Writing a Fashion Substack: Expectations vs. Reality

It’s been over a year since I started this Substack, and what an adventure it’s been! I launched it last year, thinking that since style occupies my thoughts constantly, I might as well put my reflections and experiments into writing. I took a bit of a break from last fall until May, but since then, I've managed to stick to a weekly schedule. :)

So, how has it played out? Personally, I have no background in fashion and probably had a pretty poor sense of style before embarking on this journey. Sometimes, I feel like a bit of a dilettante - who am I to share my thoughts on style? At the same time, sharing my learning process can add value, both for readers and myself. Some of my favorite fashion Substacks are also in an exploratory phase, and that’s part of what makes them relatable and fun.

I initially started this newsletter on a different platform, but once I moved it to Substack, it really reached the community. If you’re considering starting a fashion newsletter, I highly recommend going where the community is, and for fashion, that place is Substack.

In any case, this has been a fantastic journey. Here are some expectations I had - and how things actually turned out.

Expectation: I might run out of topics to write about.

Reality: Never! I still have a massive list of topics I want to cover.

My real bottleneck isn’t ideas but finding the time to write them down. Especially during the winter season, with shorter days, finding time to experiment in my closet and photograph outfits in daylight between 8 am and 5 pm is a real challenge.

Expectation: Keeping a weekly schedule will be hard.

Reality: Yes, it’s challenging with a demanding job, family, an attempted fitness routine, and everything else life throws at me.

I’ve written posts on the go, spoken drafts into my phone, and done 6am or 5am writing sessions. This post is coming to you while I’m waiting for my daughter at her ballet practice! But there's something incredibly rewarding about maintaining a routine, and I highly recommend committing to one if you write or decide to write a fashion substack.

Expectation: This Substack will primarily be about outfit ideas.

Reality: Not exactly! My most popular posts are about managing and moderating fashion purchases.

In today’s instant-gratification, Instagram-saturated world, it’s a common struggle. Many of us (myself included) tend to try to solve outfit problems, and, to be honest, life problems, by clicking “buy.” Most social media content seems to push us in that direction, whereas there’s much less (though growing) content that encourages using what we already have and embracing creativity within constraints. I am happy that some of my posts have encouraged both myself and others to resist advertising and exercise our creativity before buying our way into style.