Posts Tagged Fashion

BET shades blogger B. Scott’s gender presentation

I stopped watching BET a long time ago (seriously, when I gave them up for good AJ & Free were still hosting 106 & Park). After hearing about B. Scott’s experience as the selected host of the BET Awards pre-show, I was validated, again. According to Scott:

BET reached out to me to be the Style Stage Correspondent for the 2013 BET Awards 106 and Park Pre-Show…

The powers that be for this show wanted ‘B. Scott’…but not really. From the beginning, I wanted to make this work. I even tried to secure Chris Brown’s stylist to help me in putting together an appropriate ensemble. Unfortunately BET couldn’t afford him and instead sent over their own stylists to work with me.

After a ...

I stopped watching BET a long time ago (seriously, when I gave them up for good AJ & Free were still hosting 106 & Park). After hearing about B. Scott’s experience as the ...

Fat Girls are still being ignored by fashion companies

Last week fashion columnist Christina Binkley made a video that appeared on the Wall Street Journal. She had some very telling things to say about plus sized clothing being positioned on the margins of the fashion industry.

“’Young fashion lovers have been demanding at an almost revolutionary pace, they have been screaming, “We want fashion, we want short shorts and miniskirts and all the trendy looks.”‘ And bluntly enough, she asserted that one of the main reasons that a lot of fashion companies don’t bite is because they ‘don’t want to be associated with ‘fat.’”

She’s absolutely correct. The truth is, consumers of plus sized fashion are already spending more money on clothes than our thinner peers.

“…online retailer ...

Last week fashion columnist Christina Binkley made a video that appeared on the Wall Street Journal. She had some very telling things to say about plus sized clothing being positioned on the margins ...

Quick Hit: Why are runways so white?

Spoiler: the answer is racism.

BuzzFeed invited five fashion show casting directors to talk about why almost every model we see walking down the runway are white. Some of their answers, like James Scully’s, won’t make you want to vomit: Scully’s conception of diversity is more meaningful than the common tokenism he calls out, though he seems more market- than ethics-driven. Inevitably, there are also the responses that will lead you screaming into the street.

My favorite (read: least favorite) is Barbara Nicoli’s lovely little explanation of why Asian women aren’t sexy:

It’s also true that, for example, Caucasians have a specific body type, black girls have a specific body shape, and Asian girls have a specific body shape. So I guess there ...

Spoiler: the answer is racism.

BuzzFeed invited five fashion show casting directors to talk about why almost every model we see walking down the runway are white. Some of their answers, like James Scully’s, won’t make you want ...

The Feministing Five: Norma Kamali

Norma Kamali is trying to do something radical: stop the objectification of women. And considering the industry she works in, it’s pretty remarkable.

Norma Kamali has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. Known for her transformative designs such as her sleeping bag coat, parachute collection and swimwear line, she’s now pioneering a campaign to empower women and stop the objectification experienced everyday on the streets.

Her campaign “Stop Objectification” includes a short film titled “Hey Baby” in which Norma re-appropriates the male gaze, highlighting the accomplishments unseen by objectifying eyes. Her effort also includes the website Stop Objectification, in which she seeks to foster dialogue by having women upload photos of themselves with a quote that celebrates ...

Norma Kamali is trying to do something radical: stop the objectification of women. And considering the industry she works in, it’s pretty remarkable.

Norma Kamali has worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. Known for ...

Snapped at CLPP: Fashion at the 2012 conference

As you all know, Eesha and I were blogging from this year’s Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program Conference, “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice” at Hampshire College. So far, we’ve covered lots of Important Issues like colonization and colonialism. Follow the CLPP2012 tag to view all our posts.

But while I was struck by the high-quality dialogue that took place at the conference, I couldn’t help but notice another aspect of life in western Massachusetts besides the penchant for social justice and movement-building: fashion.

I’ve written before about my ambivalence towards fashion. But in this space, where so many people of all different backgrounds had come together to talk about the future of our reproductive justice movement, personal expression ...

As you all know, Eesha and I were blogging from this year’s Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program Conference, “From Abortion Rights to Social Justice” at Hampshire College. So far, we’ve covered lots of Important Issues like

Love for the nation’s only plus-size vintage clothing store: Fat Fancy

I had the serious pleasure of visiting Portland Oregon for the first time earlier this fall. There are many fun things to report about that city, but my favorite by far was a little store tucked away in downtown Portland called Fat Fancy.

I had heard about the store from friends and quickly ventured over to check it out. I was greeted by a super-friendly worker (who I later learned was the co-owner). They quickly explained that Fat Fancy has their own sizing scale, one that was identified with a sign on the wall. I don’t remember the names of the categories offhand, but basically they relabeled all of the clothes in the store into four size categories that had ...

I had the serious pleasure of visiting Portland Oregon for the first time earlier this fall. There are many fun things to report about that city, but my favorite by far was a little store tucked away ...

American Apparel expands collection, runs contest for plus sized models

American Apparel, jilted lover of the hipster fashion elite, recently announced that it’s expanding its collection to include plus sizes, and is holding a contest for new plus sized models.

The company’s history of bullshit is well-documented. They’ve faced criticism from feminists and non-feminists alike for their sexist ad campaigns, accusations of sexual harassment at all levels of the company, and labor practices.

Which makes me quite cynical about this latest maneuver. Has American Apparel seen the body-positive light? Or is it just part of a dying company’s futile quest to maintain relevance with its fickle market demographic? Apart from having a more diverse group of women to add to its cadre of spandex-clad models, will this new ...

American Apparel, jilted lover of the hipster fashion elite, recently announced that it’s expanding its collection to include plus sizes, and is holding a contest for new plus sized models.

The company’s history of bullshit ...

NYT Mag features women rocking natural hair and evening gowns

The notion that natural hair is somehow “wild,” “messy” or “uncivilized” is as longstanding as it is wrong-headed. When I decided to go natural in college, many people of all different races began to perceive me in different and sometimes messed up ways. I got a lot of questionable comments about looking more “radical” and “militant.” Even people who were trying to compliment or support my new look occasionally fell into the trap of enforcing this age-old dichotomy; comments suggesting I had sacrificed style for a cause or was somehow more “down” as a result of my new hairstyle still carried whispers of judgment and stereotypes. And of course, there’s always the less subtle stuff like this ...

The notion that natural hair is somehow “wild,” “messy” or “uncivilized” is as longstanding as it is wrong-headed. When I decided to go natural in college, many people of all different races began to perceive ...

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