Friday, January 16, 2015

90's Hipster Dag ...

Well 2014 flew by without one single visit to the old blog.
I do miss the opportunity to get one's thoughts onto a screen, in a setting that doesn't demand 15 words or less or the attention span of a gnat.

Sometimes it's nice to sit and write for a while and sometimes it's nice to sit and read for a while.
So here I am.

I've been reading a lot lately on body shaming.
Not fat shaming ... body shaming.
The part of us that cant see our beauty at size 8 or size 20 and says things like 'I cant wear a bikini, my thighs wobble Yuk'! or 'I have to dress in black to hide my hideous shape'.
Thoughts like that are not helpful at all and should be no part of any ones daily mantra.

I think seeing all these articles on loving our body is a 'New Year' thing.

The whole 'New year' new me bizzo, has roused up the commonsense naturopaths, dietitians and body confidence coaches who tell us that everyday is an opportunity to live well. That we don't need the reason of a new year to inspire us, we just need to choose any old day and any old reason and start living the way we want.
True Dat


They also preach that you don't need a new you.
The old you is awesome.
Maybe the old you is tired, puffy, stressed overworked and wants a shake up and wake up. So go get em' by all means ... but love the old you and don't feel you need to change.

This body shaming got me thinking that when we finally do start to accept our bodies and love and nurture them as we always should, we still face the fashion police.
A rather shallow and ridiculous band of people who feel the need to comment on the way we dress.
Although not as deep and cutting as those who feel it their place to comment on our bodies, the comments from said fashionistas can be just as hurtful making us feel inadequate and worthless once again.


As you know, I work in fashion.
It's on a very small scale running a little independent business making clothing and jewellery that ... I like to wear.

Daily I meet women who are so down on their body shape and it's not just big woman. Honestly, it spans across the size 6 to 24 spectrum.
They come in, so despondent, thinking nothing will fit or look any good, or thinking they can or can't wear certain things based on their age or occupation.
"Oh I'm too old for that", or "I look terrible in a dress".
Say's who?

I'm always proud that our little shop covers from size 8 to 24 and more often then not these despondent women get into the fitting room with a garment or two and soon realise that we don't conform to mainstream rules of fashion.

If I want to have a purple and green dresses when fashion dictates that it's yellow and orange that are in fashion.
I can.

If I want to have a waist measurement that is a wee bit more generous then the sizing standards dictate.
I can

If I want to make a t-shirt with pineapples for a 15 year old or a 40 year old to wear.
I can.

But ... my non conformity does not go unnoticed and recently a friend commented on a top of mine saying  it was so 90's hipster!

At first I was offended, thinking that it was just a blatant way of saying my range is dated.
But then I thought for a bit and said "yeah it is". Actually my whole range could be categorized as 90 hipster and I'm ok with that.

I've always struggled a bit with my own style and therefore the style of my range.
Not quite being able to pigeonhole it or put a label on it and therefore not owning it in all its lovely hipster daginess.
Occasionally I tried to do 'pretty' or 'fashion forward' or 'modern' or 'sleek' but they never sat well on me and I never feel genuine when imitating these trends or trying to capture them.

Time and time again I would come back to a skirt and cardi look, or the floppy dress with volleys and lets not forget a good fitting pair of jeans and a comfy tee.



I remember as a teen one time, getting dressed up to go out. Donning a rara skirt, pink button shirt and trainers. I was tickled pink, thinking I was the bees knees. I came out to the lounge with a twirl and a big taadaah entry, only to have dad tousle my hair and say "you're such a dag jay"
Of course at the time it was not the response I was going for.
Rad, awesome or cool would have been accepted. (Hey, it was the 90's)

I never embraced my inner dag back then and up until recently I was totally trying to present in a way that I thought I needed to, as a professional 39 year old woman.

Truth is ... I sometimes wear my hair in ponytails, if I wear a dress it's usually with Birkenstocks, boots or volleys.
I have a cardi to match every skirt in my wardrobe and I think my style icon is Drew Barrymore the 1990's version.


So to be honest I'm sort of 90's hipster and definitely a dag.

A dag is described as an amusing, quirky and likeable person who tends to stick with what they like regardless of the opinions or pressures from others.

So knowing this is me and embracing that, I can only say my range reflects that entirely.
It's not polished, prim and proper,  trendsetting or fashion forward.
It is a range that supports comfort, color and fun, for many sizes and ages.
It is a range that not every one will love and I don't expect them to.

When I see you walk in the door with a flower in your hair, a summer cardi on a winter day and a pair of comfy Birkenstocks,  know that I smile a little and think to myself that you are one cool person... Maybe a bit of a dag, but that's ok cause I'm one too and you've come to the right place.

Jay x