10 Questions for Top San Francisco Style Blogger Blair Eadie

By Emily Hsieh
October 31, 2011

The wildfire success of Atlantic Pacific, Blair Eadie’s year-and-a-half-old personal style blog, culminated recently in the greatest of fashion honors: a full-page photo in the September issue of Vogue. As part of the magazine’s Influencer Network of bloggers, she appeared in a Cover Girl ad (an honor more typically reserved for stars like Drew Barrymore). And it seems inevitable that soon we’ll all be seeing a lot more of the twenty-something, Virginia-born San Francisco transplant, whose glamorously madcap aesthetic vacillates between ladylike, punk, refined and bohemian (often somehow all at the same time).

We sat down with Eadie to find out more about her background, what it’s like balancing a popular blog with a demanding full-time job (by day, Eadie works in merchandising at a mass apparel company), and her style influences and obsessions.

Atlantic Pacific

Blair Eadie of Atlantic Pacific

1. The Inside Source: How’d you get started as a blogger?

Blair Eadie: When you work in retail, you’re constantly pulling inspiration from the runway and things going on in pop culture. More and more, we [Eadie and her colleagues] were being inspired by blogs, and I thought it would be fun to start my own that was very focused on personal style. So I had my boyfriend photograph my outfits and began posting them online.

2. The Inside Source: When and how did Atlantic Pacific really start gaining traction?

Blair Eadie: I was a little hush-hush about it first [in April 2010], until I could figure out my own rhythm. When you enter the blogging arena, beyond just coming up with content, you’re also forced to figure out the tech component, and I had a lot to learn about how to write code and use Twitter and all that. By midsummer I joined Chictopia and Lookbook.nu, two blogging communities that are based out here [in the Bay Area], and by January I found I had more and more followers.

3. The Inside Source: Is it hard maintaining a daily blog as well as a demanding day job?

Blair Eadie: In the beginning it was overwhelming. At a certain point I realized that any successful blogger is spending only half the time, or even less, updating the blog, and the rest is all about answering droves and droves of email, updating Twitter, and maintaining contact with readers behind the scenes. Blogging is still so fun to me, and I enjoy responding to emails and hearing from readers. But my day job is still my priority. There may come a day when it isn’t as fun and it’s time to move on.

Atlantic Pacific

4. The Inside Source: How do the photos on your site usually come about?

Blair Eadie: Pretty much everything on the blog I’m wearing somewhere. Today we’re going to Napa and we’ll take pictures there. I shoot what I can, time permitting, though there are plenty of days when I want to shoot an outfit and don’t because I’m stuck at work. Though usually it’s my boyfriend doing the picture taking, every once in a while I have a couple co-workers help me out. Some bloggers want to do all their shoots over the weekend and do a bunch of shoots. But my weekends are my weekends—I love getting out to Napa, and right now it’s college football season, and I’d rather be watching games than run around taking pictures.

5. The Inside Source: Has your style evolved since you started documenting it on the blog?

Blair Eadie: I’ve always been a bit of an outlandish dresser, but now I take more risks, and I definitely make more of an effort. In my day job, we work on product cycles, and before, when it was really busy at work I’d be lucky if I showed up to the office looking like a human being. Now though, I try to make sure I wear things I want to shoot, even if that means planning outfits out ahead of time.

6. The Inside Source: What or who are some of your style influences?

Blair Eadie: I love [Harper’s Bazaar fashion editor] Joanna Hillman—she has amazing, amazing style. I’m also influenced by brands—I’m a huge fan of J. Crew, like everyone else. I have peers in the blogging community too that I look to for inspiration—The Man Repeller, The Glamourai, Late Afternoon. I love some editorial mash-up blogs too like Because I’m Addicted, and The Glitter Guide. There are also fantastic San Francisco-based blogs like Blushing Ambition and Going West, and online magazines like Rue and Matchbook, too.

Atlantic Pacific

7. The Inside Source: San Francisco can be a little conservative fashion-wise: do you attract a lot of attention for your style?

Blair Eadie: My boyfriend is from New York and we go back and forth a lot, and there you’d have to be wearing the most outlandish outfit for someone to stop and stare at you on the street. But here I tease my hair and wear skirts when it’s 60 degrees out and I get a lot of looks for that—some good and definitely some bad. When I ride the bus to work where everyone else is in a suit, I stand out, but I’m used to it.

8. The Inside Source: Are you an eBay shopper?

Blair Eadie: I go through phases—I went through a huge one, took a step back, and now I’m back again! Just yesterday I bought a pair of Theyskens Theory shoes. I typically have a very specific thing in mind when I’m on there. I buy all my designer handbags on consignment, and Fashionphile is a good seller to check out on eBay.

9. The Inside Source: What kinds of things do you collect?

Blair Eadie: I’m obsessed with nail polish and am always looking for new colors and new brands. At the moment I love “Billionaire” by Deborah Lippman, and I also bought a case of nail polish from a line called Strange Beautiful that comes in really odd nudes and olives. Besides that I love, love, love costume jewelry—I’ll never pass up a crazy bangle or a statement necklace.

10. The Inside Source: Any fall fashion obsessions?

Blair Eadie: I never thought I’d say this, but I’m really loving the texture of velour and velvet. I’m really into tweed pieces right now too, especially in the form of a Chanel-esque jacket with mismatched shorts or a skirt. And even though I would never buy it for myself, I love colored fur—The Row has the most beautiful baby blue fur coat this season.

(images courtesy of Atlantic Pacific)

Here, Eadie re-capped some of the things on her fall wish list:

Theyskens Theory Blue Platform Wedges

"I am obssessing over velvet as well as platforms this fall, so this is the ultimate combination!"
Hermes Extra-Wide Enamel Bracelet

"Arm candy is one of my favorite things—and I would love to add this gem to my growing collection."
Vintage Lee Denim Jacket

(buy it now price, $50.87)

"This fall I am searching for a great broken in denim jacket such as this one."
Deborah Lippmann Collection Polished 5-Piece Nail Care Set

"I am a nail polish junkie and Deborah Lippmann is one of my favorite brands—I would love to get my hands on this fantastic kit."
Barbour A200 Border Jacket

"Going into a rainy season, I am looking for a friend to my Hunter rain boots, such as this amazing Barbour jacket."
Yves Saint Laurent Oval Ring

"I have had my eye on this for some time now. Statement rings always feel like the icing on the cake."