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see mags 2
1. When do you feel at your most attractive?
when my energy is good- i'm feeling alive, connecting with people, in the moment, in myself, very upbeat and positive and natural.
2. Do you notice women on the street? If so, what sort of women do you tend to notice or admire?
i admire women with styles that are a little androgynous, a little insouciant, sort of arty or design-y, visually strong, confident, a little laid back.
3. What are some things you admire about how other women present themselves?
i like confidence and an appreciation for good design.
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?
i've been letting my hair grow out for the first time in year and changed how i was caring for it and i realized it looked awesome and i looked awesome with it a little longer. it suits me more.
5. What are some shopping rules you wouldn’t necessarily recommend to others but which you follow?
i don't shop for clothes anymore. it's amazing. it's so freeing. it is something i do very rarely and have almost no patience for. i sew for myself instead.
6. What are some rules about dressing you follow, but you wouldn't necessarily recommend to others?
i value a good fit first and foremost.
then it's the fabric- suitability to the design, to you, to your wardrobe.
and lastly design- will it last, will it be comfortable, will it be useful in my day to day life, will it fill a hole.
7. What is the most transformative conversation you have ever had on the subject of fashion or style?
i listened to an episode of this american life featuring lindy west and i believe another writer who were talking about women and weight and bodies. and i think it was lindy's piece where she just was like, you know what? I'm allowed to take up space.
8. Do you have a unified way of approaching your life, work, relationships, finances, chores, etc.? Please explain.
i'm trying to be more relaxed and more able to trust myself. it's actually working.
9. Are there any clothing (or related) items that you have in multiple? Why do you think you keep buying this thing?
i stopped buying clothes.
10. Have you ever successfully given someone a present of jewelry or clothing that you continue to feel good about?
making pj pants for my partner that fit perfectly.
re-gifting some jewelry to my friend that was just not to my taste at all but really suited them.
11. Is there any fashion trend you’ve refused to participate in and why?
right now, it's the wide leg culotte. growing up, in my first sewing class, i had this book of basic projects, one of which were these hideous culottes. i never made them, but i looked at them in horror. in general i strongly dislike the crop pants trend- i'm tall and it just looks ridiculous on me. i also keep seeing patterns for cold-shoulder tops and think, who wears this, and them and shocked to actually see people wear them.
12. Can you say a bit about how your mother’s body and style has been passed down to you, or not?
i think my mother has a hard relationship with her body and is always spinning the wheels to find styles she likes, which is hard in her size. i am trying to love myself and be kind to myself.
13. Have you stolen, borrowed or adapted any dressing ideas or actual items from friends or family?
yes. i have actual items from past relationships. i copy ideas all the time from the online sewing community.
14. Was there a point in your life when your style changed dramatically? What happened?
many times, often it goes back and forth between black fabrics and sort of a seriousness to vibrant colors and more playful. it's often based on how visible or invisible i want to be.
15. Is there anything political about the way you dress?
i don't like exposing my body; i am pretty modest. it's uncomfortable to me to be revealing because i do not want to be sexualized at all. i think it is a survival strategy. i want to downplay my body because it is very frightening to have people objectify me or see me as a sexual being.
16. Please describe your body.
tall, statuesque, curves of a goddess. extremely curvy, very female shape and proportions.
17. Please describe your mind.
smart.
18. Please describe your emotions.
i'm working on it.
19. What are you wearing on your body and face, and how is your hair done, right at this moment?
pjs, glasses, ponytail
20. In what way is this stuff important, if at all?
i enjoy the design element of dressing and the tactile nature of making and wearing clothes. there's also social and political implications for how dressing happens- who benefits and who doesn't.
21. With whom do you talk about clothes?
anyone who will listen to me talk about sewing
22. How do institutions affect the way you dress?
at this point, very little.
26. Do you have style in any areas of your life aside from fashion?
very much so, i am an artist.
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?
yes
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?
for the most part, yes, if i can trust myself and ignore external factors.
30. What sorts of things do you do, clothing or make-up or hair- wise, to feel sexy or alluring?
post earrings and clean hair
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?
confidence is comfort with yourself
comfort with yourself is confidence
for clothes to help with both, you need to feel good in them, and that means no pulling or pinching or finicky bits. the clothes work with pragmatic perfection. you can almost forget about them but maybe you are aware of how lovely they are to wear.
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?
go slow, plan, trust yourself.
33. What is really beautiful, for you, in general?
good design married with high quality materials in a thoughtful way.
34. What do you consider very ugly?
the cheap, thoughtless, and badly made
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?
actually yes, since i started making my own clothes i feel pretty good at discernment of what i need and will use.
38. What are you trying to achieve when you dress?
that i can accomplish the tasks that day- ie going to work and not accidentally flashing people at work when i bend over.