Jul
31

Wanna join the Ban?

Hey, ladies and gentlemen starting tomorrow August 1st I will be on a two month long shopping ban. My reason behind this is that I’m a dance teacher and for the month of August I really do not get paid. I will only work a few hours here and there for camps and our dance studio’s open house. That accounts for one month, but I’m planning on running this ban for two months to kind of make up for the lack of funds. I would love for you to join me, so we can provide some accountability for each other. I’m adding a link up at the bottom of this post, and when I recount how things are going I will provide a list of participating blogs.

I don’t have many hard and fast rules for this shopping ban. I’m listing mine below, but feel free to modify them for yourself.

  1. Rule #1 is the biggest and easiest. I’m going to avoid any unnecessary shopping for the next two months.
  2. To define unnecessary shop I will not purchase items of clothing, accessories, or beauty products (makeup, nail polish, etc).
  3. The only necessary shopping I will do besides groceries, and household items would be if I was to run out of face wash, shampoo, or even mascara. However, I think with the stash I have I should be fine for the next two months.

    UPDATE

    I will also not buy kids clothes, shoes, or new cloth diapers. I could easily see this filling in the gap if I’m not shopping for myself. Again, I will allow purchases if they are necessary (ie. Jazz
    grows out of all of his clothes before the 2 months are up.) Also, new to me items are allowed by trading or by way of gifts.


Mar
30

Friend Friday: Once Upon A Wear

This week the bloggers participating in Katy’s, of ModlyChicFriend Friday are talking about the seeming phenomenon of one time wear clothing. Read my answers below then jump to ModlyChic for everybody else’s answers.

owl necklace
1. Are you a one-time wearer?
No way! I think everything in my closet has been worn multiple times. some of the items, being second hand, have even had multiple wearers.x
2. Do you feel the need to purchase something new for an evening out or a
special event?
Not necessarily, if it is a special event I may purchase something new, but that is if I don’t already have something appropriate to wear that I think fits the bill for the event. I do think certain events require something special, so I may opt to purchase some new shoes or accessories to update something I already own. Then, I satisfy the want for something new while not breaking the bank either.
3. Re-mixing is something a lot of bloggers are proud of being able to
accomplish – are you a re-mixing pro or do you shy away from posting items
frequently? Why?
I have to answer yes to both questions. I have no problem re-mixing and finding new ways to wear the same old things. However, I don’t like to post outfits that are eerily similar or the same piece too many times in a row.

spotted moth scarf, scarf, scarves, spotted moth
4. Do you have a clothing budget or are you an impulse buyer?
Again, I will answer yes and no to both of these questions. I do not have a specific “clothing budget” yet, I consider myself to be a budget friendly style blogger. That being said, if I see something I really want, and I can afford it I’m going to get it!

yellow and white purse, Target purse, stripes
5. Do you find yourself bored when reading a blog in which clothing items
are often remixed and appear frequently?
I don’t think I pay close enough attention to get bored by other fashion bloggers. I can read a personal style blog everyday while they are re-mixing the same jacket or skirt for a week straight. One of those days I am going to be inspired by how they did something different than I would have thought of! How can re-mixing be boring? After all, don’t they have regular features in magazines like Lucky and In Style that feature different ways to re-mix five different pieces with your current wardrobe for a month of new looks?

Jan
25

What They Wore: Lots of Color, No Color, & Pink Pants

Sarah, gave a quaint recap of the Bachelor. I’m not a big fan of the show, but she made me laugh. However, it wasn’t her witty banter that made me link this post. It was her fantastic use of color. This was not an overwhelming use of color, but just the perfect combo for winter.

Wearing it on my sleeve, mixing colors

Elaine, wore a ballerina inspired all black ensemble that looked a little Audrey too. Ballet and Breakfast at Tiffany’s equal two of my favorite things.

clothed much, black swan, ballet inspired

Last week I featured Tabitha wearing this same sweater in pink. Kendi, wore her blue version with pink pants and looked absolutely ADORABLE! Even cuter than the 3rd grade self she is comparing herself to.

Kendi Everyday, polka dot sweater, pink pants, blue shoes

Jan
24

Guest Post: Why Curvy CEO wears clothes

I wrote a post after my three year old daughter told me why she wears clothes. I asked at the end of that post if anybody wanted to guest post telling us why they wear clothes. This is what Curvy CEO sent me. If you would like to submit a guest post on why you wear clothes email me at danit AT noguiltfashion DOT com

Why I Wear Clothes – Guest Blog for No Guilt Fashion by Curvy CEO

I wear the clothes I do for one very simple reason.

I am a fat, black woman.

I don’t say this to denigrate myself. I gave up fear of the word “fat” long ago. To me, it’s just an adjective. Sure, I’d prefer something a little more musical sounding like “curvy,” “voluptuous” or “zaftig.” I’ll take “plus-sized” or “full-figured.” I am even comfortable with “overweight.” But, when most people see me they will not think of these polite euphemisms. Instead, I will just be “fat” and all of the negative connotations that come with that term.

Unfortunately, due to the pervasiveness of prejudice and stereotypes, once you add my race into the equation, many people will see me as this:

Hattie McDaniel as “Mammy” in 1939’s “Gone with the Wind”

 

Well, let’s be fair. It’s 2012. So maybe they might see me as this:

Mo’Nique as “Mary” in the 2009 film “Precious”

Lest you think I’m being too sensitive, I offer up the fact that even our beloved First Lady, who is noted for her commitment to health and fitness as well as her incredible physique, has been (wrongly!) subjected to this stereotype as well.

 

Now, if people can attack and mislabel one of the smartest, most powerful and most beautiful black women in the world, that makes it clear that they have no issue with stereotyping lil’ ol’ me.

That is why I wear clothes – I dress to impress. With my clothes, I want to say, “Yes, I may be ‘fat,’ but I am classy and fierce.” By doing so, I hope that maybe, just maybe, more often when they see women like me they won’t think of the stereotypes, but think of the elegance and achievement of plus-size women of color.

 

Hattie McDaniel after receiving the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1940

Mo’Nique giving her acceptance speech for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2010

Jan
20

Social Media Sharing Golden Rule

We were all taught the golden rule as kids. You know the rule I’m talking about, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” We can apply that rule to blogging and social media sharing too. Think about it for a second. How do you get people to tweet, stumble, pin, tumble, or share your posts on Facebook? Simple, share others’ posts on your social media platform(s) of choice. How does sharing other peoples’ work help you?

Well, if you have been working hard at developing your following on a certain media platform chances are you’ve discovered that bloggers follow bloggers (at least most do to a degree). If you’ve established yourself as a blogger that shares interesting or informative posts from bloggers other than yourself your followers will click on that link your posted from your own site. You know what happens next? People share your interesting, original content with their followers. From there it gets shared, shared, and shared again.

That makes following the golden rule on social media easy, and beneficial to yourself. To get your stuff re-posted post it yourself first, but make sure to share other people and their work too. Check out my post on spreading out what you want to share. You don’t want your timeline to look like you are pimping yourself out. You want to be respectable and trusted member of whatever social media platform(s) you use.

Now tell me a few things?!?

What social media site do you use the most to share posts you like? How do you thank those that share your stuff? Do you share posts from people that share your work?

WordPress SEO