LINK LOVE with a TWIST, April 4, 2011

LINK LOVE with a TWIST, April 4, 2011

Do Europeans really dress better than Americans?  How would you define the term “ curvy“?  If you are a fashion blogger – why?  Why do you blog?  Are you comfortable in your own skin?  How do you deal with unexpected life challenges?  These are just a few of the questions that this week’s LINK LOVE submissions will leave you asking.  Read on for the goods!

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bangs and a bun – Europeans Dress Better Than Americans: Fact: This is, I hope, the first of many Link Love submissions by Madison of Fashion Tales!  She decided to nominate the post because “the lovely Muireann elaborated on her viewpoint of European style vs. American, and though she raised some great points, it was even more interesting to also read the comments/feedback left on this post by others.”  I tend to agree with much of what the author said.  How about you?

Beautifully Invisible – Social Media Dashboard: Why You Should be Using One: I have to thank Marissa of The Well-Appointed Catwalk for submitting this post.  I am delighted that it has proven to be useful for so many of my readers!  Marissa said that she decided to submit this post because “it’s exactly what I was looking for in an explanation and made me feel 100% more knowledgeable and completely overwhelmed by what I should be doing at the same time.”  I am sorry it left you overwhelmed – but hope it helped overall! 🙂

the DUSK zone – I Can Do Anything:  Elle of Elle Enchanted was inspired by this wonderfully moving post.  “This week, Dusk shared a post about being comfortable in her own skin despite a skin condition that shows, and feeling beautiful,” said Elle.  “I know that’s something that’s so difficult for many women, me included, so BRAVO to Dusk for sharing this, and being brave.”

Fashion RECON – Fashionably Professional & Life Choices:  “This personal post about life and professional choices really struck a chord with me,” said Franca of Oranges and Apples.  “I think will do for lots of other people in this economic climate.”  I agree.  this was one of the most honest posts I read last week, and I am sure many others will feel the same!

feministified – FFB: Reflections:  Anika of By Anika’s first submission to Link Love is a powerful one. “I was really moved by Ariana’s post on feminism and her relationship with her own body. As I was reading it I couldn’t stop saying yes, yes, YES! After some contemplating, Ariana realizes in her post that she expresses feminism in the way she dresses by not accepting and conforming to society’s view of her.” said Anika.  “She now knows that she is lovely and that she is free to love her self and her body and celebrate that by wearing what ever she damn well please. Her account of this voyage is so honest, moving and jubilant. Basically she had me at hello.”

Full Time Fabulous – the importance of fashion blogging: In this post, Kristy Eléna responds to Franca Sozzani’s now infamous article on fashion bloggers and takes a look at the “why” behind fashion blog – why do we do it? Stephanie of the-loudmouth was impressed with Kristy’s words and the resulting conversation.  “She begins a discussion about why we blog,” said Stephanie.  “Everyone should join in!!!

interrobangs anonymous? – FFB: Learning from Other Women: This was the second submission of the week by Franca of Oranges and Apples.  “This week, the Feminist Fashion Bloggers posted about reflections and things they have learnt from other women,” said Franca. “Millie has consistently produced wonderful, strongly argued FFB posts and this one about recognising the diversity in feminism is no exception.”

JEZEBEL –Sartorialist Calls Fashion Blogger “Curvy,” Shitstorm Ensues:  Link Love regular Bella of The Citizen Rosebud shares one of the most controversial pieces of the last week.  “I can’t even get started on the conversation this topic ensues, but Jezebel hits some salient points regarding Schuman’s (the Sartorialist) comments on a blogger of a non-size 0 proportions and calling her curvy. Go read it, and respond.”

Style Confessions – The Style Confessions: My pick for inclusion in this week’s LINK LOVE roundup is a new blog!  The first time I saw Heather Fonseca’s drawings I fell in love and had to check out her design blog.  In recent months, much of the focus on that design blog has shifted to fashion, which could only lead to one natural conclusion: the birth of Style Confessions! As for why should you check this new blog out, Heather says it best: “I think one of the reasons we read fashion blogs is to see real women, not the perfection presented to us in magazines.”  That is what I want to see.  If you feel the same, get clicking!

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Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit their favorite post of the week!

If you would like to submit a post for inclusion in the next edition of Link Love with a TWIST, please do so here.

If you would like to publish this post on your own blog, the code can be found here.

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  • Helen Neely November 3, 2011, 7:16 PM

    I totally see what you folks are talking about. Americans are no where near the Europeans when it comes to good fashion sense.

    Reply
  • Heather Fonseca April 8, 2011, 9:10 PM

    Thank you so much for including my new blog in your post!!!! You are so sweet, and I really hope people like it.

    The other posts were interesting as well. I found the post on Europeans being more stylish than Americans to be written in a rather annoying manner, and I do find the whole concept of they’re better than us a bit juvenile, but it just is what it is. American’s DO like to be comfortable, and we do like our jeans. But I have seen plenty of really well dressed women in L.A., not that the writer would be impressed I’m sure. You see what you want to see I think.

    Much love and once again THANK YOU!!!

    Heather

    Reply
  • Dusk April 8, 2011, 12:38 AM

    Thank you. I’m sorry I leave it so late to thank you but… I do get very shy about such things and so humbled. I seriously feel a blush in my cheeks! Thank you so much for your support hon…. and Elle! For your support darling girl! You are so wonderful to me!

    …and I must start contributing to links love… this is such a wonderful ‘glow-bal’ warming way to untite the womanhood….

    Reply
  • Helen Neely April 7, 2011, 8:46 PM

    Wow, there’s a lot going on here. I just came over from Jamillah’s blog and wanted to know what the hype was all about. Now I understand – I see lots of great discussions and banter going on.

    Well, I don’t think Europeans dress better than Americans, I may be wrong, but I think the Americas are more fashionable.
    Get a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard Collector’s Edition

    Reply
  • Jamillah April 5, 2011, 4:14 PM

    Holy Moly- I started reading the list yesterday w/ Fashionlvr and have gone thru everything that I hadn’t read on my own reader. What an amazing collection of links. Woah! WOAH! To Bangs and a Bun, the comments certainly have teeth!

    Gawsh I’m so in awe of feministified I love this bit from her post, “once I realized there was nothing wrong with me, I realized I could do no wrong,”- what a profound thing to learn.

    Reply
  • THE-LOUDMOUTH April 4, 2011, 9:20 PM

    I loved Yvonne’s post and it was definitely one of my favorite posts of the week along with Kristy’s. 🙂 I haven’t read yours yet, B, but I do plan on it! Thanks again for putting together another lovely list. It was such a great idea to create this series and we all enjoy it so much!

    I wholeheartedly agreed with Bangs & Bun’s post. Here’s what I commented there:

    THE-LOUDMOUTH
    April 5th, 2011 at 2:10 am

    I think this post is amazing and I completely agree with you! I’m a born-and-bred American from the Midwest, which is known as the most conservative and unstylish area of the country… and I was given strange looks if I wore a skirt. Um, sorry that I want to look good!? I moved to Los Angeles, and it’s much better here, but still…

    I don’t understand why people are taking offense to this, honestly. Just because you’re not fashionable doesn’t mean you’re not smart or pretty or have other things to offer. This is a statement about fashion, not one’s character.

    And for people that are complaining that they don’t have the money to dress well — unless you are homeless and living on the street and only have one outfit, there are plenty of secondhand and vintage shops where you can get amazing-looking clothes for cheap. Or borrow something from somebody! We all have friends… right?

    Reply
  • kristy April 4, 2011, 7:57 PM

    thank you thank you thank you to both you B and Stephanie for including me in this!!!!! i am always so honored to be a part of link love with a twist!!!! =)

    Reply
  • Marissa April 4, 2011, 12:58 PM

    Glad you included yours, and yes – it was a huge help!

    Reply
  • Courtney April 4, 2011, 12:56 PM

    I’ve been in the South too long to even consider agreeing with bangs and a bun. Why even compare the two when there is no comparison? The two CONTINENTS (note: Not countries) are totally different and evolved out of different cultural backgrounds. I lived in Italy and, to be honest, did not notice this extremely well dressed population she’s talking about. And let’s keep in mind that she’s comparing mostly rich white people on one continent to mostly rich white people on another. Just sayin’!

    Reply
    • Beautifully Invisible April 4, 2011, 2:38 PM

      I actually disagree with you. I agree with many of the points bangs and a bun made, although not the way she went about making them. I have never lived in Europe, so my perspective comes from traveling and a Serbian heritage. I have always felt that Europeans as a whole seem to have a more innate sense of style compared to North Americans. It seems to come more naturally to them, perhaps because, in my opinion, fashion is a larger part of their culture than it is here.

      Obviously she isn’t talking about the poor in either locale. She is talking about those that have access to the latest styles and fashions. She is talking about those that live in cities like NYC and Toronto and Paris and London and Barcelona and Milan. Think about the Fashion Week’s and publications and design houses that come from Europe. A large number of the world’s biggest designers ARE European, and their very existence impacts each of the countries they call home, regardless of how much the residents may or may not care about fashion. What impact does fashion have in Cleveland? None, unless it is an individuals personal INTEREST or PASSION. What about the countless other cities in the U.S. (save for a few like NYC)? Same as Cleveland. If you visit a city like Paris or Milan you can’t escape it. It is a part of the everyday culture. Hence, it is reflected in the residents and their sense of style.

      In my travels, I have noticed a definite difference in style between continents – Europeans DO appear to care about their appearance more. They DO appear to try harder. They wear their sweats and workout clothing to workout in. They know the shoes you have on your feet can make or break the outfit. They put on lipstick or mascara or whatever makes them feel “done” when leaving the house. Do people do that in North America? Of course. But a startling amount DON’T.

      I hate generalizing, because obviously this isn’t true of everyone, but I honestly believe there is truth in her underlying argument. As fashion bloggers, WE all care about fashion, but she isn’t talking about fashion bloggers. She isn’t talking about people with a marked interest in the industry. She is talking about your average, everyday person (and I don’t even believe she is necessarily talking about wealthy white people). And I think she made a REAL point.

      That being said – I don’t like her implication that North American fashion is a product of our laziness, obesity and lack of originality. But, again, I DO agree that a large part of the difference is cultural.

      Also, I don’t think anyone (except maybe some ignorant people in the comments) said anything about this being a comparison between 2 countries – it certainly isn’t. She made a point of emphasizing that the comparison is between North America and Europe.

      Just my opinion, long-winded as it may be!

      Reply
      • Courtney April 4, 2011, 2:42 PM

        Very well said response, B. I think you restated her points in a way that was more relatable to me.

        Reply
        • Anika http://byanika.com April 5, 2011, 3:14 AM

          Hi Sweet B, or should I say Draga moja 😀 (You are of Serbian decent?! I speak Bosnian at home with my husbond who is from Banja Luka/Sarajevo! Samo da te cacem, ti si stvarno pametna i ljepa, jabuka moja 🙂 I speak better then I write, but basically the sentiment is mah mah!)

          I absolutely love this series, it has become my go-to-place for good reads, because I trust you, and I trust my blogging community. That feels so wonderful, makes me feel connected to you all even though I am all the way over here in Oslo.

          Thank you for everyone submitting such great posts, some of which I hadn`t read (like the one on Europeans and Americans style. I have only been to Toronto on your side of the ocean, and I found that there were fewer fashionable ladies there than I had expected, to be honest, but the ones who really were fashionable were individual and so well dressed. That said, Norway is now getting to be a more stylish nation (in which I am permanently overdressed, which comes from growing up in Paris where people generally do dress up everyday), but I remember an article in a major paper here ten years ago where men who lived in Norway but weren`t Norwegian complained that Norwegian women only wore practical jackets, boots and no make up. There was some truth to that, but it is now changing, at least in my slice of the high north.

          I hope you and everyone is having a great week! Love, Anika

          Reply
      • Courtney April 5, 2011, 1:00 PM

        I was thinking more about this today. Do you think the difference between Europe and the US is due to this philosophical discussion over material possessions:

        America: More is more!
        Europe: Less is more!

        Reply
  • Tanvi April 4, 2011, 12:46 PM

    Congrats to everyone here … Looks like I have a lot of reading to catch up! 🙂 Have a great week ahead, B!

    Click here to Win a Dress
    ♡ from © tanvii.com

    Reply
  • Eboni Ife' April 4, 2011, 12:44 PM

    oh wow. I haven’t read all of the posts yet, but I just finished reading the “Europeans Dress Better Than Americans” post. I’m kind of at a loss for words. Lol! My initial reaction was to be offended because of what I read to be an attack on American culture as a whole. It went beyond fashion in my opinion. It suggested that Americans are lazy, obese, unoriginal and that these characteristics in our culture were reflected in our style…or lack thereof.

    I really had to step back and evaluate the individual points the author made apart from the assertion itself. I still don’t agree with the premise as a whole, but will admit that some of the points were valid. Still, I have an aversion to subjective notions of “better.” Different, yes…better…that’s completely relative. I love “American style” for what it is, and I love “European style” for what it is, too. They are different, but I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. They just are what they are.

    I really didn’t intend to write this long comment. It just happened. I probably should have written it on the actual post. Lol! Some of the comments over there were so nasty. For some reason that just discouraged me from commenting.

    Anyway, does anyone else have any thoughts on this particular post?

    p.s. thanks to Madison for submitting this one. Great discussion!

    xoxo,
    Eboni Ife’

    Reply
    • Beautifully Invisible April 4, 2011, 2:47 PM

      I can understand how you feel about that particular post. I have some issue with the way she couched her argument, but I have to admit that, overall, I agree with much of what she said regarding European vs. North American style. I think most of it can mostly be attributed to cultural differences, but in my experiences I have found a lot of what she said to be true. I shared most of my personal opinion above in response to Courtney’s comment.

      In regards to the lazy, obese and unoriginal aspect of the post, I did take offense to that initially, but again, when looking at it from a strictly STYLE perspective, I can’t completely argue with those generalizations. Obviously I don’t believe those types of remarks apply to everyone, and our fashion blogger peers are a perfect example of people who DON’T fit that bill, but there are TOO many people I can think of that do. Maybe it’s just me, but I find her points to be mostly valid, as disturbing as that may be.

      Regardless, some great discussion going on, although something strange is going on with her comments on that site. Some of the comment dates are odd (November 2010 for a March 2011 post?!). I am interested to see what other people think!

      Reply
  • Casee Marie April 4, 2011, 12:42 PM

    Sadly my brain was in hibernation (still is, kinda) so I didn’t realize until Saturday that I hadn’t posted my submissions! Kristy’s post was one of them so I’m extra glad to see it on here. Very excited to check out these links. I ran the gamut of emotions with the whole Sartorialist thing and I’m thinking about doing a post on it, but by the time I get to it I’m sure it’ll be old news. Possibly the only downside to using an editorial calendar, when big drama happens in the industry it throws your whole plan of attack completely off!

    Reply
  • Madison April 4, 2011, 12:08 PM

    Hello there B, I was so happy to get a chance to submit this time (usually forget) 🙂 There’s such a wonderful list as usual, I’m excited that I have read most of these this time! On the right reading track & a few more to go! -xxoo 😉

    Reply
  • Bella Q April 4, 2011, 11:53 AM

    As usual a great list of TO READ and to respond! Wonderful series, B.

    Reply
  • Fashnlvr April 4, 2011, 11:49 AM

    I am so touched and moved to be included in this week’s round up – especially for this post. Once I had it scheduled to post – I felt so very vulnerable but the outpouring of love and support I have received from the blogging community has been overwhelming. You guys are the best and I am honored to have such wonderful online friends! You made my day! Thank you Franca for submitting my link. It means alot to me.
    Thank you so much!

    Reply
  • Kori April 4, 2011, 11:35 AM

    I’m heading over to check these out now! Kori xoxo

    blondeepisodes.com

    Reply