I’ve been doing this for 10 years?! And by this I mean taking pictures of my ouftirs and putting them on the internet, fashion blogging. I’ve had this blog for more than 10 years, and I promise I'm happier about it than I look in these photos. 

So last week writing clothing love stories made me nostalgic, and that combined with re-finding my grey tie dye body con skirt in the back of my wardrobe made me want to recreate some of my first outfit posts. Plus some pictures more in my current style.

Then upon looking at said old pictures on this here blog, I realised that I took the original ones in 2013?! Now I am feeling real nostalgic.
Honestly looking back on them now gives me such a range of emotions, I see 15 year old me as someone shy and unsure, posting snippets of my daily life and things I’d been doing in my outfits. It still feels like a hyperbole that as someone who was so insecure I was posting my face and words on the internet but that’s just that. 
I used to get my boyfriend at the time or my friend to take my pictures, I then graduated to my remote and tripod setup I still use today. 
Alongside my outfit photos I would review things like circle lenses and post about Japanese street style, write wishlists of pastel clothing, religiously post comments on my favourite bloggers pages who were all wearing blackmilk leggings and Jeffery Campbell shoes, and get so excited to be gited pieces from very dodgy fast fashion brands, featured giveaways I’m not sure anyone got their prizes for (and I don’t think I was actually influencing anyone to buy from any of these brands as a 15 year old either). 
 
When I first started blogging my blog was so secret, I told barely anyone I knew in real life. I had been a target for bullying most of my life and I didn’t want to give more fuel for people, but I was determined with this little creative endeavour. I initially started posting because I was emulating what people I really looked up to on tumblr were doing, then went from posting fast fashion content with stories about my life to a personal sustainability journey to the environmental work I do now that can all be mapped through my blog, which is quite special.

I can see the changes in my style, my photography and editing, my posing, my writing. And even though I didn’t document it as such I can even see me coming out and into the closet and coming to terms with my gender and expression through all of these years. The first time I tried to dress “masculine” and express myself as such is documented on this blog and it still makes me feel all sorts of feelings when I see it.
I am so glad I picked up a camera and started shooting and writing and sharing my thoughts and self with the internet. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. And though I might not be a super famous blogger, youtuber, or influencer, which I think my younger self often dreamed of being but I am doing what I love and a huge part of the reason I am who I am today, doing what I’m doing, is because of this blog. 

Despite many many attempts I have never once managed to keep up a regular posting schedule for more than a couple of months at a time, often coming to post consecutively week after week only to disappear for six months as life got busier with other things. But I’ve accepted that’s my nature, and the nature of this space. 
I now work part time in community energy and freelance as a climate communicator, creating content, running workshops and events, public speaking, and a lot more that I do not think I would’ve gotten into if I hadn’t started posting my little outfits and sharing parts of my life on the internet. I have had so many amazing opportunities come in full or part because I have this blog and I am very grateful for that and for little 15 year old me for putting themself out there.

So here’s to 10 years on this little blog, it’s wild I’m here, and that tens of thousands of people have passed by here over that time. Thanks for stopping by, I hope I’ll see you again soon.