How to Become a Tumblr Girl

Last Updated: January 15, 2021

For many teenagers, social media icons are found not on TV or glossy magazine pages, but with Tumblr Girls. These girls share their style, good looks, and fun lifestyle through great pictures. Some of them have gained hundreds of thousands of followers! "Tumblr girls" always seem to have cool style, great hair, flawless skin, amazing eyes, awesome smiles and perfect makeup. These tips will show you how to go from style zero to Tumblr hero.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Getting the Tumblr Girl Look

1
Develop your style. Try to create a unique style for yourself—don't just copy what other Tumblr girls wear. You will only build a following if people think you have something new and special to offer in the way of style inspiration. So try to just be yourself!
2
Don't worry about brands. You don't have to avoid the big fashion house names, but a Tumblr girls' style is all about seeming eclectic and not accessible, not spending the most money.

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3
Be eclectic. Tumblr girls are known for the way they mix and match stuff, sometimes opposite and purposefully clashing ways. Don't be afraid to follow trends from other styles-- from hip-hop to hipster, retro to runway.
4
Add in some fun accessories to change up the look of your outfit and make it cuter.
5
Shop boutiques and thrift stores. Try to wear clothes and accessories that aren't in every girl's closet. Thrift-shopping can help you find some amazing and unique things —and usually pretty cheap. Most Tumblr girls have a unique or retro touch to their look for this reason. Small boutiques can also offer designs that will set you apart from the usual mall styles.
6
Follow trends early—or make your own. Tumblr girls are always on top of every trend in fashion. Keep an eye on what other popular profiles are wearing and try to add in some fresh elements into your own looks—without looking like a copycat. Once in a while, try something weird and daring. Something that other Tumblr girls haven't done. If you have enough followers, it might just catch on.
7
Let your style go from casual to formal, from the beach to the snow. Don't just show off your summer party dresses, Tumblr girls have great looks for every occasion and every season. Learn how to look stylish and unique even in big winter coats or a simple bikini. And dress with the seasons! Know what's in style for the season.
8
Start with some Tumblr girl staples. Tumblr girls are each unique and fresh, but there are some that tend to be popular. Start with these to put yourself in the Tumblr girl crowd, and then branch out with your own unique touches. Some items in the Tumblr girl look include:^{[1]
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- Highwaisted shorts or pants
- Oversized tank tops
- Plaid shirts
- Sleeveless button-downs
- Shirts with fringe
- Crop tops
- Adidas, Toms, or Converse shoes
- Thick rimmed glasses
9
Get the makeup right. Every girl is different, but Tumblr girls usually look like they are wearing very little makeup—nude lips, especially. This makes it like like they are normal, casual, relaxed people just having fun, and confident in themselves and how they look.^{[2]
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- The exception is the eyes. Tumblr girls tend to have very prominent eyes, which means eyeliner and plenty of mascara—sometimes fake eyelashes, but not noticeably fake. Make sure that your eye makeup is prominent, but not super crazy, because then you will look like you have dead eyes.
- Don't be afraid to change it up. Once you develop a natural makeup look, you can make a photo pop with bright lipstick.
10
Find a fun and unique hair style. There is no one hair style that all Tumblr girls have. They can be blonde, brunette or redhead. Their hair can be very short or very long. It does have to look styled, however.
- Change your hair frequently. One of the secrets to keeping your look fresh and cute to a big audience on Tumblr is to change your hair style a lot. Do something new every few months, either changing the color, letting it grow out, cutting it short, or buzzing it on the side. Changing your hair will make your old outfits seem new.
- If you have long hair, style it in different ways. The messy bun is a Tumblr CLASSIC, as are hair bows. Try curling it, wearing it to the side, or just braiding it.
- If you do prefer to keep a single hairstyle without changing it, let it change and refine over time. Don't keep the same hair.
11
Change your setting. Once you've got your own look, your work isn't done. Tumblr girls ALWAYS seem to take their pictures in beautiful, photogenic places. Make sure your room is decorated in a fun and fresh way that goes with your style and personality. Find photogenic places outside around your neighborhood or town that you can go to take your photos. Natural lighting is very important to a lot of Tumblr girl photography, so make sure the outside places you go compliment your style as well.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Becoming Tumblr Famous

1
Get a good camera and equipment. Successful Tumblr girls do a little more than just camera-phone selfies. Buy a decent DSLR camera and a tripod and learn how to use them well.
- Consider investing in some professional camera lighting. If you are going to be taking some of your photos inside, having better lighting can make all the difference.
2
Take cool photographs. This is the essence of being a Tumblr girl. Your photos need to be cute and flawless, but at the same time look like you have a semi-normal and accessible life.
- Use natural light. Go outside or find a sunny room in your house to take your photos. You can take some inside shots too, but don't ever use light that is going to blow out your complexion unless you can correct it in Photoshop.
- Find unique settings. It isn't just the outfits that make them so popular: Tumblr girls always seem to be out and about in interesting places. Check out the most photogenic places in town, from parks to old buildings, from graffiti-covered train tracks to your friend's pool. Even just a wooden fence or a brick wall can make a photo pop.
- Try different poses. Don't just stand there: mix it up with smiles, grins, glares, dance moves, gang signs, and so on.
- Bring in other characters. If you have friends who want to get in on the Tumblr style action, let them join you in some of your photos. Involve your pets, too. Nothing says "Tumblr" like a cute girl in a cute dress with a cute dog.
3
Edit your pictures with Photoshop. There's no getting around it: the proper application of Photoshop, or occasionally some other photo-editing software, will improve your photos and let you touch up your own skin and features to achieve that flawless Tumblr girl look. Tumblr girls never seem to have red-eye in their photos, do they? That's because they use Photoshop. Just be careful: when used poorly it will be painfully obvious that your pictures are Photoshopped.
- Try different filters to make your photos look more scenic. Filters have become very popular recently with the explosion of services like Instagram. Play around with retro looks, especially for outside shots. Just don't go overboard! The filters can't make up for mediocre style or photography.
4
Create a Tumblr. You have your style, and some great photos. It's time to show the world! Go to Tumblr.com and start a new account. Then work to make your page unique and expressive of your persona.
- Give it a memorable and catchy name, or just use your own name if it is easy enough to remember.
- Chose a theme. Find one that matches your style, if you can, but picking something fairly minimal will let your content take center-stage. Choose one that showcases photos, not text, such as one of the three-columned themes that lets you scroll infinitely without having to click on to a new page.
- Customize your theme. Add a logo and change up the colors or fonts if you like.
- Add music. Some people will find this annoying, but it can really set the a tone for your photos, especially if you pick a song that most people don't know.
5
Follow other users and interact with them. The best way to get followers on Tumblr is to be active and engaging with other people. Find other users whose style or photos you like and follow them, re-blog their pictures, favorite their posts, and ask them questions. You'll be surprised how many followers you'll get without having to promote your blog off Tumblr at all.
6
Promote your Tumblr on other social media networks. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all good places to post your content. Build followings on these networks to drive new people to your blog.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I be a Tumblr girl even if I'm overweight?

Community Answer

Yes, of course! Your weight doesn't need to stop you from being a Tumblr girl.
Question

I'm not fat, but I don't have the "body goals" - will this change anything?

Community Answer

There is no set "body goal" for anyone. Don't try to be someone else. Be yourself and be true to what you think is right, not what's been told to you by other people. Not having a body that "everyone else" has should make you feel proud. You are unique. Take pride in that.
Question

What if I don't have enough money?

Community Answer

You could DIY clothing fairly easily, even if you’re not artsy; I do these things under budget as well, and it’s super fun and simple. Run to your local dollar store or even a craft store, grab a few shirts and pants, some fabric markers, all for under $20. You can cut jeans into shorts, rip them, color on them, and for the shirts you can cut them, tie them, rip them, put jewels on them, etc. But be aware that you need to use fabric glue and fabric markers, or your hard work will wash off in the washer.

Warnings

Stay appropriate! Any inappropriate pictures could be reported, and you could get in big trouble both with Tumblr and with your family.

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Don't use too much eyeliner for your photo ops.

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Not everyone on Tumblr knows what a "Tumblr Girl" is, so don't get upset if you don't get a lot of attention.

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