It's that time of the year, when ever fashion loving denizen sets aside what she/ he is presently doing and blog together for a common cause: The Oscars.
Yes my lovelies, February for us mean two things: Fashion Week and the Mother of all Awards. The Big 'O'! And, what better way to celebrate our holy month than to blog about it!
With a heavy heart I say, most fashion bloggers don’t get invited to the Oscars. *Sigh*. We rely heavily on our print, digital and social media friends to take us our beloved red carpet journey. I say this with no pleasure, but blogging about events you did not attend is like second-hand blogging. All the inside information and juicy titbit you hear or read belongs to someone else.
You ask, how does one use all this information and turn it into their own creation without looking like a big copycat?
Simple, keep in mind these guidelines while blogging about Oscars and other red carpet fashion. And very easily, you too can create your own Oscars experience for your readers.
[Image Credit: Illustration by Inslee, Collage via Polyvore]
1.Credit your Source.
The golden rule is to credit every outside source you have borrowed from. And the word is BORROW. Say with me "BORROW". The cardinal sin of blogging is to simply copy-paste others ideas or handiwork. That's a big NO-NO.
2.Don’t Rush but Research.
Firstly, I don’t see why bloggers literally rush themselves into uploading pictures ASAP of the award show fashion right onto their blog. Seriously, stop doing that. Remember, whatever you upload has already been uploaded by mainstream media. From E! to Huffington Post to BBC and ever other tabloid magazine has it covered. The real question is, do you want to just post what has already been published over a 100 times already or do you want to present your own views? F.Y.I.By simply copying and pasting images you're not adding anything new! Note to Self: You started a blog so that you could voice your own opinion and perspective. Plus, your readers deserve better than someone else words and views. Give them more than that. My suggestion is to first do a good research, get the feel of the entire event; what trends stood out, what celebrity was at her stylish best ect… and then post it with your own twist and take.
3. Research From More Than One Source.
Variety is the spice of life. Dig into as many reliable resources as you can.This way you get a better idea of the entire thing, plus it's good to have more than one viewpoint. But, at no time must you OD on research that you loose complete focus. Personally, I like to start with mainstream media biggies like Vogue and Style.com, followed by one or two international tabloids and finally a visit to some of my fave fashion blogs.
4.Pick and Choose.
The one thing we must show while covering award show red carpet fashion is restrain. Oh! The desire to upload ever-stunning gown is so overwhelming that one gets easily carried away. While Style.com and People magazine can do that we the humble denizens must not. Why you ask? One, it completely overloads the site, and two; your readers can get the basic details and coverage from larger publications. In these decision making times,I rely on a might handy tool. It’s called SELF-EDITING. I pick and choose the few ones that in my opinion were a clear standout-good or bad. Depending on the post theme: hits or misses, most popular trends, ect… I choose 5 to 6 best looks and work with it. To makes it more fun and interesting I prefer to create a photo collage of the looks.
{A sample collage of my favorite red carpet gowns.}
[Images Credit: US Weekly]
5.State Beyond the Obvious.
Exhibit A: “OMG, Actress X looked stunning in Designer Y’s pink gown” Do you see a problem with this. Seriously, if you are going to ONLY state the obvious them your post is informative-maybe, interesting-hell NO.
Exhibit B: “Actress X looked stunning in Designer Y’s pink gown. The hourglass silhouette was a perfect choice for her to show-off her post baby body. Motherhood gave her more than just a baby; that girl finally got some curves and she's not afraid to flaunt them!”
Not only do you get to show-off your fashion knowledge, but you also get to channel your inner fashion critique. Award shows are a fashion bloggers wonderland. Don't stop yourself. Go all out and give your reader a piece they will recommend to everyone they know.
6. Know Your Fashion Lingo.
Even if fashion is not your first language, one must acquaint themselves with basic fashion terminology. I mean, if you plan to cover fashion you must know its lingo! Get yourself acquainted with different kind of silhouette, hemlines, colours and fabrics. Plus, refrain from using the same adjectives again and again. Most importantly, make sure the names of designers and celebrity is spelled correctly. You want to come across as credible and not careless.
Bonus: These same guidelines are applied for blogging about Fashion Week.
Well, are you all set for the Oscars? I know I am. How do you blog about them? Do share your red carpet blogging tips and guidelines in the comment section.
Till then, tra-la,
Amena!!
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