Fashion – Page 11 – Nicole Ballardini

FULL TIME BLOGGER: I TURNED MY HOBBY INTO MY JOB

Written by nickyinsideout on January 5, 2017. Posted in 2, Fashion. 16 Comments on FULL TIME BLOGGER: I TURNED MY HOBBY INTO MY JOB

Three years ago I could only dream of answering ‘I am a full time blogger for a living‘. .

If I look back now, I was in a totally diffent place. Literally. At that time I used to work (already in fashion) and live in London, I was dating my boyfriend only since a few months and baby Emma was not even a remote plan. Instead, what was there already, was a big passion for fashion and a hobby that started mainly out of curiosity. With passion and dedication nickyinsideout kept on growing and I’ve been a full time blogger since a year now.

How did I make it?

Big passion. Hard work.

Many people still think my job is just about posting pretty pictures. It is, in a nutshell. But personally, it took much more to become a full time blogger. While I was putting every minute of my free time into my hobby I started to put more effort into my photography, I created a more professional website and I built a community on my Instagram.

I didn’t start nickyinsideout for money. I always purely followed a dream. Maybe this was the key to success? It’s always been me, sharing my personal casual-chic style, the current trends I loved and mixing and matching high street with high end brands. Becoming a full time blogger was the result of doing it every single day.

One of my priorities was always the relationship with my readers. I’ve always replied all their comments and when possible reciprocate the interest. This way I built my Instagram community. We are over 70K by now and my pictures are seen by over half million people every month, almost 700,000 to be exact! I’ve always tried to stay true to myself and only wear brands and styles I truly like and enjoy wearing. Finally, I never skip a day posting on my Instagram and I am very critical on the type of content I post. I never share a picture or an outfit I don’t like 99,9%..

Following your passion and becoming your own boss is the most scary but at the same time exciting thing! Whatever will happen, you can look back and be proud of having followed your dreams. However will go, it will make you a stronger and experienced person. That’s already worth the effort in my opinion. It’s a life changing experience. There are no ‘office hours’, no real weekends or holidays. You will be dedicating all your time and efforts to your own business and this comes hand in hand with a big personal satisfaction.

I believe we are all good at something. In my case could be styling an outfit or an image and what are you good at?

A couple of months ago, while browsing on Etsy for my vintage Louis Vuitton belt I was surprised to see so many shops owned by very talented people, following their dream, being part of a community, having so many original ideas and following their gut of taking them into life.

Etsy is going to start a very cool program at the end of this month which could help you taking your dream into reality. The best thing is you don’t need a big initial investment! Nowadays the internet becomes your best friend and Etsy is helping and guiding you in creating this all for free! The program is called Etsy Resolution. It’s a free email course, which guides you step by step through the process of opening your own Etsy shop. The programme will give you all the tools you need to start your business on Etsy.

How great is that!

Why not leaving behind the boring new year resolutions of starting the gym or giving a try to a new diet? Follow your dream and your passion instead! Who knows, with some business acumen and a little bit of luck, you might be realising your biggest dream this year and even better, making it your full time job too!

Inside the Look:

Created in collaboration with Etsy. Story, styling, photography and creative direction my own.

SIDESWEPT PANTS: THE ONE ITEM YOU NEED TO TRICK SHOWING YOUR FESTIVE MEALS

Written by nickyinsideout on December 19, 2016. Posted in 2, Fashion. 2 Comments on SIDESWEPT PANTS: THE ONE ITEM YOU NEED TO TRICK SHOWING YOUR FESTIVE MEALS

Sideswept pants is nothing new, and right about now you are probably thinking summer and wearing them on the beach with flip flops or, even better, bare feet.

While that is no doubt a special time of the year, so it is the approaching festive season. Let’s talk about what to wear during the holidays!

You know I am a lover of seasonal trends and comfy and casual chic style. Today I am showing you an easy and stylish option by Matter to interchange to sparkly dresses, especially when you’ve been spending your days and nights between Christmas parties and family meals. Next week we all will have a little bit to hide, am I right?

Hairline stripe, resembling the typical pinstripe pattern of men’s shirt, is the perfect touch to make your look casual chic. Comfortably chic with an effortless touch, these pants are not only the perfect addition to your wardrobe, but also for laid-back family weekends when you need to hide that little post festivities belly!

I am so happy to now have these sideswept pants and I am sure they will make look like my slimmest self, with no exercise needed and without feeling guilty of enjoying all the italian food!

Yes! Tomorrow we are off to Italy for the holidays.. sideswept pants packed already, together with 13 gifts, toddler clothes which are taking more and more space and hopefully some inches left for the rest of my clothes! Don’t forget to follow along on my Instagram stories!

Happy Holidays! x

Inside Out the Look:

Sideswept pants: Matter | T-shirt: Comme des Garcons | Blazer: Zadig et Voltaire | Bracelet: THP shop |

Shoes: Valentino from Rebelle | Bag: Prada from Rebelle

Created in collaboration with Matter. Story, styling, photography and creative direction my own.

HOW JEWELRY ELEVATES MY EVERY DAY OUTFITS

Written by nickyinsideout on December 10, 2016. Posted in 2, Fashion. No Comments on HOW JEWELRY ELEVATES MY EVERY DAY OUTFITS

Can jewelry help radically the way we style our daily outfits? The answer is yes, absolutely!

Some days, despite all our effort – in my case almost every day, having Emma to get ready every morning before heading out – we just don’t have time to put together a A+, fashion week worthy outfit. Despite the new year resolutions of being super organised, classify our closet by colours and planning our next day outfit every night.. most of the time life just get in the way! Am I right? The right accessories are my answer to sort this out and saving a lot of time!

Today I am showing you how my latest discovery brand Sharon Fine Jewelry is adding interest to two very easy going outfits.

Wearing layered necklaces, rings and bracelets became part of my every day routine. It adds more life to easy-to-wear pieces and elevates every look. Especially when the jewellery is 14K gold and with very dainty details. Basically, I can wear it from a date night or event to my casual and every day looks.

I like to always layer my jewellery, that’s why I always go for very fine and dainty pieces. The moment I discovered Sharon Fine Jewelry I literally had my hands on every single pieces! Since, believe it or not, it’s made of 14K gold and diamonds, it still comes to a quite reseanable price. This makes it easier to afford more pieces and being able to layer them!

The answer to my morning rush is that I can easily wear my favourite denim and white shirt or chunky knit and still feel ‘dressed up’ when I am layering the right jewels.

Inside Out the Look:

Created in collaboration with Sharon Fine Jewelry. Story, styling, photography and creative direction my own.

CYBER SALES! MY NEVER ENDING WISH LIST..

Written by nickyinsideout on November 24, 2016. Posted in 2, Fashion. No Comments on CYBER SALES! MY NEVER ENDING WISH LIST..

When comes that time of the year you find yourself browsing again those items on your wish list – because out of budget or simply because the list is never ending – and this sounds quite familiar to me 😉 – you know the cyber sales time‘s arrived!

In case you didn’t know, now you do! 😉 .. and if you didn’t ~~waste~~ spend some of your time browsing your favourite shopping websites, now it’s about time to give it a glimpse!

Something I’ve learnt from ~~my crazy shopping splurges~~ through the years, is to decide in advance on my purchases, so that I am not frantically adding things to my online cart. Note to self. Tip of the day.. Just sayin’!

Today I am not going to list you long names of places where to shop, the web is plenty of that. The only one I have my eyes on at the moment is Shopbop which offer good deals up to 55% off on sales items, comparing to a lot of 20/30% you find on the web!

My best tip for the ~~best time of the year~~ this time of the year – major cyber sales time – is to stick to classic, especially go for knitwear, outwear and shoes! With so many items to choose from, it is important to have clear in mind what you want and eventually need. It will be a much satisfying experience and you won’t feel overwhelmed.

I say this because essentials are always big focus of my outfits. Like the one I am showing you today. If you look at it, it is a mix of classic pieces which can really be worn and styled towards several season.

For all the rest of the year, there is high street shopping! 😉

Inside Out the Look (all offering cyber sales deals!):

HOW I EDIT INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

Written by nickyinsideout on November 21, 2016. Posted in Fashion. No Comments on HOW I EDIT INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

Lately I am receiving many messages asking how I edit Instagram photos. It’s time to share some tips with you here!

First of all, I never take blog and Instagram photos with my phone. Every photo is taken on my camera. At the moment I am using an Olympus Pen EPL-7 and I am pretty happy with it. My favourite prime lens is the 45mm because I am able to create a more intimate image. It is extremely important to have a good knowledge of your camera. This made a big difference for me.

When it comes to edit Instagram photos, the quality of your images is everything. After you’ve mastered your camera, my best tip is to make best friend with some editing apps. VSCO and FaceTune are the ones I normally use. VSCO will really help you to keep your photos all cohesive on your feed. It offers a huge numbers of different filters and it is really worth to sit back and find out which one you really like and feel that can optimise your Instagram feed. Something that is very important to me, is to create images that are immediately recognisable. At the moment I am combining two different filters together in order for my images to be unique.

After all my photos are processed with VSCO, the final touch is given by FaceTune. I use it to adjust the light, in my case to make the photos darker but it works the same way if you like your photos lighter and whiter. FaceTune is also great to emphasise the contrast on your details or correct little imperfections.

It might sound like a lot of work but once you have mastered these two app, it doesn’t take that much time! Finally, what really made a difference for me, is following my gut. If you truly like and believe in what you are going to publish, also the community, big or small, that you’ve built up on Istagram, is going to like it and engage with you. Just stay focused on creating the type of images you love and stay true to yourself in terms of content.

Inside Out the Look: