The Cumbersome Beauty: Why Fashion Can Be So Exhausting

Bengali women wear pants.

You're saying to yourself: "yeah, so?" But I found it really interesting. Living in the US, my common stereotype of women's fashion was that it was caught up in skirts. Skirts keep women (in that context) from participating in strenuous activities, such as sports and labor. So, misguided me thought that Bengali women were thus more able to move around and benefited based on their wearing pants. Wrong. Pants do not equal empowerment. Here's why:

The Q: What Are You Doing for the 4th of July? (and Responses)

This week's question is a pretty simple one (well, I suppose it is for the American readers, perhaps not for others):

What are you doing/did you do for the 4th of July?

I don't quite know yet, but I believe I'll be hanging out at Gasworks Park and telling young people to vote along with my other Washington Bus Summer Fellows.

And here are your fabulous responses to the question: What does fashion do for you?

Video response from Joanne H:

Text responses after the jump.

The Q: What Does Fashion Do For You? (And Responses from Last Week)

This week, I have been talking a lot about feminism and fashion and the way that personal meets political through your self-expression. Now it's your turn to speak:

What does fashion do for you? What messages do you share with the world (consciously or unconsciously) when you put on clothes/makeup/accessories? Does your personal interact with the political through those choices?

As with last week's question, your answers will be posted here at the end of the week!

And, without further ado, here are your answers to last week's question: What/who made you think about your identity?

Caught My Eye: TED Talk on The Uniform Project

The Uniform Project is truly where fashion meets activism. It is an interesting project in that it took the deceptively simple challenge of wearing one black dress every day for a year and made it a metaphor that people could invest in - bringing kids the money they needed to go to school.

TEDxDubai 2010| Sheena Matheiken from Giorgio Ungania on Vimeo.

I am particularly impressed with the way Sheena Matheiken explained the idea at TED Dubai. It was inspiring to hear her speak about the impact and the uses of everyday challenges like these. She brings together a confluence of factors (look-at-me blogging, personal style, and sustainable fashion practices) in order to create her own brand of personal is political activism.

Though The Uniform Project is now over two years old, I am still awed by the way that this simple idea took hold and helped a lot of underprivileged children find their way to school. Watch the video and check through the archives for some more greatness.

Want more media for consumption? Check out the rest of the Caught My Eye series.
Read some of my posts on feminism and inspiration.

A Day in the Life of a Failed Fashion Blogger

Not too long ago when I was working on this blog, before I had all my notions about women of color and feminist identity, I thought that I would make it into a photography blog. Indeed, last year I posted a photo a day for half the days of the year, working on my life in pictures. Although I didn't focus on it, I also took a lot of self-portraits. And thus, for a while, I entertained the thought that I would be a fashion blogger.

As you might imagine, that thought dried up pretty fast. Perhaps you will take some of my considerations to heart if you've been thinking about starting/changing to a fashion blogging focus. Or perhaps some of you have gone through the same feelings! Here they are:

Denim and Black Cloth: Feminism and Female Expression

Last week, I talked about my position on skin-lightening creams. Even as I wrote that post, I was bursting with contradictions. Some include:

Is it a woman's right to do that to her body?*
Are people using these products uninformed about the consequences and the societal expectations informing their choices? If not, what makes them choose to use it?
And, most importantly: Are fashion choices sanctioned by feminism, even when they are considered destructive?

Thinking of fashion from a feminist perspective is a tricky feat. There are feminists on both sides of the burqa debate; there are those that find mini-skirts and booty shorts just as offensive or progressive. In many senses, fashion can be liberating or constricting.

As we go into a season where people come out of their thick layers and begin using their clothing to express all different messages, I want to explore this single question:

How does feminism intersect with fashion and what are the consequences?

More after the jump.

*I know that men also use skin-lightening creams, but for the purposes of this post I would like to restrict it to women.

Caught My Eye: The Difference between Fashion & Style

Hello there! Yesterday I fell silent on the blogging front due to overwhelming attempts at getting my final anthropology paper started (4/15 pages written, whoo!) and today looks like another full one. As you might imagine, the infinite universe of the internet has been set aside for a little while - thus, I am going on a brief hiatus. Never fear, however, as I will be returning on Monday with fabulous insight and excellence!
For now, please enjoy this great image from Indexed and check out all the other awesomeness available at that site!

Check out some more media in the on-going Caught My Eye series.

Friday Feature: Le Blog de Big Beauty

Fabuleuse, non?

Le Blog de Big Beauty

I just discovered this blog recently from another blog that I really enjoy - Already Pretty!
This blog is about a plus-sized French woman who adores fashion and is a pretty well traveled person from the looks of it! Currently, she has some pieces up about a trip to New York that I believe she is currently on, and it is great reading.
Oh, you don't say... You don't speak/read French? Never fear! The English translation is posted below the main post in French, so read on non-French speakers!
Part of the reason that I enjoy this blog is because it is interesting French reading - previously I only got practice from my classes and reading the news (never a laugh and a half, I'll tell ya), so when I found this blog I was really happy to dive into my French reading comprehension.
Anyway, it boils down to this: this is a great blog for both style-nerds and occasional French readers, it is also a great one for larger women as well as those who just want to read about awesome fashion ideas. Check it out!

Take a look at my media-rich follow-up series: Caught My Eye.