Fashion and street-style blogs are usually based in big cities where fashion has a heavy presence, and the style savvy roam the streets and make it easy for bloggers to click their cameras and post the pictures for all the world to see.
Based in Gainesville, the Tonnish Touch, www.tonnishtouch.blogspot.com, authors Leah Southers and Flavia Cervantes capture fashionable residents, as well as feature trends they are interested in.
"Gainesville's fashion community is more hidden," said Cervantes, a second-year marketing major. "However, it definitely exists and is rapidly growing. That is what is so fun about blogging in Gainesville; Leah and I are constantly on the lookout for cuties roaming around campus or on the streets. "
Southers and Cervantes have been blogging since September 2008. After spending so much time on other fashion blogs and looking at designer Web sites, starting the Tonnish Touch was the next logical step. The blog allows them to express their personal styles and tastes and react to other bloggers and editorials.
"We were always coming across beautiful things online that we wanted to share with other people, not just one another, " said Southers, a third-year public relations major. "Gainesville is an unexpected city for a fashion blog, but contrary to popular thought, there's a thriving fashion culture here."
Cervantes said she pulls inspiration from other blogs such as "Who What Wear Daily" and "Mademoiselle Robot" more often than from magazine editorials because the bloggers provide a more realistic way to wear the clothes and provide the answer to the question, "How would that look on a normal person?"
Southers also uses the blog for personal inspiration, and says even though the Tonnish Touch does not focus on personal outfit posts, they never post anything they would not wear.
"We're not really that picky with what we choose. We blog separately, so when we see something we like while lurking blogs, we'll repost it or just post pictures of shoes or headbands or designers we like," she said. "I'd wear everything I post (and wish I could afford to) because I only post what I like."
The blog to them is a form of personal expression and an outlet for ideas. Even if there is a trend they like but cannot afford, such as Christian Louboutin sandals, the girls will publish a "lust" post because after all, every girl can dream.
For the summer, they look forward to wearing high-waisted shorts, floral skirts and embellished sandals, which according to Southers' last post, she is willing to splurge on.
"I love sandals that are on the border of being 'too much' with hardware, ankle straps, studs, you name it," said Cervantes, who hopes to pair the sandals with ruffled dresses and floral skirts.
