Politically assertive bloggers

At the recent anti-Trump demonstration in London,  with the Handmaids

I follow a few blogs. Let me rephrase that. I am on Bloglovin and I receive news in my feed of new posts in blogs which Bloglovin thinks I should be interested in since I have labelled mine as a 'fashion and lifestyle' blog.
 Let me say at the outset that my blog is not linked, directly or indirectly, to specific brands. I am one of the few independent bloggers now left, whose blog is not monetised. Over the years there have been noticeable shifts: 'influencers' (bloggers have now been absorbed in this category) tend to use Instagram a lot more than blogs. Instagram, with its bite-sized posts and its strong visual content, is better suited for the purpose of advertising. Here I feel obliged to disclose that some of my Insta-posts have been linked with brands, like the series of photos I posted in partnership with Accessorize. There will be a few more in future.

Outtake from my series for Accessorize. Photo: GreyModelAgency

The point of all this is to reflect further on a post which I saw in my Bloglovin feed this morning in which the writer wonders whether a fashion blogger can have an opinion, in particular, a political opinion. Apparently, she was chastised by one of her readers for saying something about the elections in Northern Ireland.
It goes without saying that I totally support her stance. A blogger is definitely entitled to an opinion, even though she or he may write to endorse specific products. I mentioned that as an Instagrammer I have endorsed products. This has never stopped me from expressing my political opinions loud and clear, like when I recently joined the Handmaids Against Trump to demonstrate against the US President official visit to the UK and posting images on my Insta-feed.
Provided your posts are not slanderous I think that regardless of what relationship you may have with brands, you should still be able to have an opinion.
One of the problems with the majority of bloggers is that they tend to be so bland, a real carbon copy of each other, with no views whatsoever. It makes for boring reading.
Further, the idea that fashion and (life)style are not connected with politics is utterly ridiculous. Let us not forget that the explosion of blogs occurred precisely because people were tired of homogenised ideas of beauty and style. The bloggers who have questioned the unattainable beauty standards of the industry are a case in point.
Fashion is political, it is enmeshed in political discourse. Not being able to recognise that is done at your peril!
So, Avril, this is my extended comment to your post. Well done for having an opinion. I would like to see more opinions in fashion blogs because the notion that fashion and style are 'neutral' is as wrong as can be.