What exactly is so compelling about looking at more or less normal people’s exploits on the Internet? We asked ourselves this question several times throughout the production of Foam’s first-ever Blogger Issue. No judgment—as a team we visit hundreds of these blogs weekly. In the name of research, sure, but that’s not what keeps us relentlessly adding new URLs to our bookmark bar or RSS feed, is it?
The uplifting, life-coach in us says it’s their intense confidence: their unmitigated belief in their own ability. Their ambition, passion and—borderline reckless—drive to put it all out there for, in some cases, tens of thousands of people to see (and comment on!). Seriously, who among us would jump at the opportunity and be so boldly revelatory (literally, figuratively) as swimwear bloggers like Bathing News’ Tala Kolb?
In some cases, it might be the way some bloggers can so strongly articulate a certain visual idea or concept. Through carefully culled images, excerpts or interviews, they manage to express their point of view better than or exactly the way you were hoping somebody might. Tomboy Style’s studied pursuit of that je ne sais quoi; Teenage Crime’s haphazard collection of sloppy party photos and electro remixes; Bip Ling’s zany brainy London cartoon carousel.
Or, let’s be real here, is it just that they tend to look so good doing it? Whether their snapping up their world in DSLR high quality, hunting the Time/Life archives for the most fitting shot, or they just happen to have a better-than-average handle on CSS, there’s something basely mesmerizing about escaping into someone else’s world of lollipops and moonbeams (let’s just say augmented reality). Closet Visit’s breezy and well-stocked friends and Wild At Heart’s roadside ramblings come to mind.
But ultimately, honestly, they’re just a good group of girls. On the day of our shoot, what felt like the first real day of summer in here in Los Angeles, our covergirls started trickling into our photography teams’ hillside house starting at 9 A.M. What started as a slow morning of semi-lethargic jokes while Erica and Lauren of Honestly…WTF were in hair and makeup quickly grew to bubbling excitement as more of our subjects arrived: Sincerely Jules and Natalie Off Duty arrived together, followed by Fashion Toast’s Rumi Neely and then Because I’m Addicted’s Geri Hirsch. As the house filled with voices and florescent sunlight, our lovingly arranged craft services were demolished and the soundtrack sneakily switched from Twin Shadow’s murmuring and relaxed beats to bumping, bassy radio hip hop. The ladies took no time getting to know each other: polite introductions dissolved into laughter, cooing—and the occasional crafting—fast.
Talking to each of them—and to the bloggers we were only able to speak with using The Power of the Internet—it became clear how intensely different they all are. And yet, how inextricably linked they are, too, by their own ingenuity; that they each found an outlet online, whether it was creative, entrepreneurial, a simple escape from boredom and frustration, or a combination of it all. And, basically, that they were all cool enough to follow through with it.
All month long online and in the pages of our print edition, you’ll find our top blogs and bookmarks: a collection of projects representing people who are confident, articulate, stylish, and—let’s face it– magnetic as hell.

Some of our cover girls will be taking over FOAM online for a whole week. Check in for special online challenges judged by your favorite blogger. First up: Natalie Suarez of Natalie Off Duty! See her posts starting on Monday!