A lot of outfit posts on style/fashion blogs are often preceded by an apology of the supposed frivolity of them and it always irks me a little. Putting together an outfit in which you truly feel good and express yourself can be a challenging task, especially when your identity doesn’t fit our current ideals and ideas. Though it might seem frivolous, the mere act of dressing the way you want can put you at risk of violence and harassment or just general feelings uncomfortableness, which demoralises a person not only in expressing oneself but also in going outside (hating the entire world is just a given). Someone who is openly queer gets harassed on an almost daily basis, even in my city, which is ‘open-minded and left-wing’, said to the heteronormative white hippy population. A fat body, too, adorned in, for instance, tight-fitted clothing, short skirts or whatever you choose is subversive to the idea that a fat person should eternally hide their body. (Let’s all weep for joy at the start of fatshion february, yay!) And again, among a lot of more subversive examples, a relatively normative body and identity like mine deserves visibility as well. All of this because we’re among the increasingly high glamour of big fashion blogs with model bodies and model identities, dressed up in outfits worth a house with their perfect smile in their perfect life, which we look at from afar and wish it were us with that perfect smile in that perfect life. But it never is, is it?
I don’t think this visibility challenges the person being visible and open and proud only either. It challenges every onlooker, every passerby, online and offline. It challenges our ideas about what fashion or style is supposed to be, about what our world is supposed to be, about who is supposed to be visible and who isn’t, it challenges our rigid ideas of beauty (and if beauty is supposed to be this thing we should strive for anyway?). This is important. The visibility of bodies and identities different from what we see all around us is not frivolous. This is what fashion blogging was supposed to be(come). Is it now?
I haven’t been posting regularly and I have shut down looking at other people’s blogs for a while, because I have been feeling miserable. I’ll change that soon. But this is what I wore yesterday, and this is what I will wear today, too, because I’m just lazy and repeat outfits all the time. And I am going to wear it to drink midday while hanging out with friends and being generally fabulous just because I feel like it.
12 Responses to “Holiday”
Love the docs – so cute. I too sometimes shut down from looking at other blogs because it is so annoying to watch what is happening in the blogosphere now. All the unwritten rules of who can show their body or style and who can`t. And it is surprising really (at least to me). Because you would think in the blogging community where real people are contributing, you would see an increase in popularity of ‘normal’ girl blogs (you know, not the rich skinny model type). Yet, that`s not generally the case is it?..
>’.'<
This outfit is great – the pink is such so warm and the belt is like a pop of sunshine!
I hope you never feel embarrassed/unwilling to blog – your style is always a welcome addition to my feed :)
I love your posts, always, and I love your outfit. I definitely think fashion/style blogging can be increasingly demoralising due to big-budget super-skinny super-polished photoshopped blogs always being the most well-received. However, I do agree that it’s increased visibility of marginalised groups in fashion, and helps to give a platform to those whose style doesn’t fit into the ‘beauty standard’. And it’s definitely taught me to stop giving a fuck.
I agree; the growing number of professional style blogs is sort of worrying. It is almost as if those high-end fashion blogs have become synonymous with blogging about style in general, when in effect they offer nothing that mainstream fashion magazines don’t already offer (meaning model-esque bodies and product placement). I pretty much steer away from professional blogs these days. After all, there are a lot of us non-conformists out there, too!
Gorgeous post! The concept of challenging the norm, whether it’s beauty standards or visibility, is what excites me most about fashion and style! We should never feel ashamed of an outfit that makes us feel good, no matter what others think.
In other words … I completely agree with everything you said in this post! And you look amazing, as always. :)
You really are one of my favorite “voices” in the blogosphere, I really admire your way of expressing your views <3
Incredible post, and incredible look! <33
I think the point of fashion blogs is to share one’s taste and and be inspired by others. I love your individuality and your ability to criticise sontemporary practices. Anyone with a mind, I’m sure, feels similarly. Have a fun week.
Oh nice!
First time commenting. I LOVE your blog. I agree alot with what you had to say about blogging I also think it presents many unhealthy and unrealistic standards now. Alot of the more popular bloggers come from wealthy backgrouds or have free outfits from clothing companies as a product placement oppurtunity. I have to disagree with the comparison to being gay though. At least in my own experience being gay and having others judge you for who you choose to be romantically invovled with cuts alot deeper than having someone not like my skirt, but that’s just me…
Sorry, I didn’t mean to make that comparison at all. I meant to say there should be visibility for everyone, and I meant to say that when you’re gay and you want to express that part of identity you’ll get so. much. shit and the visibility of that gayness online is important. I meant to say that, visibility of all our identities are important, and it’s not about skirts or dresses or whatever you choose to wear, it’s about expressing our identity (through clothing if you’re inclined). I agree that one is more important than the other, but I just wanted to point out that one identity that’s being represented is false and gross and dangerous and it’s not frivolous at all.
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
Also, I know that when you want to express who you are or even just being who you are (sometimes you just cannot hide it) is in no way comparable to wearing clothing that is different because ultimately it’s still a choice and if you can’t deal with it for a day you can just take it off, but you just can’t take off being gay, being fat, being a person of colour etc. etc. I’ve been meaning to make a post about that but finding the words is hard because there’s just SO MUCH to say.
Oh no no. I figured that is what you intended. I didn’t mean to come off as over sensitive I was just attempting to understand your post is all :). Otherwise it was very well pointed.
I also love Chimamanda Adiche as well!