Since it's humble beginnings in 2012, this blog has very much been a 'just for fun' project. I have always loved writing on the web (since the days of AsianAvenue, Xanga, LiveJournal, MySpace, et al.). Blogger was just another place I decided to come and start something new, and at that specific time in 2012 my interests were heavily in personal style and all things "dandy". Of course, unlike my previous online writing ventures, The Little Dandy lasted for quite some time and took me on some unexpected and exciting adventures in the world of Fashion and Media in Toronto. I've had the joy of experiencing some things that I'd never thought I'd ever do in my lifetime as a young adult. My most notable experience will always be the fun project with Biotherm Canada and Fashion Magazine.
Like I said, when I started this blog it was very much 'just for fun'. At the time, I was young, unemployed, and I had no direction in terms of a career. I thought, "oh, what fun it would be to style looks and post pictures online to share with fellow internet fashion-geeks". No planning went into The Little Dandy. Had I known of the true power of blogging and the internet back then, I would've made sure I had implemented some sort of business objectives for The Little Dandy. I would've planned my content better, and I would've set traffic goals and carefully selected keywords to optimize my content. But no, none of that was thought out. As my blog started to grow, I started to realize all of the things I hadn't done to plan for its success, and this started to discourage me. Of course, I could've always gone back and implemented an SEO strategy, put together an editorial calendar, and kept a close eye on my Google Analytics. However, when it came down to deciding on whether or not I wanted to put in all that work, I thought to myself: what's the point? What is the point in optimizing my content? Is anyone even finding my content helpful or useful in any way? What makes my content so special compared to everyone else's? Everyone and their mothers have a style blog, and it's the same ol' stuff. The formula doesn't change: Catchy blog post title + handful of photos of "the look" + outfit details by brand + quick blurb and a cheeky "love ya, thanks for reading!". Is this the type of content I wanted to commit to creating long-term?
Then came this realization: style blogs, if not at all helpful, are glorified show & tell platforms. The more I came to realize this, the less I wanted to be part of it. Further, after watching a documentary called 'The True Cost' I decided that I no longer wanted to support this thing called 'fast fashion'. Style blogs that focus on affordable fashion trends (i.e. The Little Dandy) were just adding fuel to the fire of the economic and social crisis created by 'fast fashion', and I found myself disgusted and ridden with guilt for having contributed to this problem. I no longer support 'fast fashion', and I definitely encourage everyone to watch 'The True Cost' now.
Now that I'm older and wiser, I know what I want. I know what I like, I know what I believe in, and I know what I want to represent. I'm not a 24 year old floral-obsessed "little dandy" anymore. Growth is normal. Everyone evolves. Maybe this is just me finally morphing into a level-headed adult, or maybe this is just me starting another blog that simply reflects where I'm at in life. Whatever the case, The Little Dandy no longer feels like "me", and I'm ready to move on to my next project. I know that I don't want to leave the blogging world, and I certainly don't want to leave the style niche. Personal style will always be a large part of me, and fashion will always be a world I love. However, I know that if I want to do it right I have to do it differently and I have to have a plan.
Around the 3 year anniversary of 'The Little Dandy' I decided I was finally ready to start something new. There were many sleepless nights where I would lie awake and think of new ideas, and cheeky blog names and post titles. There were hours where I would scribble endless ideas and plans at my desk on topics that I could write about that would actually be helpful to others - to people just like me. I don't want to give it all away, but I hope you'll continue to follow me on my internet-writing journey. Until then...
Goodbye Blogger.
Goodbye The Little Dandy.
Goodbye "fast fashion".
You can keep up with me on Instagram.