As I stated in a previous blog, one of my fashionable-ignorant friends said, "I didn't know you were a Goth," when he saw me wearing black fingernail polish. I know we live in a world full of stereotypes, but this is a good reason for why we shouldn't.
Sure, Goths wear black fingernail polish. However, they also wear black clothes, dye their hair black, wear thick black eyeliner and usually have metal growing out of their faces. At the time of this judgment, I exhibited none of these other characteristics. And although this was an extremely poor assessment, I find it easy to understand why this misunderstanding is made regularly.
What most people don't know about Gothic culture, is that it contains subcultures. When the Gothic culture first began, it was described as the "Victorian cult of mourning." This culture can be found in the Victorian period as well as the Elizabethan and medieval periods. Then, in the 1980s, the new Gothic culture, the one most are familiar with today, erupted. The one described above. Black clothes, black hair, black makeup, black everything.
And although this is not my kind of style, it is a fashion.
Usually I do not get offended when people bad-mouth my style. But in my defense, many fashionistas wear black fingernail polish, including Lauren Conrad, fashion designer and Hills reality star. Also, although most fashion experts express how important it is to add color to wardrobe, black is always a safe bet when it comes to clothes. "Black is slimming" and "X is the new black" are only a couple examples to prove the popularity of the shade black. (Most people mistake black for a color, but having an artist for a mother, I know that black is a shade and white is a tint.)
Not only is black stylish, sexy and elegant, but according to Western fashion, it is also a symbol of power. This can be seen in professions such as lawyers and judges, priests and nuns. Japanese culture recognizes a factor of intelligence in black, a sign of nobility, which is why the highest level or karate is a black belt. On the contrary, white symbolizes youth. Graduation gowns are usually black.
In other cases, the symbology is reversed. Such is seen in the entertainment industry: movies, books, etc. Villains wear black, heroes/heroins wear white. Witches wear black, fairies wear white. Outlaws wear black cowboy hats, the good ones wear white.
Black sheep- unloved. Black cats- unlucky. Black magic. Black market.
Death and mourning.
The thing about black: it will never die. The expression, "X is the new black," refers to the latest trend based on the fact that black is and will always be fashionable.
It is amazing how one color (or shade for all you artists) carries so many characteristics, good and bad. My point in this blog, again, is to avoid stereotypes. Don't be afraid of them. Confront them. Dare them. Be yourself, and embrace your style. If you want your entire outfit to be black, wear it but rock it. My advice: pair your dark ensemble with some colorful accessories. Jewelry, purses, shoes, you name it. Note: I have portrayed this look before, so I will post a photo in the future.
My next post will go into pairing black with brown. Most believe this to be a fashion no-no, but that's my specialty, my passion. Throw the rule book out, and prove some fashion faux pas can actually work.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Not just a feminist icon
You may not know her by name, and you may not know the story that lies behind the photo, but more than likely you have seen the poster and you do know what the woman in the poster portrays.
She has her hair up in a red bandana. She wears a blue, button-up, collared work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she has her left hand placed upon her right bicep. And along the top of the poster, it reads, "We can do it!"
You should be able to picture the poster just with those few descriptions.
Not only does this woman represent feminism, she will forever be a style icon as well. I'm sure you are thinking, Red bandana, blue collared work shirt, no accessories? How could she possible be considered stylish?
The reason I consider her a style symbol is because her outfit, her facial expression, her body language will always identify her. As I said before, some may not know anything about her. But just by looking at the poster or hearing a description of the poster, we know for certain that this lady is a strong woman, and she is inspiring and beautiful because of that.
However, you may still wonder, Who is she?
Her name: Rosie the Riveter, cultural icon representing the women who worked in the factories while their husbands fought in World War II. Most of the factories they worked in produced supplies to support the war effort, including Rosalind P. Walter, who inspired the song Rosie the Riveter written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, and Rose Will Monroe, who is most closely associated to the term.
Monroe, will always be known as the original Rosie, served at a factory in Michigan building B-29 and B-24 bombers. She fell in love with flying and fulfilled her dream of piloting a plane in her 50s. However, this passion led to an airplane accident leaving her impaired, which also contributed to her death 19 years later in 1997 at the age of 77.
Walter and Monroe are only two of the millions of Rosies. During WWII, the number of working women increased 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940. After the war ended, some women stayed in the factories since this proved females could do a man's job, but most returned to clerical positions or their household duties. Despite that, the number of jobs considered acceptable for women increased from 29% to 85% by 1942, proving that women were capable of performing an assortment of careers. Rosie the Riveter became a huge symbol for feminism. However, it still took some time for the ladies to receive equal pay and benefits.
Strength and determination and hard work can be considered a style. After all, style isn't just what we wear, it's who we are. And these women's style inspired other ladies to join the workforce. Without the Rosies, who knows where women would be. Isn't that what fashion is all about? Making a point and influencing inspiration.
She has her hair up in a red bandana. She wears a blue, button-up, collared work shirt with the sleeves rolled up, she has her left hand placed upon her right bicep. And along the top of the poster, it reads, "We can do it!"
You should be able to picture the poster just with those few descriptions.
Not only does this woman represent feminism, she will forever be a style icon as well. I'm sure you are thinking, Red bandana, blue collared work shirt, no accessories? How could she possible be considered stylish?
The reason I consider her a style symbol is because her outfit, her facial expression, her body language will always identify her. As I said before, some may not know anything about her. But just by looking at the poster or hearing a description of the poster, we know for certain that this lady is a strong woman, and she is inspiring and beautiful because of that.
However, you may still wonder, Who is she?Her name: Rosie the Riveter, cultural icon representing the women who worked in the factories while their husbands fought in World War II. Most of the factories they worked in produced supplies to support the war effort, including Rosalind P. Walter, who inspired the song Rosie the Riveter written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb, and Rose Will Monroe, who is most closely associated to the term.
Monroe, will always be known as the original Rosie, served at a factory in Michigan building B-29 and B-24 bombers. She fell in love with flying and fulfilled her dream of piloting a plane in her 50s. However, this passion led to an airplane accident leaving her impaired, which also contributed to her death 19 years later in 1997 at the age of 77.
Walter and Monroe are only two of the millions of Rosies. During WWII, the number of working women increased 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940. After the war ended, some women stayed in the factories since this proved females could do a man's job, but most returned to clerical positions or their household duties. Despite that, the number of jobs considered acceptable for women increased from 29% to 85% by 1942, proving that women were capable of performing an assortment of careers. Rosie the Riveter became a huge symbol for feminism. However, it still took some time for the ladies to receive equal pay and benefits.
Strength and determination and hard work can be considered a style. After all, style isn't just what we wear, it's who we are. And these women's style inspired other ladies to join the workforce. Without the Rosies, who knows where women would be. Isn't that what fashion is all about? Making a point and influencing inspiration.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Don't be scared.. even though it's Halloween
Don't be scared.. to try something new. If it works out, great! If it doesn't, who cares? And as long as you like it and you're comfortable wearing it, don't even think about how others will feel about your style statement. It's you, not them. The main point is comfort. If you're not comfortable wearing a particular outfit or sporting a certain hair style, you won't work it to its standard and people won't respond to it the same way if you were proud of it.
I recently dyed my hair an intense color. The box said "auburn black," and it looked red when I was applying it to my hair and when i rinsed the color out, it looked blood red. However, it resulted in more of a purple tint. Not what I expected, but I really love the color. And because I love the color, I wear it proud and people that have noticed the difference really like it.
Another example would be from a couple of my earlier posts. The most recent being the mohawkish hair style I have worn downtown a couple times. My sister styled my hair, and I thought it turned out awesome. However, when I arrived downtown at one of the local bars, I became a bit nervous. Then I remember something.. I love my hair! And if others don't, I don't care!
That's the kind of attitude you need to have when you try something new. Don't be scared!
The oldest post is about the orange fingernail polish I occasionally wear. Fingernails and toenails may serve as a small percentage of our body, but they sure do make a huge bold statement! So if you want to start off small, try a crazy-colored nail polish. I wear them all! Currently, I'm wearing black since it's so close to Halloween. I could wear the orange, but I wanted something different. One of the negative statements I received once about my black nail polish was something like, "I didn't know you were Gothic."
Talk about fashion ignorance!!!
Sure, Goths are known for their dark hair, clothes, makeup and yes, fingernail polish. But to assume that anyone who wears black nail polish is a Goth is stereotypical. If that were factual, Lauren Conrad would be classified as a Goth, and I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
I will go further into the Gothic culture, as well as the color black in general, in a future post.
But for now, if you're bored and looking for something to do, try something new. If you like it, test it. Wear it proud and see how people respond. Personally, I don't care if I start a trend or not, but honestly it feels great if you have the power to give someone courage to try something outrageous like you have!
Oh, and another thing.. have fun!
I recently dyed my hair an intense color. The box said "auburn black," and it looked red when I was applying it to my hair and when i rinsed the color out, it looked blood red. However, it resulted in more of a purple tint. Not what I expected, but I really love the color. And because I love the color, I wear it proud and people that have noticed the difference really like it.Another example would be from a couple of my earlier posts. The most recent being the mohawkish hair style I have worn downtown a couple times. My sister styled my hair, and I thought it turned out awesome. However, when I arrived downtown at one of the local bars, I became a bit nervous. Then I remember something.. I love my hair! And if others don't, I don't care!
That's the kind of attitude you need to have when you try something new. Don't be scared!
The oldest post is about the orange fingernail polish I occasionally wear. Fingernails and toenails may serve as a small percentage of our body, but they sure do make a huge bold statement! So if you want to start off small, try a crazy-colored nail polish. I wear them all! Currently, I'm wearing black since it's so close to Halloween. I could wear the orange, but I wanted something different. One of the negative statements I received once about my black nail polish was something like, "I didn't know you were Gothic."
Talk about fashion ignorance!!!
Sure, Goths are known for their dark hair, clothes, makeup and yes, fingernail polish. But to assume that anyone who wears black nail polish is a Goth is stereotypical. If that were factual, Lauren Conrad would be classified as a Goth, and I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
I will go further into the Gothic culture, as well as the color black in general, in a future post.
But for now, if you're bored and looking for something to do, try something new. If you like it, test it. Wear it proud and see how people respond. Personally, I don't care if I start a trend or not, but honestly it feels great if you have the power to give someone courage to try something outrageous like you have!
Oh, and another thing.. have fun!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Channel your inner stylist
Don't think just because you buy a blouse, dress or any other article of clothing, you have to wear it a certain way. Mannequins are set out merely to display the merchandise. You can of course copy the outfit the mannequin endorses, but these statues are also designed to help you decide how you want to style the clothes. They serve as an example, a starting point for what you will show the world.
I bought this dress several years ago, so unfortunately, I cannot recall where I bought it or how much it cost. But the nice thing about this dress is you can wear it many ways. All you need is a few safety pins. With three, I transformed this simple one-length dress into one that is longer in the back and shorter in the front, making it easier to show off beautiful legs, which I think are the most sexiest body part on a woman especially when wearing high heels.
I will also point out that in my previous blog article, I'm actually wearing a skirt as a top. These kind of flowing skirts with an elastic waist can be worn either as a skirt or a shirt.
That's the beauty of fashion.
Not only can you pair the same top with different pants or skirts to make an entirely different look, but you can also take one piece of apparel, alter it just slightly and wear it a completely different way.
So once again, I ask you to be creative. Channel your inner stylist. Your inner designer. Channel your inner Chanel. Look at your wardrobe and try something new with something you've had forever. And have fun!
I bought this dress several years ago, so unfortunately, I cannot recall where I bought it or how much it cost. But the nice thing about this dress is you can wear it many ways. All you need is a few safety pins. With three, I transformed this simple one-length dress into one that is longer in the back and shorter in the front, making it easier to show off beautiful legs, which I think are the most sexiest body part on a woman especially when wearing high heels.I will also point out that in my previous blog article, I'm actually wearing a skirt as a top. These kind of flowing skirts with an elastic waist can be worn either as a skirt or a shirt.
That's the beauty of fashion.
Not only can you pair the same top with different pants or skirts to make an entirely different look, but you can also take one piece of apparel, alter it just slightly and wear it a completely different way.
So once again, I ask you to be creative. Channel your inner stylist. Your inner designer. Channel your inner Chanel. Look at your wardrobe and try something new with something you've had forever. And have fun!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
A little more height, a little more edge, a little more adventure!
The best thing about confidence in yourself is that it gives you more courage. Whether it be with fashion or standing up for yourself.
My style started when I ventured out of my hometown to college. There, I discovered myself, and by discovering myself, I realized how I wanted people to see me. Since college, and because I had a terrible time finding a job, I have been living in my hometown again. A little bit about my hometown: it's a tourist town, and it's very small. That's all you have to know. This town consists of around 850 people, give or take. Therefore, my style doesn't exactly fit in here, and sometimes my mom likes to remind me of that fact. At the same time, if I didn't continue to dress the way I do, I wouldn't be staying true to myself.
I don't care what people think about me, and yes I do turn many heads and receive many confused faces, but I also receive several compliments.
However, the main thing is that I dress for myself, not for others. My style makes me happy and makes me feel beautiful.
My sister styled my hair once when it was past my shoulders and it stood straight up before we combed it back, going for the vintage poofy look. She loved the look when it stood straight up, like a mohawk, and asked if she could do that again some night. Recently, I went to the hairstylist and asked for a bob again. Since my hair is shorter, I figured it was time for the mohawk so I asked Andrea to style it, and she was so excited. I did ask her to curl it back a little bit instead of having it stand straight up. She thought I would chicken out, but I did go downtown with my hair styled like it is in the photo. And I received many stares, but also several compliments as well. I was nervous to walk into the bar, but the fact was that I loved my hair style!
Stay true to yourself, and have fun with fashion!
The skirt (that I chose to wear as a strapless shirt): $19.99 Charlotte Russe (paired with black leggings and black pumps)
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Weight lost, confidence gained
This new year and new lifestyle has brought new positivity to my life. I began working at Best Western cleaning rooms in the morning and working desk at night. Working here also comes with benefits such as employee use of the pools, hot tub and fitness room. With physical labor in my life as well as complete use to the fitness room, I decided this was the year. The year I would finally reach my weight goal: 120 pounds, what I weighed when I first started college.
Lent helped as well. This year I decided to make things hard and give up two of my favorite snacks: Doritos and popcorn. Last year I gave up Doritos and I lost a few pounds so I decided to take things up a notch and eliminate popcorn from my diet as well. Since the beginning of the year, I have lost 14 pounds, a couple more pounds less than my goal.
Because of this weight loss, I feel more comfortable in my body. I feel happier. Healthier. Because of my improved body, I have adopted a riskier sense of style as well. Still conservative however. Sexy, not slutty. In this photo, I model my new favorite outfit. I wore this during my town's celebration.
However, also because of this weight loss, I have inherited a new rumor as well, or reputation. One morning, cleaning rooms in 100ยบ heat plus, I became extremely light-headed. I felt as if I would faint at any moment. My manager sent me home and I didn't work my desk shift that night either. A couple days later, I tried cleaning rooms again but couldn't do it. I made the decision to quit housekeeping until the weather cools down.
Due to my light-headedness, my co-workers automatically assumed I must have an eating problem. They know and see I have lost a lot of weight and figured I am not eating enough. I want to let everyone know that I still eat regularly. The only changes in my diet are not as much snacking and late-night eating. And I'm still eating the same amount of meals, just not as big proportions because ... my stomach has shrunk! I understand they're just worried about me, and that makes me happy, but don't take something like heat exhaustion and turn it into an eating disorder. I just felt so embarrassed!
I did weigh myself and I do weigh two pounds under my ideal weight for my height, but I know that I'm healthy. I feel the healthiest than ever before. Start to worry when my bones stick through my skin and my face sinks in.
Friday, March 25, 2011
TOMS - Yellow Stone-Washed Twill Women's Classics
I want to get these SO bad! Love the color! Great for summer.. and my trip to California!My friend Janel fell in love with this brand of shoes and has shared her passion with me. I'm not sure exactly how many pairs she has, but I believe she's up to at least 4?
What I love about TOMS shoes, is that with every pair sold, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. Most TOMS run for around $45, but when you're helping out, giving back to the world, buying a pair of shoes seems priceless.
TOMS - Yellow Stone-Washed Twill Women's Classics
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Bra straps and layered necklaces
"Showing your bra straps is tacky."
I've heard it.. several times. I'm sure many girls have heard it. The thing is, not only can it look classy, but it's also extremely fashionable. Watch Sex and the City. Sarah Jessica Parker, or Carrie, shows her straps, and sometimes the whole back of her bra.
Look at the photo I have uploaded of myself, showing that bra straps can actually make an outfit. Any bra converted into the racer-back style paired with an off-the-shoulder blouse or a boatneck sweater can look stylish.
I have also included a layered chain necklace purchased from Charlotte Russe. A co-worker of mine, who is from the Philippines, asked about the necklace cost. I told him around $6. He then told me that this particular style of necklace is very popular in his country right now, and you can buy them for $1! I replied saying that I should go there to shop. Thinking about it awhile longer, I decided that's probably not a good idea!
The sweater: Gap $4.99 on sale
The necklace: Charlotte Russe $6.99
The bra: Target $9.99
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