If you’ve ever glanced over my shoulder before class, you probably saw me scrolling through Instagram. You may have even noticed that at least every other post comes from someone I’ve never met and probably will never meet in my lifetime. These people are fashion bloggers.
They live a life I can only dream of living. One where having high tea at Burberry sums up a typical Sunday afternoon (see left) and sitting front row at Versace during New York Fashion Week is no big deal.
While most fashion bloggers post similar items, I’ve found that my favorite blog to follow is Harper and Harley, created by Sara Donaldson. Sara is an Australian blogger focused on providing readers with inspiration using her black, white, and grey philosophy. Essentially, Sara believes that color–to a certain extent–should be removed from one’s wardrobe and true style can be achieved using only neutrals.
I found her fashion blog while reading an article on refinery29.com titled, “The Crazy Response Fashion Bloggers Get When They Take A Break”. In response to fans that can sometimes get upset when bloggers have not been posting as regularly, Sara notes, “Sometimes, it’s just a simple fact that you would rather not be on your phone and instead, live your life in the present.” I was immediately intrigued by Sara’s response, mostly because of her emphasis on living in the present, and decided to check out her blog.

Compared to other fashion bloggers, Sara’s emphasis on playing with essential pieces of one’s wardrobe (think: jeans, black t-shirts, nude heels) is relatable for many people. I often struggle to add color to my wardrobe because I prefer wearing neutrals, like black or white. It used to bother me that I couldn’t buy something of color until I found Sara’s blog. Her unique perspective on style without color allowed me to feel more comfortable with my own personal style and experiment with different textures and accessories.
While Sara’s blog is directed mainly towards women in their 20s, her blog, according to her “About” page, is for “inspiration on how to wear these key pieces, but also as a guide for those who wish to follow suit and eliminate colour from their wardrobes.” Thus, both men and women, if they identify with her style and aesthetic, can appreciate and enjoy her posts. Personally, I believe that fashion is an art form and that, like other types of art, can be appreciated by anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, etc. All it takes is a willingness to try things you’ve never tried before.
Speaking of posts, Sara writes about everything from wearing double denim to why you should workout outdoors. Similarly, she travels so often (and gets paid just to show up at fashion shows!) that her Instagram and blog are filled to the brim with photos of London, Milan, and Paris. With such a wide variety of content to choose from, Sara remains one of my favorite fashion bloggers and hopefully she’ll become one of yours, too!