Blogging In 2012 vs Now: 5 Years Since Disco Pants and 'Shit' Pics

Blogging In 2012 vs Now: 5 Years Since Disco Pants and 'Shit' Pics

23.1.17

(Not so) fresh from the Robyn Mayday archives, I've extracted some of the highlights of blogging circa 2012.  And it's all because this week five years ago, I started a blog. There are some cracking trends and changes we need to talk and laugh about!

At almost twenty years old, I was bored by Tumblr, a bit 'meh' about my degree and inspired by up and coming bloggers of the time (think LLYMLRS, Beautycrush etc.). So, *cue mystical music and smoke machine* let's take it back to a time when disco pants clad the legs of bloggers, my photos were, admittedly, shit and I wore pastel green jeans (please assess this look at the end of the post. Serious lols. You're gonna love'em). 

SHOP THE POST

Jumper - similar at New Look

Farleigh Jeans - ASOS

Velvet Bag - Missguided

Silver Slip-on Trainers - similar at ASOS

Basically, you weren't a blogger in 2012 if you didn't have these...

 Please note, I'm aware many bloggers may have never had any of these. It's all in good humour. Cos bloggers need to laugh at themselves too. Hopefully, you can relate.

Disco pants; the shiny sausage trousers

All that sheen, all that constriction. They were the trousers we couldn't get enough of. I actually don't have anything against these babies today (they're ugly-pretty, so still in my good books. I would just rather be comfortable and not feel permanently ready to burst). Here's a wonderful post of me wearing some eye-catching silver buggers. And yes, they still exist. Although, American Apparel is now a thing of the past in the UK. Yes, things have changed THAT MUCH since 2012.

We didn't just do disco pants in black, no. That would be boring. We wore the most exotic colours and brash shades. I remember bloggers leading the way with these. My 'weird shiny trousers' soon became the most sought after thing for your legs to be seen in. I hope any left over fabric / American Apparel skips filled with these are being repurposed into solar panels somewhere in the world. What even was that fabric anyway?! And why were they so expensive?

Litas: the world's ugliest shoe?

(or Hellbounds by UNIF, if you were edgier)

I quote this title from the highly respected Daily Mail. I won't even bother to link to that (soz). I genuinely loved my Litas. They were comfortable and a bit weird and were my go to 'going out' shoe for most of late 2012 / 2013. Have some lols at me wearing them here, how stylish. At least I look deceptively tall.

The real deal (much like disco pants) were really expensive. But either way, good dupes or the real thing, they were the shoe to be seen in. Again, these are still a thing (retailing for a sweet $160. Shit, Jeffrey Campbell!), amazingly.

Those suspender tights

These might have actually kicked off pre-2012. But I was wearing these bad boys for some TIME. I still love my House of Holland, but this was my first intro to it. I remember buying countless pairs from River Island. Usually in the sale, actually. Probably because a lot of people thought they were odd. They were a bit weird weren't they. You'll see twenty year old me at the bottom of this post sporting some snazzy bone print Henry Holland babes.

Look at me wearing them here too. Erm, must have been a warm January!? I love how in this post, while I'm at uni, I referenced 'getting tetchy' in nightclubs. Even young Robyn was quite the party animal...

Shit pics

(I'm talking about my own blog here, so no offence intended. I think some of my old photos are hilarious)

It was still relatively early-ish days for style blogging, so we were all happily snapping away, sussing it out. Screw bokeh from the snazziest lens, amazing composition from a photographer or beautiful city architecture. Hello woodchip wallpaper and dodgy (supposed to be 'arty') angles. A lot of other style bloggers took their photos in these kinds of set-ups too (I'm thinking mum and dad's wonderful lawn too, I did this one a lot). Some bloggers still do. Again, just to reiterate, there's nothing wrong with it. It's personal preference and also the availability of things like money, time and contacts. Finding / funding a photographer... or willing person able to hold a camera... isn't always easy!

When I started getting back into blogging last year, I felt pressure to ensure I had strong photography. The blogging world had shifted a lot. I work with the cracking Anna at Pear and Bear Photography and shoot in Nottingham every few weeks or so. I hate to admit that I felt like that, but I doubt I'm the only one. My supposed-to-be Instagram husband dreads my 'will you take a quick outfit photo or two... or three..maybe four...?' requests. So that's never really been an option to me! And a blogging pal at work, Allie, kindly introed me to Anna.

Despite feeling this pressure to get a more professional look, bloggers have always shared their own photography skills and everyday surroundings on Instagram, Twitter and Youtube. I love this - it adds a personal touch to content, which separates bloggers from mags or the like. We also all learn over time how we want our content to look and feel. The point of a blog is that it's reflective of you, right?! So, you do you. If that's using an iPhone - that's cool. If it's paying for a photographer - equally cool. It's our decision, our content.

Google Friend Connect (remember?!)

This died a death maybe in 2013? But back in the earlier days of blogging, most of us based our success was on our number of Google Friend Connect followers. If you cared about visible numbers, GFC was your metric. It was much like Bloglovin', but actually within Blogger. Lots of bloggers, including me, were gutted when it was killed off because they'd worked damn hard to get people to add them on GFC. It shows just how quickly this internet world chops and changes and that actually, seeking 'numbers' alone can be pointless.

Since this, Instagram has grown into the beast we see before us today - with most bloggers now setting this as their core channel to engage followers, or simply gain a following. I don't think I was even on Instagram until about 6 months after setting up my blog... oh how times change! If you're interested, head over to my Instagram here.

People asking you what the fuck a blog was

I've always liked things (and fashion choices) that are a bit quirky. Rocking up to a lecture in a t-shirt dress emblazoned with bananas and polka dots resulted in some strange looks in 2012. Especially at a uni where flip flops in winter were all the rage. Posting a banana top on my blog, people actually said they liked it.  Here's the aforementioned banana top outfit if you're curious (of course you are). My blogger pals became my little like-minded internet fam.

But admittedly, to this day, I still find it awkward talking about my blog. Back in 2012, it was because blogging wasn't something everyone knew about. Cue awkward conversation: 'I take photos of myself in my bedroom'... 'but I have internet friends who like it too'. Yeah, explaining blogging was not (and still is not) my forte.

Most of the outside world kind of get who we are and what we do today - no thanks to my weird explanations. I've even heard 'did you see this on that girl's Instagram?' or 'oh that blogger wore this!' on the odd occasion over the past couple of years whilst roaming Topshop.

However, some people still think blogging equates to vanity. But you know what? Blogging makes you more vulnerable, rather than more vain. I've definitely learnt a better zero fucks attitude through my blog and the experiences that have come with it. Having your photos taken in the on high-street takes balls. Wearing those weird looking shoes, even though you really like them, might take balls. Just posting an outfit on Insta can take balls. Yet do it because we want to and because we totally have all those balls.

Blogging has also taught me how important it is to support other people in things they do for themselves. Whether it's starting a blog, moving to the other side of the world or choosing a different cereal this week. I got your back.

And the aforementioned outfit posts from back in the day. 

#thingsgetbetter #chronicbitchface

Enjoy at your leisure and take inspiration as you will... 😂 I still love a good casual outfit, black clothing and wearing ugly things (hey! Just look at the outfit in the body of this post!). And remember, it's all gotta start somewhere. I just started in 2012 rocking green Matalan jeans. THOSE. GREEN. JEANS. THO.