The Newest Fashion Bloggers Don't Even Have Blogs

When you think of fashion bloggers, a few requirements come to mind: a covetable personal style, a photographer (or friend with a camera) in tow, and, of course, a constantly updated blog on which to post their outfits. The earliest bloggers — like Susie Bubble, Fashion Toast, and Bryan Boy — paved the way using this model nearly a decade ago. They'd document their ensembles on their respective websites, include links to buy the clothes, and make money off affiliate links, endorsement deals, and site traffic. Now, blogging is not only considered a feasible career choice, but bloggers like Chiara Ferragni of The Blonde Salad have shown how it can be incredibly lucrative, as well.

Although this OG method is still going strong, a whole new wave of style “bloggers” are upsetting the system by ditching the website entirely and focusing solely on social media. Not to be confused with DJs, models, fashion editors, or It Girls (who occupy an entirely separate sphere of Insta-fame), they have built their numbers gradually and from the ground up. Thanks to their unique aesthetics, and that je ne sais quoi quality that makes thousands of people click "follow," they represent a new kind of grassroots celebrity-making movement that is proving to have just as much value as traditional web publishing.

Unlike most bloggers, who start their sites as a way to post daily outfits, these girls' massive followings didn’t originate from #OOTDs. L.A.-based Instagrammer Whitney Cox of @whitneybearr remembers: “Originally, I wasn't posting style pictures — it was just pictures of my cat and selfies with my friends. But, I started posting pictures of my daily outfits, and friends and colleagues really liked what I was doing, so I've been doing it ever since.” Today, Cox’s account boasts more than 24,000 followers, all of whom obsess over her '90s-inspired West Coast style.