Granted it’s the power blogs that consistently take the top spots in our ranking of influential fashion blogs; but using the exact same ranking criteria, bloggers are edging out magazines who (often) have larger staffs and larger budgets when it comes to influencing readers online.

Dolce & Gabbanna's 2-year-old front row lineup seems smarter than ever

That’s not to say magazines aren’t influencing people online: each of the magazine websites we used for comparison would rank in the top 99 if pitted against the fashion blogs in our list. Not to mention that although it took them a while, nearly all of the magazines on the list are actively investing in their websites, rather than using them as digital subscription forms. Glamour created their own blogger network; Elle hired the editor of an influential blog to breathe new life into theirs (a move that’s paid off); and though Style.com is now a property of its own, the former online home to Vogue and W was a big part of propelling the reigning influential fashion blog (the Sartorialist) to where it is now. While magazines aren’t exactly the ostriches they once were when it comes to building an online presence, the fact that a single teenager from the Chicago suburbs is influencing nearly as many people as the entire online staff of Teen Vogue can’t be ignored though.

The reason why we spend so much time on an objective ranking of fashion blogs, however, is precisely because there are people who still do ignore bloggers and independent publishers and try to write off the significant audience shift in fashion media as a passing fad. Print isn’t dead – advertisers will keep it alive; but digital is the future, and it’s a future where a multitude of strong individual voices can rival the influence of a more prominent, institutional few. That said, the structure of influential blogs is increasingly similar to that of print publications, and probably not so different from their online departments. While there are more than a few solo acts topping the rankings, increasingly it’s blogs with multiple editors, writers and support staff competing with and pushing the magazines out of the top spots.

This list of magazine sites isn’t as exhaustive as the index of fashion blogs that we rank. You’ll notice that most are for the US editions of international magazines, but in nearly every case the US editions receive more traffic, link and social activity than their international counterparts so we thought they were a good place to start. In our September update, we’ll examine the influence of international magazine websites compared to bloggers in more depth.

Style.com

Score: 84     Rank if included in the top 99: 2

The former home of Vogue and W helped establish the Sartorialist, so perhaps it’s fitting that if included, the Sartorialist is the only blog that would rival (and top) their influence.

GQ.com

Score: 79     Rank if included in the top 99: 3

The men’s print style bible would just barely push men’s online style bible Hypebeast into 4th place.

Glamour.com

Score: 77     Rank if included in the top 99: 5

Style.com certainly has the strongest lead, but Glamour‘s put a respectable effort into building their online presence with a blogger network and dedicated online content. Looking strictly at current magazine websites, Glamour‘s is the most influential women’s style site in the US.

Elle.com

Score: 74      Rank if included in the top 99: 6

Elle is a few points away from Glamour, but the popular magazine has worked with bloggers through the Style Coalition for some time now, and brought in former Fashionista editor Brit Aboutaleb to lead editorial for their online efforts. The Elle blog is one of the few magazine blogs with enough influence to rank in the top 99 independent of the parent website.

Vogue.com

Score: 73     Rank if included in the top 99: 9

Vogue got off to a late start with their website, and there have been a few notable bumps along the way, but they recently received a Webby and Anna Wintour has been vocal about making the website a priority. For the moment though they still can’t beat Stylelist, the super blog formerly led by AOL, now revamped and revitalized by chief executive blog builder Arianna Huffington.

And men’s style blog High Snobiety leads them both.

MarieClaire.com

Score: 71     Rank if included in the top 99: 10

InStyle.com

Score: 70     Rank if included in the top 99: 11

Allure.com

Score: 70     Rank if included in the top 99: 12

Marie Claire is the closest to catching up with Vogue online, but both InStyle and Allure are only marginally ahead of Refinery29, who are blogging their way towards a $20 million valuation.

Seventeen.com

Score: 70     Rank if included in the top 99: 14

TeenVogue.com

Score: 69     Rank if included in the top 99: 15

Readership for teen print publications has been dropping off for a while, and many people blamed the web. While Seventeen and Teen Vogue are doing well online, they’re only slightly ahead of  the Fug Girls, Garance Dore and Tavi, indicating that teens probably weren’t exactly sitting on their hands while waiting for the print publications to get themselves together online.

HarpersBazaar.com

Score: 66     Rank if included in the top 99: 22

Harper’s Bazaar has never had the circulation of Elle or Vogue, but the pronounced focus on building their online audience hasn’t been there in the same way either. Again, we wouldn’t say they’re exactly suffering on the web, but the entire online Harper’s Bazaar team would still be behind the singular efforts of Yvan Rodic’s FaceHunter, Rumi Neely’s Fashion Toast and Alix of the Cherry Blossom Girl.

LuckyMag.com

Score: 65     Rank if included in the top 99: 23

Of all the major fashion magazines, Lucky’s online site is lowest on the list. Sure, readers are visiting for the Lucky deals and different online shopping collaborations, but the site still has a long way to go. Newly installed editor-in-chief Brandon Holley has print experience and led editorial at Shine, Yahoo’s US-targeted women’s site, so hopefully come September a bit more attention to online partnerships and audience building will lend the beleaguered publisher a little more luck.

Imran Amed, photographed by Daniel Cianfarra

While he’s been quoted in WWD and the New York Times for his familiarity with fashion’s social and technology moves, we couldn’t help but wonder about the products, places and things that define Mr. Amed’s signature style. Who better than someone who could be considered one of fashion’s savviest shoppers?

Clothing

ICHO Tokyo image via The Business of Fashion

My tailors of choice are ICHO of Tokyo. They intuitively understand my personal aesthetic and make quality clothes that will never go out of style.

Shoes

Daniele Alessandrini Hitops

Recently, I’ve been into high-tops from Daniele Alessandrini and Creative Recreation. We wrote about the aesthetic versatility of this new breed of sneakers on The Business of Fashion recently. You can wear them just about anywhere, for any occasion.

Watches & Jewelry

For many years, I told time from my BlackBerry. I couldn’t get into all those big, flashy statement watches. But then, a friend who is a watch aficionado found me a vintage 1960s Carrera Heuer watch in mint condition. It pre-dates Tag Heuer, the merged brand that we all know today, and has got a small, discreet dial face. I have to wind it myself everyday.

Grooming

Dermalogica Products

I like Dermalogica, whose products are not laden with marketing fuss and buzzwords. They are just simple and effective.

Accessories

m0851 Leather Bags

I went to university in Montréal, home to m0851, whose leather products get softer and more beautiful with time. My passport wallet, laptop tote, and overnight bag are all from here.

Home & Design

The walls in my apartment are covered with artwork, mementos and photos from my travels around the world. Each piece has its own story, which makes it more than just ‘art’.

Electro/tech

Canon S90

The Business of Fashion is completely reliant on technology. I would be hopeless without my iBook, Flip video camera, and BlackBerry, for responding to emails and doing interviews like this one, on the go.

I’ve recently started using the S90 camera by Canon, which I absolutely love because it works really well in low light and takes great quick shots from the sidelines of a fashion show. I just tested it out in Paris for the men’s shows and it is great.

Food

Ottolenghi Croissants

When in London, I start my day with pastries and a cappucino from Ottolenghi on Ledbury Road. It’s hard to find a good croissant in London, but the ones at Ottolenghi have a perfect crisp outer layer and a soft, flaky inside with just the right amount of butter. Plus, they serve you with a smile.

Travel

Hotel Lancaster's Dietrich Suite

I prioritize service over style — but having both is obviously better. In Paris, I stay at Hotel Lancaster, which is on a dodgy (yet conveniently located) street off the Champs Elysées, but has impeccable service where everybody knows your name.

Now, it’s not unlikely to see photos appear minutes after they’re seen on the runway via Twitter – at the very most within the week, and if Alexander McQueen and Prada’s recent live streamed shows are any indication, soon it wil be in real time. The old system seems archaic, and as print has struggled to find it’s footing online, fashion bloggers can find themselves on the receiving end of thinly veiled insults from journalists, misquotes that serve the same effect, and the general cattiness associated with fashion.

It’s an odd irony given that fashion is an industry that thrives on what’s current. With the largest luxury fashion houses slowly softening in their approach to the internet in general, so to is the acceptance that the people who influence fashion media aren’t always those who hold fast to the old fashion rules. Bryanboy sits front row at fashion shows and meets with designers backstage, Tavi lands magazine covers and is included in the marketing push for new collections – what’s changed?

Jane Aldridge in Fur Fur brocade pants

FurFur, a Japanese brand recently referenced in the New York Times may have been familiar to online readers. Had it appeared on Style.com, Conde Nast’s established online fashion destination? No, for readers familiar with Jane Aldridge, the label was familiar from multiple appearances on the Texas based teenager’s popular personal style blog, Sea of Shoes. The ruffled cardigan and brocade pants, posted in July of 2009 – 6 months before popping up in the Times, are one of the only visual references to the brand that you’ll find among English language sites.

“When I was younger, I’d always look at fashion magazines and think ‘this is so condescending’, says Aldridge. “I just found [the ‘here’s what looks good, here’s what doesn’t tone] offputting from the start. Maybe it’s because I’m full of authority issues and don’t like being told what’s good and what’s not. To log on to the internet and see someone like Susie Bubble, her personal relationships with the designers in London, how she was self-deprecating and funny, but you could still tell she was so passionate about fashion. I’d rather [see] that than the whole Vogue team.”

With no crucial advertisers to please, or page counts to consider, Aldridge and many other bloggers have found connections with readers just by posting about what they love. Sometimes that means discovering a Japanese brand that hasn’t joined the New York or Paris fashion system, or just relating to the clothes more because of a feeling of knowing the person on the other side of the photos.

Susanna Lau, better known to readers as Susie Bubble, doesn’t even consider herself a publisher. “[The blog] is a hobby, and it always has been. It’s something I do on the side, not meant to be ‘run’ any particular way.” Though she doesn’t consider her own blog a business, Lau is commissioning editor of Dazed Digital – as the name implies, the online arm of London’s Dazed & Confused publication. “They’re embracing new media more than ever. I think print media are trying to incorporate what they do into new media,” she notes.

Susie Bubble (and friend) in the catsuit photo that launched 1000 comments

But print media doesn’t (usually) have personality. When Cathy Horyn was uninvited to one of Giorgio Armani’s shows for the “tone” of a previous writeup, many people found it silly, but it was a relatively forgotten incident by the next season. When Pam Hogg attacked Susie Bubble’s photo in one of the designer’s superheroesque catsuits as “bad publicity,” reactions poured in from readers and other bloggers – largely in defense of the originally posted photos. Of the 400 comments she received, Lau says “it was in a way I think an anger vented towards brands in general that dismiss bloggers.”

Of the bloggers who responded to our request for comments on their influence – Susie Bubble, Jane Aldridge, Jennine Tamm Jacob, Lesley Scott, Jessica Morgan & Heather Cocks (better known as the Fug Girls), not one felt themselves to be in competition with other media types, despite the reader connections.

“Because our blog is SO specific, we would really only be “in competition” with the “what was she wearing” section of the weeklies,” says Morgan. “”That’s really an area that has room for many voices. Truly because we are so focused, I don’t think there could be a competition of any sort. I’ve always thought that blogs and print media, in the perfect world, can really compliment each other beautifully. I LOVE print magazines and newspapers and I would hate to see any more of them go. They can accomplish different things than blogs can, and vice versa.”

Cocks adds “And Fashion Police stuff isn’t about breaking news. Yeah, it’s great if you can get a photo up that people hadn’t already seen, but we’ve found that when people see a photo of something outrageous, they get excited to see what their favorite critics have to say about it — so it’s less about being first to the scene, and more about just maintaining the quality of your writing and humor. So in a sense, and this is a tired old chestnut but it’s true, we’re really just in competition with ourselves.”

Even without realizing it, there are qualities among most influential blogs that are shared: frequent updates, a distinct writing style, a progression of quality in content and the desire to keep at it day after day, year after year. Says Lesley Scott, founder of Fashion Tribes, “when I started the blog five years ago, no one even knew what the word meant;  I had a very “if you build it, they will come” attitude, and then they did – which was most gratifying, I must say.”

Jazzi McG

Intern extraordinaire, Jazzi McGilbert’s resume includes time at Teen Vogue, Vogue, Variety and Fashionista, and interests run the creative gamut from writer to stylist. The blog once looked like an explosion from the pages of French Vogue (and we mean that in the best way), but has more recently adopted a more understated template that we love just as much for putting more of the spotlight on the personal style and inspiration photos of Ms. McG.

Shini Park, photo via Park & Cube

Park & Cube

Recently voted Best Fashion Blog by readers of the UK women’s site handbag.com, Shini Park offers an eclectic mix of personal style and inspirations photos and addictive do-it-yourself projects with detailed instructions.

The Glamourai

The type of costume jewelry you hope to find on a vintage expedition (or a successful Etsy run), do-it-yourself projects and personal style photos make it difficult to stop reading. With upwards of 40 comments on most posts, it seems there are lots of people who agree. And if the jewelry and outfits don’t get you, we dare you to look at the blog owner’s adorable new puppy and not want to come back.

The Streethearts

You can count on the Sartorialist and several other bloggers to turn up photos of interesting style in fashion capitals like New York, Paris and Milan, but there’s an entire street style world out there. While Paris and London pop up fairly often, the Streethearts also keeps readers up to date with what people are wearing in less covered locales like Oslo, Reykjavik and Copenhagen, complete with brand information and posts sortable by clothing item.

Swagger Paris

What do you get when you combine youth focused Paris street style with coverage of the underground music and fashion icons who influence them? Swagger Paris. Sian-Pierre Regis, the founder and a former BET producer, covers a side of Parisian fashion that’s not seen on many other blogs.

Free Fashion Internships

As the name implies, this blog is all about fashion internships. While it may never gain a mass following, Carla Isabel Carstens’ has created the go-to destination for those looking to gain experience in fashion. This is where the fashion influencers of tomorrow turn to get updates on opportunities to intern for everyone from Gucci and Zac Posen to Vogue and yes, Signature9. Carstens, who now works in fashion PR has separated listings and expanded the blog to  more general fashion coverage and advice on internships.

Nerd Boyfriend

Taking inspiration from mostly vintage photos, this is the site for guys (and the girls who love them) who always preferred Clark Kent anyway. Revenge of the nerds indeed.

Cris Guerra of Hoje Vou Assim

Hoje Vou Assim

Portuguese for “So Today, I…” Hoje Vou Assim is the daily style diary of Cris Guerra. Photographed every day at the entrance of the advertising agency where she works, Guerra is one of Brazil’s most recognizable bloggers. First recognized for the writing on a separate blog documenting the loss of her partner months before the birth of their first child, Guerra’s prose was turned into a book that sold more than 6 million copies. Presently Guerra is recognized equally for her outfits which run the gamut from beach ready to casual cool, and has been a model for various brands and social causes.

Dia de Beaute

This celeb heavy, beauty focused blog covers red carpet and magazine makeup looks from Hollywood to French Vogue and everywhere in between. Each multi-celeb post averages over 50 comments from Brazilian and Portuguese speaking beauty addicts looking to talk about their favorites.

Joshua Kiss (L and far R) and Travis Gumbs of Street Etiquette

Street Etiquette

If every girl’s crazy about a sharp dressed man, Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs should run the asylum. At once classic and modern, Street Etiquette falls somewhere between Nerd Boyfriend and the Sartorialist  – if he were to stake out the Bronx and focus on its two most fashionable residents. Our only complaint is that we don’t see more posts more often, but we’ll respect etiquette and patiently check back for updates.

El Fashionista

Barcelona based blogger, Mercedes, doesn’t insert many photos of herself, but colorful illustrations make the products and trends personal. While there are some things you’ll have seen in other places, the mix of designers and items featured still seemed truly original even after reviewing more than 400 blogs.

Cool Outfit

All about the outfit (and accessories), the shopping selections at this Austrian blog can be a bit kitsch, but we have to say that after nearly every one,  “cool outfit” is definitely the phrase that would come to mind.

Coute Que Coute

We’ll admit: despite the advances in technology and the many different types of style blogs, nothing matches flipping through a glossy and enjoying a well edited selection of clothes. That’s our statement, we’re sticking to it, but we have to say Coute Que Coute comes close. You won’t find breaking news on H&M collaborations or model musings here, but you will find a well curated selection of editorials from magazines not at your local Barnes & Noble, ad campaigns and striking products.

Coco Perez

We’ll admit it – when Perez launched his fashion blog we were firmly in the “not sure about this” camp. While it’s not the first fashion blog in our feed reader, we have to give credit where due. The first blog to pick up on the adorable Lady Gaga dolls created by Flickr user Veik11, Perez (or whoever is writing the blog) is increasingly becoming a decent source for interesting fashion finds. With awards season kicking off, we know they’ll certainly have the red carpet fashion commentary covered.

One of Mariah Bernardes' makeup guides

Blog da Mariah

Covering a little bit of everything, Mariah Bernardes walks readers through makeup guides, her favorite shopping finds and personal inspiration photos. The combination isn’t unique in and of itself, but each post gets the type of response that indicates plenty of fans who enjoy the way Mariah brings everything together.

Fashionising Blog

On its own, the Fashionising blog may not make the top 99, but the Australian based site is also home to active forums and a number of member model, photographer and stylist portfolios that likely supplement the audience visiting for news and trend information about all things fashion.

Style Kingdom

We love nothing more than discovering a blog showcasing a person or city’s unique charms, but we’re also big fans of the blogs that keep us up to date on fashion news and product finds. For German speaking readers, Style Kingdom (not to be confused with Queen Michelle and Queen Marie’s Kingdom of Style) has that well covered.

Flypaper (Bluefly)

A company blog among the top 99? Though they didn’t hold onto their position in the most recent update, Bluefly’s blog was present in the first ranking we compiled. You won’t find flooded comment sections on the posts, but consumers and bloggers are tuned into what’s happening with the Project Runway retailer’s notes on fashion.

Les Attitudes

A little bit personal style, a lot of inspiration and a few dashes of fashion news, it’s not always clear where the items featured on the blog can be purchased (if at all), but we found ourselves wanting so many of the selections that it made an easy add to the list of blogs to come back to.