Read Surveys (By Author)

Ave Lina

1. When do you feel at your most attractive?

in underwaer, in fornto of the mirror, sometimes... Specially if I wear fancy underwear...

2. Do you notice women on the street? If so, what sort of women do you tend to notice or admire?

Yes, all the time I notice other women... I admire the women with style, and little make up... specially if they are mothers. I dont like women dress up with a lot of make up, with stupid shoes which make them walk like ducks... I prefer much more women who look like they are not paying attention at their look, jeans and shirts, long wavy hair, kind of hippy style but clean...

3. What are some things you admire about how other women present themselves?

Self-confidence, body posture, right words

4. Was there a moment in your life when something “clicked” for you about fashion or dressing or make-up or hair? What? Why did it happen then, do you think?

yes, when I was a teenager and I wanted to look like grunge girls... that style was political for me: fuck the system and all that... and I thought it was the style to look smart and interesting, not just a pretty girl

5. What are some shopping rules you wouldn’t necessarily recommend to others but which you follow?

not to expend a lot in something you know wont last much...
think about if you really are going to wear it...
comfortable or not?

6. What are some rules about dressing you follow, but you wouldn't necessarily recommend to others?

not rules at all

7. What is the most transformative conversation you have ever had on the subject of fashion or style?

again, when I was a teenager, some "friends" told me that I looked like a whore... they were just jealous, they were wearing the same shirts and tshirts...

8. Do you have a unified way of approaching your life, work, relationships, finances, chores, etc.? Please explain.

not at all... I am different in different situations and moments...

9. Are there any clothing (or related) items that you have in multiple? Why do you think you keep buying this thing?

underwear, panties, leggings... They are comfortable and nice to wear, and they went off soon

10. Have you ever successfully given someone a present of jewelry or clothing that you continue to feel good about?

yes, to my sister and my mom, granma... they may not use them but I feel they were great pieces

11. Is there any fashion trend you’ve refused to participate in and why?

all of them, I follow my own style and buy the things I like and suit me beautifully

12. Can you say a bit about how your mother’s body and style has been passed down to you, or not?

I have her skinny legs, and buttom...

13. Have you stolen, borrowed or adapted any dressing ideas or actual items from friends or family?

of course, all the time! I pick the things I like and transform into my own

14. Was there a point in your life when your style changed dramatically? What happened?

motherhood

15. Is there anything political about the way you dress?

everything is political

16. Please describe your body.

skinny, but a bit of a belly now that I always try to hide with cloths

17. Please describe your mind.

busy

18. Please describe your emotions.

busy too

19. What are you wearing on your body and face, and how is your hair done, right at this moment?

black leggins, wide, grey tshirt, hair tied up, no make up...

20. In what way is this stuff important, if at all?

I feel pretty and smart with this tshirt

21. With whom do you talk about clothes?

my mom, my sister, my husband, some friends sometimes

22. How do institutions affect the way you dress?

I try hard to ignore them but when I go to the University I dress more formal, in my own way

23. Do you think you have taste or style? Which one is more important? What do these words mean to you?

I think I have both, a funny taste and a good style. People may not agree but I feel both say something about me: I am smart, fun and artistic.

24. Do you remember the biggest waste of money you ever made on an item of clothing?

A stupid coat for New Year's Eve party when I was a teenager...

25. Are there any dressing tricks you’ve invented or learned that make you feel like you’re getting away with something?

wide tshirts make your belly looks flat

26. Do you have style in any areas of your life aside from fashion?

in everything

27. Can you recall some times when you have dressed a particular way to calm yourself or gain a sense of control over a situation that scared you?

28. Would you say you “know what you like” in the area of fashion and clothing? If so, do you also know what you like in other areas of life, that is, are you generally good at discernment? Can you say where your discernment comes from, if you have it? Or if you don’t have it, why or why not?

not at all.. I like many cloths I cannot buy... I also like many things in other areas I cannot have... so I try to wear and live with the resources I have and try to be happy with it.
I guess I learned that from my parents.

29. Did your parents teach you things about clothing, care for your clothing, dressing or style? What lessons do you remember? Or did you just pick things up?

all

30. What sorts of things do you do, clothing or make-up or hair- wise, to feel sexy or alluring?

depends on the day... but a bit of all helps to sexy me up

31. Many people say they want to feel “comfortable,” or that they admire people who seem “confident.” What do these words really mean to you?

comfortable: you forget about having your clothes in the right place, or forget them at all

confident: you control your body, your words, your breath

32. If dressing were the only thing you did, and you were considered an expert and asked to explain your style philosophy, what would you say?

Dress according to your mood, the weather and the things you are gonna do

33. What is really beautiful, for you, in general?

something that makes me feel alive, happy and interested in it.

34. What do you consider very ugly?

something that makes me feel sick

35. Are you generally a good judge of whether what you buy will end up being worn? Have you figured out how to know in advance?

yes, I am good, but sometimes I buy stuff useless...

36. When you look at yourself before going out, and you are trying to see yourself from the outside, can you describe a bit about what this “other person” is like? What do they like, dislike, what sorts of judgments do they have? Is this “outer eye” based on someone you know or once knew?

all the voices I heard in the past commenting on my clothes, hair, body, all at the same time...

37. What is your process getting dressed in the morning? What are you considering?

weather, thing Im gonna do, my mood.

38. What are you trying to achieve when you dress?

beauty and political commitment

39. What, for you, is the difference between dressing and dressing up?

dressing is just putting clothes on your body.
dressing up is like wearing a mask to hide behind

40. If you had to wear a “uniform” what would it look like?

white shirt, black pants

41. What would you say is “you” and what would you say is “not you”?

me is something fresh
not me is something artificial

42. What is your cultural background and how has that influenced how you dress?

Spanish
it has influenced in every single aspect

43. Do you remember a time in your life when you dressed quite differently from how you do now? Can you describe it and what it was all about for you?

yes, when I was a teenager and I dressed up to go to parties pretending to be somebody else, older, more interesting

44. What sorts of things do you do, clothing, make-up or hair-wise, to feel professional?

clothing

45. How do you conform to or rebel against the dress expectations at your workplace?

I do what I want, not what they expect me to do

46. Do you have a dress code, a school uniform, or a uniform that you wear for an extracurricular activity?

47. Are there ways in which you conform to or rebel against these uniforms?

48. Do you find it comforting or constraining to have a uniform?

constraining! to choose your own cloth is part of who you wanna be, it could be a very artistic part of your everyday life. not having that is boring.

49. What is an archetypal outfit for you; one that you could have happily worn at any point in your life? What do you like about it?

jeans and tshirt, they fit well, are comfortable and match almost any situation.

50. Do you ever wish you were a man or could dress like a man or had a man’s body? Was there ever a time in the past?

51. If there was one country or culture or era that you had to live in, fashion-wise, what would it be?

20s

52. Do you consider yourself photogenic?

sometimes... rare times.

53. When you see yourself in photographs, what do you think?

that is really me? do I look like this? I thought I was different...

54. Are there any figures from culture, past or present, whose style you admire or have drawn from?

mmm... those mothers who look happy and wear nice cloths, natural fibres, relaxed styles.

55. Have you ever had a dream that involved clothes?

not that I remember

56. What would be a difficult or uncomfortable look for you to try and achieve?

anything that requires more than 10 minutes to achieve!

57. If you were totally comfortable with your body, or your body was a bit closer to what you wish it was like, what would you wear?

I am comfortable... but with a flatter belly I would wear more tight tshirts or dresses...

58. Is there anyone that you are trying to attract or repel when you dress?

myself

59. Are there any dressing rules you’d want to convey to other women?

60. What do you think of perfume? Do you wear it?

I dont like perfumes, I think they mask your own smell and some people wear too much that makes me feel sick, literally. I just like a bit of it, very little.. I just sometimes wear a little of essential oil, like patchuli... one drop.

61. What are some things you need to do to your body or clothes in order to feel presentable?

my hair! it is always messy

62. How does makeup fit into all this for you?

no makeup

63. Is there a certain look you feel you’re expected to like that you have absolutely no interest in? What is it? Why aren’t you interested?

those girls who have kilos of make up and dress up with high heels like going to a fancy party but they just go to the supermarket...

64. Can you describe in a basic way what you own, clothing and jewelry-wise?

cheap stuff

65. What is your favorite piece of clothing or jewelry that you own?

one grey dresss

66. Tell us about something in your closet that you keep but never wear. What is it, why don’t you wear it, and why do you keep it?

dresses for special occasions... I dont go to any of those

67. Looking back at all your purchases over the past five to fifteen years, can you generalize about what sorts of things were the most valuable to buy?

nothing has any value... maybe a pair of boots and a winter coat...

68. Is there an item of clothing that you once owned, but no longer own, and still think about or wish you had back? What was it, what happened to it, and why do you want it back?

no, not attachment

69. If you had to throw out all your clothes but keep one thing, what would you keep?

my boots

70. Building up your wardrobe from nothing, what would you do differently this time?

buy less stuff and more natural fibres

71. What’s the first “investment” item you bought? Do you still own or wear it?

no idea

72. Was there ever an important or paradigm-shifting purchase in your life?

73. What item of clothing are you still (or have you forever been) on the hunt for?

shoes

74. What are your closet and drawers like? Do you keep things neat, etc?

sort of neat..

75. Were you ever given a present of clothing or jewelry that especially touched you?

mmm a suede bag from my mom

76. Did you ever buy an article of clothing without giving it much thought, only to have it prove much more valuable as time went on? What was the item and what happened?

77. How and when do you shop for clothes?

when I can... when I feel nothing in my closet fits me anymore

78. Do you like to smell a certain way?

yes, patchuli

79. How does how you dress play into your ambitions for yourself?

it is a way of self expression

80. How does money fit into all this?

not enough

81. Is there an article of clothing, a piece of make-up, or an accessory that you carry with you or wear every day?

sunscreen

82. Did anyone ever say anything to you that made you see yourself differently, on a physical and especially sartorial level?

83. Do you remember the first time you were conscious of what you were wearing? Can you describe this moment and what it was about?

I was about 4 years old and I remember I was wearing black leggins, a tight orange long sleeve, and matching shocks with boots. I realized that was fashion... everybody was commenting on my clothes!

What’s your birth date?  Where were you born and where do you live now?

Madrid, october 15 1981.
I live in Vacouver, BC

Say anything you like about your cultural/ethnic/economic background.

I love all about my background

What kind of work do you do?

professor

Are you single, married, do you have kids, etc.?

common-law with a kid