This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Do you know what a Haul Girl is? I didn’t until I read an article in one of the Sunday magazines. They are girls that post videos on You Tube showing off items they have bought in the shops i.e. their haul! So I had a look at one of the videos produced by a Haul Girl, Zoella, who has over 5 million subscribers on You Tube.
It would appear they want to show off their purchases, but can’t be bothered to go out. The journalist, in the magazine I read, compared them to middle-aged men who buy Porsches or Ferraris (and we all know one or two of those) or celebrity women who flaunt their latest designer outfit whilst out in one of those ‘going to be spotted’ restaurants. Haul Girls are much more down-to-earth. They are not selling an inaccessible lifestyle, or flogging goods they don’t even like. Instead, in an inimitably genuine way, they give us a glimpse into their lives.
These young girls are ahead of the game and have found a way of using social media in yet another way which, if the number of their followers is anything to go by, is really catching on. Companies are now sending these self-proclaimed Haul Girls products to review and so their initial investment of time and money has worked. However once you hear that they have been given products does one trust the review any more? I mean we would all like most things if they were given to us for free, but parting with our hard earned money is the ultimate show of commitment to the product.
So these Haul Girls are, for the moment, very real, full of enthusiasm, buying affordable fashion and cosmetics and giving honest reviews. This is definitely the way to go – a move away from fashion editors and their photoshoots in far flung exotic places, promoting clothes that may look good on skinny 5′ 10″ beautiful models but are unlikely to enhance the bumps and lumps of us normal women of whatever age. Let’s hope they don’t get corrupted by the ‘freebies’ and their very natural and honest way continues to exude from their homemade videos created in their own bedrooms with no swanky effects.
So in answer to the title question of this blog – yes Grace, Ellie and I are Haul Girls, albeit middle-aged, country living ones! We weren’t sure we could get to grips with the video demands of You Tube, but actually, we did! To view the first CountryWives Vlog – click HERE or on the pic to view.