Style on the Side

by Caroline Topperman

Style on the Side was born from Caroline Topperman’s love of fashion, but more so from her love of the little things that go along with it. She is mesmerized by varying colors and struck by a unique accessory. Unable to ignore this specific passion, she blogs about the details of fashion, setting her site apart. See Caroline’s favorite shoes, jewelry, beauty products, etc. via Style on the Side. Learn more about her blogging journey with Blogspotter.

  1. How long have you been blogging and what made you start?

    I have been blogging for about 1 1/2 years now about 1 year seriously. I’ve always loved writing and photography and this seemed like the perfect outlet.

  2. How did you decide on a name for your blog?

    The first name I had was Girl In The Yellow Dress and that name came from a tv commercial that inspired me. When I decided to blog on a more serious level I realized that branding would be a crucial part of my success. Girl In The Yellow Dress was too long and taken on most social media outlets. Since I blog mainly about accessories and beauty I started throwing together different thoughts and words. The idea that emerged was that I blog about all the things that compliment your main outfit and that’s how Style On The Side was born.

  3. You blog about style, beauty, and lifestyle. Why did you want to cover these categories and more?

    Simply, as much as I love clothing, I love all the other “things” even more. I obsess about beautiful bags and hats. I can’t walk by store without taking a second look at a scarf. Put me in front of a beauty counter and I am mesmerized by the colours. I spent a great deal of my childhood traveling and a big part of that was learning to observe people, to pay attention to architecture and the beauty of everyday. I want to celebrate all of that with this blog.

  4. Give us a brief description of your personal style.

    Simple, classic and vintage inspired. I like clean straight cuts. This forms the canvass to display beautiful jewelry, bags and shoes.

  5. Why did you want to focus on shoes, bags and accessories?

    I believe that a great classic bag, shoe or piece of jewelry will never really go out of style. Trends may come and go but I’ve had several of these key pieces of years and I still wear them proudly. I want this to reflect on my blog, I’m not interested in jumping on the “latest and greatest” bandwagon.

  6. Your blog is more writing-based than a typical personal style blog. Why is this?

    I think because it’s not just a personal style blog. I’ve always loved combining the written word with images. Writing allows me to delve deeper into the products I choose to showcase on my blog and to share a personal point of view.

  7. "Take the time to notice your surroundings. There is so much beauty in this world and so many wonderful things to discover right in your own neighborhood."— Caroline Topperman

  8. How do you feel that your blog differs from others?

    I make an effort to use my own photography. I would say that 98% of the images are taken by me. I approach fashion and style from a different angle. I’d like to think of myself as a fashion explorer who is on a journey to discover beautiful things and to share them with my readers.

  9. How do you choose products and styles worthy of writing about?

    I am passionate about new and wonderful discoveries. I am passionate about great design. Something has to spark my interest for me to want to write about it. Sometimes the product or the creator has an amazing story and sometimes the product is simply beautiful and I want the world to know about it.

  10. What is your main source of inspiration?

    Books, design and just walking around my city, paying attention to what surrounds me.

  11. What is your favorite subject to write about?

    To be honest, I become consumed by whatever I am writing about and at that moment in time it’s my favourite thing.

  12. What has starting and maintaining a blog taught you?

    It has forced to me escape from my shell and I am now much more confident about approaching people that I find are interesting and asking to work with them. I’ve realized that everyone has moments of insecurity and most people absolutely love it when you say you’d like to write about them.

  13. What is the coolest thing that’s happened since you started?

    All the amazing designers that have reached out to me. I love working with talented, motivated people.

  14. If you could start your blogging journey all over, would you change anything?

    I would have taken more time to learn all the technical behind the scenes aspects of running a blog. For me, knowing backend has taken blogging to a whole new level and made it more enjoyable.

  15. What main message would you like to convey to your readers?

    To really take the time to notice your surroundings. There is so much beauty in this world and so many wonderful things to discover right in your own neighborhood.

  16. Any advice for aspiring bloggers?

    Go for it! Don’t be intimidated by other bloggers - you never really know what kind of person they’ve created online. Also, never apologize or self-deprecate on your site. You own it and you can do whatever you want.