Photo cred: Kamile Kvaukaite
Hello loves,
How are we tonight? I've noticed that I usually write these posts well after 12am. It's a bad habit of mine but hey, I think I write more creatively when the sun goes down. I just got out of the shower and I feel so cosy and at peace with myself. A hot water bottle, fresh pyjamas, and lavender scents- what could be more blissful? My college schedule is so hectic right now so any type of downtime I get, I treasure. I'm not usually the type to feel stressed but when I'm trying to juggle college work, blogging and volunteering, it often means no social life and no social life equals EW. Who ever said being a student was fun forgot to mention that that only applied to first year, where your grades don't actually count and your level of giving a shit was beyond low.
Late night thoughts. I've been listening to Disney Channel classics all week judge me and one of my favourites came up a couple of nights ago. The song inspired what I'm about to talk about; social norms. There's something about the word 'norm' that just doesn't sit well with me. What are the exact characteristics that define a thing, person or action as a 'norm'? If you look closely norms tend to change every couple of years and if that's the case is it really a 'norm' at all? I've probably lost half of you at this stage but bare with me. I phrase all of these statements in the form of questions just to get you thinking and to leave the debate open to you.
If the social 'norm' for being perceived as beautiful was tall, blonde, pale and blue eyed then what is Lupita N'yongo doing on the cover of every elite fashion magazine? If being a housewife is the 'norm' then what is Beyoncé doing on stage kicking ass? Better yet, why are there so many female CEOs now as opposed to 30 years ago? My point is social norms change. So why should there be a norm at all? Why is it so socially unacceptable for us to truly be the person we are inside? Moreover who gets to choose what is beautiful in terms of appearance, character and actions? The unemployed 20-nothing walking down the street, the underpaid wacky journalist who would do anything to get to the top, the mostly insecure or the companies that are just out to steal your money? No? Then no. There will always be a group of people who find you beautiful, charming and fun to be around so why not spend time finding that group instead of wasting time with people who don't matter? The thing is I believe that if you're not going to be yourself, then what on earth are you going to be? I am so tired of seeing people who conform to the norms just because they're eager to please. It's about time we all started accepting who we are regardless of it being easy to do or not. It's taken me a long time to come to terms with my own character. But right now I can say to you that I am the most generous, loyal, caring, insecure, opinionated, blunt and (the list could go on) offensive person you will ever meet. And you know what? I am okay with that. The only person you should be trying to please is you.
The more I write, the more I feel like we're growing as a community. Knowing who you are or who you want to be is the only way you can ever find a distinctive and unique personal style that represents you as an individual. So I hope by bringing you through the thoughts that drift in and out of my mind every night, you'll build your own perspective on life. But for the main time, keep dreaming, working, achieving but mostly importantly, keep being.
Trends & Outfit details: 1960s. I am in love with the vibe of this outfit. Not only are long coats my biggest obsession right now, nothing can beat polka dots when It's paired correctly. The real question here is are you the type of girl who thinks she can rock polka dots or do you avoid them like a plague? I used to be the latter but now I simply cannot get enough. I fell in love with this Savida silk blouse when I laid eyes on it. Bold colours like red are something most people avoid. Truth be told, many people avoid any piece of clothing that makes them stand out even in the slightest.
OH.
There's nothing that darkens my soul more than girls in shopping centres dressed in similar outfits. Rolled up jeans/jeggings, biker jacket, plain white tee and caked makeup. How fucking basic. Moving on, these high waisted shorts are from Dunnes Stores as is this whole outfit. The bag I'm carrying belongs to my best friend Kamile. If you're worried about looking silly in prints and patterns, reevaluate yourself. Style, much like life is all about initiative and risk that you gotta be willing to take it.
I hope you enjoyed this article and please do let me know what your thoughts are. I have too much love for you guys and value your opinions so much.
Keeping it interesting,
-Ayisha x
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