Hipster?

Oh my goodness! I took this random test:

http://www.howhipsterareyou.com/

It just told me that I am a borderline hipster. Seriously. 51%. I didn't realize I looked anything like this. 

Its been a while since I wrote anything fashion-like and of course once in a while the Bimbo in me needs a little breathing space :).

I am  secretly in love with hipsters. Generally I think it is the attitude that makes them so desirable to me. The whole "Screw the world, I am who I am?" Take note of the question mark. No secrets there. According to the internet, most hipsters have particularly high amounts of self loathing and self importance but you know what, who doesn't? Which teenager/ adult  is/was not obsessed with themselves?

The only difference I see is that now, society sticks a label on it. Good and bad. Bad because we have to put up with it. Because now more people think its okay to be snooty with their views because "I'm a hipster, bitch!". Good because at least now all these tortured souls have something to be. They fit in. 

The whole hipster thing really seems quite convenient to me. I speaking to a friend yesterday who was discussing some troubles he had growing up and feeling like he didn't really quite fit in. This lead to a fear of rejection by his peers and so he focused all his energy into fitting in. Have you ever tried diverting a river with a pile of rocks? It overflows and causes more damage.

So yea, What/who are hipsters? This is Urban Dictionary's definition of a hipster:

hipsters
	Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter.

Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses.

Both hipster men and womensometimes sport similar androgynous hair styles that include combinations of messy shag cuts and asymmetric side-swept bangs. Such styles are often associated with the work of creative stylists at urban salons, and are usually too "edgy" for the culturally-sheltered mainstream consumer.

For more in case you have decided that that is your path, check this hilarious link out: http://www.cracked.com/funny-4573-hipster/ Its got some hilarious takes on hipster attitude, personality,  and everything else. 

So this is my take on it: LONG LIFE HIPSTERS!!!! Now excuse me as I put on my thick rimmed purple glasses ;) I need to live up to my 51%. 

Ask why.

Remember those times when your mum use to groan and wonder how that one fierce night of passion brought  her a seriously annoying, insistently questioning, constantly- ticking time bomb? 

Yeap I'm talking about you. 

Okay, put the guns down. ;) I'm only talking about your constant habit of asking WHY? WHY? WHY? when you were five (plus a few hundred other things but lets not get into all that just yet ;)

Think about it for a second. As you grow older, you start knowing more things (or at least pretending you do) and generally people grow out of the habit of asking why. 

So try this; sit down and ask yourself:

Why do you do what you do? Why? DO YOU even know anymore? 

The older we get the more we forget to ask why. And we forget to ask the very question to the most important person in our lives. Ourselves. When we were 5, we asked our parents because they were our source of knowledge (before Google came along ;) and we asked them because we felt we could trust them. Trust them to know the answers and to tell us the truth. 

How many of us can say the same about ourselves? Do you trust yourself to know what you are doing with your life this instant? 

What I have come to realize is that the older we get, the more complicated out lives get. The bills, the assignments, the kids, the mortgage, the job etc etc.... and we begin to forget or even fear asking WHY? "Because we need to get food on the table" doesn't quite sound like your childhood dream does it?

So the more roles we begin to play in our lives (we originally start out with a handful :daughter+sister+ friend and move onto a few dozen at the same time :daughter, sister, friend, mother, partner, business lady, pet owner, soccer mum, aunt, in law etc etc)  and we stop asking why.

What we do start asking instead is HOW.  

How do I get this project done?
How do I make enough for my rent?
How do I make him/her love me more?
How do I make my kid happier?
How do I make myself thinner?

But think about it. Whats the point in all of this if you don't know where you are headed? I'm not talking about the whole "save the world" stuff here. I just mean plain simple : Why am I doing this? Why am I in this job? Why am I spending my life doing this right now?

And the answer could be as simple as : I love the tons money it gives me. But at least, if that truly is the honest answer, you can then relax and look at ways of enjoying your end result. Splurge the money or save the money. Whatever, at least you know WHY. 

Or if your answer is, I'm doing this so can pay off my Student Loan then embrace it. Embrace the process of paying off those crappy loans. At least in the end, you know you were well aware of your reasons for that crappy job! and you are less likely to drown your sorrows in chocolate and rum the next time your boss messes with you because you know YOU ARE ON A MISSION!! 

So go ahead then! Just for a minute, Ask yourself, WHY?

Dress to Impress

The secret to dressing to impress?

Make sure you're the one who's impressed!

Everyone has their own taste in clothes and style.

Some like it bright, 

Some like it dark, 

Some like it short,

Others long, 

Some tall, 

Some flat,

Some eccentric,

Some just weird (hey, who am I to judge),

you get the idea.

My point is, if you want to impress someone else, stop second guessing youself wondering what they like or might find attractive. Put on something that makes you wink at yourself in the mirror and say " OH YEAH!" and most likely, anyone else near you would be thinking/saying just that!!

If you are wearing something that makes you feel good then naturally you are going to look great too! Remember, its so much sexier to watch a girl who's having fun that then girl who can't move because her feet hurt or her panties will show!!

So go ahead. IMPRESS YOURSELF and the world will follow suit. :)

Fear

Being in a difficult stage of life at the moment, I find myself thinking more and more about fear.

Its a powerful thing.

In some ways, fear is a good thing – it keeps us safe and prevents us from doing things that might harm us. It’s fear that keeps us from venturing into dangerous places and from doing things we’re not prepared for.

On the other hand, fear can prevent us from doing things that would be great for us – what if those dangerous places lead to somewhere great? Or that thing you didn't feel you were ready for was something that could have made all the difference in the world?

The one fear I have been exposed to recently is one that I find simply, Cruel.

Fear of one's self. Being afraid of who you are and what you can be. And I'm not talking about the kind I suffer from ;)

No, this is a proper fear of one's self. Fear of not knowing who you are based on the belief that you do not understand yourself well enough. Fear due to the lack of understanding. The lack of knowledge of not knowing what you want or what you need because you fear that you cannot make the right decisions. So you end up pushing things away and wandering aimlessly because you FEAR.

What a vicious cycle.

I do not know how to professionally handle these issues. But I can say this, CHOOSE. Choose to LOVE.

Choose yourself. Choose to love who you are, who ever that may be. No one ever knows what the future holds or who they will be in the future. Circumstances change all the time. But the happier people are the ones who have chosen to Love. Love themselves no matter who they are and who they turn out to be.

Deciding you no longer need to choose to be afraid always draws unto you, the solution. No one said that any path would be easy, but it is a lot easier when you like the company you are with, YOURSELF.

Now, I normally do not condone profanity on Foxydy, but in this case, it just seemed appropriate. :)

The minute you start running, your shoes will always be on.
Love, Foxydy. 

A life in Style

So recently I have been struggling with what Foxydy should be about.  It started as a fashion blog but over time I realized that it really isn't my passion to keep up with current fashion trends. What Prada, Chanel and Louis V are up to aren't exactly on my top priority list each waking moment though I do have enormous amounts of respect for people who dedicate their lives to their passion for fashion. People who create inspirations and lead markets. Somehow I have started to loose respect for the industry itself when the people who are creating Brand Labels now days are no more than a face with money to spend (most of which was generated by being ditsy on camera or a sex tape as illustrated by Mike Briggs)        

What I do enjoy though, is Style. Personal Style. Each person has a unique style sense, no matter how developed or under developed. I truly believe that Style is a product of socialization and a personal style reflects the way they have been molded and shaped by this world. The family they grew up in, the movies and songs they watched and heard, the friends, the enemies.. they all make a person who they truly are. 

And style really isn't all about what you wear. Everything that you are, everything that you do, you are consciously choosing your style. The way you talk, walk, dress, work, play... it is all about you. You make your own decisions. You pick your package. Your Style. 

So thats it. That is what this blog started off as. But perhaps it is time to revamp and truly define Foxydy. It is not a Fashion Blog, Its a Personal Style Blog. The journey I am on to find my personal style. My package.

New Beginnings

Yeap, I am back at the beginning again. I just became a "newly single lady" as a friend so eloquently put it. Funny, I don't feel as though my feelings for my ex are anything close to Lady-Like.

I have learnt so much in these past few years. I grew up in a family with parents who think the world of each other and get this, my mum wanted to be a Nun before she fell in love with my papa. How is one supposed to live up to that kind of pressure? Sheesh.

But you know, it these past few year I have learnt to question things I never thought I would. The things I have learnt to expect in a relationship, the thing I expect from a partner, the things I expect from myself.

So I feel like I'm back here again. Single. Except this time I am ready. Ready to handle this like an adult. Not serial date and drink away my sorrows. I am ready to understand that I no longer have to settle. Ready to not make the same mistakes that made me doubt myself.

I am an individual. I am a package. And a freaking awesome one at that.

Here is to a New Beginning.

The New Foxydy.

Okay, perhaps the word hiatus does not apply to me anymore. Hiatus means that I took a break. There must be a word for "I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore, and thus I shall not write what I do not believe in?" Send me a message if you have that word. I probably will be needing it a lot more. 

There have been  many changes in my life. New work, new travels, new friends (not that the old ones needed changing) new relationship (well, perhaps that did need a change ;) and all in all, a new perspective. 

My fashion blog worked for me because it was an creative outlet. I love writing and  love clothes. Seemed like a no brainier at that time. I didn't expect my value systems to come in the way. 

So with all due respect, I shall clearly declare. I am not a fashion blogger. I love clothes. On people. Not models. Real people. I completely respect those who have given their lives to fashion and shall leave the fashion writing to the professionals. 

I don't really have a plan for the new Foxydy.  I do know that writing to me is an outlet, and if at some point, my writing entertains or helps someone, then that's great. But this time, I'm writing for me.