Tuesday Trend: Wine-tasting Season

A Response to Jennifer Barger's My Blog, My Self

Jennifer Barger’s “My Blog, My Self” in Friday's Washington Post Express asked a provocative question: “When style bloggers show off their clothes, is it inspiring or narcissistic?” After criticizing a few popular blogs, Barger concludes that fashion blogs are written by “little girls, all dressed up, with no place to go, staring into the mirror.”


Alternatives to Link-baiting

The tone of this article is very different from Ms. Barger’s other pieces on Express, so it was jarring when Barger dismissed local gals Carlis and Katya of Spicy Candy DC as members of an “echo chamber” composed of “clash-y, slightly trashy outfits in what seem to be Shaw alleys,” especially after Barger herself complains that style blogging is akin to an “online high school cafeteria.”

It’s easy to make fun of fashion blogs, but there are real benefits to the style blogging phenomenon that were not discussed, such as the diverse faces and body types they make available to their readers. In the blogosphere, short girls, curvy girls, and those in between are giving readers an accessible alternative to the cookie cutter body type splashed across popular print magazines. You don’t have to be stick thin and 5' 10’’ with cheekbones of steel to represent fashion online-- you just have to be yourself, be honest, and be creative, and that’s pretty cool.


Entrepreneurship

What’s more, Carlis and Katya of Spicy Candy DC—along with many other locally-focused blogs—serve an important community function that giant news media corporations don't provide. Those two ladies are constantly partnering with small, local DC businesses to promote a store opening here or style a lookbook there. The fact that they take photos in "alleys"  is far less meaningful to me than what they actually do with their blog.

Spicy Candy DC and Kelly Framel's The Glamourai (also mentioned by Barger in a negative light) exemplify one of the most significant and exciting attributes of the fashion blogging phenomenon. These blogs serve as an empowering, entrepreneurial online space for women to promote their small businesses, their fashion skills, their writing, or their personal brand. This is the case for the vast majority of popular blogs in other categories (hello Seth Godin, Daily Kos, etc.), and fashion blogs are no exception to the rule.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Consign Today

Wednesday Wants: Fair Interiors

• Bench made of recycled silk.
• Sitting Stones. South African textile designer Ronel Jordaan set up a women's workshop in Gauteng- Johannesburg-where her personally trained artisans transform interlocking fibers, made from 100% merino wool, into these freeform oversized "stone" floor cushions.
• Bed is made in the U.S. by an artisan woodworker on a platform base sourced from vintage reclaimed Douglas fir.

Welcome to the key elements of my imaginary vacation home on the coast of...wherever. As long as there's a coast, I'm happy.

Tuesday Trend: Localism

When you travel to another city, it's easy to gravitate towards what's familiar-- a Cheesecake Factory dinner here, a coffee from Starbucks there. But the truly memorable experiences often come when we step out of our comfort zones and into the magic of local fare.

I used to travel frequently for work, and in each city, I would try to find at least one local restuarant, vintage shop or coffee bar to check out while I was there. In all my travels, I have to say there is nowhere easier to do this than in Portland, ME. As I mentioned earlier this week, the downtown area of Portland has only one chain retail store and very few chain restaurants, so this is possibly the easiest local city guide/review I have ever assembled. Come with me over the jump to learn of this lovely land of ports.

Back to School Shoes {Fair Tots}

Summer Whites for Labor Day Weekend

As promised, here are a few ways to get the look {fairly} from Friday's post:

Cafe au Lait

Styled by Victoria Corkhill
Photography by Victoria Corkhill

Last week I had a quick meeting at Filter, a local DC coffee shop that might just have the Best Coffee in DC. This kind of statement is controversial, I know. There are many local contenders very nearby, such as the delicious Dolcezza, but they're already known for their amazing gelattos made from locally grown ingredients. When it comes to coffee, Filter is da bomb. Can I still say that? I'm saying it.

Here is why Filter is da bomb:

Boston Public

Back Bay Yoga

Before heading up to Portland,  I flew into Boston to meet my friend Carissa (of Breathing Room Yoga) for a workshop with David Regelin at Back Bay Yoga. It was an awesome time, not just because we got to learn so much from David, but because I had never been to the Back Bay area of Boston. As you can see, the firemen of Back Bay are very, very nice! As soon as they saw us snapping pictures, they opened up the door and invited us in to look around.

P.S. This outfit is 100% in keeping with my Fair Vanity Challenge, which you can learn more about here.  From other posts (THIS ONE and THIS ONE specifically) you've seen all of these elements: my Staring at Stars crochet shirt (made in the USA) and the linen maxi dress, both purchased in July from Secondi, and both in heavy rotation in my wardrobe. The belt is from Secondi, too. Last but not least, I'm carrying a clutch from Secondi that was given to me as a birthday gift a few years back. Whenever I wear it I feel so grateful to the stylin' friend who not only chose it for me, but let it out of her hands! I don't think I could have been that strong. Thank you, Carissa!

P.P.S. I always kind of liked Boston Public. Just sayin.

Wednesday Wants

• Strappy buckled heels are vegan by Olsenhaus: "Olsenhaus was created to illustrate plundering, cruelty, and greed are not synonymous with true style."
• Mono Mia Trinidad heels from LuLu's (vegan, all man-made materials).
• Wedges are Tom's shoes (one for one).
• Ring by Monique Pean, made from fossilized woolly mammoth tooth root (yes, really) and recycled gold.
• Tagua nut bracelet handmade in Ecuador by fair trade artisans, available from Connected Goods.

Rachel want. That is all.

:)

Tuesday Trend: Nautical Stripes

Psychedelic Mermaid Yoga