Fashion Blogs - Consumer Culture

Fashion blogs are all over the internet, advertising and advising people on what to buy. This is a leading way of advertising which grew alongside the rise of new technologies.

First when blogging was introduced to a large account of people, it was a way of informing or communicating thoughts and ideas with others. Nowadays the ease in access of blogs makes its success. Sharing in seconds and having a global connectivity are those that made most people love blogging these days. 

This post is going to discuss about the trend of Fashion blogs and what impact does it have on consumer culture. This clearly attributes to Berger who describes how and why common lifestyles are associated with brands and products. 

After so many  blogs were started it started to act like a vent for people to pour their money into. Bloggers earn money in advertising the products. In fashion blogs there exists a sense of selling things rather than inspiring. Consequently the behavior and attitudes of people towards buying things have also changed rapidly, in satisfying more of their wants rather than focusing on their needs. 

"Dulce candy" who is one of the famous fashion bloggers, is also associated with various companies that sells the products. Constantly viewing these products, the followers attain the mindset of "buying these products would make me happy" feel. So they end up spending thousands of pounds in the stores recommended by these bloggers. Not only this, people are pushed to a point that branded lifestyle has become a status symbol. "What you own defines who you are"

Mike Featherstone talks about the three components of consumer culture, which can be seen in the fashion blogs. 

• Vast expansion of capitalist commodity that leads to the vast accumulation of material goods - There are lots of companies producing these products to earn profit and as a result people tend to buy things which are not a necessity. This is more of a 'vicious circle'. In fashion industry there is constant updated trends which makes people buy more products.
• Sociological views on the satisfaction and the status. - These blogs create a tension in viewers mind to buy the products, so that they can be more privileged. Buying branded commodities has become more of a status symbol. To talk in fashion terms "Owning a Rebecca Minkoff bag or a Gucci bag makes a status statement"
• Emotional pleasure of consumption by satisfying the dreams and desires. - They put the followers under the pressure and make them think "Buying a new product would give a better feel".

As a result, people end up buying more than needed. To quote precisely, Berger says,

 "Consumer culture is the one where 'private' needs and desires are considered more important than the spending on the public ones".