a girlblogger's guide

by a girl who wants to know

The wonderful world of girlblogging

I’d like to claim that my knowledge of the rather niche subculture is stemmed from gossip girl, broadening into the horizon that is instagram girlblogs, which is what I hope is the satirisation of the “hot girl” and the “cool girl”. It's an incredibly specific collection of the adoration and criticism of certain films, music, clothes and habits. To put it into the infamous statement (?) of :

lana del rey. black swan. oat milk lattes. virgin suicides. fiona apple. lily rose depp. manic pixie dream girl. phoebe bridgers. lace. ribbons. runway. girl interrupted. tumblr. nyc. twilight. paris. red lipstick. ballet. the bell jar. vogue.

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Barely scraping the surface of what seems to be an endless list of supposedly 'unique' interests and consumed media, all integrated within this community, I find myself having already fallen into the heart shaped box they’ve created. The widespread share of this feels cookie cutter, but I can't help but appreciate that the slightly mainstream nature of it all means there’s just so many more people to talk to about things I’m passionate about.

Beyond shared interests, there’s shared experiences, parts of which seem rooted in exposure to certain mediums from a young age, and shaping perception. Opinions and values are shared too, as a result. A hopeless craving to experience romance. An overwhelming urge to be perceived as the best, the overwhelming focus on how one is perceived. The idolisation of any female character, bonus points if she’s often sad. An over-romanticisation of everything in the surrounding environment, an analysis that transforms the mundane into poetry.

What stands out the most to me, is that despite the online sub-culture rooted in coquette and dollette, with a thousand plus cult following, there’s a lack of these 'girlbloggers' in real life, aligning with the idea that more often than not, internet personas are created as an ideal, an escape from real life. And whilst I find that my clothes might fall into the aesthetic, my interests are far from restricted within the bubble of girlblogging, which I’m determined to continue to explore.

-♡