I blog and reblog about whatever catches my eye and interest. This includes fandom items (slash, femslash, and gen) such as videos, fics, etc. I rarely ever truly leave a fandom, but I flit about and my posts will reflect that. I may also reblog posts about social justice issues, funny stuff, and whatever else I want to. If any of that is a problem for you, use the back button and find something else that suits your tastes. I don't tolerate fools gladly or very much at all. Enjoy! I'm happy to have you here. :)
i dont consider myself a 'fashion guru' by any means but one thing i will say is guys you dont need to know the specific brand an item you like is - you need to know what the item is called. very rarely does a brand matter, but knowing that pair of pants is called 'cargo' vs 'boot cut' or the names of dress styles is going to help you find clothes you like WAAAYYYY faster than brand shopping
this also goes for aesthetic or -core titles. 'y2k tank top' is going to get you resellers and fast fashion brands advertising to people looking to meet a current trend. 'thin strap crop tank top' is going to get you a diverse group of results and not upcharge you to hell and back
additionally, shop second hand when you can, second hand and thrift sites typically organize clothes by the cut and color. theyll be more affordable than a depop seller curating you a style to sell you
alright kids let’s break this down one last fuckin time (and this is a breakdown of just aesthetics)-
goth: all black, often very elaborate, gothically inspired (obviously), not branded
emo: still lots of black but much more casual, skinny jeans, certain brand shirts (usually music-themed), converse/vans, jewelry, specific hairstyles, think 2000’s hot topic kids
punk: lots of black again, very elaborate but in a completely different way, studs, chains, patches, piercings, leather, another set of specific hairstyles and bright hair colors, really rooted in anarchical themes
grunge: old clothes, flannels, oversized, layers, ripped jeans, distressed **if you’re buying “grunge” clothes new, you’re a fucking sham, the entire grunge aesthetic arose from garage bands too poor to afford clothes that weren’t thrifted, poorly sized, and already worn out**
additionally, all of these include elements of gender non-conformity and prioritize self-expression as well as identification as belonging to a group
and remember!!! all of these are actual subcultures, not just aesthetics, so when you say you’re “being goth/etc” remember to specify that you mean aesthetically, because its not fair to boil an entire subgroup of people down to just their aesthetic trends
My favorite hanfu style is waist-high ruqun - especially those with parallel collars:
It’s my favorite for the following reasons:
a) Cinches at waist & follows body’s natural form. The waist-high ruqun is tied at the waist, accentuating the natural feminine lines of the body. Since I have a relatively small waist, I appreciate any clothing that accentuates it :P
Which brings me to my next reason…
b) Balanced silhouette. The waist-high ruqun has relatively balanced proportions (vertically & horizontally), centered on the middle/waist, which I find aesthetically pleasing. Parallel collars, running straight down the chest, further enhance this sense of balance.
c) Ease & beauty of movement. Compared to most other hanfu styles,waist-high ruqun is relatively easy to move around in. Its flowing lines move gracefully to reflect the wearer’s actions.
d) Versatility. Waist-high ruqun can be customized using many different methods: “jackets” (banbi, beizi, daxiushan, etc), short outer skirts (weichang), long scarves (pibo), waist ornaments, etc. Below - worn with blue beizi (left) & green daxiushan (right).
Parallel collars render the chest undergarment (moxiong) visible, providing an extra piece with which to accessorize the ruqun. Below - the color of the moxiong matches that of the pink banbi (left) & green pibo (right).
e) Beautiful from the back. All hanfu styles are pretty from behind (see chest-high ruqun, quju, aoqun below), but waist-high ruqun (top left) is especially so.
After waist-high ruqun with parallel collars, my next favorite hanfu styles are, in descending order: waist-high ruqun with crossed-collars, heziqun, zaju, quju, beizi, chest-high ruqun, & aoqun (see this post for definitions).
1) Waist-high ruqun with crossed collars: This would be my favorite style, if not for the fact that I prefer parallel collars slightly more than crossed collars.
2) Heziqun (left): The hezi acts as a gorgeous centerpiece for the dress. 3) Zaju (right): The additional triangular strips add delicate movement to the outfit.
4) Quju: Curved lines wrap elegantly around the body for a pleasing form. However, it’s more restrictive around the legs & not as easy to move in.
5) Beizi (Song-style): Arguably the most convenient style, and can be worn with trousers. Multiple parallel lines create a charmingly straight & simple silhouette.
6) Chest-high ruqun: The high-waisted silhouette & long, flowing lines of the skirt produce an ethereal effect, especially when worn with daxiushan.
7) Aoqun: Exquisite designs and crisply pleated skirts on a triangular silhouette give the wearer an air of grandeur.
Note: the above is not a complete list of hanfu styles. There are more, like zhiju, u-collar ruqun, yuanlingpao, etc (not to mention men’s styles).
Now that I’ve waxed poetic on my preferences, I have a question for everyone: Which hanfu style is your favorite? I’m curious! :D
WeLoveFine just launched their Spider-Gwen collection, including t-shirts, leggings, and a Spider-Gwen hoodie. Here are a couple of my favorite items from the WeLoveFine x Spider-Gwen collaboration:
Why is there very little utility to women’s clothing? Why don’t we get pockets which actually open? Why do we have to put up with the ‘false pockets’ that are frequently sewn onto women’s jackets and pants to give visual interest without ruining the ‘line’ of the garment? Why, when pockets are actually present, are they so rarely large, stable, or loose enough to accommodate a phone or a wallet? And why, given this is the case, do women go on to cop so much flack for carrying handbags around with them?
Oh wait. Is this one of those double standards which we feminists are always going on about; one of those innocuous little things which everybody just accepts because it is the norm?
Women carry handbags. It is known.
But why? I have watched my male friends get ready to go out. They slip their wallet into one pocket, their keys into another, their phone into a third pocket, and some of them even still have spare pockets large enough to carry a novel for the journey. Those of my friends who wear women’s clothes, though, face an entirely different situation. If they are wearing the right jeans or jacket, they may have up to two usable pockets (not at all guaranteed). However, in most cases they won’t have any pockets at all. Utility and style rarely meet in women’s fashion, so they grab a bag.
Contrary to all the jokes, most women don’t ‘have’ to leave the house with everything they pack in their day-to-day handbag. Most of the items in a woman’s everyday handbag are in there because, if she’s going to have to carry it anyway, she might as well make it worth her while. Excuse us for making use of the one useful item we find in our wardrobes.
Oh lord, don’t get me started on this. This is a little thing that highlights a big equality problem between men and women. We need the same supplies as men to do the same job. When I stocked shelves it was impossible to find pants that would hold my wallet, my box knife, my badge, my keys, my gloves (I worked dairy/frozen) and my phone. I actually ended up not carrying my wallet or keys at all. Fuck if I’m carrying a purse *ever* but that certainly wouldn’t have helped on the job.
My husband? He holds all of that plus his insulin, packets of honey in case his blood sugar drops (or a vial of glucose tablets), glucometer, headphones, markers, and pencils. With plenty of room to spare. I’ve even seen him slip paperback books into empty pockets.
When we bought sweatpants together so we could start working out? I had zero pockets. He had four. Four. When we wanted some boots for added protection working around 1.5-ton pallets and slippery surfaces, he was able to go to the nearest store and buy steel-toed, non-shock, no-slip boots in his size, no problem. I had to look online to find mine. Because women don’t work dangerous jobs. I hate shopping for clothes in general, but when it has to be online it really sucks because you never know if they will actually fit or be decent quality. Especially because, guess what, women’s sizes are far less standardized than men’s.
I’m going to guess this is all some remnant from the “women should be in the kitchen, not out in the world doing practical things” days that has held over and made it harder for us to…you know, do practical things, even nowadays. If I ever end up working a job like that again, I’ll probably just buy men’s pants and hem them for my 5-foot-tall frame, because I deserve the same supplies for my job that men do. And no, I don’t care if the men’s jeans don’t highlight the curve of my ass superbly. Do they hold up under tough conditions? Do they carry what I need carried? Practicality and efficiency only in my wardrobe, please.
I remember watching I think it was Project Runway and the contestants had to design a new uniform for female postal workers. The one designer put utilitarian pockets on her design, and the judges yelled at her for it. They said something about it not being flattering, because you know, the key part of any uniform is not that it works for the job, but that it shows off your body in the best light possible.
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