There is no dearth of websites and blogs devoted to crafting, DIY and hand-made goodness tailored to the modern man or woman. Pinterest seems to be the quintessential DIY website, but there now appear to be more personal blogs and websites devoted to lifestyle than are sustainable in real life. In particular, there is a rash of blogs aimed at 20 and 30-something year-old ladies who happen to have a penchant for Anthropologie-type fashions and decorating, but don’t have the financial resources of a medium-sized country (say, Finland) to spend on $100 shirts and $30 plates to decorate a one bedroom apartment.
Usually, these websites are run by offbeat fashion-designers, struggling travel writers or cupcake enthusiasts. The point of these blogs is to inspire readers with insights on everyday life and interesting ways to spice up the mundane, such as fashion or crafting. There are other popular subjects, such as cooking or decorating, but usually they can be included in the first two categories. Some good examples of this can be found on blogs and websites such as “A Beautiful Mess,” “Joy the Baker,” “Cupcakes & Cashmere” and “Refinery29”.
There is nothing wrong with this. Mornings exist where nothing is more satisfying than reading article after article on how to bake Girl Scout Samoa cookies at home. However, recently nearly every website has been guilty of one of two things: insane DIY and disturbingly out-of-touch articles.
The former of these issues is less of a problem and more of a nuisance. As someone who enjoys the occasional DIY, as of late there have been an overwhelming amount of DIY projects that require more time and money than it would take to purchase whatever item (candles, shelves, picture frames, coasters, small mammals) you were attempting to create. I ran into this problem on “A Beautiful Mess” where a project of creating honeycomb shelves called for fencing planks, wood stain, glue, mounting brackets, blueprints, a drill, drill bits and a miter saw. It also required a working knowledge of carpentry and the ability to use a miter saw without slicing off one’s fingertips. The best part? Said shelf can be found at hundreds of online retailers for an average price of $40. And this isn’t a one-off example; insanely impractical DIYs (for a large majority of readers) are now the norm, and I can’t help but think this is due to an oversaturation of Pinterest crafts that have so flooded the Internet that blogs can only help to differentiate themselves by creating absurd craft projects, such as taxidermy. And no, sadly, that is not a joke.
A more disturbing trend that can be seen all over the Internet, but particularly in the blogging and lifestyle websites, are the terrifyingly out-of-touch suggestions for clothing, vacationing and decorating — subjects that tend to be the focal point of many of these sites. An example of this can include things such as “Refinery29” running an article recommending the purchase of workout leggings costing $750, $1,500 jeans or an $850 body chain as a good way to shop on a budget. A well-established website actually encouraging readers on a budget to spend close to $1000 on ridiculous jewelry is just the tip of the iceberg with a lot of writers populating these sites. Imagine an army of Gwyneth Paltrows encouraging you to drop a grand or two on a shot glass, and you get the picture. It’s so laughably out-of-touch that it’s funny, but in a way that’s also rather sad.
Lifestyle blogs and websites are great for killing time and learning new skills, but there has been a marked increase in dubious DIY articles and ludicrously lavish wardrobe tips. I don’t think it would be amiss to suggest some tweaks in the future considering most readers looking at fashion blogs online probably can’t afford the time or money it would take to convert that old garage into a planetarium loft with oak flooring, adorned with dangling sapphire-encrusted chandeliers.
