B0dY H41R

By Neslihan 

Can we please talk about the girls with the frizzy hair and the little tummies. The ones with red spots on their face and the little pimples on their chin. Can we please stop acting like they don't excist. Hey media, hey advertisement, yes, you're the guilty ones. Hello girls, who impose themselves impossible beauty ideals, while in fact embracing your own pure natual self would've been a whole lot easier and healthier even. I know, I know, it's a quite corny, yet necessary subject and saying things is of course easier than doing them because we're talking about decades of imprinting and dogmata. It is not easy, I know. It is not easy to reject the ideal media are actually presenting you because it somehow is easier to accept that that is right and to hate on yourself in the meantime. If you could just be realistic and finally understand that those picture perfect girls and boys are total fiction. Photoshop aint a recent invention but that's something I shouldn't tell you 'cause you've heard it all before. So let me actually start talking about the ACTUAL subject of this post. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BODY HAIR. Well, I think that was clear...
I'm a girl with black thick hair and I am proud of my heritage. It is my proud, my priority. And yes, this is vain and superficial but we all are. And that was an 'argumentum ad populum'. Suck on that, philosophy! My eyebrows are full and thick and really obvious and those are the times when I actually embrace my DNA. But then come the days on which the little hairs on my upper lip get visible, I call them my 'whiskers' and will from now on refer to them as my whiskers in this blogpost. And those are the days I totallay loathe my DNA. On those days I just wished I had da blond DNA, you know, for the easiness of it, hell yes. But no, I wouldn't wanna miss the fabulous portion Indian hair, so we'll have to deal with the body hair.
Removing it is an option and it often is the only option and if it's not then it still is. I mean just think of the pictures on which Julia Roberts flawlessly sports her armpits and gets shamed for it. It instantly became a gimmick. Or think of Gwyneth Paltrow talking about her body hair, it caused a fucking shock in 2013. We act like we're liberal and really open-minded but we can't even tolerate a dash of fluff on some body parts, even if they are not ours. We just refuse to see it in public because it's 'provoactive' and a bald puss isn't? I just don't understand why this creates such a huge debate. I was always told to do whatever I liked with my body. It was mine and I was the boss and I don't even know why I'm using the past tense. I AM THE FUCKING BOSS. I'll grow my leg hair if I want to and it is none of your icky picky business. And if you ask me why I have a 'black carpet' on my legs, I'll ask you just the same, Mister. "Well -haha- 'cause I am a man, you see."
- And I am a mammal if you'll let me.

Because Kristen McMenamy is always flawless.

Superbia

By Neslihan
I never got why vanity or pride was a sin. I mean what's better than a great dose of self-loving or should I say self-glorification. And vanity was never as accurate as in our digital age. Facebook, Blogger, Instagram, Vine, Tumblr: it's all about justifying your extreme pride. Hey, look at me! Look at what I'm doing! Look at what I wear! Like me, hype me, love me! It has never been more present than this.

I remember growing up having rolemodels. I worshipped The Spice Girls and Jennifer Lopez must have been my style icon at the age of 6. I wanted to dress, walk and talk like her. I would buy a bunch of teen magazines and try to copy her style and 'If you had my love' was on repeat. I would lipsing to it as I'd flawlessly whip my hair back and forth. Those were the carefree days. I couldn't care less what my outfit looked like. I would be dressed in red from head to toe and I stood behind my decisions because I was confident about my colour comboes. I didn't care less about other's opinions and in some strange kind of way I still don't but something has changed along the road.

I'm still rocking my ugly shoe philosophy but I've given up looking like a colouring book. And whenever I do, I try to be the fashionable counterpart of it. To me dressing up is not about being on trend (but I find myself being a trendwhore more often) but about being true to yourself. I'd never wear something that doesn't follow my aesthetics. But somehow I've lost my rolemodels and I've become my own icon. I don't know whether that is sad or pathetic but I'm quite enjoying it. I used to be the rules kind of girl, you know the Trinny and Susannah kind of rules. 'What not to wear' but I've gradually let go of that theory since I believe you can even rock a sack of potatoes as long as you're wearing the right kind of shoes. And since I've let go of those stupid rules I feel freer.

It's about creativity and an authentic style because there's only one you. And who motivates you better than yourself? YOU know what you want to look like. YOU know where this is all going. That's why YOU are your ultimate manager. You've got to hype yourself, believe the image and expand your horizons (your closet in this case). Because that's what's fun about dressing up: it is temporary and you can shift styles like that. You don't have to stick to one kind of uniform. Keep all your options open and don't limit yourself because to limit is to kill your creativity.

There must be a way to praise yourself though because you want to show you're confident and unique. And that's when all those profiles on social networks jump in. Instagram or should I say Selfiegram is all about promoting your life. Food pictures, OOTDs, pictures of your friends and you partying. Look at the fabulous life I'm living! Doesn't this also sounds really Kanye'esque to you?
You have become your own Scary Spice or Jennifer Lopez. Whenever I feel uninspired for example I turn to my blog and I know that sounds vain but that's how I relive the inspiration. It feels as if I sometimes need to remind myself of my fashion believes, which changes monthly. And I think that's good because that's how you become more critical. I'm not a rooted tree, I am a feather in the breeze, who's being pushed into all kinds of directions and I let that breeze lead me. I trust it because I know the journey is all that counts at the end. I don't travel through this fashion spectrum in order to reach my destination. I travel for the journey.

All pictures found on tumblr.

PROJECT: concon + dressing down

By Neslihan
I'm starting with a 'new' project that can be summarized by a stupid abbreviation: 'concon'. It stands for 'CONsume CONsciously' and it's not gonna be about me 'presenting an example' or being a rolemodel but it's an attempt in what I would see as consuming consciously. I just want to be more aware of what I'm eating but above all of wat I'm wearing. I've been a vegetarian over a year now. Not a strict one but I wasn't a firm meat-eater (sounds like a pokemon or something) either. It got me thinking about the origins of meat, about the production process actually. It got me so mad to actually know how our fine piece of steak was being produced. How animal- and people-unworthy. I was really frustrated and figured I couldn't be anymore ignorant about this. So I decided to become a flexible vegetarian (or flexitarian BUT GOSH, HATE THAT WORD). Right now I'm at a point of no return. I want to know why my tee only costs 6.95 at H&M? How do they make their clothing so accessible when it comes to the price tag? Could it be that they're also keeping their production costs low by using child labour and disgusting Indian workplaces, which also lack hygene? I'm sure I'm not telling you anything new, I mean you've read countless articles and you probably also have seen a lot of documentaries on this subject. So why do we keep our eyes closed for this problem? Probably because it's easier and cheaper. But I think we owe it to ourselves to know where our clothing comes from and in which circumstances it's being produced. We have to know what the moral price is of budget fashion. And that's what I'm going to do for the upcoming months. I'm not saying I'm going to quit high street shoppig because I can't due to 'financial instability' (I'M A STUDENT, YOU KNOW) but I will think twice before I start impulse shopping. Do I need this? Is the price worth the quality? Do I have something similar already? So, I'm not gonna go extreme on this one. I just want to be more aware of the product of misery I'm buying. And I will monthly report about this.
Another topic that joints this topic effortlessly is a new way of dressing called 'dressing down' (it's actually a counterpart to dressing up). I read about it in Elle Hollands september issue. And it basically comes down to this: you wear a lot of basics and plain colours. The fabrics have to be floaty and the cut has to be seemlessly perfect but simple. You can actually see it as a sequel to 90's minimalism but less firm than minimalism because there is actually room for fooling around. But not too much fooling around since you don't want to look crafted. It's about being pure and getting dressed for the sake of getting dressed. And with my new 'project' (sounds so cool but it's actually something individual) coming up, I might just as well embrace that philosophy.

 This 90's couple got the concept of dressing down. Winona Ryder chose for a simple black dress with a very basic cut and Johnny went for a suit and an unbuttoned white shirt. Also notice how Winona kept her hair very simple.

90's Kate Moss is another example of dressing down. See how she also has skipped a bra.

Marques Almeida S/S 2013

Narciso Rodriguez S/S 2011

Prada S/S 2001

Liu Wen

Lauren Marshall

Confused girls do it better

By Neslihan

There is actually no clue or consistency in the collage I've created above. It was just a way to share one of the many enchanting Lana Del Rey pics featured in this month's L'Officiel Paris. In that photoshoot we see a furiously sexy Del Rey, who remains mysterious with every taken picture. The setting, the outfits, the make-up, the hair, everything was in balance and the whole story about a certain 'Rosalita' (impersonated by Lana) was just so credible. And even though I would like to go on and on about Lana's pictures this post was meant to be about something else.
Let's talk about confusion. Confusion is when you enter a twilight zone. Confusion is when you know the answer but your lips are too afraid to form the words. Confusion is screaming in your head while everything around you is quiet. Confusion is being in the moment but not daring to use your initiative. Love is confusion. Friendship is confusion. And confusion is either downfall, either enlightenment.

Collage
Editorial picture from L'Officiel Paris, April 2013
Glasses from A-mourir
Oxford creepers from Marc by Marc Jacobs
Flower crown with little 'veil' from etsy
Red bra from Eberjey

τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει

By Neslihan
skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip-skip
OMGZ U GUYZ IVE GOTZ SO MUCH TO DO
AND SO LIL TIME 2 BLAWG
It's the typical blogger talk, blogs are made for complaining, so what's the fuzz? We're not saving the world, we just trend volatile stuff and hop to the next big thing. Please do read those previous lines with the required irony because I try to trend as little as possible. I try to register the things I like, you know, creating this archive for myself. And if you're willing to read my bs, then I'm more than humbled, dear reader. So yeah, things are quite wild at the moment, I've got a lot of deadlines for school that I have to meet. But I'm keeping calm, since that's only the way I'll make it to the end of this schoolyear. I realize I sound a little negative but that's because of the lack of sleep. Yesterday was my friend's birthday (happy birthday, J! 11th time already!) and we went out to get some drinks. I really had the best time and at a certain moment I wanted to stop time and step out of my body and look at us. Just look and let the moment last a little longer. Don't you love being a teenager? One moment the whole world stops turning and you're just indifferent about the things around you and then life sucks you back into the moment. I feel like I'm still going through those extreme moodswings. And I don't have to justify myself for it. Cuz I'm just a teenage dirtbag, baby (I just had to)! I guess what I'm trying to say is that time does go by really fast and things don't stay as they are now. I mean if I compare myself to the person I was 6 years ago, I wouldn't recognize myself. Even if I'd compare myself to the person I was a year ago. I know this sounds a little drastic but a lot can change in a year. The people you hang out with, the way you perceive things, the way you look at some people. Things that dawn, just like that and you see the importance of some things, some poeple in life. I guess I'm having a profound personal moment here. The title remains a mystery until I feel ready to reveal my initial plan with you.

read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read-read

Meet Andrea Dezso, a Transylvanian-born artist who embroiders the most spectacular scenes. Embroidery sounds really boring and dusty but look what she does with it. The embroidery above is from the 'Lessons from my mother' series. In this series she embroiders a couple of her mother's sayings that are based on superstition or old Transylvanian sayings and legends. This creates sometimes funny and sometimes surrealistically weird effects. This also reminded me of a couple of Turkish sayings (based on superstition):

1)Wash your face in the morning or else the devil will wash it with his pee 

(I ALWAYS wash my face in the morning 'cause ew, no.)

2)Don't cut your nails when it's night

3)Don't go to bed crying because this delights the devil

 4)Wear slippers indoor because the cold floor will leave you infertile

5)Never spoil your last bite because your food will cry after you

Visit her site for her other artworks: http://andreadezso.com

Rather boyish

By Neslihan
Sometimes I look at girls my age and the way they're dressed, looking all very fancy and feminine. Then I look at myself wearing my Doc Martens, old jeans and a loose shirt and I'm thinking it will take me a long time to become elegant. It will take me a long time to eat, walk and talk elegantly. It will take me a very long time to actually become a 'woman'. Maybe I will never entirely succeed (clothing wise) because I choose comfort over glamour and derbies over heels. I can't help it, I feel like I'm creating a sort of uniform, or manly second skin, call it what you want. I feel good in it, I feel like the way I dress totally connects with the way I think and I feel like that's really important: to dress as you are in daily life and not having to play a role. I mean of course we all 'play' a role on a certain level but it's another thing to behave like someone you're not. That would make me really uncomfortable.
I actually think I would do a great job if I were born a guy. I love shirts, brogues, loose blazers and ties! Today I was looking at myself while I put together a manly look and I was in awe. Simple totally works for me, straight to the point and all on the surface. Just the way I try to be. That's why I've created three little collages that embrace my fashion mottoes and unite those with a couple of my male crushes and a little story telling.

Joseph Gordon Levitt is this cute, childishly vulnerable nerd who dresses in an accessibly classy way. He's into brown velvetty fabrics, sophisticated ties and perfectly tailored blazers. That of course accompanied with a slightly smiling cute bearded face. 

See Joseph and I would make an excellent couple: we're equally goofy and nerdy. And we both have this playful naiveté. On top of that we're into refined basics and beautiful fabrics: letting the clothing speak for itself without accessorizing it. Those Paul Smith goodies do that all the same. I'm wearing the shirt and the shoes to grab a lunch at the Soup Lounge. We decide to get a bowl of pumpkin soup and share an apple because we're both incredibly cheesy.

Unusual girls

By Neslihan

There have been times during which the beauty ideal was being chosen by the media. It used to be one type of woman and she'd be hyped until another and even younger girl arrived and stepped up her scene. It was one big cycle of attention until the media and the audience would get sick of her too. She'd be set aside until another leading lady would arrive and it went on and on like that. Icons were being replaced like artistic designers are being replaced in our times but no one cared because times change and so do beauty ideals. That leaves us an amazing amount of powerful and elegant icons who have marked their time with their beauty, ideas and talents. We've put them in this little oakwood box, which we casually open to admire their beautiful pictures and then put them gently back in that box. It seems like we're trying to freeze time and are longing for glamour and pure beauty. Times have changed though because it-girls are being replaced each season instead of each year or after each new movie. And there are also different ideals of beauty now, you can be everyone you want to be and everything is inspiring. Edginess is key and statement of course because the goal is still being memorable. But what I'm wondering is: if someone asked me to sum up some of my 21st (even late 20th) century icons, who would I put in my list? I took some time and these names popped into my mind.
ATTENTION: this is a non-exhaustive list because these are the names that popped into my mind during this blog post, you can't imagine the length of the list if I actually take the time to think about some of my other feminine heroes.
1) Alek Wek
2) Chloe Sevigny
3) Zosia Mamet
4) Florence Welch
5) Robyn
6) Kristen McMenamy
7) Rossy de Palma
8) Lara Stone
9) Lou Doillon

Single lovin'

By Neslihan

Yours truly sending you love. Literally.

In two days every restaurant, every café, every little corner will be overdosed with tacky hearts, cute kissing couples and mellow love songs but you are S-I-N-G-L-E. And I refused to write 'still single' because that just sounds so desparate and desparate is not sexy. Keep that in mind. Now that crucial day for love birds discriminates all the fabulous single gals and dudes. That's why I'm taking a moment to honor all those who are enjoying their lazy single life. A couple of advantages single life offers you:

1) You can be shamelessly selfish! Hey, you do not have to share your candybar or find a movie you both like. You can watch your corny girl's series and have marathons on your own.
2) "I'm sorry but I don't feel like meeting up" or "I'm sick" are excuses you don't have to use if you don't feel like dating your bf. A girl needs some time for herself too, you know?
3) You can crush as hard or as much as you want and you don't have to feel guilty for it!
4) You can shop as long as you want without your bf saying "honey, I'm tired, are we going home already?" or "I'm hungry, let's stop and grab a lunch!"
5) You can wear your slobby PJ's at any hour of the day but that doesn't mean you don't have to look good or take care of yourself. Real love starts with yourself - as cliché as this sounds.
6) You're not overwhelmed by the constant urge of texting or seeing that one person. Seriously saves you some time and energy to do other stuff.
7) You don't have to relate to every love song you hear because ew, no.
8) You can sing and burp shamelessly without worrying whether you're still looking elegant, and that's worth staying single for!

---NO, JUST JOKING.---

PLOT TWIST: IT'S STILL A DIFFERENT KIND 

OF FUN WHEN YOU CAN DO THE THINGS ABOVE

 WITH THAT ONE PERSON. 

The non-existing perks of being a nobody

By Neslihan
I mean yes, there's a lot to talk about. The absence, the exams, New Year, the sales, my reluctant attempts in updating this blog... If I really have to be honest, I'm a little disappointed in the blogging traffic I have gained (or not) after I changed my URL. I've always said that I blogged for myself because to me it was important to have this online diary in which I could record momentary highlights in the fashion buz. It was this kind of inspirational fridge in which I stored my fashion food but as it turns out it feels like I'm only talking to this white wall and I don't get anything out of it. I've created this 'ique feeling' towards my blog because of the lack of traffic AND my missing enthusiasm AND inspiration. I feel like I have to take a new direction to keep things fresh and interesting. I have to find my will to blog again. To feel the blood rushing through my veins when I find a new blog topic. I have to sort things out, you know? I have to awaken the fashion cemetry that I've caused on this blog lately. So, let me do that first. I created this collage in order to accompany my depressing mood, well ehrm, enjoy.

1) 'Welcome to the fake world' editorial, unknown from tumblr
2) '(S)laughter', unknown from tumblr
3) 'Okay, let's satisfy the masses', a still from 'Accattone' by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1961)
4) Girl and typewriter, unknown from tumblr
5) Dita von Teese during the Haute Couture S/S 2007 Jean Paul Gaultier show
6) Yours truly in her most optimistic mood, NOT
7) 'Black is such a happy colour', a still from 'The Addams Family' (AKA my favourite quote)
8) Virgin Mary candles (GIMME, GIMME, GIMME)
9) Audrey Marnay by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue Italia February 1997
10) Drinking and smoking kids, 'Princess Yvonne and Prince Alexander', 1955 by Marianne Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
11) Editorial from Vogue Korea, January 2013
12) Frida Kahlo's death in 1954
13) Marion Cotillard for Vogue Paris, September 2010
14) 'She's morphine, the queen of my vaccine', Alt-J 'Breezeblocks' lyrics

Fashionmania Anarchy of Roses

Changing the blog name has been something I've wanted to do for quite some time now. I've been looking out for blog names for a couple of months. There were a few options regarding new names but I picked this one. I guess I was inspired by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. There isn't a deeper meaning to the new name actually. I just thought it sounded cool and that's why I chose to use it. Also, it's time for something else. Fashionmania almost exists for two years (1 year/Weblog, 1 year/Blogger) so I thought it was time to turn tables.

Outfit post³

By Neslihan
Hello, it has been a while again but I'm just too lazy to write something relevant these days. And also I've been working in this grocery store, so I didn't quite feel like writing about an extensive topic. Now that I'm done working, I can fully enjoy my Summer break again. Let it please be warm so I can wear my dresses and sweat my ass off. I'm back but it might take a while before I get started again. You can all take a look at the photos I took last week. And always wear your sunglasses.

Here I'm wearing a vintage white dress one of my nieces gave me. Also wearing WHITE shoes when I was always the one who claimed white shoes were awefully trashy. That was until I saw these. I know the whole thing looks a bit too white but it actually doesn't really bother me. It's a Nurse X Bride look. Note how depressing my neighbourbood actually looks.

I got this necklace from my 5-year old niece. She made the psychedelic beads from pasticine and I think it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I also adore my Louis Vuitton but actually New Look top.

This outfit was from the day I met my friend and we had a whole bunch of fun. We took like 200 pictures and ate a bag of M&M's. I got this dress from the sales and I could marry John Galliano in it but I could also sleep, do sports and jump in it.

SCARY SCARY SCARY

Doing some crazy dance moves in front of my friend until I come home and...

...see this. It's Helena Bonham Carter for Marc Jacobs, you guys! Can you actually see the similarity between our moves. Lol lol lol

The blogger has a face

By Neslihan

This blog post is actually a milestone in this blog's history. An outfit post, who thought that would ever happen? You've got all sorts of bloggers, like I've ever said. Some are great with tutorials, others are amazing style icons, some others try to talk about the things that keep 'em busy in this industry and I guess I belong to the last group since I suck at make-up and hair and since I don't like to take a lot of pictures of myself. This is not the "I'm so insecure about the way I look" teenager blog post, it's just that I'm not so photogenic and that's fine. I've accepted that fact years ago. 

My style is quite simple because comfort is key. I like bright colours and floral prints, like mentioned in every blog post. And I do not wear heels that often. I'm more of a flats person. The shoes I'm wearing in this blog post are creepers from Doctor Martens (seen here). I fell in love with them just like that. Loving the burgundy colour but they are quite heavy. The first time I wore them, I had to find my balance. I am not kidding you. Anyway this outfit turned out to be more hipster than I wanted it to look like but I couldn't help it. I just put together the things I liked the most and this is the result. I'm more impulsive when it comes to putting my outfits together. It totally depends on the mood I'm having. I'd used to put my outfit together the night before but I've stopped doing so since I became too lazy.

It's such a funny outfit post because that day was rather hot (24°C) and muggy and I wore pants and a jeans shirt. I obviously didn't know what I was thinking. For those of you asking, yes, I've sweat my ass off that day. Nothing actually says summer in this outfit besides Vogue Nederland's July/August edition. I adored the cover when I saw it. So feminine, sexy and summery but I was disappointed with the content. Only the 'Riches of the Reef' photoshoot was satisfactory. I pretty much liked the roughness of that shoot. I could've adored the 'Jouer à la plage' shoot but I simply did not get the 'let's wear a bra and undies underneath our bikinis' concept. I also thought that the 'Is nature my only way' shoot was nice but we get the hazy effect thing in three pictures, you don't need to make a whole photoshoot based on cloudy, yellow'ish effects. 

P.S. thank you mum for taking those pictures

Veni, vidi, vici - London Vintage

By Neslihan
Hello to you all,
I'm back in my beloved Ghent and I must admit I'm very happy to be back. Even though London is an amazing, energetic and very inspiring city, it feels good to be back somewhere less busy. The city truly makes you go in overdrive but visiting Camden was the most amazing part of the whole trip. It's so alternative and you can find lots of original and great pieces there. It's also such a difference with the other places in the city. It feld like a haven of peace. My friends and I visited the vintage shops and also the accessory stalls that were there to find. I had this list of all the things I'd like to have and this list was long but I had to set my priorities so I've shortened the list to a maximum of 5 goods with shoes on top. You probably know already that I'm a sucker for a great pair of Dr. Martens and that was also what was on top of my list but the thing was I already had a pair. So, I had to go for some other pair and since I wanted to have creepers too, I bought creepers from Dr. Martens. The best of both worlds, innit? Another thing on this list was a great pair of vintage denim, 80's-inspired, high-waist shorts and I found them at Berty and Gery, the most amazing vintage shop I've visited so far. And the sales staff was also very friendly and helpful! A must go!
I've taken some pictures but they are not that sharp because there not taken with a fancy camera since I don't have one. So you'll have to stick to this.

Vintage galore

My buys

How is your Easter Break so far?

Love.