All Good Things Must Come To An End...

I've put off writing this post for a while, partly because I wasn't sure what I wanted to say, mostly because I didn't really want to have to acknowledge that I'd be ending the blog for good.

Last month I announced that I would be hanging up my blogging hat. Writing this blog and interacting with its amazing readers has been one of the most exciting and personally fulfilling things I've ever done in my life. FGB has opened my world up in ways I'd never have expected and led to opportunities I've only dreamed of.

These past few weeks I've dramatically cut down on my posting and I've begun to get a feel for what my life will be like after today when I stop blogging. There's a lot I'm going to miss about this incredible community and the enjoyment I gained from writing and expressing my thoughts on this page. But it also feels so refreshing to regain the freedom I had before I began dedicating 30+ hours a week to managing the blog. I've been able to relax and really enjoy my final semester of college in a way that I couldn't when I was up at dawn writing every morning, every week.

Because I don't know of any better way to express my gratitude to those of you who've contributed to FGB through your comments and e-mails, I want to simply thank you. Though I will probably never meet most of you, you mean a great deal to me and I appreciate the support and encouragement you've given me in the past year and a half.

Thank you.

I'm going to leave the blog up online, though there won't be any new posts after this. In a week or so I'm going to shut down the comments section though, not because I don't want to hear from you, but because I don't want to delete spam comments every day for the rest of my life. If you want to contact me, I'll keep fakinggoodbreeding@gmail.com running and I'll try my best to respond to your e-mail. If you're visiting FGB for the first time and are totally confused by this post, I encourage you to read through the archives or just check out my page of favorite posts.

Again, thank you.

Weekly Links

The Guardian highlights a photographer whose work investigates "modern fashion tribes," showing that people who aspire to look different often end up resembling each other. Via The Thoughtful Dresser.

The New York Times looks at whether the media holds male and female celebrities to a double standard.

Beauty Addict shares her expert tips for applying self-tanner.

The New York Times explores the growing beauty trend of people forgoing shampoo.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Women's Magazines... So Little Changes in 50 Years

Do you ever pick up an issue of Cosmo, Elle, Lucky, Allure or any other women's magazine and get the feeling that you've read the content before? The same tips, tricks, photo spreads and "serious" pieces feel like they're recycled month after month, just with a new celebrity tacked on the cover.

In doing research for a paper I'm writing on feminism and women's magazines, I came across this article from a 1950 issue of the Atlantic Monthly in which British journalist Marghanita Laski complains that women's magazines simply rehash the same information each month. It's hilarious to compare her summary of the mags to the content of popular titles today, proving that very little has changed in the last 58 years.


Since I can't re-post the whole article, but here's a little excerpt. Again, you can read the full text here thanks to Google Books.

It is as much a source of amazement as of income to me that readers of the women's magazines have such an insatiable thirst for reading the same information over and over again, despite the fact that any one year's reading must inevitably give enough information about the technique of being a woman to see one through a lifetime. I have, then, no fear of spoiling the market, either for myself or others. Every subject in this symposium, given a snappy title and an angle that appeals to the editor, will still be worth a substantial fee.

Accessories:

The simplest are in the best taste.
Men like women to be in the best taste.

Broken Hearts:

Find a new interest.
Time cures all.
Men don't like women to ring them up.

Care of Face:

Remove old make-up with cream (dry skins), lotion (oily skins), or superfatted soap (if you must).
Then dab face with an astringent lotion.
Then pat in nourishing ream.
Blackheads are frequently due to internal causes. Drink lots of water.
Men are repelled by pimples.

Charm:

Charm is an indefinable quality.
Men like it.

Clothes:

Choose the clothes that suit you.
You can be perfectly dressed at every income level.
Little touches of white must be immaculate.
Diagonal stripes are slimming.
Invest your all in one good little black dress (or tweed suit).
Don't go for clutter but have lots of bits and pieces that will make one outfit do the work of ten.
Men like black satin, well-cut tweeds, floating tulle, utter simplicity, and don't notice what you wear anyway.

Culture:

Read good books sometimes.
Men don't like cultured women much.

Saturday Links

In what is one of the funniest and most spot-on reviews I've ever read, The New York Times' Critical Shopper visits Victoria's Secret.

Annie at Poetic and Chic reviews Dana Thomas' Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.

Apparently more women (including myself) are forgoing perfume, much to the dismay of the beauty industry, according to the New York Times.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

A New Male Ideal?

Last week's New York Times had an interesting article on the changing look of male runway models.

Apparently, the Tyson Beckford body type (chisled muscles, classically handsome) has been replaced by the male version of "heroin chic," 6' tall guys weighing 140 lbs and measuring in with 28 inch waists. It took a while, but men walking the catwalk are now being held to the same freakish standards that female models have experienced during the last 15 years.


It's interesting to think about what kind of implications this trend may have for shifting ideals of male beauty and its effects on regular men. But first let's take a minute to think about how the skinny model trend affected women.

Hollywood takes its cues from the fashion world, and since runway models began shrinking in the mid-1990's, we've seen the average size of actresses, singers and starlets shrink as well. The media that perpetuate the celeb-crazed culture (which is strongest among young women) witnessed this and turned the weight gain and loss of a female celebrity into a news-worthy event. The message that thin=good is only further emphasized in the contrasting national debate over obesity. I think there's some validity to the idea that this constant discussion of women's weight and size has led to an increasing pressure among regular women to lose weight and meet a specific beauty ideal.

There are a number of reasons why we can't expect the this trend among male models to take off in the way that it did among women. The connection between the fashion world and Hollywood men is far weaker, and men's fashion trends change at a glacial pace anyway. Overall, there's far less interest in the fashion world among men than there is among women. And I think it's generally acknowledged that men are judged less on the basis of their looks than women are, giving them less incentive to starve to fit a certain ideal.

But there's a chance that this trend could have a trickle-down effect and have some permanence. Men connected to the fashion world are already feeling pressure to lose weight to fit the most stylish clothes (Karl Lagerfeld famously lost nearly 100 lbs in order to fit into a Hedi Slimane suit). I guess we'll just have to wait and see if regular guys across America ditch their oversized sweatshirts baggy cargo pants in favor of similar slimmer styles.

Saturday Links

The New York Times looks at the successes and failures of Product (RED).

The Beauty Brains explain what makes certain makeup waterproof and long-lasting.

Speaking of super-strength makeup, Capitol Hill Barbie is a fan of Bobbi Brown's long-wear line.

Images from the latest Target GO International collection designed by Jovovich Hawk are available and the collection looks promising.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Reader Question: What To Wear To Paris In The Winter

Dear Meg,

I have a question: I'm going to Paris on a student exchange at the end of the year. It'll be fall going on to winter, and since I've lived in a tropical country for my entire life, what exactly does one pack? Could you suggest a few versatile clothes? And I'm especially concerned about shoes -- are boots a must, or will I be able to survive in my sneakers alone? I'm awfully clueless.

Thanks!

Eunice

Setting aside my jealousy that you'll be spending a semester in Paris, I can suggest a few items that I think will help you transition to the cold weather. I've never been to Paris, but according to my research, the fall and winter are fairly chilly and rainy, though not snowy, which is nice. You'll definitely want plenty of clothes that can hold up to wet, windy weather, preferably layers that you can add on or take off when you move in and out of buildings. You also want versatile pieces that can be dressed up or down,

My first suggestion would be to pick up a trench coat in a waterproof fabric, ideally at 3/4 length. A trench is classic, chic and will never go out of style, so your money will be well-spent. Here's an example of a basic one from MICHAEL by Michael Kors.


When winter sets in, even the best trench won't keep you warm, so look for some lightweight sweaters that you can layer. I love cardigans for this purpose, since they're so easy to take on and off depending on how you're feeling. Dress a cardigan down with jeans and a tee or cami or throw it over a cocktail dress if you're going out on the town. This cardigan is from Nordstrom BP.


Another great piece to have that will help you transition from warm to cooler days and can also dress up or down is a cashmere or pashmina wrap. You can wear it as a scarf, throw it casually over your shoulders or pair it with a formal outfit. Here's one from Nordstrom, though you can find them for much less at discount stores.

Moving on to footwear...

I think you'll definitely need a good walking shoe and a waterproof boot of some kind. If you're the kind of girl who lives in sneakers, you could stick with those for dry days, but for something more Parisian, look for a cute pair of comfortable flats, like these from Me Too


The same goes for boots: if you tend toward the sporty and casual, you could go with a rubber pair like these, but if you want something that's a little more formal, I'd go with a low-heeled equestrian style like these

Any of these items would be perfect for days spent browsing the Louvre, eating chocolate croissants and riding around with cute boys on Vespas. Have a fantastic time during your study abroad!

Saturday Links

Mrs. Fashion dissects "fierce".

Linda Grant, Thoughtful Dresser blogger is on a quest for well-made, fashionable and ethically produced clothes in the Guardian.

Afrobella reviews Cover Girl's Queen Collection.

Annie at Poetic and Chic makes fun of "officially unofficial award-giving and mutual heavy petting that's running rampant around the blogosphere" and I couldn't agree more.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Transparency and Beauty Bloggers

Yesterday's New York Times had a very thought-provoking article on the lack of transparency among beauty bloggers, most of whom do not reveal when they've been given products for free from companies or refuse to review a product negatively, out of fear of harming their relationship with the brand. For those of us who've followed the beauty blogging world for a long time, this isn't new news, but it serves as a good reminder of why you have to always be skeptical when reading blogger reviews. I have written in the past about my own policy in regards to accepting gifts from companies and take the stance that it's dishonest not to tell readers how you acquired the products you're reviewing. Whether they still choose to trust your opinion is up to them, but at least you show that you respect them enough to tell the whole story.

Check out the article and my previous post on the subject and let me know what you think.

Reader Question: Dealing With An Obnoxious Acquaintance

Hi Meg,

I need some help with a difficult acquaintance of mine. I have known her for the last two years through a sports club and have never really been on the best of terms with her. She is unbearably rude, loud and arrogant. She frequently chooses not to talk to some of the club members because they speak to someone who happened to point out her behaviour to her more than three years ago. My main problem is that when the entire sports club gets together, she basically ignores half the group, gives them cold looks or even goes so far as to make nasty comments about some of the people in the room, passing it all off a joke.

Unfortunately, there is no way to not invite her to these events as she is a club member and a girlfriend of a club member. At the club's New Year's Party, I was organising a game of Twister and asked some of the people at the party if they would like to join us. She rolled her eyes, sighed and commented: "Would someone giver her some f*cking vodka to shut her up?" to the entire room. Unfortunately, the club has organised an event for the weekend which both she and I will be attending. I was wondering if you could give me some advice to deal with her rudeness. Should I politely ask her to stop being so rude, or should I just ignore it? One of my friends told me to start retorting to her comments about people when she makes them but I really don't want to be rude in return. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated.

Regards, Diana

Wow, this woman sounds like a real nightmare!

I think you have a few options in addressing the situation, though I'm sorry to say that I think you should keep your expectations low and not expect her to change her abysmal behavior.

It's inevitable that she'll make another rude or inappropriate remark at some point during the weekend and I think that taking her aside and politely saying that you didn't like what she said, that it hurt your feelings or made you uncomfortable, etc. There's a small chance that she is totally oblivious to how others perceive her comments and has positive intentions. I've had experience with people who say rude things or publicly put down others out of insecurity and a desire to seem funny or powerful, and this may be her problem.

Unfortunately, she's probably just an obnoxious person who doesn't care at all what you or other people think of her. While ignoring her is frustrating, I don't think she would respond well to being confronted in front of others, as your friend suggested. I think you're right that it's wrong to meet rudeness with rudeness and the situation could quickly spiral out of control. In my experience dealing with people like this, you just have to come to terms with the fact that you can never change them, and just hope that they realize the error of their ways on their own. If she doesn't like most of the people in the club (and it doesn't sound like they like her either), hopefully she'll drop out on her own.

Does anyone else have advice for Diana?