Friends Friday: What does feminism mean to a fashion blogger?

1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion? No, feminism and fashion are separate entities to me. I do not consider myself a feminist and because of this I don't see any conflicting interest. As a blogger it is fun to point out the fluffy inconsistencies in the fashion industry. Some of those inconsistencies include model size, adspace manipulation, and the fashion blogger: all but the first deal in other subject matter than feminism.

2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog? As I am working on the layout for my new blog (theunsewn.com) it is difficult to narrow down my projected interests. On this blog however I haven't put much attention into tailoring my interests, you see them all! For the new blog I will focus on critical attention to fashion film, fashion magazines, independent designers, and vintage/historical fashion. The blog will bring out the nerdy side in both you (The reader) and me. I think it is great when a blogger has a tailored interest on their blog. My favorite blogs that do this are Arash Minazini, Park and Cube, and Business of Fashion. Each are distinct and share something special with fashion enthusiasts and the blogging community.

3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role? I think there would be more of a free-for-all creatively. This would be a healthy thing because it would be a huge shift socially and economically. This is all purely subjective, who knows what would happen. If it did happen I would be right there at the front lines talking about it. The fact that fashion, which has an overwhelming female consumer percentage, is dominated by men isn't surprising but it does tell an interesting story about what the consumer really wants.

4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?  None of my beliefs reflect how I dress. However, I take strong stances on issues but have had a problem in the past with, uh, running my mouth? It does help that I am prone to argue my point on occasion. These are all things I am working on because I realize while Feminism and other hot button topics are important not everyone wants to talk about them.

5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons? To be honest addons can be superfluous or make a statement about who you are. I have dreadlocks and it is because I was tired of spending all my money on hair products. I was also tired of spending so much time worrying about it getting messy. Now I have lots of freedom to do with it what I want. My friends really seem to like my hair and that is kind of cool that my seemingly offbeat decision is accepted.

My love of menswear is not absent from this blog and it does influence the way I dress. This is part functionality and practicality and part aesthetic I guess. I wear a larger dress size and sometimes men's shirts and pants fit better than women's. Also fast fashion hasn't caught on to menswear yet so most of the men's clothing I find in thrift stores are better made.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little.

Joy D.

Friends Friday: Finding Balance

"I think this [balance] is one of the hardest things for us as bloggers to deal with."

                                                                    Katy Rose of Moldy Chic

Me playing dress up. Dress: DIY plussize skirt/ Hat: Vintage/ Shoes: Cougar/ Necklace: Vintage

Blogging is my one true love. Of course my life a uni is fantastic but it does not compare to the fun dialogue I get to be apart of here. The past two/three weeks have been full of house matters, a sick family member, lengthy school assignments, and  sleep deprivation. While all of that sounds insanely depressing fear not: it isn't at all! Because of the life matters I have I will not be posting consistently til March 21st.You can gather that I have a work hard, play hard mentality but how does that factor into my blogging you may wonder. Katy Rose, the founder of Friends Friday, in all her clairvoyance generated these questions at the right time. 

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall? School and life come before everything else. When I graduate next fall I will be the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college directly. It is not only a huge achievement but also adds some pressure. Also graduate school is in my future which is scary to just about everyone I talk to that doesn't have a masters. Go figure. Life has been a tad rough and family always comes first. Recently my grandmother had a stroke and while I haven't been trekking up north to visit her I have been taking time out of my weekends to be with her and my other family. She is progressing well! Thank you for all the well wishes on Facebook and Twitter. So the "sad" truth is that blogging does not come first. I don't think it is all that sad though. Blogging does often come before going out to the club, or cleaning (I hate doing it).

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible? When life isn't insane like it hasn't been I block out my time on to-do lists. They are my best friend! They help me see everything I have to do and synthesizes it. I also carry a notebook around and use the notepad phone ap to write down ideas and things I see around. By nature I am an "idea man" so writing down all of them is important to me. Sometimes they are blogged about and sometimes they are not. Writing down ideas saves time later when I only have a few hours to write a post.

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient? Planning out blog posts ahead of time is a big help. I don't know of too many bloggers that start the night before to work on a blog post anymore. Think of it as a good term paper: Regardless of the grade you get it is a more satisfying experience if you plan out the paper and think about it.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead? I tried very hard to plan out my posts but it never works so that is when my hand to-do lists come in handy! The editorial calendar, if mastered, is an amazing tool that helps you be a savvy blogger. That being said, I am working on my own and sticking to it.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog (or for your blog) that you aren’t doing now? I would do focus on design. Currently I am working on a brand new blog. YES EXCLUSIVE NEWS! It will have a slightly different focus and so I feel a new blog site and name are required. It is almost at the part of coding and crafting. I am excited and nervous about the decision to design from scratch. It is another reason I have not been on my posting game.Also time would be spent on responding to commenters, I love you guys lots!


To all my blogging friends out there: How do you do it all and still live, work and play as you should?

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.

Friend Friday Exclusive!!! In response to a friend pt.2: Why do we blog?

Yay, It is time for another Friends Friday! Only recently have I delved into the world of the online blog event. I shied away in part because it took too much time out of my schedule for something I considered a hobby. A year later I have found a blog event to be apart of: Kendi of Kendieveryday.com's 30x30 which is described as a way to remix your wardrobe and think about how you dress. I thought that tying this blog post with the one from yesterday was a great opportunity. Now I can exercise my belief that the advertising and branding is something that can easily be surpassed if your ideas about what YOUR style is! While I have found my calling to make both a written and physical statement it is easy for others to look at a blog event and have a different agendas. Before reading up on this I had no idea that someone would put so much time and effort into joining and participating in one of these events in order to reap benefits of fame. I am not naive I just think that is a waste of time. There is a lot of us [fashion] bloggers. We all have lots to contribute. Why waste it on a small chance to be famous or reap unlikely financial rewards? This is what I will be discussing this week with some added surprise about my decision to not attend IFB conference. And with all this wordiness I have decided to add a photo from the 30x30 project that I am currently working on through the month of February. I will do my best to take pictures each day of what I am wearing along with my two cents.

 Bear necklace: vintage from an old friend/ Shirt: Maje

1. With all the blogging events out there how do you determine which ones to participate in and which ones to avoid? There are so many events whether online or offline and it is difficult to choose. There isn't a wrong or right event to go to but there is a wrong or right for your own blog. I have fallen in love with the idea that I can discuss fashion blogging and the fashion industry from different perspectives. Since this revelation of sorts I have realized that certain online and offline events may not help my blog in anyway. I chose Kendi's 30x30 project because it relates to my assesment of my own purchases and the control of fashion media on consumption. This is an idea, while reading Kendi's mission statement, also came through. To be an efficient blogger you have to go beyond what you think people will like and write about what you know or what you are learning.

Sadly, this season, I will not be attending the IFB conference. Life has stood in the way of my presence this season but I give hugs and kisses to those that will be there. I talked to a few bloggers in seasons past that felt that the IFB conference was useless and that bloggers don't really benefit. The same was said of other blogging events and meetups around the city. Call me crazy but I think the meeting of thinkers on the a new subject like fashion blogging is something I always want to be apart of as a blogger. Excluding yourself from the discussion is a little foolish however you blog what you know or like and if IFB or any other event doesn't fit that mold of your blog then it isn't foolish at all.

2. Be honest, have you ever jumped on the bandwagon of some blogging movement/event for the wrong reasons? How did that turn out? I have a strange fear of coming off fake or even worse that I don't care on this blog which is why my blog posts have gotten longer and a little more thought out. That said, I wouldn't involve myself in a project unless I was dedicated and had my own motivations. And my motivations always have to be pure because it would most likely come out in my writing. I have always been one to over analyze something and I think my blog is a good way to work out that issue and to really see if I have something to say or if I am just mindlessly ranting. So, to be honest, I would never jump on the bandwagon for the wrong reasons.

3. How do you give your own flair to a blog event while still maintaining the general mission and purpose? A blog event online or otherwise is really what you make it. Since the 30x30 project is my first online adventure I would like to put emphasis on my small analysis on how and why we buy as fashion consumers. So maybe I am taking a more analytical approach? With an online event you can get pretty creative and as the month progresses I hope to potential grow this idea of fast and luxury fashion consumption. Plus, I always have to add humor to the conversation!


4. When determining the best content for your blog what criterion do you keep in mind? A lighter approach to discussing fashion, art, music, movies, etc. In this way I think I am set apart but it also proves to be a problem. I could have long lengthy posts about the relevance of one collection in Milan but that is neglecting 90 percent of the fashion world. I keep the resources in mind and how much information is out there about a particular subject I want to write about. If there is little to none in the way of information I am more prone to talk about it! I love drowning in resources and sifting through them like some old man in a library basement. With the way I go about discussing the subjects I do on this blog I kind of beg for it anyway.

5. While everything will not suit your blog, how do you try and support your fellow bloggers who are participating in something worthwhile but not your style? I post about what my friends are doing regardless if it fits into the content of my blog. I think support of my friends has always fit in my blog because I don't mind name dropping them and I really love what some of them come up with. Some of my friends are bloggers, artists, musicians, and great people: so why not? I have in the past snuck my friends into the features of this blog like when I had two lovely friends competing in the Sunglass Hut's Full Time Fabulous Blogger competition. I think that is one of my strong suits. Even with this post I managed to fit three posts into one. Don't worry I won't get to out of hand...

As a reader of blogs what do you think about online blog events? If you would like to see the long list of bloggers participating in Kendi's 30x30 project check it out here.
To read more about the wonderful Katy Rose click here.

And for good measure here are the Friend Fridays of the past:
Friend Friday: The Ins and Outs of My Blog
Friend Friday: What is authentic blogging?
Friend Friday: I can do anything you can do better.

Life is beautiful, let's share a little. 

Joy D.