You Need a U.S.P. + Friendship Politics

I know what you're thinking,

a what? 

It stands for 'unique selling point'.

Something that's different about you, that really stands out. 

This came up the other day, when talking to my brother about him simply HAVING to take up a hobbie. We've been trying for years, trust me. It's gone from trying to get him to play tennis, starting guitar lessons at school, forcing him into Judo classess and countless attempts at playing football outside of just kicking a ball about at breaktime.

All have failed, absolutely misarebly.

So sitting in a coffee shop, my sister and I tried to convince him to find his 'USP' as my sister called it.

"What's different about you? What stands out? What are people going to think, 'wow I wish I could do that!' about you?"

He protested. Apparently being amazing at 'COD' is an acceptable USP in his eyes.

In the end we decided on a street dancing group. I offered to go along with him, put my sister protested.

"This has be his thing Fizz, his USP."

So, it's all about being unique. Having something special about you. This is, ignoring the fact that thousands of young people across the country attend street dancing classes.

We couldn't say our USP was being able to create a tower out of matchsticks because although it may be unique it's "too unique." It's doesn't fit into being a 'USP', whereas playing tennis does.

New ideas for blog posts pop into my head everyday, there's something I feel I just have to write about. But, when I think about it almost a quarter of them are to do with individuality, but at the same time, fitting in.

Maybe it's because of how old I am. At thirteen, going on fourteen, it's almost what my life is about at the moment.

Although I want to be my own person, there's something stopping me. Partly, it's my friends and ridiculously, even more so, my peers. And because of this, I don't really know who I am yet.

I attend a relatively small secondary school, with 800+ pupils (this is not including the boys school, which would make the total 1500+) and although this is not massive it is by no means minute.

 I don't know over half the people than attend my school - possibly over three quarters. However, I'm still scared about coming across 'too weird' or 'too stupid' infront of them, even if I'm never going to talk to them.

Infront of my friends, however, I should be totally at peace with being myself - you say? Well, not really. JH is probably the only friend I have at this point in time I'm not scared saying stuff that others would pass of as 'gay' and can give her all my true opinions without considering I may come across as 'pushy' because she doesn't see (or chooses to ignore the faults in me) and I do the same back to her.

I should surrond myself with friends like that, but it's hard. Don't get my wrong, I love my current friendship group and while they're good for a laugh and we share secrets there are too many 'friendship politics' and I'm sick of it. Its all about saying the right things, or knowing when to give my point of view without upsetting someone, or even knowing what I should say my point of view is (even when I don't really think it).

But sometimes I get it wrong.

I'm thirteen, for gods sake. I'm not going to be perfect. I'll say things that sound stupid, my friends and I will have conflicting view points, I'll fight my point of view but the problem is one thing I say can be blown totally out of proportion - even by the best of friends.

I never know what to think, what to say and when to say it. What opinions are prejudiced and which are uncalled for. When I should mind my own business, and when I was wrong for not backing someone up. It seems that speaking your mind is not poltically correct.

Another problem, is that people want to be a 'name'. Year 7? Eurgh, that wannabe annoying girl. Year 8? Oh yeah, there's that girl with the orange skin and the one who said that horrible thing about the orange skin girl. Year 9? The one with the bleach blonde hair and her sidekick with the dark eyeliner. The list goes on.

It seems to me that everyone thinks they're 'different' and their friends are just 'so weird' which of course means no one is 'different', or 'weird'. I notice this most in the people with 'names', the 'popular' crowd. Because, as much as they say they are, they're not different in my eyes.

It's all about being individual, but at the same time being cool and fitting in. It's like being 'indie'. It's all about standing out, or really, blending in with all the other 'indie kids' out there.

They say the most unique people are the most well known, but I'd disagree. I'd say the girls who get 100% in every test, wear Gap hoodies and tracksuits to non-uniform day (just because it's more practical for doing lunchtime sports clubs) and are completely invisible are the most unique. But why?

Because they don't care. They are in no way mixed up with school/friendship politics, they are always happy and most of all comfortable in their own skin. They don't care about what other people think of them, and because of this people don't bother thinking - or saying - anything about them. They'll wear what they like and say what they like. They're not rude or pushy, simply children like children should be.

That's what I want, and I wish I could have. Envy, not jelously I'd call this - because I'm envious of their simple life but I'm not jealous because I know it wouldn't suit me. I'm grateful for the friends I have, because they're amazing people, but I'm not grateful for the way everything seems to be high school politics in my social circle.

JH isn't part of my 'social group' but she knows alot about it, so whenever I hang out with her, it's a relief. I can get away from the politics, or let out all my 'political worries' to her and she will just agree and understand.

I didn't know where this was going when I started writing it, I don't know where it's gone, and it probably sounds like a big fat mess. But I'm glad I wrote it, now it's off my chest.

- FQ x

Rediscovering...

This isn't going to be a long, meaningful post. Just a short note, really.

I'm rediscovering the beauty of jeans, in particular - skinny jeans.

I'll be honest, I've been neglecting the skinnies for a while. Before secondary school I rarely glanced at skirts and dresses and my favourite outfit was a long top with leggings or skinnies, but now all I ever seem to wear are skirts, sometimes dresses and occasionally shorts. Jeans never seem to come into the equation.

My black skinnies are a bit short now and a lot tighter, but that's okay. The tightness is was makes them skinnies jeans anyway, and although they are short just one roll at the bottom will make them cropped trousers which are extremely fashionable this summer.

I'm so glad I'm embracing skinnies once more. I thought they'd become overrated in everyone elses mind, which meant that I underrated them in mine.

But I get it now. I felt that skinnies didn't make a statement in the same way skirts and dresses did. I now know that it's not the clothes, it's the way you wear them.

So next time I go out with my friends, I'll be leaving my treasured dresses at home and rocking skinnies once more! :)

- FQ x

Fashion, Style and Trends

Fashion and trends are two completely different things. fashion is following designers, getting looks straight off the caywalk and being on first name terms with the likes of henry holland,  vivien westwood and even having communicated beyond the grave to coco chanel. fashion is being perfect and being beautiful wearing the most insane colloections by top designers that no one else has the confidence or money to wear. fashion is being the 'it' person that everyone pretends to hate but is actually insanely jealous.

But trends, trends are not what designers make up, in fact they often evolve from the general public. being trendy is being popular, and looking cool in what you wear. However its not exciting and not different. A trend is something that everyone has and everyone wears, trendy is turning up on own clothes day in the same sort of thing as everyone else. Some recent trends that have been going around are things like a boyfriend cardigan.. they have never been seen on a catwalk, they have just appeared. Probably made by someone trying to make comfortable clothes popular. An example brand is Pauls Boutique - dont get me wrong, i adore Pauls Boutique and a PB bag used to be my must get thing, but then disaster happened. At first i noticed one or two around school which made me upset, it wasnt the same if others had them, but i was still determined to have one. Soon i was seeing them everywhere. Even girls as young as seven were following the trend and carting round a beautiful pauls boutique bag. I gave up, i didnt want one anymore, everyone had one and it wouldnt be new or exciting anymore. this is what a trend is, there were never any pb bags on the runways, it was a small boutique that the general public obsessed over and now half the country has one.

however style ...
style is something slightly different, it doesnt follow runways and it definately doesnt follow trends. Style is having your own personal quirk to how you look, looking amazing in what you wear because your style suits you perfectly. Style is being completely different but still looking incredible no matter what, even going as far as making your own clothes, just the way you want them. Its persnal and reflects who you are.

So which one is better? well one thing for sure is that trends are my worst nightmare. Looking the same as everyone else and not showing any personality you might as well be a robot. But there is still the question of whether fashion or style is better, the truth is they can be incorporated in one, which is the best way to look. This way you can take the fashion look and add a personal twist.

jh xoxox

What a day.

Wow, So this friday was one heck of a day!

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. It's my school holidays (finally, exams were exhausting) and I've been either busy or just chilling out.

Thursday night was great, as well. JH came back to my house after school (and our last day of exams!) and we held a mini fashion show in my room. Well, not show. More like throwing everything out of my cupboard and throwing it on. Let's just say, my mum was not impressed to walk into my room and...well, not be able to walk because the floor was covered in clothes.

JH and I had our outfits planned out PERFECTLY. Each one on hangers and because we were sharing some clothes and accesories (a necklace and a lace leotard) but when it came to the actual day we didn't always stick to the outfits we had decided on - but it went fine.

The actual photo-taking was so much fun! Yes, we've gathered over 200 pictures (haha, I know!) on two seperate cameras (so, some of them are the same thing - just taken on different cameras) at loads of different locations.

As promised, here are some of my favourite ones (and I'll tell you a little bit about where we took them :D)

JH (left) and me (right) in Starbucks!

Me in Starbucks
(eee, my legs in this picture! :|
oh well, it's the only one you can see my full outfit)

So, as you can see, my first outfit was a high waisted floral skirt, striped blue and white shirt white knee high grey socks. Oh, and a black hat that you will see popping up in some of the later pictures! Shoes were ankle boots with a tiny heel, which you'll see later too.

Sadly, I didn't get a close up of the necklace I was wearing (well, it was JH's, but still) and it was gorgeous! Unfortunately, my coffee frappicino blocks it from view in most of the starbucks pictures.

I also was wearing (but it got too hot) a slightly big denim jacket that is, suprisingly, my little brothers. But he never wears it (idiot :P).

Here's some pictures of my other friends in starbucks :)

Greta:

Layla and Ella:

As we finished our drinks me and JH seized the oppotunity to change outfits (we were the only ones who had brought alternative clothes).

We rushed off to the toilets, and realised there was only one disabled toilet (it was pretty big though - so we shared) and it was unisex. It stank, for one.

JH swapped around the order she had planned for her outfits at this point, and I decided to mix mine up a bit. JH didn't change again the whole day, and I changed once nearing the end of the day (when she had left) but only from wearing shorts to a skirt.

After the relatively quick change (even though we were getting yelled at from outside the toilets) we left starbucks to look for more photo ops.

Our first stop was on a kind of...balcony? I don't know, it's hard to explain! Anyway, I'm only going to post full length pictures because there were quite a few of our faces!

(JH looking stunning, as usual!)

(greta! her bag is fitt!)

(Layla! Check out this outfit! Mmm, I could eat it up!

Wish I had a better shot of those shoes, they were epic - looked so chic with the outfit!)

(Ella! Red hair, ripped tights, cool kid trainers, topshop shorts - you can't really go wrong!)

Then we went to pose outside a church. Yes, slightly inappropriate - but the pics are pretty cool :D

(Me! Nice door, isn't it? So it's :

Retro sunglasses,

top cut by myself the night before with the aid of JH,

high waisted vintage Levi shorts,

diamond pattern tights,

brown leather ankles boots you kinda get a glimpse of,

black satchel and brown coat things.

Cute necklace you have to squint to see

Oh, coffee frappe.

And a primark bag (not even mine!))

So that's all of our outfits (except for my slight change) but I want to show you the car pictures on the graffitied road.

(Group photo, none of us look too attractive - but just look at the setting! Woah!)

(Me and JH, massive so you can see our outfits! This place is so cute! Amazing vintage shop, art gallery and studio, spray paint shop, vegan cafes, skateboarding, big fountain - it's got it all!)

(i'm on the far left, and this was my attempt of showing Layla and Ella two rather frumpy, cute items that they wouldn't pair together could look good. Not sure if I succeeded though!)

Last but not least, my final outfit that I wore in town, because I could show you so many other pictures but this is about the FASHION! :D

(my shoes! I have bambi legs when I wear them :') my bag broke, in the middle of a busy road, all my clothes fell out. I didn't know what to do, and Ella just took pictures! Everyone gave us weird looks, some laughed. It was pretty embarrasing!)

You thought this was my last outfit? Think again!

Afterwards, Ella and Layla came back to my house and we went out to the park. Here's what I wore :

(skirt I got from vintage shop that day, t-shirt from my sister from america, grey hat from god knows where!)

(My brothers denim jacket I was talking about earlier! The shoes are actually amazing; but they're my mums and she just WON'T let me wear them! And a yummy can of coke, it beats pepsi any day!)

So, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and my little recount of the day!

Sorry for not posting, been busy in the holidays, just getting back into the routine of school so I've found some time now to do this. Also, it takes forever to post pictures on here - it's a bit of a pain!

But, I've got ideas for things to write and have started to draft quite a few posts - so expect new ones soon!

Bye!

- FQ x

back to life

hey all, yh i know i havent been blogging over the last couple of days but its only cus ive been so busy. trust me, ever since thursday when i slept over at fqs i have not had any time to write anything. honestly, with the trip to town and going out all he time ive been exhausted.

On Friday i went to town with fq and a few others where we took some insanely amazing photos (below) and er got honked at a few times. i also got a vintage leather satchal from a cute little shop called urban village which is situated in the custard factory, at only 25 pounds its like a dream come true. And even better there is gonna be a vintage fair (with cupcakes) on saturday, sadly i cant go but i think fq can make it so why not just go along.

Vintage is such a statement. probably because its so much rarer than modern clothes but to pull it off you have t actually love it. Many people get vintage because they love the authenticity of it and they truly do worship the clothes which is entire;y neccessary because if you dont love your clthes (especially vintage) then you will honestly never wear it.

fashion in general is exactly the same, dont you find it annoying when you see something like a perfect pair of jeans and you fall in love with them but they are perhaps too expensive or they dont have your size and then you can never find it again. yeah thats annoying but you get over it and try and find another pair of jeans the same but cheaper. this is the mst irritating part because nothing lives up to the jeans you first saw. this is what falling in love with clothes means.

steryotypes in extremity ....

25th may 2010 .... JH XOX


stereotypes.


This is something thats bugging me for a while now. There is a certain amount of truth and reason to each steryotype but i have come to realise that although they do exist it is very rare that anyone fits a steryotype perfectly. It is way more common for people to live up to steryotypes and that is where the problems start. For example there is a difference between someone that likes a black top and thinks blackberry coloured lipstick suits them and someone that thinks 'right im a goth so i must get this black top and i have to have blackberry coloured lipstick'. The first person is not in a steryotype, they are just getting what they like. Just because they are wearing dark colours doesnt mean she has to be something; how do we know that she doesnt go to a knitting club or has a barbie themed room? The second person is making herself into a steryotype and its people like this that make steryotypes exist. This is when they will go home and paint their room black even if they do secretly love barbie, they wont express it because it doesnt fit with their steryotype. Personally, i buy things i like, things that will look good and things that express who i am. However i am still steryotyped by some as a 'blonde/bimbo' because i have blonde hair and i dont have much common sense but on the other hand i cant be a bimbo because they are stupid, and i am not stupid. I do actually get quite good grades. Others will call me a rock chick because that is my favourite kind of music, but then i will turn up in floral prints and pastel shades because i like them. The point is i dont live up to a steryotype which is why FQ cant put me in one.


When people say 'steryotypes' often people automatically think of the usual chav, emo, indie and scene sort of thing. However, im thinking of steryotypes that go a lot deeper, that cant be changed by a new outfit or new hair cut. These are the steryotypes that we need to tackle. For example the typical image of a woman is a small, dainty, beautiful person with long slender limbs and a perfect figure. No woman is perfect, but some cultures have taken this steryotype so far that women shoes dont go past the 'acceptable' size. Therefore if their feet grow bigger than the shoe, they cant buy bigger ones and they purposely brake their feet to fit the shoe and their feet end up looking deformed and hideous like this.












they are also keen on long necks. So much so that women have to wear rings around their neck to elongate and shapen them. What actually happens is that the necks are stretched so much and they become so dependant on the rings that the muscles weaken and they cant hold up the head which means that they have to keep the rings on anyway to keep control of their neck. All for the price of the perfect woman.

General Musings

I was musing (that’s right, musing) over the title of Jane Austen’s classic book “Sense and Sensibility.” I began to wonder, why it was named that and what the difference between “sense” and “sensibility” was.

From here my thoughts travelled to another one of Jane Austen’s classics, arguably the most famous one, “Pride and Prejudice.”

The sentence structure of the title was the same, but this one was much more explicit and understandable.

“Pride” is now both a negative and positive word, but in Austen’s time it basically meant someone who was very up themselves, or arrogant. While “Prejudice” means preconceptions and being judgemental.

So if the book was written now it would be called something along the lines of “Up yourself and Stereotypes.”

But with more and more celebrities (even the lovely Leighton Meester) being accused of acting too big for their boots and the noughties named by some the ‘Age of Self Labeling’ you could say this is true.

But then you get Cheryl Cole, who is stunning but finds it embarrassing and doesn’t understand what the hype about her looks is all about, and JH (the other writer of the blog) who is actually impossible to label! Trust me, I spent an hour trying today! I ended up with “you’re just a freak who doesn’t fit in anywhere.”

But okay, I’m going off topic. Back to “Sense and Sensibility.” By this point I had figured the title out. Sense and sensibility are closely linked, but at the same time quite different.

Seeing sense is seeing the right thing to do but being sensible is doing that thing. For example, if I saw someone lying on the ground, unconscious, I would have no idea what to do.

The sensible thing to do would be to find someone who did know what was going on, and while I would understand that (seeing sense) I probably wouldn’t actually be sensible and would instead run over to the person and try to do something myself before even contemplating finding someone else. That’s just the way my brain works.

So I flipped over the book, and read the blurb. The second paragraph of it caught my eye. It goes like this:

“Sense and Sensibility is a delightful comedy of manners in which the sisters Elinor and Marianne represent two qualities. Elinor’s character is one of Augastan detachment, while Mar=riane, a fervent disciple of the Romantic Age, learns to curb her passionate nature in the interests of survival.”

So yes, I am pretty unaware of what half of that is saying. “Augastan detachment” and “a fervent disciple of the Romantic Age” mean nothing to me, but I can make my own judgement.

And while making a judgement two, modern day, characters formed in my head. Although I have read this book, I cannot remember it particularly well and the sort of characters I imagine could be completely off, however along with their characters came, of course, their clothes.

Yes, you were wondering where I was going with this right? I didn’t even know myself, when I started writing it!

But here you go, here is my Elinor and Marianne :

Elinor

She’s sensible, really. She’s intelligent and seems to be wiser than her years permit. She is almost the opposite of her sister, but at the same time almost the same, and they get on extremely well.

Elinor is stylish, but not fashionable. She always looks great, and to most people she probably seems the better dressed of the two, but she isn’t adventurous. Once you’ve seen one outfit...you’ve seen them all. (Olivia Palermo as model J I adore her!)

So yeah, nothing too exciting here! But you’ve got to admit, she looks well put together (:

And then there’s :

Marianne!

The outgoing one, who isn’t scared to break boundaries. Well, she wasn’t, until recently. Now she’s starting the curb the more passionate side to her character, and it shows the most in the way she dresses. Her bleach blonde hair and quirky take on the seasons trends still manage to set her apart from the crowd slightly, but not in a sort of ‘stop and stare in astonishment’ type of thing she used to have going on.

They have their similarities. They like the sunglasses and the scarves, but they wear them differently. Elinor’s take on them is classy, more put together, and looks better quality. Marianne goes for cheaper looking items worn scruffily, but stylishly. And they like their brogues! Elinor opts for a plain brown pair while Marianne goes for a detailed version.

You can see they are similar, but you can see that they are different. Marianne is sense, Elinor is sensibility.

There’s something for you to think about.

- FQ