Lizzie Hadfield is a Manchester girl who has mastered the classic and casual look. This is instantly noticeable when you have a quick browse at her inspirational blog entitled ‘Shot from the Street,’ where she frequently uploads street-style shots of her everyday clothes for fans to enjoy.
Her go-to looks range from distressed denims and cute loafers to t-shirt and jacket combos that work for every weekend occasion. This classic and casual aesthetic, which she calls ‘Smasual’ has proven to be a massive hit judging by her key social stats, which include over 100k followers on Instagram, as well as 40k plus Youtube fans. This is probably why Grazia Magazine has featured her as one of the most stylish fashion bloggers to follow right know, along with the award-winning jewellery brand Pandora, which has collaborated with her on a key fashion campaign.
With these points in mind, we just had to grab a coffee with her to find out more about the smash-hit ‘smasual look’ and how she pulls it off on a daily basis, as well her insider secrets on being a popular blogger. Read on for the exclusive details.
1. How would your followers describe your style?
‘I think my style is definitely minimal, involving lots of denim. I am quite a casual dresser, but I do love tailoring, and lots of smart-casual outfits. I call it ‘smasual’, a completely made up word but describes my style perfectly. So, ‘smasual’ is it.’
2. What fashion publications do you read for inspiration?
‘Mostly Grazia. I love the fact it’s a weekly publication, so I get more inspiration in a regular basis. I do occasionally have a flick through Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar, but they tend to be more of luxury buy if I am travelling somewhere. For the most part I look online at blogs for inspiration, it’s much more on-the-go and its around daily life effortlessly.’
3. Who’s style do you admire and respect the most within the blogosphere?
‘My all-time favourite blogger is Lucy Williams; her blog is called Fashion Me Now. It’s super casual, featuring lots of denim pieces. I would definitely recommend that you check her out. I always get inspiration from Lucy; if I’m ever like “what do I wear,?” I always have a look and see what she’s rocking because she just looks incredible all of the time so she’s definitely my favourite.’
4. Your style is very casual-chic, have you always dressed like this or did you develop this style when you started blogging?
‘I’ve always dressed like this really. I went through a stage in my early teens, when Tammy Girl was a thing. I used to always wear long-sleeved tops with the short sleeved t-shirts over the top; thankfully I got over that phase. It was when I was in College and University that I really got into that ‘Smasual’ style of denim and knits, with lots of tailoring, so it’s been quite a few years since I’ve dressed like this really.’
5. You have a fabulous collection of designer accessories. In your opinion, what makes the ultimate designer handbag and the ultimate pair of shoes?
‘With regards to designer handbags, I think you need two styles. One larger one, I have the Celine belt bag, which fits virtually everything and anything in it. For days when you’re travelling and need your book, notebook, charger, the list goes on. A small one is also key in a wardrobe, I love the Loewe Puzzle, that just carries around the essentials. The small one definitely should be a cross-body bag with an adjustable strap, so that on an evening out, you can wear it on your side, whereas the bigger bag should be able to go over your shoulder. But for sure, you definitely need two.’
‘My all-time favourite pair of designer shoes that I’ve bought are the Gucci loafers. I got the sling-back pair and I’ve never worn a pair of shoes so much. So definitely invest in a good pair of flats, if you’re not vegan I’d recommend leather as they wear better and they only get better with age. I’d also say a good pair of boot heels is also a good idea because you can wear them all year round with bare legs and a skirt, while also wearing them in the wintertime too. They’re just so versatile. They also tend to be comfortable because they hold your foot in so well. You can wear them all day long, so they are the best!’
6. What’s your go-to item you cannot live without during the autumn/winter season?
‘Knitwear definitely, I’m only now just branching out into Cashmere, I’m feeling like that now I’ve got onto that dangerous slippery slope, I’m not going to be able to go back. Otherwise just a good wool knit with a high neck and also a wool tailored coat. I’d go for 100% wool if possible, as it will last season after season and it hangs beautifully. For instance when you sit down it doesn’t crease easily, which is really important in helping to keep you looking smart. Low maintenance is key, as always!’
7. You have grown extremely fast on Instagram. What’s the secret behind your Instagram growth? Do you and have you always had a clear strategy?
‘Thank you, I wouldn’t say too much of a strategy. I feel like its trial and error basically. I used to worry a lot about things like Instagram themes, which I feel is generally becoming a lot less popular now anyway. I’ve now worked out that the photos that performed best were pictures of me wearing my outfits so I only solely post outfit pictures at the moment. I now post two times a day, making the most out of Instagram analytics now it’s available. But it’s just really about paying attention to what pictures people like and what pictures perform well and trying to stick in line with that really, trying to create content that people actually want to see. Don’t get too disheartened and look at the numbers too much. It can become so miserable if you do that. I know it’s hard not to but you’ll end up losing all your creativity if you think too much.’
8. You have a strong presence on YouTube. How does being on YouTube differ from blogging in terms of engagement, collaborations etc? It is essential to your brand?
‘Yes definitely to the last part, because you get to share a whole different side of you. If you’re not a really talented writer, which sadly I’m not, then it’s really hard to get your personality across. I’m a big fan of a moody fashion pose, so I just end up looking a little moody all the time and I’m not really like that in real life. Youtube is a great way to get that other side of my personality across. It’s also a great way to talk about clothes because you get to hear the passion in someone’s voice, much more than you can get when you read someone’s text. People engage with it more as well because you’re getting a different insight into someone, it’s like a whole 360 view of who somebody is and people just want to see a well-rounded idea of what your life is like and what your interests are. It also allows people to really engage in you and really believe in your authenticity, believing in what you recommend really. So for me it’s massively important and was definitelya turning point in my blogging career. When I started Youtube, things really started to pick up from there.’
9. You’re a full time blogger now, how long did it take you to make the transition and was it worth it?
‘Absolutely worth it, it’s a funny one for me because I took my blog full time when I graduated last summer. I wasn’t making any money at the time, it was very fortunate that I had some savings and I knew that I could live for about 6 months. I also moved back home with my mum a few months before moving out to Manchester, so I had this period of breathing space, where I wasn’t going to have a lot of outgoings, so I didn’t need to jump into a job straight away.’
‘When a lot of people graduate, you can go travelling or get a job straight away. I just thought I’m going to make the most of that lull period that a lot of people have and just go for it now! I knew that it would be harder to go into freelancing than to pick up a salary and walk away from a salary to freelance. I just thought that I’m going to go for it now.It was very scary, as I said it was fortunate that I had some savings to fall back on, my mum was there to let me move back in with her, thanks mum for that! But it all paid off, but it was a bit scary at the time. It was so worth it, once you can fully devote everything and give something a 100% and not just be distracted by other things, it just picked up so much quicker so I needed to take that risk definitely.’
10. You reside in Manchester, many bloggers believe you need to be based London to be successful. What are your thoughts on this?
‘I don’t think so at all. It’s only 2 hours on the train. I come down once a week, it’s totally doable you can manage your relationships through email or skype, to stay connected despite not being in the same city all the time. You do need to make that effort every now and then to meet people face to face because you build a connection so much quicker than over emails.
So long as you are prepared to make the journey down south every now and then any city can work for you, and I love Manchester!’
11. What are the next steps for Shot from the Street in 2017?
‘No idea really, more Youtube I think. I hope to be able to do the same amount of content, I do push out a lot of content every week and I hope to be able to keep that up. I’m really focused on working with the same brands over and over again, keeping those long working relationships with them. So, hopefully more of that, working with the same brands and just building my audience, continuing to engage with them delivering on what they want and listening to what they are asking for essentially.’
12. Why do you think Farfetch is #TheOne shopping destination?
‘The choice firstly, there is so much choice and it’s also a great place to find new brands. I love going through the contemporary section because you can find so many brands that you haven’t heard of before. It’s hard to find new brands sometimes and it’s easy to stick to the ones that you know, so it’s nice to be able to discover new designers that you can incorporate into your wardrobe. I like the range of price points too, which gives you options to mix up luxurious pieces with more everyday looks. Farfetch really is a different shopping experience to any other online shopping destination that I know of.’
You can also find out more about Lizzie’s style on the Farfetch Google Plus channel.