The Girl From Panama style blogger Pam Hetlinger made a pitstop in San Francisco before relocating to Boston last February. The 26-year-old and her sophisticated, city chic style has an impressive following since she started her blog and Instagram (@pamhetlinger) only a little over a year ago.
Q. Is the blogging community in Boston any different than the one in San Francisco?
A. I’ve actually been able to meet a lot of bloggers since moving here. I didn’t know there were so many in Boston but they’ve been super nice and open. I have a group of girls here that I don’t get to see too often. . . . It’s exciting to meet people who have the same mentality and are trying to accomplish the same things you are in what really is a tough industry.
Q. What made you start your blog?
A. I always wanted to work in fashion and I was trying to figure out if I should study in the US or stay in Panama. I decided to go to school in Virginia, where I met my husband and we eventually moved to San Francisco. There I was working at the Bare Escentuals headquarters, and I was really interested in beauty, but wanted to expand to fashion, too.
There aren’t a lot of fashion opportunities in San Francisco, and I wanted to be a stylist but it’s such a competitive position if you don’t have experience. That gave me the push to start this blog. I thought, if I can’t find a job in fashion, I’m going to create it myself.
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I started writing and after three months I started to see people were commenting and readership was growing, and that’s when I saw potential and quit my job.
Q. What are some staples in your winter wardrobe?
A. Low-heeled booties — I have ones from Aldo that I keep recommending on my blog because they’re amazing. They’re really comfortable and go with everything. Then skinny jeans, a couple of pairs in a dark wash, and a longer black wool coat that you can wear during the day and into the night. And a turtleneck jumper. I have one from Primark that I wear all the time.
Q. Do you have any styling tips you can share?
A. The main one is to have everything tailored. I always tailor my jeans and coats. That’s the key to looking good. Even if your style isn’t trendy, you’ll look put together if your clothes fit you well.
Q. Where do you go for your tailoring?
A. I go to this one place on Charles Street named Clevergreen Professional Dry Cleaners.
Q. What’s a typical shoot day like for you?
A. Right now I’m working with a photographer, but my husband takes a lot of my pictures, too. He’s with me all the time, so if I’m walking down a pretty street, we always carry our camera to catch the moment. I like those posts because they’re very natural and candid. But because I’m posting every day and my husband works full time, it’s very hard to keep up with. Today, for example, we’re shooting three looks with a photographer. I think any more than that and it’s going to affect the quality because you start to want to go home, especially when it’s colder.
Rachel Raczka can be reached at rachel.raczka@globe.com.