Fashion trendsetters, home interior tastemakers, and lifestyle influencers are taking over the world of blogging and social media. Gone are the days of turning to television icons like Martha Stewart or Tim Gunn for advice on fashion and home. Real world men and women are now defining the top trends and influencing the next wave of enviable design. Fort Worth is home to five emerging influencers setting the standard for what is hot in 2016, and it's time for you to be properly introduced.
Hilary Walker
Our Style Stories, ourstylestories.com
Our Style Stories, the blog and personal portfolio of Fort Worth photo stylist Hilary Walker, is a thoughtfully curated site celebrating the creativity and individuality of likeminded and inspired people. Hilary's site is filled with beautiful images conveying her individual fashion, personal musings, and of course her style stories. "[I gained my] creative impulse and sense of individuality from my parents and my aesthetic taste from my chic, Southern grandmother," Hilary says. She defines her style as a "constant evolution." The motivation behind creating Our Style Stories came from the desire to "share the joy of decorating and personal style while also encouraging self-confidence, compassion and a sense that what we currently have is more than enough."
Samantha Stewart
Style of Sam, styleofsam.com
Samantha Stewart, the author and curator behind Style of Sam, balances her career as a pharmacist, motherhood, and love of style with an effortless sense of ease. Known as an avid collector of shoes with posts focusing "solely" on her shoe of the day, Sam's style is rooted in pairing vintage finds with modern pieces creating a "modern eclectic" vibe. Her love for fashion and ingenious pairings is rooted in her mother's sage advice "that it was okay to be different and not look the same as everyone else." Something extra special readers will find when visiting her blog is Sam's "Style Prescription" with every fashion post which offers "a lot of honesty about life and my struggles with time management and motherhood!"
Victoria Wise
Tanglewood Moms,tanglewoodmoms.com
TanglewoodMoms.com has emerged as one of the top go-to sites for the latest happening in Fort Worth. The site, written and managed exclusively by women, was originally created by Victoria Wise in 2011 as a Facebook page serving as a community resource out of her desire to "connect" her friends and family. In 2015, she took the idea and built a full-fledged website to expand the community offerings to include "suggestions on Fort Worth restaurants, events and what to do with the kids." As a new and important site feature, her team has begun "spotlighting other female entrepreneurs"in Fort Worth. With more than seven women contributing to the site's content, TanglewoodMoms.com is offering a great perspective on the hottest trend to hit the city of "Cowboys and Culture."
Katey McFarlan
Chronicles of Frivolity, chroniclesoffrivolity.com
For Fort Worth native Katey McFarlan, blogging was born out of a place of acceptance and empowerment. As a young teen, she faced a disorder that affected her skin and self-confidence. According to Katey her blog became an outlet for her to "invest in other women to help them forget whatever insecurities they faced or might be dealing with." This hometown girl's authentic sensibility and self-proclaimed "Southern Eclectic," a mix of prints and layered jewelry, style has proven to be exactly what inspires her 133,000 Instagram followers. Beyond the closet, readers can really get to know Katey as she shares her experiences navigating the world of "faith, family, and everything in between."
Samantha Bigley
The Heart of the House, theheartofthehouse.com
With a taste for elegance and a pop of fun (think Kelley Golightly mixed with a little Grace Kelly and a dash of Olivia Palermo), Samantha Bigley is on a mission to "inspire others when it comes to style and beauty in their everyday life." Her blog, The Heart of the House, features a mix of "feminine yet classic" fashion, her favorite beauty products, gift guides, and travel adventures. Although originally from the Midwest, Samantha moved down South for college and now proudly calls Fort Worth her home. Visit Samantha's blog for a daily dose of "everyday life through style."