green “Get started” arrow and start your upload from your computer or via a link to a photo online.

Once your photo is uploaded, select the Color Effects button, then choose Cross Process. Check the preview and adjust brightness, contrast and opacity as needed. Click Execute when it looks the way you want.

To add the Lomo effect, select Camera and Lens Effects from the left-hand menu, then choose Lomo effect. Adjust the intensity, saturation, brightness, and opacity until it looks the way you want, then click Execute.

How very Mad Men!

When you’re finished, just download your stylized picture et voila! Let us know if you try it!

This is a guest post by Michelle Chai of Daisybutter. If you’d like to write a guest post for Style Sample, check out the guidelines and submit your idea.

“Oh, don’t be silly. Everyone wants this. Everyone wants to be ‘us’.”

With the lines between fashion and journalism becoming increasingly blurred in one of the fastest growing industries today, fashion internships have become the ‘job a million girls would kill for’. An internship is one of the only ways to get noticed at the moment–crucial to getting your foot in the door of the fashion world. Finding an internship can be a scary and daunting experience, and so many people are simply terrified of being in a Devil Wears Prada-esque situation.

My first interning experience was with more! magazine, a fast-growing, young women’s fashion weekly, and it was just as rewarding, hectic and exhausting as I had expected, if not more. There aren’t words to describe the whole experience as it really is something you have to try first-hand, but I learnt quickly about being independent, fast-thinking, organised and innovative in the industry.

Embrace every task with enthusiasm, even post collections and return duty; some interns that I worked with would outspokenly refuse to do these! Not cool. Although nothing is as glamorous as they make it look in movies, no two days are the same, and it is definitely not a typical 9-to-5 job. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Finding an Internship

Perfect your resume/CV.

Sending your CV online can be tricky. Convert it to PDF format so it can be easily read–many editors won’t bother struggling to open a CV when others are readily available. Put a sharp profile statement at the top under your personal details to catch the employer’s attention.

Prepare for initial disappointment.

Not every magazine or company you apply to will take you on. Many companies are booked up about six months in advance.

Be determined.

Think of ways that you stand out from all the hundreds of other people looking for the same thing as you. Write specific cover letters to each publication, perhaps congratulating them on features in recent issues.

Think outside the box.

So what if your dream career is to be Anna Wintour’s assistant? Think outside the box and apply to smaller publications, or even your local newspaper! Newspapers are an excellent way to gain experience, and you are much more likely to be taken out on a ‘job’ – perfect for your CV!

Address it to the right person.

Nothing puts off a potential employer like having emails addressed or spelled incorrectly. Take the time to check the magazine’s masthead (the page with all the names on!) and look for the appropriate recipient; if none is readily available, address your communication to the Managing Editor.

If you’re in the market for a fashion magazine internship, make sure you check out the following resources:

• Ed2010
• Free Fashion Internships.com
• Daily Fashion Jobs.com
• The Fashion Intern.com
• US Fashion Internships on Facebook
• Fashionista.com internships
• Global Experiences International Fashion Internships

Have you ever interned at a fashion magazine? Share your experience!