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If you’re someone who lives for fashion, why not take your passion a step further? In this article, I walk you through how to start a fashion blog, which is one of the best ways to share your fashion sense with the world.
Beyond just sharing your outfit ideas and wardrobe inspirations, with a fashion blog, you can actually profit from your love for clothing and style in a serious way.
Get this: there are tons of fashion bloggers out there regularly making $5,000 a month… just from their fashion blogs. That’s right, with the right strategy and a passion for fashion, building a blog is one of the best ways to earn from what you love, while helping other people during the process!
The idea of starting a fashion blog may seem a bit intimidating, but I’ve broken down the process into 5 simple steps… now it couldn’t be easier!
Whether you’re a tech guru or a total goof on a computer, just follow along with this guide and by the end of it, you’ll have your own fashion blog up and running.
I’ve included lots of tips, tricks and advice to make your fashion blog stand out from other blogs online. I’ve also put together lots of fashion blog resources to help you along the way.
If you’ve considered starting a fashion blog but weren’t sure where to begin, now’s your chance to get rolling.
How to Start a Fashion Blog in 5 Steps
- Step #1: Decide on Your Fashion Blog Topic
- Step #2: Choose a Fashion Blog Name
- Step #3: Register Your Domain and Get Hosting
- Step #4: Set Up Your Blog on WordPress and Launch It
- Step #5: Start Blogging!
- Bonus: Make Money With Your Fashion Blog
These 5 steps are everything you need to do to get your blog live online. If you start now, you could have your blog up and running in an hour or less!
So what are you waiting for? Here’s everything you need to know about how to start a fashion blog.
Step #1: Decide on Your Fashion Blog Topic
Before getting started building out your blog, you need to decide what you want to blog about. Yes, it’s going to be something fashion-related, but what specifically?
There are so many fashion blogs out there, it’s mind boggling. This is why it’s ultra important to have a super specific niche to help stand out from the rest of the noise online.
Here are some examples of fashion blog topics:
- Fashion on a budget
- High fashion for young adults
- Plus size fashion tips
- Street style for men
- Fashion for minimalists
- Sustainable fashion trends
Check it out: each of these topics is narrowed down further than just “fashion”. Doing this helps your target audience find your blog more easily and land relevant readers in front of your kickass content.
Apart from securing readers, having a well-defined fashion blog niche also tells Google what your blog is about. If you are consistently publishing content related to your niche, you’re able to build authority in the eyes of Google because it will be able to see that your content points back to a central theme.
Once you start to build authority, your content will rank higher in search engine results, leading to even more relevant readers!
To learn more about why having a strong blog topic is so important, check out our guide to finding a profitable blogging niche.
Step #2: Choose a Fashion Blog Name
The next step in starting a fashion blog is to come up with a catchy name for it. You want your fashion blog name to capture readers’ attention and stick out in people’s minds.
When brainstorming fashion blog names, go back to Step #1 and think about words related to your fashion blog niche. Are there any specific keywords you can include? What words can you use in your fashion blog name to tell your readers what your blog is about?
Once you think of a couple keywords, use tricks like alliteration, rhyming and puns to turn a drab name into something fab.
If you have a bit of a brain block while trying to come up with your fashion blog name, do some research and check out names that already exist.
There are so many fashion blogs already online. What do the most catchy names have in common? Are there components you can emulate in a name of your own?
Here are some examples:
- Accidental Icon
- Damsel in Dior
- Symphony of Silk
- What My Boyfriend Wore
- Collage Vintage
- Penny Pincher Fashion
It helps if you can keep your fashion blog name between 2 to 4 words that are simple to spell and easy to remember.
Have a couple ideas in mind already? Plug them into this widget to see if they’re available:
Don’t get too hung up on your fashion blog name. You could definitely spend days laboring over the perfect combination of words; instead pick something and move on with the process. You’ll thank me later.
If you need a dose of inspiration, you can also use a blog name generator. These online tools allow you to pop in a keyword or two and in return, delivers different blog name ideas.
We’ve actually taken the time to develop our own blog name generator to help make this process that much easier.
For more tips when it comes to naming your fashion blog, check out this article which is full of fashion blog name ideas and existing names for inspiration!
Step #3: Register Your Domain and Get Hosting
Now that you’ve gotten the basics ironed out, it’s time to get your blog online. You can do this by securing a domain name and getting hosting.
During this step, you’ll be able to get a domain and hosting for your fashion blog set up in less than 10 minutes.
A domain name is the specific URL of your blog. For example, our travel blog domain name is www.adventureinyou.com.
Domain names on their own typically cost about $10 per year, but you can also secure a domain name when you get hosting.
Hosting is what allows your blog to actually go live online. It’s where your website lives on the internet and it allows users to access it on the World Wide Web.
Note: Thinking of monetizing your fashion blog? You’ll need a self-hosted website to do that. This means that you purchase hosting on its own and then set up your blog on a content management system.
It’s possible to start a blog on a free platform that comes with its own hosting, but this means heaps of restrictions, especially surrounding making money with your website and ownership of your content.
If you’re hoping to turn your fashion blog into a business under your full control, you’ll need a self-hosted blog.
So where do you get hosting from?
Bluehost: Our Fashion Blog Hosting Recommendation
There are lots of hosting options available, but in our eyes, it doesn’t get better than Bluehost. Bluehost is the most trusted and affordable hosting provider online, which is why they’re great for both beginner and advanced bloggers alike.
Signing up for hosting through Bluehost also comes with perks like a free domain name included for the first year. This means you don’t have to worry about setting something else up on your own!
Some other reasons we love to recommend Bluehost are:
- Great customer service. Bluehost has 24/7 assistance for whatever you may need help with. And yes, they actually solve your problem instead of leaving you hanging.
- Haven’t decided on a fashion blog name yet? With Bluehost, you can get hosting before deciding on a domain name.
- WordPress compatibility. You won’t struggle with getting your blog set up on WordPress as there’s a complete integration on Bluehost.
- Free 30-day moneyback guarantee to make sure that you love Bluehost as much as we do.
We aren’t sponsored by Bluehost, but we use them ourselves and have had such a positive experience that we’re confident in recommending them to other bloggers.
If you’re starting a blog on a budget, you’ll be pleased to know that with our Blogging Fast Lane discount, you can take a massive 63% off hosting through Bluehost… score!
Video Tutorial: Setting Up Your Blog Hosting
We put together this video to simplify the hosting process even further. In it, we walk you through everything you need to do to get hosting set up and your fashion blog rolling!
Keep scrolling to read a step-by-step breakdown.
Step-By-Step Breakdown: Setting Up Hosting
To get your hosting set up, click here and it’ll take you to Bluehost’s homepage.
From there, hit the green “Get Started Now” button and you’ll be redirected to Bluehost’s plan page.
Here you’ll be able to see the 3 different packages Bluehost offers: Basic, Plus and Prime.
In our eyes, the Basic plan will suit your blogging needs just fine, especially if you’re starting a fashion blog on a budget. Also keep in mind that you’ll be able to upgrade your plan whenever you like, so it makes sense to start with Basic and work your way up.
After you decide which plan is right for you, click “Select” and you’ll be able to move on to the next step: registering your domain name.
Remember, with Bluehost, you have a domain name included for free for a year!
So if you’ve already decided on a fashion blog name, go ahead and register it now. If you’re still a bit stuck, you can always choose “I’ll create my domain later” and move on to the next step.
Note: When registering your domain name, you should stick to a .com address. This has the most authority online, making it easier for your articles to rank.
Now that you’ve registered you’ve chosen a plan and registered your domain, it’s time to seal the deal by paying!
Be sure to review your package to make sure that you’ve chosen what’s going to work best for you. This is also the chance to add on any extras if you’d like some added account security or spam blocking.
Remember, the Basic plan for 36 months gives you the lowest monthly rate and secures your hosting for 3 full years. It’s possible to sign up for hosting for a shorter period of time, but this will result in higher monthly costs.
If everything looks alright here, you can go ahead and submit your payment.
Check it out: you can save up to $181.44 on the Basic plan for 36 months using our discount code. This makes hosting as low as $2.95 per month!
Considering a fashion blog can become your bread and butter, this insanely low monthly cost is pennies compared to your earning potential.
Note: Please keep in mind that our discount may vary depending on Bluehost’s own promotions, and that taxes may be added on at the end depending on what country you’re purchasing from.
And there ya go – now you have hosting and a domain name for your fashion blog.
Step #4: Set Up Your Blog on WordPress and Launch It
Now comes the fun part… During this step, we’ll get your fashion blog all set up and ready for you to customize it to make it your own.
Install WordPress
Before you get to build your actual blog, you’ll need a content management system that will allow you to edit your website and publish content. This is where WordPress comes in!
WordPress is the most popular content management system for bloggers, and with good reason. It’s free to use and pretty simple as well. And since so many bloggers use WordPress, whenever you run into any issues, you should be able to find a support forum with some answers.
Note: Don’t get confused by WordPress.org and WordPress.com. The WordPress that I talk about here is WordPress.org, which is a free content management system for self-hosted websites. WordPress.com is a free blogging platform with its own hosting.
Remember, if you hope to turn your blog into a business, you’ll need a self-hosted website on a content management system… like WordPress.org!
Luckily, it’s super easy to set up WordPress, especially if you’ve finished setting up your hosting through Bluehost.
Once you get your hosting, all you need to do is head to your Bluehost dashboard, find “My Sites” on the sidebar and hit “Create Site”.
From there, Bluehost will walk you through the steps of inserting your blog’s name and tagline. Then, all you’ll need to do is select your domain from the dropdown menu and WordPress will be installed for your fashion blog!
Pick a WordPress Theme
Finally, the super technical stuff is over and it’s time to get your blog in tip top shape. To start, you should select a WordPress theme to design your blog.
WordPress themes are total lifesavers, especially if web development remains a mystery to you (like it does to me). Themes are designed by coders and developers and they make it super easy for anyone start a website with very little technical knowledge.
There are thousands upon thousands of fashion blog WordPress themes to choose from. It just boils down to what you’re looking for personally.
When it comes to themes, there are free and premium themes. While free themes won’t cost you anything, they’re super limited in their functionality and are a pain to customize.
On the other hand, premium themes cost anywhere from $10 to $80 and are a breeze to get looking exactly the way you want.
Most premium themes come with multiple demos that you can import into your blog to edit however you see fit. It’s just a matter of finding one that suits your personal style best.
In all honesty, it’s really worth investing in a premium theme right off the bat because it will save you so much time and headache down the road. Trust me, I’ve tried to create a blog with a free theme and it ain’t pretty.
With a premium theme, you’ll be able to get your blog looking gorgeous with half the struggle and half the time of a free theme.
Other than a theme, if you want to really simplify this process, you can use a page builder like Elementor which is compatible with tons of themes and lets you customize your blog visually.
Customize Your Blog
Once you’ve gotten your theme sorted out, it’s time to start customizing it!
Now’s the time to let your personality shine through on your blog. What can you include that will make your fashion blog stand out from the rest?
On a basic level, you’ll want to be sure that your blog has elements like a homepage, about page, sidebar and navigation menu. You can also think about whether you want your fashion blog to have a header and footer.
Then you can start to get funky with it. Upload engaging images, create a catchy blog bio, and be sure to include contact information so your eager readers can get in touch with you.
Remember to keep your personality front and center when customizing your blog. Let people know who’s behind the screen.
It can be super tempting to try and make things look perfect, but don’t get too hung up customizing your blog. There will be plenty of time for this down the road! Just get your blog to a place where it has the necessary elements so that you can start to publish content, which is what really matters when it comes to blogging.
If you need some inspiration, check out our article that covers all things blog design.
Must-Have Plugins
While customizing your blog, you may wish to add sharing icons or a social media feed or a carousel of images. But how can you do this if it’s not included in your theme and you don’t know how to code?
Well, that’s why plugins were created.
Plugins are little bits of pre-made code that expand functionality and customization options of a website. WordPress has tons of plugins that allow you to do just about anything you want with your blog.
For fashion bloggers, these are the plugins I recommend:
- Yoast SEO: To edit your meta titles and descriptions, Yoast SEO is the plugin for you. It also helps with on-site SEO by giving concrete suggestions of things to change in your content.
- Monster Insights: This plugin sets up a Google Analytics dashboard right on WordPress so you never have to leave your dashboard to see your blogging metrics.
- Pinterest Pin It Button: Who else loves checking out fashion trends on Pinterest? This plugin allows your readers to pin images from your blog to their Pinterest which means inspiration for them and traffic for you.
- Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed: Show off your Instagram feed right on your blog with this plugin. There’s even a “load more” button so readers can continue to look at your flicks right from your blog.
- Akismet: If you’re worried about spammy comments on your blog, this plugin filters all the spam so that your site stays clear and clean.
There are so many plugins out there, this is only scratching the surface of what’s available to bloggers.
When you want to add a new plugin, just head to your WordPress dashboard, click “Plugins” on the sidebar and click “Add new”. This will allow you to browse the plugin library and download ones that are relevant to you.
Just be sure to activate the plugin when you’re ready to use it!
Step #5: Start Blogging!
And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for… it’s time to start blogging!
Once you get your blog all set up, it’s important to remember why you started this in the first place: to publish killer content that provides value to your audience.
When it comes to blogging, there is nothing more important than your content. This is how you build up your blog and your brand, how you connect with your readers and how you can (eventually) start to make money.
Without content, a blog would just be another website floating around on the internet with no purpose…
So now that you have your blog set up, it’s time to focus your efforts on creating content that your readers will love. Go back to your fashion blog niche. What can you write about surrounding your topic? What will be most useful to your ideal reader?
When crafting content, it always helps to start with a blog outline to give you some direction. From there, you can begin writing and finish off your article with a catchy headline to rope people in.
It also helps tremendously to do some keyword research before writing blog posts so that you have an idea of what people are searching for on the internet.When you insert keywords strategically throughout your content, you’re able to rank higher for relevant searches online.
Keysearch is a super affordable keyword research tool that has both yearly AND monthly plans. If you would like to try the tool, use the coupon code “FASTLANE” for a discount!
It’s not too hard to write blog posts that people will keep reading… it just takes some practice and dedication to get it just right. And then once you’ve gotten the formula down, channel your inner Miranda Priestly and give the people what they want.
Make Money With Your Fashion Blog
I bet at this point you’re wondering “so how can I make money with my fashion blog?”.
Well, there are lots of answers to that question.
There’s no single way that bloggers make money. In fact, most of the time it’s a combination of different methods that results in a passive income for bloggers.
Whether it’s affiliate marketing, digital products, online courses, advertising or beyond, there are plenty of ways for you to make money with your fashion blog.
That being said, it’s important to keep in mind that blogging isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme. You aren’t going to start making money as soon as your blog is set up.
But with the right dedication, you can start to implement the strategies and processes so that within 6 months to a year, you’ll have some cash rolling in regularly.
For more tips on how to grow your fashion blog into a full-blown business, check out our free online training where we walk you through the process step-by-step.
My biggest tip for fashion bloggers is to really focus on providing value to your audience. It’s tempting to get swept away by vanity metrics such as likes and follows, but what really matters is giving your audience valuable information to build trust.
This is how to really build a true following and get your blog to epic heights.
So what do you think? Was setting up your fashion blog easier than you thought it would be? It’s really a simple process and so long as you follow these 5 steps, you can have your fashion blog up before you know it.