Real Girls

Recently someone asked me how I came up with the name of this blog. The person assumed that, being a plus sized woman, I thought women who weren't plus sized or curvy weren't real. That my friends could not be farther from the truth. All women are real, no matter their size, shape, or any other attribute. We all have challenges and flaws but that is what makes us unique and beautiful.

I love fashion and like many women I've fallen into "the comparison trap" at times in my life. My house is filled with fashion magazines. I've always loved fashion and purchased my first VOGUE when I was a young teen. Because of this, it was hard not to compare myself to the women in these photo shoots. It's a trap many of us fall into at some point.

One day, before Real Girl Runway was born, I was thinking about my life and the women that I know and love. Fashion shoots and runway shows are beautiful but they aren't reality. The models, although beautiful, have a team of professionals styling their hair, doing their makeup and fixing even the tiniest flaw before and during the shoot. Stylists and photographers use all sorts of behind the scenes tricks to make an outfit look perfect and to get the right lighting. They take thousands of shots during a shoot and the model has her makeup and clothing adjusted between shots. If all those things fail, there is always Photoshop.

 

Yes, those are binder clips.

photo credit: Final Cut Pro

During these shoots the stylists have racks of clothes and tons of shoes and accessories, pulled just for the shoot. The items are borrowed from designers and stores. Since these items aren't purchased, price is never an issue.

photo credit: skinny latte strikes back

Here is where the reality comes in. I don't know a single woman who has a team of hair stylists, makeup artists and fashion stylists helping them get ready every morning. Even celebrities and models don't have these professionals with them every day. If you don't believe me all you have to do is check one of the millions of paparazzi photos that invade the internet daily. We all have budgets and can't purchase any and every piece of designer clothing we desire. I'm sure we'd get stares and strange looks if we walked down the street with binder clips tighening our clothing to get the best look. We'd look great from the front but UGH from the back, not to mention it would be uncomfortable.

I named my blog Real Girl Runway because as much as some of us would like the runway, fashion show treatment every day, it's not real life. We get dressed early in the morning before dashing off to work or scrambling to get our kids ready for school. There are schedules to keep and errands to run. We need to pay bills and to save for homes, cars, and college educations and can't shop everytime we wish. We have challenges with our clothing and our bodies. All of us, no matter what our size (xs - xxxl), struggle with clothes that don't fit. The street, the sidewalk, the office building, the grocery store, those places are our runway. We do the best we can with our bodies, money, and person style. It's not always easy but we try hard to look and feel great about ourselves.

Hard as I try, I definitely don't have all of the answers. It's my hope that I can pass on the things I've learned and tips for great style at any size or budget. If you have a question or a topic you'd like me to address, please leave a comment or send me an email.

We are all Real Girls and we have to stick together and help each other.

Make Your Voice Heard - ELECTION 2012

I've been MIA for a couple days because I've been working for my favorite candidate.  I'm very passionate about my beliefs. Many of you might be able to guess which way I lean but this is not the forum for those passions.  However, there is one thing that I believe transcends party affiliation and candidates.  It's my firm belief that no one should take voting for granted. Everyone should vote.  Women (and men) have fought, suffered and lost their lives to ensure that the United States remains a free society and a democracy.

In July of 1917 Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and 14 other women were arrested for protesting Woodrow Wilson and his lack of attention to the women's right to vote.  They were taken to the Occoquan Workhouse which is only about 10 minutes from where I live today.  Alice Paul and Lucy Burns went on a hunger strike. Alice Paul was force fed and Lucy Burns was beaten for their protests.  In August of 1920, they were finally rewarded when the 19th amendment was signed.

These women endured great hardships to ensure that women today are able to vote how they choose. Honor the memories and the sacrifices of these women.  VOTE!

You can also honor these women by contributing to creation of the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial.  It's a cause near and dear to my heart.  Thanks for indulging me. If you'd like to learn more about Alice Paul, Lucy Burns and the women they fought with, check out "Iron Jawed Angels".

Election Day Blogging Break

I spent this past weekend, last night and am spending parts of today working for the election of great representatives. Today is election day in many places and I'm very active in the local Democratic Party.

I want to take this opportunity to thank those women who came before me.  They worked so hard and gave so much to get women the right to vote and I owe them every gratitude.  I live very close to the what used to be known as the Occoquan Workhouse.  It was at this jail that a group of women who protested the White House for the right to vote were jailed and staged a hunger strike.  These women and their fight were profiled in the film Iron Jawed Angels.

Of course I had to include some pictures showing these amazing women as well as the fashion of the time.

In honor of the women jailed at the Occoquan Workhouse, I am also working with others in the area to build the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial. On the website, you can read about the women and the plans for the memorial.

If you live in an area where it is election day, I urge you to get out and vote.  It's an honor and a privilege that I am incredibly thankful for.

Guest Post - Women Who've Influenced My Style, Jean of All Trades

I'm thrilled to be swapping blogs for the day with Jean of Jean of All Trades.  She has great style and I love her blog!

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I’m Jean White of Jean of all Trades and I’m honored to be a guest blogger here at Real Girl Runway. This guest exchange is part of the Feminist Fashion Bloggers group posts that we coordinate every month. You can see Real Girl Runway’s post on my site.

If you ask me about women who’ve influenced me, I might rattle off names of feminists, authors, and other high-profile people like Margaret Atwood, Amelia Earhart, and Qiu Jin. It’s true that I admire these women and I’ve learned a lot from them, but some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned are from women a bit closer to home.

My mother and grandmother (Mom and Oma, as I call them) were—and still are—big influences on me. So, with Mother’s Day still in recent memory, I thought it would be fitting to share with you things I’ve learned from them.

I learned to think for myself, to form my own opinions, and to speak my mind without caring about what other people might say. I learned I can do anything I put my mind to and that earning my own money is important. I also learned about style.

Style isn’t trivial! The way I dress reflects the way I feel about myself. It’s artistic and creative. I won’t make it something it isn’t, but it is fun.

From my Oma: Going blonde can be great—but don’t get in a rut. Oma was blonde for most of her life, but I have a few great photos of her as a brunette. And later in life, when she decided that going natural was more convenient, she rocked a great silvery ‘do.

Wide-legged trousers are your friend. They’re classic, timeless (with the exception of a few years in the 80s at least), and comfortable.

Heels are elegant. Wear them with pants or dresses, but make sure they fit comfortably and that you can still walk in them.

Get noticed. Experiment with color, textures and patterns. Gold lamé has its place. So do Pucci prints, velour, and python patterns. Oma wore a zebra print wrap dress when she married her second husband. Go Oma!

My mother on the other hand, rebelled against the prim and proper 40s and 50s sentimentality that shaped Oma’s sense of style. In the 60s she learned a few things, some of which are still applicable:

Miniskirts are fun! Wear them. If you are shy about that idea, then make a mini your bathing suit cover-up or try one with tights in winter. If fitted isn’t your style, try an A-line.

Giant sunglasses are a great way to look chic, are great when you don’t want to wear makeup, and—because they help prevent squinting—are a super way to avoid the premature signs of aging.

Comfort counts. You can’t be yourself if you’re wearing a girdle and 5” heels (if you can, more power to you). My mom couldn’t and didn’t. She looked groovy in everything from Birkenstocks to Beatle boots. Sometimes she wore bellbottoms and other time pedal-pushers. She looked good, and more importantly, she felt good. And when you feel good, you can have fun!

Both my Mom and Oma weren’t afraid to alter a garment to make it fit better. I’ve learned that trick too. And I’ve inherited their combined styles (which are a bit contradictory at times). I enjoy heels, but wear flats too. I love tailored pieces, but enjoy unstructured and relaxed silhouettes. I definitely like colors and patterns. Fishnets are always in style – and they’re durable.

The three of us didn’t always agree on fashion, but we always had fun experimenting. We all influenced each other’s choices. Oma had to convince me that wide-legged pants were a good choice. But in exchange, she added leggings to her wardrobe.

Who are your style influencers? Did you inherit your mom’s fashion sense or are you blazing your own trail?