Pinterest, You Cruel, Cruel Temptress

     Hello.  My name is Meg.  I am a Pinterest-a-holic.  It's true.  It may look like I am e mailing, texting, surfing the web, but chances are great that if you see me staring intently at my phone, there is a good chance I am heeding the siren call of Pinterest.  I spend far too much time pinning to my Fashion! board.  I am concerned that my other boards are jealous.  In addition to commandeering my precious time, Pinterest has also taken hold of my paychecks!  The outfits below all include items I saw on Pinterest and then ventured to the web to purchase!

Pinterest Purchase: Shoes

Dress: Mango

Bracelets: Express

These were my first purchase via Pinterest.  They are Kenzie, but I got them on Zappos.

Pinterest Purchase:  Jacket

Skirt: NY and Co.

Cami: The Limited

Belt: Variazioni 

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

The jacket is from a little boutique in Australia!  They charged in American dollars and did not charge shipping!  I like the fact that my jacket has traveled the world!

Pinterest Purchase: Dress

Jacket and tights: Target

Boots: Steve Madden

The dress came from a boutique in LA.  I am still on the fence about the "mullet" hem trend.  Techincally, it's buisness in the back and party in the front, right?  I decided to pair the blue dress with some mustard yellow tights.  My mom is rejoicing at the tights.  I have fought the wearing of hosiery for many years, much to her chagrin...

Indian Summer

     The weather is still warm here in the Burgh, (Hello, September? Did you not get the memo?! It's football season and you're supposed to be cool!  We want to wear jeans, and boots, and scarves!) so I have been gravitating towards short skirts.  I am not a fan of shorts and find skirts and dresses most comfortable in the summer and warmer temps.  Hopefully the next post will bring some fall fashion.  It's my favorite!

Wore this for a dinner out with the family.  I had jeans on for work during the day and switched to the skirt for the evening.

Skirt: Dolce and Gabbana

T Shirt: Random boutique in SoHo

Blazer: Victoria's Secret catalog (Their suiting is the best!)

Shoes: Aldo

A lace skull?!  I die!  Random is not the name of the boutique; it was literally some hole in the wall place on Broadway that I happened to stop in on my way to Topshop.  This shirt is actually a knock off of one that Urban Outfitters sells.  Mine was $20 cheaper than the Urban version!

Have had this skirt for almost a year and still am trying to make it work.  It is too prissy to wear with a blazer or something dressy, so I am trying to toughen it up a bit with just a burnout t shirt and some boots. 

T shirt: Bar III

Skirt: The Limited

Boots: Steve Madden

 Some more blue and black!  I am drawn to blue more often than not.  Navy in particular!

Shirt and Skirt: Target

Tank: Wal Mart  (best cheap tank tops!)

Shoes: Aldo

Necklace: Francesca's Closet 

Feathers!  Add them to the list with skulls and butterflies!

 The Art Deco period is one of my favorites style and architecture wise.  I saw a street vendor in NYC peddling this bauble for waaaay cheaper than what I paid. Bummer.  Also just saw a picture of one of the littlest Kardashians wearing it.  I try to avoid all things Kardashian, but figured the little ones (who are actually Jenners...poor Bruce...) really can't escape the madness, so I cannot blame them.  And I had mine first...

So this skirt is not exactly short, but will transition nicely into fall!  I actually have two of these as the first one got snagged during my, ahem, after class activities during school this summer!  What?!  Studying on Central Park benches is murder on chiffon!

Skirt: Forever 21

Tank: Bar III

Shrug: Anthropologie

Shoes: Steve Madden

Bracelets: Target and The Gifted

Grosgrain ribbon=legit.

Never too many

Been Around the World...

     Paper grading season has officially opened, so that means that I probably will not get to post as often as I have been.  Expect some "Week in Review" types of posts like this one!  As I was organizing my photos from this week, I realized that a lot of what I wore had been purchased during my many travels.  It was nice  being nostalgic as I uploaded pictures, and I love that there are stories behind so many of the pieces of clothing that I am wearing!  I am teaching a mythology class this year, and we have been talking about our own "mythology" and how our personal stories make us who we are and help others learn about us.  So next time you see an article of clothing you purchased on a trip, think "chapter in my life story," not just "sweatshirt I bought because it was cold at the beach!"

This dress is actually a bathing suit cover-up and is sheer.  Had to search everywhere for a long black slip to wear underneath it!  This dress made frequent appearances in NYC this summer and helped celebrate the last day of grad school classes!

Dress: H & M

Bracelet: Forever 21

Sandals: Payless

Ring: Street vendor in Venice

 These shoes have seen the world!  They are pretty much the only shoe I wore in NYC this summer (too bad I packed 10 other pairs!) and have traipsed me around Paris, London, and Italy.  How's that for being at least five-years-old and about ten bucks from Payless!

I purchased this on my last day in Venice.  My goal when I was in Italy was to buy something that each region is known for (glass in Venice, leather in Florence, etc.).  I was losing hope in Venice ( I mean, what am I going to do with a vase, dish, or glass menagerie...) until I found this tiny shop selling these rings!

 Remember when I told you traffic cone orange and blue GO?!  I purchased the shirt and scarf in Rome.  I had spent two days patiently basking in all of the "touristy" attractions, but was so ready to get shopping in this beautiful city! Spent a lovely day with my mom retailing in Roma!

Shirt and scarf: Zara

Skirt: The Limited

Shoes: BCBG

Bracelets: Hemline and Target

 Picked these up after an arduous journey to a land called DSW...sorry, no real story here, except I love em!

Did you know that New Orleans tops a lot of lists as one of the best shopping destinations?  I discovered this firsthand when I rang in 2012 there last year!  I found the cross bracelet at a tiny boutique called Hemline in the French Quarter.  It was created by an artist who works mostly with metal.  She attaches her pieces to ribbons from dancers' old pointe shoes that she has dyed.

Before the skulls, the obsession was butterflies...

Ah...I was definitely in a New York State of mind today!  Most of this outfit was purchased this summer in NYC.  After a marathon day of shopping in SoHo with my loves from grad school, I had purchased NOTHING.  I was getting worried; me finding nothing that caught my eye during a shopping trip?  I was about to walk myself straight to the nearest hospital to get checked and/or alert everyone to gather their loved ones around as this was surely a sign of the apocalypse. As much as I enjoyed spending time with my friends, shopping is often a solo mission for me.  I went back to the same stores the next day and discovered SO MUCH.  Not so great for my wallet...

Blazer and T-shirt: H & M

Pants: Zara

Shoes: Steve Madden

Scarf: Target

Bracelet: Street vendor in Sorrento, Italy

My final purchase in Italy!  Sorrento is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen!  Known for its coral (and Limoncello!), I found it in bracelet form.  Perfecto!

Blue on Black

     I am not a huge fan of matching.  To me it is too contrived, requires little creativity.  I prefer items of clothing to go, not match. For example red and purple do not necessarily match; but they can go, i.e. "Look how that red shirt goes with those purple pants!"  Yet I found myself unable to escape matchy-matchy-ville the other morning as I was getting ready for work.  I partially blame the time; it was 4:30 in the morning. I was worried it was too much blue and black, so I added the red earrings to break it up a bit.

Skirt: Forever 21

Tank: Anthropologie

Shrug: White House Black Market

Earrings: The Limited

Bracelets: H&M

Shoes: Guess

   Ideally, I wanted to wear my blue bird tank with a traffic cone orange skirt (cobalt blue and neon orange go you see), but alas, I cannot find an orange skirt.  Still searching!

Detail of the tank and skirt. I am a sucker for details in clothing. Kinda loving the birds and lace!

Unconventional Couture

And the winner is....

The MoMa Moment!  Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for my first day of school outfit!  I had a fabulous first day and am excited about this new school year!  

     Speaking of moments...inspiration can strike at any time!  Some of my best lessons have been planned after seeing a display at the grocery store, while standing in line at Starbucks and overhearing (okay eavesdropping on...beware, I listen!) a conversation, while walking into work while it is still dark outside and feeling like the only person awake.  I feel fairly confident in saying that teachers look at and perceive the world differently; we are usually trying to find the teachable moments in life, and I for one like to be inspired by the unconventional.  

     Such an unconventional moment struck me a few days ago.  I am not a big pajama person, but I have had this pair of satin cargo pajama pants for ages. In the midst of a neurotic closet purge, I found them and thought to myself, why relegate them to sleepwear?  I put a scarf (leopard print, of course) and some heels with them for everyday.  Still a work in progress I think, but I am determined to, as Tim Gunn would say, "Make them work!"  Let me know your thoughts!

Hot for Teacher

   Ahhh, back-to-school!  Remember when it was all about your Trapper Keeper, new pencil boxes that held Mr. Sketch Scented Markers (cherry!), new highlighters and all of your hopes and dreams?  Part of the reason I enjoy teaching is because there is a beginning, middle, and end to my job.  The beginning is one of the best parts because there is so much potential.  A new school year is like the shiny surface of that new Trapper Keeper, the pristine tip of a brand new marker, the highlighter unmarred by the pencil marks it will emphasize; filled with opportunity.

     Back-to-school clothes were always exciting too!  The jeans and shirts you bought while school shopping with parents or grandparents in July and August but were not allowed to wear until the school year began; they sat there in your closet beckoning you to wear them.  And of course, there was the all important first day of school outfit! Whether you planned it in advance or threw on the first thing you saw when you rolled out of bed, it had the distinction of the outfit in which you began your year and ultimately was special because of that.
  
     Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, I am asking you all to help me decide what to wear when I meet my new kiddies on Tuesday!  Which outfit will "make the grade" for the first day? Comment, hit me up on Facebook or Twitter, e mail me.  I will wear the outfit that gets the most "votes" and post it on Tuesday!

THE TRIFECTA

Ask any of my friends from New York; while I was there this summer I was ridiculously drawn to lace, skulls, and neon.  This outfit incorporates all three, hence the name "Trifecta."  Had I found a way to incorporate leopard print, I may have exploded.

Lace T-shirt and cuff: Forever 21

Tank top: The Limited

Skirt: NY and Co.

Scarf: Zara

Shoes: Steve Madden

THE MoMA MOMENT

This skirt reminds me of a painting, so I decided to name this look after the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).  Can you tell I am still in a New York state of mind...

Skirt, cami, and necklace: The Limited

Blazer: Victoria's Secret Catalog

Leather cuff: street vendor in Florence, Italy

Shoes: Zara

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Because sometimes I need a break from my beloved leopard print, but still need something of the jungle persuasion!  And pockets make everything better!

Skirt: Express

Cami and earrings: The Limited

Shrug: White House Black Market

Bracelets: Target and The Gifted

Shoes: Steve Madden

What Meg Wore

     Because I love (okay, am OBSESSED with) fashion.  Because I like to play dress up in my closet.   Because I could not walk five feet today without being stopped and told that my style is awesome (it also yielded a job offer!). Because I believe that world peace can be achieved if everyone took the time to look his or her best. Because my friends (and strangers!) have told me I should...I am going to take this blog in a slightly different direction.

     I am going to try and post my daily sartorial ventures! So come back often to check out "What Meg Wore."  I promise I will still take the time to write and wax philosophical too!

     If you would like me to style you for an event (or everyday!), help you clean out your closet, take you shopping, tell you "What Not To Wear" and how to "Make it Work,"  please contact me (leoprintisaneutral@gmail.com). I would LOOOOOOVE to help you with any fashion endeavor!  Please feel free to share my blog link with friends, family, whomever!

Dress, belt, and shoes: Target

Bag: street vendor in NYC on the corner of 57th and 6th

Bracelets: Target and Francesca's Closet

I am slightly smitten with skulls at the moment!

Have I mentioned that leopard print is a neutral?

 

Bring the Pain!

      “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” is a mantra by which most marathoners live.  It is fairly self-explanatory.  I know few people who can claim they have felt great at mile 12, 18, 25 of a marathon, but you train your body and your mind to be comfortable being in pain.  There was no indoctrination of this concept needed when I pledged the fraternity that is distance running by training for my first marathon.  It was already my life hymn.
     I continually find myself in uncomfortable situations.  Sometimes they are accidental (sorry person on the subway who I sat on today!), but more often I make a purposeful choice to ensure my discomfort (one word ladies: Spanx).  Sounds odd, doesn’t it? Who would deliberately want to make himself or herself uncomfortable?  I argue that EVERYONE should on a regular basis!  It is too easy to be so, well, comfortable with what we know and do that we forget the beauty that can come from breaking out of our comfort zones. Complacency, to me, is a four-letter word.  Being happy with the status quo?  ICK!
     I have just embarked on perhaps one of my most uncomfortable adventures yet: living and going to school in New York City.  The months leading up to this transition were great.  I loved when people asked me about the move and my graduate program.  I wore my Columbia University gear with pride.  I found a great neighborhood in which to live while I was in NYC.  But that was all still very comfortable, as my life really had not changed all that much.  Now I have made the move and have been here for a few days, and I have to say, I am feeling uncomfortable.  My family is no longer five minutes away.  I have to figure out/begin new daily routines.  I have to ask directions a lot because I often do not know where I am (hard for me to do; I don’t want to look weak!).  I have taken the wrong subway more than a few times.  I have had to eat meals by myself and try not to feel like a loser amongst all of the dining couples and groups.  Um, not very Sex in the City.  Not going to lie, a few tears have been shed, but I am embracing the “pain” and have learned a lot in the past few days.
     When people asked me why I was doing this my answer was: I am too comfortable in my job and my routine.  Many said that I should take comfort in the comfortable because it means I have made it and now the going will be easy.  I just get itchy at the thought of easy.  A lot of people also told me I was brave for applying to school and making a move to the big, scary city away from my comfort zones.  Funny thing is, when I left my previous career to become a teacher, a lot of my former colleagues used the same word to describe my choice to make a change.  I find the use of this word so odd.  How is what I am doing (and what I did nine years ago) BRAVE?  But then I wonder how many people are so embedded in their comfort zones that they don’t see the opportunities the world offers.  Or maybe they have thought about making a break from their comfort zones and simply do not because they are not courageous enough.
     I am not suggesting that everyone move to a new city, but everyone should consider and/or find the courage to make himself or herself uncomfortable in some way.  Try a food you normally would not.  Style your hair differently.  Take a new route to work.  Go to dinner by yourself.  It might surprise you how much it affects your day, your outlook, your mood.  Embrace the uncomfortable, because it is often where the magic happens!
   

  

Freak Flags Flying

     I am weird. Yep, I said it.  Weird.  I enjoy things that most would classify as eccentric.  I like outfits that do not quite match.  I like something my colleagues have deemed "crab yogurt" (lump crab meat, Greek yogurt, as much garlic as you can handle.  Mix together.  Enjoy.  You're welcome.) I think drag queens are fascinating (if you have not watched RuPaul's Drag Race, you really don't know what you are missing!).  I purposefully stop during my runs to scroll to Nickleback songs on my iPod. In one breath I can be both philosophical and shallow. My name is Meg, and I am a Weird.
     I feel I fall into this category often, and as much as I embrace it, it also fuels my insecurities.  While doing some reading for grad school, I had a light bulb moment when I read the following, "going against the normal is bound to raise resistance (even though they may be small ones) and resistance usually stems from one being frightened and/or uninformed to new ideas and beliefs."  Although I was reading about educational reform, I likened the idea to being weird.  If you are one of "The Weirds," resistance from "The Normals" is something that you will be forced to confront.  Girls, a new show on HBO, recently spoke to this idea.  The main character Hannah was watching her boyfriend Adam rehearse a very personal scene in a play.  After watching him enact an intimate memory she said to him, "Do you know how unusual it is to see someone doing something that is so open, honest, and weird and you're NOT making fun of them in your head?"  I am going to add "out loud" to this too.  Making fun of someone or something (either in your head or out loud) that may be considered weird is such a natural reaction and is also the resistance mentioned in my grad school reading. But why?  Why are we so quick to make fun of something that frightens us, that we do not understand, that goes against our idea of normal?  Why not stop and just accept it? Why are we so slow to recognize the beauty in the odd?
     Being one of The Weirds then requires the cliched "thick-skin," because how much resistance can you take before you give in to the white noise and think, "The Normals are right, and I am wrong."  When does normal become "correct" and weird become "wrong?"  I imagine this threshold is different for everyone (as are the definitions of normal and weird).  Mine is obviously low.  I generally do not let my Freak Flag fly except in very particular company.
     Maybe what I need to embrace is not necessarily my weirdness, but the resistance to it.  If people are questioning me, making fun of me, resisting my ideas, it must mean I have ignited an insecurity in them.  Their resistance might come from being frightened or uninformed, but at least it means I have made them think.  It is easy to say this, but difficult to act upon because I feel it will lead me too often to a place that is very lonely. There are not many people who "get" me. When I bond with someone intellectually, they think my love of fashion and material things is shallow.  When I find a kindred fashionista, he or she usually cannot wax philosophical about literature with me. In either situation, I am the Weird.  Perhaps I should place an ad:

SWF (Sophisticated (yet) Weird Female) seeks OW (Other Weirds)

MUST LIKE: outfits that don't match but go, crazy food concoctions, men who wear make-up and look more FABULOUS than most women, bands most people would be embarrassed to admit they listen to,  discussing 50 Shades of Grey AND classic Brit Lit.

MUST BE ABLE TO: Engage in existential conversations but be able to take breaks from said conversations to shop at Forever 21 and recreate outfits seen on Pinterest.  Completely understand the following: "I put a studded belt with that girly dress to toughen it a bit and make it less precious," AND "The motif of love vs. autonomy is represented when Jane Eyre refuses Rochester's marriage proposal out of fear she will lose her identity," without translation.

     The truth is, I imagine we all feel like one of The Weirds fighting resistance from The Normals from time to time.  And sometimes we are The Normals resisting The Weirds.  My goal is to make a conscious effort to not let the noise from The Normals bog me down. I also want to be aware of and stave off when I tread into Normal territory and resist the Weird. I encourage everyone to do the same. Weird is good.  It brings thought and often change. Raise your Freak Flag, whatever it may be lest we find ourselves in a Normal Apocalypse. I leave you with photos of Sharon Needles. A fabulous drag queen (and fellow Pittsburgh girl!) and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race. She is open, honest, and weird. Practice resisting your Normal tendencies.

Clicking My Heels

     Some of my students recently did a project inspired by The Wizard of Oz, and it got me thinking about the characters from the story, their desires, and my own need for a Wizard intervention.  While the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion all had exclusive needs (brain, heart, courage), I find I may have a need for all three.  Or maybe I just want Dorothy's faboosh ruby slippers...

If I Only Had (Less) of a Brain

     I fancy myself an intellectual.  I enjoy deep conversations and diatribes about life, love, religion, politics, the meaning of the universe, the brevity of celebrity marriages, you know, the IMPORTANT things.  I relish being intelligent, but my brain is usually on overdrive.  I am never satisfied to just let things be.  I am in constant analysis mode, always trying to "figure things out."  The problem becomes, I usually create meaning where there may be none, create issues where none originally existed, and make the proverbial mountain out of a molehill.  Being observant serves me well on occasion, but it also makes me miss the simple joys in life because the grey matter inside my skull cannot function without a million questions and observations constantly swirling.  I would ask the Wizard for an "off switch" for my brain.

If I Only Had a (Stronger) Heart

     It has pumped through four marathons, so I know my heart is physically strong.  The strength I need is to love and accept myself a bit more.  While in constant analysis mode, I am also in a perpetual state of self-reflection or, more often than not, self-deprecation.  After being observed by my superiors and told what a great job I am doing, I have thought, "I am awful.  I can do better."   After completing a 16 mile run, I have thought, "I'm weak! I can push myself harder."  When I have been complimented on my attire or appearance, I have thought, "I am fat and ugly.  They're just being nice."  Even just casually hanging out with friends I have often thought, "I sound stupid.  I should stop talking."  I am not ignorant to my accomplishments, nor do I think that the people around me are just paying me lip service; I just wish my heart loved ME a little bit more.  I would ask the Wizard for a Valentine card to myself.

If I Only Had (More) Courage

     Fear is an emotion that I let control my life too often.  It kind of piggybacks off of needing less of a brain and a stronger heart.  The aforementioned over analytical mind and self-belittlement leads to the fear.  I fear that I am not smart enough, not pretty enough, not friendly enough, not ENOUGH.  I fear that I am making wrong choices.  I fear that I will never become the person that I am meant to be.  I fear that I am NOT the person I want to be.  I fear that everyone else has life figured out except me.  I fear that I will never be satisfied with my life.  I fear that I do not have the courage to make mistakes, to fail.  I fear the potential that I have if I stopped questioning, stopped disparaging, stopped fearing.  This one is pretty simple, Wizard.  Like the Lion, I just need some more courage.

     I cannot help but think that we ALL could use a Wizard from time to time.  (Plus, I could not make this post all about me.  I questioned the fact that it focused on just me, then thought that I am selfish and full of myself for making it all about me, then feared posting it because it was all about me.)  What the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion were seeking are pretty universal.  Who has not been in a situation involving questioning, loving, fearing, perhaps all three at once? The reality is that the Wizard does exist.  We ARE the Wizard.  Although it would be nice for there to be an all-knowing and powerful being to fix all of our problems, it has to come from us.  We are the men (and women) behind the curtain.  I  have to find the "off switch" in my brain, I  have to love myself a bit more, I  have to not give into the fear so much.  No Wizard is going to do these things for me.  So I encourage everyone to seek out his or her inner Wizard and allow it to give us the things that we need.  I just consulted my own inner Wizard.  She said I can deal with my brain, heart, and fear tomorrow.  For now I should go out and buy some wicked shoes!

Phenomenal Women

   Last week, while waiting in line at the grocery check-out and as usual being lost in thought, the exclamatory sound of, "I'M GONNA BE ON THE COVER OF THAT MAGAZINE SOMEDAY!" jolted me out of my daydream.  I looked down to see an eager four-year-old staring at me intently and pointing to (insert any title) Celebrity Gossip magazine. I smiled at her but thought, "Great! Our celebrity and fame obsessed culture is nabbing them earlier and earlier."  Then the little girl added, "But I have to be pretty first."  My smile faded.  It reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was in the same situation.  Grocery store check-out line, dad of five-year-old girl in a hurry, five-year-old girl staring at magazines on rack and grabbing at her waist and hips, five-year-old girl then asking, "Daddy, am I fat?" while continuing to stare at the models on the covers.  It is one thing for a grown woman to be dismayed by her size, weight, body type, and overall attractiveness, but what is happening when kindergarten aged girls are making comments like my grocery store companions?

In short, the answer lies with what prompted their comments.  Media. Images of women in the media are nothing new.  Women's faces, looks, and the female figure have been honored for centuries in art, literature, film.  What has been revered as attractive, however, has changed.  Below are a few images to confirm that.

    The ultimate question is why? Why did we go from Rubens Graces, to Marylin, to nameless waif as the ultimate female representation?  I do not think there is a clear answer, but I suppose another question is why does it have to be one or the other? Can the thin model not exist next to the curvier model in the same magazine? Both women exist in real life!
      The fashion industry has recently tried to address the trend of the too-thin model that has permeated magazines and runways for the past two decades, but they are doing it in a sort of haphazard way.  There are "Special Editions" of magazines that feature plus-sized models.  Why does it have to be labeled "Special?"  Does that not still proclaim that someone who is bigger than a typical model is not NORMAL?  And most of the photo spreads in these special editions feature models who are in various states of undress or in "themed" photos (Look! She is a fifties pin-up girl, a temptress!)  So women deemed larger by society's standards should only be gazed upon as desirable if they are naked or in costume?  Consider the photo below from Vogue.  Forget that they are lounging in a restaurant in lingerie; they are doing so at a table filled with food (Not just any food--PASTA. Yikes! A CARB!) and wine. I will let you stew on that irony.

    But let's not forget about the real models.  The thin women who grace the regular editions of magazines, because as I said earlier, why can't we all just get along? Bottom line, clothes showcase (please note I did not say "look") better on thin models.  They are human hangers.  Curves manipulate the lines of clothes and how they are designed to fall and hang.  A phrase that I cannot stand is, "Real women have curves."  So a woman who is devoid of said curves is fake?  She is not.  A thin woman is as much a woman as the one with larger breasts and hips.  I am not in favor of replacing the thin model with the zaftig one simply because she can be labeled "real."  And what about the woman who falls somewhere in between?  Does she get a "Special Edition" of Vogue?  I can see it now: Vogue the Completely Average Edition.  Why do we need to exist in extremes?
      I was saddened by the comments that the girls in the grocery store made not because I was worried that they will spiral into eating disorders or emotional abysses, but because they only saw one example of pretty, and it does not always represent women well.  One of the young ladies was black.  She was pointing at a magazine that had only white women on its cover. Think about it; in her four-year-old naivete she was exclaiming that only white women are pretty.  But how many times a day does she see a woman like the one below pictured on a magazine, on the television, in advertisements? Guess she will have to wait for the Vogue Black Edition (Yes, this exists.  Only in Italy, though.)

 What I am talking about is not revolutionary, nor is it the last time the issue will be addressed. The concept of female attractiveness is perhaps another one of my anthropological pursuits.  I find it very interesting that what is valued as beautiful to one person can be deemed unattractive to another.  There are a lot of pretties out there. Would it be so weird to see them represented all at one time, without any special editions?