the influencers who you need to follow
This is a guest blog from Chloe Hill - a 3rd year English student at Royal Holloway, the lifestyle editor of Orbital Magazine & freelance online fashion writer for Debut Magazine.
After considering what the future may or may not hold for the influencer age, it seems apt to pause for a moment and consider the now, by focusing on the bloggers who are absolutely killing it with their style and content.
I’m sure most of us have our go-to bloggers by now - those we remain loyal to and know an embarrassingly large amount about. Yet, today there are more choices than ever, as the influencer market continues to grow.
Here are the women who influence and inspire generations in the best possible way.
Grace F. Victory
https://www.graciefrancesca.com
Instagram: @gracefvictory
“creator, healer and motivational speaker”
Not only does Grace have gorgeous style, but she also uses her platform as a means of inspiring and motivating plus-sized women. She tackles body image and the suffocating pressures that women feel when it comes to feeling ‘good enough’ and how the answer far too often suggests that weight loss is the answer.
Grace tackles the media’s tendency to manipulate images and makes a conscious effort to abolish the distorted images of beauty we so often see. In turn, she seeks to promote women in their natural form, unapologetically posting untouched photos of her face and body, whilst also sharing her dress sizes for tagged items to try and debunk the stigma around the number that is imprinted on our clothing.
Body image isn’t the only topic Grace covers, however. Her blog spans from sex to mental health and seems to cover many sensitive issues that young people face. Whether she is tackling these issues through poetry or via her Sister Space podcast, she continues to use her role and platform as an influencer for strictly positive and empowering means, looking towards a kinder world where:
“fat bodies are respected and health is viewed outside of what we weigh.”
Chloe Plumstead
Instagram: @chloeplumstead
At 4’11, Chloe represents all of the petite girls. What’s so amazing about Chloe’s style is the way she manages to keep it timeless, whilst also paying close attention to current trends. Her look books are the perfect place to find inspiration – especially for the petite women who need the lowdown on which brands cater for them.
Although some influencers have expressed that they struggle to translate their personality traits into their blogs and work, Chloe’s blog posts can be extremely relatable and perfectly in touch with current events – my personal favourite being: “I hope the Gucci Dionysus isn’t dead because I just fucking bought one” – I’m sure everyone can relate, especially considering the fast-fashion debate that has intensified recently.
Like Grace, Chloe still manages to keep it honest and genuine by offering her followers insights into her personal life. Whether this is about sex or wellbeing, her posts are often very representative of the mid-twenties transition period and the subsequent anxieties of this time in our lives.
Fingers crossed for a petite clothing range.
Zoe de Pass
Instagram: @dresslikeamum
Zoe, aka dress like a mum, is the perfect example of a mum who refuses to align with the common conception that certain clothes are predictable, frumpy and boring. Somehow, these misconceptions have a tendency to fall under the ‘mumsy’ umbrella, and Zoe certainly avoids any possibility of being slotted into this. Her satirical name ‘dress like a mum’ serves to dismantle this myth and create new expectations for how a mum should dress, or how interested a mum should be in fashion and trends.
Instead, her style represents all things bright, creative and stylish. She boasts a popular Instagram and blog that offers style tips not only for women’s fashion, but also children’s fashion, accessories and tips. She even includes book reviews, gift guides and maternity clothes reviews – making her blog not only relevant for fashion lovers, but also mums & especially new ones.
Grace Fit
https://gracefitguide.com
Instagram: @gracefituk
With the current political climate, it seems incredibly necessary to include those who are trying to help us demystify what is actually going on. Grace recently posted an extremely timely video about Brexit where she sits down with a law graduate who has affiliations with the Our Future, Our Choice campaign. Somehow, they attempt to break down our current political situation and inspire young people to take an interest in our government and the EU and consequently form our own opinion on the matter.
Helping to educate young people on political events is so important – especially considering the low voting turnout for young people, predominantly due to the difficulty to grasp the full extent of what we’re voting for.
Don’t get me wrong – there are hundreds and thousands of influencers who are making a positive change.
These 4 are a tiny, tiny percentage of the people who are making social media and the internet a far less toxic and more positive place to be.