Stylish Thought

The recent hiring of a white fashion director at Essence Magazine, a historic lifestyle and fashion publication for African-American women, has spurred a fashion debate rooted in issues of race, diversity and least of all fashion.

When I first heard the news about the hiring of Ellianna Placas (formerly of O magazine) I didn’t know exactly how to process it. There were so many conversations going on around the issue. Clutch magazine broke the story, the Huffington Post picked it up, Michaela Angela Davis and Nawja Moses responded with upset and heartbreak. What did  it all really mean, I wondered?

Essence magazine is a totem in the black community. In its 42 year history, Essence has celebrated Black woman and sought out to represent them in a way they were not previously represented. It bought out our tastes and showed us in our various shapes, colors and lifestyles. It was the essence of us as Black women; varied, distinct and full of heart. It is less an issue of hiring a white woman and more what that hiring of means.

For some it means the whitewashing of our culture to others it means foolishly turning the other cheek while other fashion publications continue to exclude us.  And for others Essence has fully betrayed their audience. While I understand these sentiments I don’t fully agree with them.

How can we as black people preach diversity, the need for more inclusion in the mainstream fashion industry and then turn around and close our doors? It’s a move of reverse-exclusion. The hiring of Placas has nothing to do with the audience. Essence will still continue to showcase black women, feature them on their covers and in their pages and show us in a positive light. The minute that changes then we have a problem.

As a black woman, one devoted to fashion and writing, I see both sides of the coin. But instead of looking at it as a betrayal I choose to see it as a step in the direction that the world should be going; less about race and more about talented people integrating. Mainstream fashion magazines need to take note from Essence’s lead and begin to be more inclusive.

What are your thoughts on the Essence issue?

You get the 20% off emails, you read the fashion blogs and you have a wishlist a mile long of items that will make your wardrobe (and life) to die for. But there’s one minor hiccup. You can’t bring yourself to pull the trigger. You’ve got the items in the online cart, but you’re not buying. The feeling of guilt comes over you whenever you get to the checkout. Should you buy it? Do you really need it? You’re not alone. Hi, I’m Ms. Thought and I’m suffering from shopping shame.

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What is Shopping Shame?

While reports are saying that we’re slowly coming out of the recession, the economy still isn’t back to its normal self and the stigma of spending is still upon us. We’ve been inundated with messages of savings, ending mass consumption and only buying those things we need. All of this is great and has done wonders to change destructive habits but when does the messaging become an internalized shame of spending and even worse extreme guilt after shopping?

While I’ve slowed down my ridiculous spending habits, the urge to shop hasn’t gone away. And lately I find myself setting out with the intention to shop and midway telling myself that my money would be best served elsewhere. The feeling of “Do I really need this” is like a red little devil on my shoulder and I’m constantly guilting myself out of stellar purchases.

Am I Mental? Or Have I Diagnosed a New Shopping Condition?

Sexaholics, Textaholics and now shopping shame, it seems preposterous. But the financial situation has made everyone reconsider spending habits and their need/want for certain things. 2008 saw a 12% increase in online shopping, which WWD partly attributes to the guilt of shopping in stores. Now I’m of the belief that feeling guilty about life choices is a useless as arguing the appeal of Justin Bieber (you may not understand but he’s here and we better get used to it). So how does one still shop consciously and absolve themselves of the guilt of spending money in our still fractured economy?

How to Shop without the Shame?

1. Shop consciously: This one is a given. Shopping thoughtfully and only when necessary will eliminate some of the feelings that you’re wasting money. Make a list of the items you want to purchase and don’t veer outside it. Set aside a reasonable fund for purchases so you don’t overspend.

2. Trade off: While I think consignment shops are rip-offs when it comes to trying to make money, they are havens for when you want to shop without money. Turn in your used clothes and items you’re just plain bored with for store credit and get brand new (slightly new) items that will rejuvenate you.

3. Sell Some Shit: Much like trading off, selling some of your old pieces at flea markets to make room for new pieces allows you to purge clothing that you no longer want and earn some extra cash.

4. Unsubscribe from Guilt: If you really want to stop feeling guilt, rid your inbox of the daily sales emails. You know you’re not shopping so why torture yourself with all the good deals out there. When you’re ready you can always sign up. The deals aren’t going anywhere. Trust.

Feeling guilty about shopping is certainly a personal issue, dependent upon your financial situation and thoughts on spending. However, shopping when done with the right motives should be an enjoyable experience, not one that makes you feel like you should be wearing a Scarlett Letter.

Am I the only one suffering from shopping shame? How do you deal with shopping guilt?

It’s the age old debate; do women dress mainly for themselves, for men or for other women? It’s a conversation that’s permeated the circles of women (and men forced to participate) longing to understand the motivation behind an amazingly dressed woman. This is deep stuff people.

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So picture this scene. You’re invited to the party of a mutual friend of you and you’re ex. You know he’ll be there with his new, amazingly hot, Halley Berry look-a-like girlfriend. You’re breaking out in hives just thinking about it and what you’ll wear has been on your mind all day. Do you opt for your traditional style; jeans and a tee that you’ll be comfortable in? Or that form-fitting, bandage skirt that will make him drool, her scowl and you feel like you’re trying too hard to impress people that don’t matter.

Sure that’s a pretty specific instance, but one that happens whether it’s a special occasion or everyday attire. According to several fashionable women, our motivation for our sartorial choices varies. Carine Roitfeld, Vogue Paris EIC says she dresses for herself. Isabel Toledo has been quoted, “Women dress for men. I do dress for myself because it makes me feel empowered, but I’m definitely looking for [my husband's] expression, not his approval.”
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Karl’s quote is steeped in  decades of stereotypes (among other smelly things) about feminsim and the women’t movement. Coco Chanel was a feminist due to the very fact that she designed for women, liberated women’s fashion and stood up for her beliefs and style. She may not have referred to herself as such, but the very fabric of which she was made and lived her life by, is cut from the cloth of feminist before her and after her.

As a Women’s Studies minor in college, feminism and the study of women is very important to me. The misinterpretation of feminism is something that happens all the time and clarifying precisely what it is and why it has nothing to do with being fat, a spinster, a lesbian or ugly is integral, not just to elderly fashion designers but to everyone.

Since the women’s liberation movements of the 20s, 60s and today, feminism has been met with a backlash that has made heinous claims against a cause designed to end and obliterate sexism against women and men. Feminists from Susan B Anthony to Gloria Steinem have been cast with insults: man-haters, “too ugly to get a man”, bra-burners, spinster, cat-lady, fat, lesbo, you name it. An association with feminism or an interest ultimately gets you the same labels.

In my humble opinion, everyone is a feminist. Not just women, but men who love women, men who love men and anyone who doesn’t want to be discriminated against simply because of what’s between their legs. And that includes Coco as well. As for Karl, he may be the one exception seeing as anyone with enough balls to say such a thing (even if it is someone else’s ”words”) deserves only one label and that’s “ass.”

Since  Karl clearly has the ability to speak with the dead and knows what Mademoiselle Chanel thought herself as, maybe he should get out of the fashion business and join Letoya her psyhic friend Miss Cleo, where his skills would be better suited.

What do you think of Karl’s “Coco quote”? What comes to mind when you hear the word “feminism”?

Jay-Z rhymes about the Death of Autotune, but it seems that the Death of Couture would have been a more fitting song. Couture week has ended and as the fairy dust settles it seems that the somber mood of the recession (so tired of hearing that word) has trickled up and affected the showing of the Haute Couture shows.

The dire financial situation at Christian Lacroix set the tone that maybe couture isn’t as viable as the fashion crowd claim. The shows were vastly less decadent than normal and to some that may spell impending doom. But to me, couture is not dying its simply evolving.

While clients may be holding their Chanel purse strings tighter than usual and not purchasing the exorbitantly priced couture gowns that’s not to say they never will again. The economy is making it difficult for moderately priced fashion, so couture must not have a leg to stand on, right? Wrong, for decades old couture houses, customer loyalty isn’t an issue and many have lesser labels to keep the couture labels afloat.

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The recent Met Gala has the world abuzz with models, not that the world needed the Gala to solidify what it already knows; the fashion industry and the world is obsessed with models. Naomi, Cindy, Kate, Twiggy, Gisele, Agyness; we love them, we love to loathe them and better yet we love to look at them. With fashion regressing to all things 90′s (90210, scrunchies, Tori Spelling) it’s only fitting that the status of fashion models come back to the forefront, not that the conservation ever ended.

Every generation has its totem of beauty; the 60s was the intro of models as cult personalities, the 80s to 90s the era of the SUPERmodel, the 90s enter Kate the Waif and the diverse model is au courant. While models are integral to fashion, they sell the fantasy and lifestyle, is fashion and the world overstating the reach that models have? The Met Gala touted “Models as Muse.” Sure Kate Moss inspires legions of wannabes, but are models really inspiring the forward movement of fashion or simply glorified hanger-ons?

There is no denying that models are important selling tools in an industry based on making money. Beautiful women, wearing beautiful clothing in beautiful locations is a winning advertising strategy that is continuing to bring the fashion industry billions of dollars. No argument there. They inspire consumers to buy an Italian leather bag, a 1,200 dollar dress and hell if Kate Moss wore underpants as a topper, you bet your last dollar there would be tons of panty-ridden impersonators. Fashion sticks with a winning horse and models are championship thoroughbreds.

We love watching beautiful women strutting on the catwalk and designers know this. If Susan Boyle’s mole looked as good as Cindy Crawford’s she would be a cover girl not the leggy brunette. Sadly this is not the case. Models are muses but it is us that they are really inspiring; directly and indirectly. It’s the fashion lovers and consumers that continue to churn the model wheel and as long as we stalk La Moss, google Gisele and agonize over Agy’s hair, the industry will continue to serve us a piping hot platter of beautiful by-products.

What are your thoughts on models? Are you influenced by, envious or ambivalent toward them?