Clothing Consumer Expectation vs. Market Reality
This post has been brewing in the deep, dark recesses of my brain for ages. I'd like to say all that brewing means it's now fully fermented, but that is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, I wanted to open a discussion about consumer expectations and market reality because...
Care About Fashion. But Not Too Much.
When I was in college, I got scolded by a guy for not caring enough about my clothes. He took it upon himself to tell me that I'd be so much prettier if I'd just put on a dress once in a while. He was an acquaintance, not a friend, and he felt it was important to let...
On Nudity
Before I dig into this topic, I want to provide a quick reminder: I don't write about style because I think I have all the answers or because I think I know better than you or Stacy London or other style bloggers or anyone at all. I write about style because it...
What Flattering Means to Me
I talk a lot about traditional figure flattery. In no small part because that's what you folks tell me interests you, and because the questions you have are typically very specific and include topics not covered by style books and magazines. I find it fascinating to...
Reader Request: Smart vs. Pretty
Reader Judy sent me this request via e-mail: One of my fellow engineering students made the comment that girls in engineering are either “hot” and dumb, or really smart, socially awkward, and “ugly.” Upon remembering that I am, indeed, a girl, he babbled something...
Body Neutrality
Before I became aware of the voices contributing to the body image conversation, most of the information that I took in about my body related to its faults. Because most of the messages promoted by the media and big business are about how women's bodies are wrong and...
Shopping Stigmas
I went to two proms: My own, and my older boyfriend's. My mom made both of my prom dresses. (See dress number one here.) And despite the fact that I'd spent all of middle and high school acutely aware that the popular kids in my schools were also the rich kids, I...
Photography and Body Image
Back in March, I linked to Anna's post in which she discussed what she learned from taking a photo of herself every day for a month. And even before that, a friend sent me this post about feeling too fat to be photographed. Both women's perspectives have been rattling...
Thinking Beings with Corporeal Forms
I’ve always been smart, and I’ve always known it. But as a young girl, I was never considered pretty, or cool, or attractive. And I knew that, too. I envied my peers; Envied their trendy clothes and sleek hair, envied their confidence and style, envied their seemingly...
Clothes that Make You Feel Good
We talk a lot about figure flattery around here. There are more requests for posts related to traditional figure-flattery priorities than just about any other topic, so many discussions point in that direction. But I hope that this message is always clear: YOU get to...
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