Reader Request: Defending Dressing
An anonymous commenter had this request: I'd love to read your thoughts about the difference between self-love and vanity. I work at a university, and I know you do, too. Sometimes I feel that my colleagues look down on my love of fashion and style - "the life of the...
Body Shifts
Around the time I graduated from college, my body shifted. I hadn't gained any weight, but I noticed that my clothes were fitting my curves differently. They were snug where they'd once been loose, loose where they'd once been snug. I mean, I didn't go from...
Change Your Style, Change Your Life
Most people are unhappy. Have you noticed that? I'm beginning to believe that it's just part of the human condition to feel constantly restless, dissatisfied, and envious of others. We hang so much of our self-worth on comparisons: How do we measure up to other people...
Everyone Has Bad Hair Days
My hair is thick, wavy, curly, and extremely stubborn. It wasn't until I shifted from a traditional, sleek pixie to my current, messier 'do that I realized exactly how much my hair DID NOT want to be short, straight, and orderly. At least not all three at...
Why Caring About Your Appearance Is Valuable to Self-care
There are plenty of people who still believe that style is a frivolous pursuit. Plenty more maintain that caring for and loving your body is a waste of energy and that it's what's inside that matters – intellect, creativity, emotions, personality. Here are the reasons...
Body Love and Power
Why is it important to love and accept your body? Simple: Power. Many, many companies profit off the low self-esteem of women: Diet companies tell us that losing weight will make us feel better about ourselves, cosmetics companies tell us that wearing...
One Tool of Many
In my very first conversation with Carly, we talked about how some people scoff when we tell them what we do for a living. Writing about style, working with women on their wardrobes, and hiring yourself out for personal shopping strike many people as a shallow,...
How to Broadcast Body Confidence
In a culture that encourages women to engage in trash talk about their own bodies, in which body confidence is an act of bravery, it can be daunting to consider broadcasting pride in your own physical form. But you CAN do it, even in the face of an oppressive...
Poseurs and Personae
I love playing around with sartorial personae. Mine are more active in summer and fall, as evidenced by the above photos of me in futuristic tough-gal, cowgirl, and retro woman attire. But I do my fair share of playing with punk, arty girl, and nomad looks through the...
Proportion, Pant Rise, and History
One of the topics that comes up continually in my classes, lectures, and client sessions is top length. Specifically the idea that when it comes to untucked tops, shorter tops work better with skirts while longer tops work better with pants. Let's take a look at two...
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