THE 411 ON INTERESTING THINGS

What you need to know, now.

Whilst perusing the internet I fell upon some interesting things and not being myself a selfish person, I decided to share. So read below  for my round-up of all things to equip you for future pub quizzes, disarming know-it-alls and preventing potential awkward silences. 

So first up, word of the week.

I know that I recently conceded to the fact that I am now the latter half of my twenties and therefore an adjustment of sorts would be needed. However, nothing makes me feel more disassociated from my youth, than not understanding the lingo. Case in point; 'cuffing season'. What is this phenomena, I asked myself. And myself not having the answer, I turned to Vogue - of course, where else? Read here for enlightenment.

Baby it's cold outside. Here's the science behind it.

I am that person perpetually shivering. My office chair is disguised  by many a jumper, coat, scarf, in the very likely event that I will need to add another layer or five. I have been tagged countless times in the below meme. You get it, I'm cold. Read up on the why here.

Old wives tale or fact to live by?

There are some beauty tips that I try to live by: Imperatively remove all remnants of makeup before bed, drink plenty of water daily, be gentle on the delicate skin around the eyes, no pimple popping and minimal heat on hair. The list is an exhaustive one. Generally I abide by these rules. However, air drying hair whilst living in the gloom of the UK is not always possible or practical, and my grandmother always warned me of the potential for colds when walking around with sopping wet hair. My grandmother also used to say that she was always right. After reading here, I now know this to be true. 

The couple that travels together, stays together?

Few things test a relationship more than travelling. The excitement and wonder dissipate in the face of jet lag, language barriers become a point of contention and misdirections are the cause of many a disagreement. To combat this potentially hazardous occurrence, see this handy dandy survival guide; 'tis the season for 'cuffing' (see above) after all.    

Cataloguing the year's fashions

The end of the year is nigh, cue lots of self-reflection and endless lists summarising the years happenings from the cultural to the political. My favourite sort of list however, is one that expounds upon the fashion proclivities of the year, detailing exactly what the world wanted to wear in 2017, measuring the peaks and troughs of trends with figures and percentages. It's an interesting read to chart the affect celebrities, social media, films, social movements and uh, unicorns (?!) had on fashion, read here. 

(Photos via: whowhatwear.co.uk, theyallhateus.com, inthefrow.co.uk & pinterest)

FEMINISM: IS WEARING A STATEMENT, MAKING A STATEMENT?

Call it the Dior affect, but you can't walk into a shop without being met with a barrage of female empowerment sloganed t-shirts right now.

Girl power, sisterhood and proclamations of feminism are boldly emblazoned upon everything from socks to jewellery to homeware.

And I love it.

For me, it means being proud of who I am, not just because I am a woman, but because of the positive statement of unity inherent in this movement. It's a collective that inspires equality, and that, I feel, is something that should be encouraged by everyone regardless of their gender identification.

However, wearing anything that states something, automatically puts it out into the public sphere, taking it from personal opinion to an out and out statement open to the interpretation (or misinterpretation) of everyone and anyone who cares to read your wares.

I have two t-shirts that have 'feminist' written across the bust. The same in their message though different in their delivery of that message. One is pale grey and chic, the other is red and brash. 

I wear them both in rotation because I like them, and usually that's enough for me. However, in this instance, I pause and think of the occasion - is this suitable? - and then of my audience. 

Why do I do this? I'm not really sure.

It's a subconscious thought that floats into my mind before I commit to wearing any outfit. But my 'feminist' t-shirts inspire great rumination that often results in me opting for something less 'provocative'.

I understand that people staring at my chest are more than likely just staring at my chest. However, when there is something actually written across your chest, you give them reason to look and read whatever it says. And by me wearing this, I am complicit in what it stands for. It becomes an extension of me and my beliefs. And this is where is becomes problematic. Because although I stand by this and I can ascribe my own meaning to this, I cannot control what others take from this statement. It is a highly charged proclamation and one that, though speaks of a collective, results in very singular interpretations.

Even as I type this, I am acutely aware that my audience reading may not agree with my particular views on feminism. And that's fine. Differing opinions are healthy and encourage discussion and personal growth. These are things that should be championed not discouraged in a bid to prove who is 'right' or 'wrong'. Finding confidence in ones own personal expression is challenging. 

Being open to the opinion of others, being willing to listen to others regardless of differing views is how we stay informed, how we grow, how opinions become solidified or destabilised, how we garner conviction in our own voice and how we come to respect fundamental differences in one an other. Sometimes these differences are irrevocable, sometimes they offer a different perspective never before considered.

Being open minded is hard sometimes, but so worth striving for. I feared my own voice for a long time. And then one day, I wore the most vibrant pink oversized jumper, that was completely nondescript apart from its fuchsia colouring. I love it. It makes me happy just looking at it and brings much needed fun in these gloomy pre-Christmas days. Off I went about my day, feeling very chuffed in my pinkest of pink jumpers and someone exclaimed, "god, that's a bit pink?!"

It was in that moment that I realised, you really can't please everyone, nor should you try.

As I've said, discussion is both healthy and necessary for development. But do I want to justify something that I associate with and as, for fear of possibly receiving judgement? No. Is this something that I should care about? Also, no. 

To some, feminism is a negative. Encouraging exclusivity and the discrimination of men, inverting patriarchy in favour of female domination. And whilst contrary to what I believe, they are entitled to feel and think that.

In reality no one has ever questioned me about my feminism. But I often wonder what onlookers think when they see 'feminism' on my t-shirts. Perhaps it is my own curiosity that plagues me with this self-consciousness. In my quest not to deal with other peoples' bias, I find myself - perhaps in part due to paranoia - making it up for them. To most I'm sure not a second thought is given, to others I'm just another millennial buying into the zeitgeist, which is also okay.

I guess I'll never know. And maybe that's fine, because I like it and I associate with it. And isn't that what it's all about? Not being afraid to embrace your true, authentic, unfiltered self? And I think it's about time that I start living by, and not just wearing that sentiment.

(Images via: whowhatwear.co.uk, hapersbazaar.com & instyle.co.uk)