"With the number of people I ignore, I'm lucky I work at all in this town."

I'm working on a post about cultural appropriation. Weeee!  Until then, please remember that Helena Bonham Carter exists, and that means the world is perfect for at least those 15 seconds.

Photo via here

Rebel Against Corporate Fashion!

Ok, readers, you may have a question.  What the hell does it mean to be a feminist consumer of fashion? 

These are the things I feel to be important to me as both a feminist and a lover of fashion:

1) Be an informed consumer of fashion.  Understand where your clothes are coming from, who is making them, how they are being made, etc.  A large portion of the clothing we (and I am using this term broadly, identifying we as citizens of the United States) buy are produced under extremely unethical practices, from poor wages and dangerous labor practices to factories that pollute and use earth-destroying resources.  It is very difficult to know exactly where everything you buy is coming from, but with a little time and research you can at least understand how some of the things we purchase as consumers of fashion can be harmful to others.

2) Recycle, reuse, and be creative!  Holy crap do I love new clothes, but constantly buying new things doesn't do me or the world any good, financially and otherwise.  This blog will hopefully be a way for me to use many of the things I already do have in new and interesting ways, and encourage me to reinvent a new look from a well-worn item.  This certainly does not mean I won't buy anything new, of course.  I loves me some shopping.  Another great place to buy from are thrift stores, vintage stores, flea markets and garage/yard sales.  One of my favorite things is finding something extra amazing at a thrift store, and paying a disgustingly low amount for it. All of my most ridiculous (and of course, fantastic!) pieces of clothing are from thrift stores.  These types of stores are full of unique and cheap clothing, and they do not contribute to the cycle of consumption and destruction. 

3) Try to understand as well as critique the fashion industry.  I feel as though most feminists would consider the fashion industry as inherently anti-feminist.  It is quite often sexist, racist, classist, homophobic, ableist and exploitative.  These are very problematic things about the fashion industry, and they need to be addressed.  On the flip side, there are a lot of people inside the fashion industry who are working hard to break down these oppressive ideas and make a space for fashion that celebrates progressive, radical and diverse views and experiences.  I would love to celebrate and showcase some of the kickass people out there who are creating and designing amazing clothes and accessories while also trying to break the stupid rules of an industry that is mostly controlled by white males.

Hopefully this blog will help me do all of these things, and more!

An Introduction

So...I did it. I created a fashion blog.  I love clothes. I love creating and altering and buying and playing with clothes.  While biking to school in heels and a trench coat may be completely insane, I love to express what I feel through my clothing.

 

My name is Tanya.  I am a college student, amateur cook, voracious reader, lover of music, vegetarian and player of way too much Tetris. A while ago my very fashionable (and honestly, way cooler than me) stepmother told me to start a fashion blog.  She may have been having a moment of crazy, but ultimately I decided to jump in. I don't know if anyone will read it but here it is, many months later  In this blog I will do traditional "fashion bloggy" stuff: post outfit photos, talk about designers, squeal incessantly about a recent purchase.  In addition to this, I would like to bring in my own opinions about fashion from a feminist perspective.  This will include discussions around body image,  how to be an informed and ethical consumer of fashion, and the complicated and sometimes damaging issues with the fashion industry as a whole. I will also try to be extremely entertaining, lest I let down my stepmom.

I am not a "writer".  I always defer to my much more talented friends for writing help, so this will probably not be terribly poetic, or even grammatically correct.  I love discussion, so any appropriate and constructive comments are welcome and encouraged.

If you have taken the time to read this I already owe you a drink or a hug or some sort of baked good.  Thanks!