-when it comes to fashion photographs (good photographs put out by fashion bloggers included), can you really believe what you see? (via the independent) retouching, even on a minor level, is rampant, with the ease and accessibility of desktop photo manipulation programs like photoshop. is editing just a way of life now, used by many to perfect themselves or their photos, or does it sometimes go too far, completely warping our sense of reality when it comes to matters of aesthetics?
full disclosure: i do use photoshop on almost all my photos, to adjust color, lightness, contrast to what i think represents reality in a better way, or to what i think looks better to my eye (i like things really contrasty, what can i say??). but i do not etch out blemishes or wrinkles, cover up dark eye circles, or slim down/remove body parts...too much work for me, personally. :P
what about you? do you use photo manipulation programs, if you do at all? if so, how? also, do you appreciate glossy, perfect photos, or do you wish for a little more reality and a little less polish in the images you view?

***

-apparently, we walk wrong. say what? well, not *exactly*, but most of the time, the shoes we choose to wear are not good for us. yet, we wear them anyway! (via new york magazine and flypaper) the consensus, say scientists? we'd be better off going barefoot.
this is bad news for me...with my seemingly unsatiatable shoe obsession! ha, i'm horrible! it's a challenge for me to find a pair of shoes that doesn't somehow eventually give me some sort of blister or abrasion. certain features on shoes seem to work better for me, and i tend lean toward buying and wearing shoes that have those features: a slight heel or wedge (too flat makes my calves feel funny and tight), a slightly wider toe box, and the like. but sadly, i still find myself entranced by that which doesn't work. live, learn, and attach another band-aid, i guess!
when it comes to footwear, is it style over comfort for you, or vice versa? do you lean toward stepping out in that which is kinder to your foot? would you go barefoot if you could?

***

-over in the wardrobe_remix discussion forums (you have to be a member to view them and participate in the chat) there was a recent thread about ethics and fashion. since it's a subject that i bring up here on occasion, and it's something i think about quite a bit myself on a personal level, i'll pose a related rephrasing of the question here...
do ethical considerations figure into YOUR clothes buying regime? do you set "rules" for yourself when shopping and adding to your wardrobe (like not buying anything new, seeking out ethical or green clothing brands or handmade clothing, etc.)? do you aim to make a certain percentage of your clothing come from a particular source (say, 50% thrifted/secondhand)? or is it admittedly hard to resist the new and shiny and trendy, ethical concerns be damned? does the idea of something being used seem distasteful?
what say you?

***

the quick and dirty:
-morgan of pandahead just launched an VERY sophisticated dc-focused online mag of the same name = PANDA HEAD magazine. worth a look...again, and again. congrats, morgan!
-the hat trend continues unabated...i continue to be so tickled by this. (via buzzfeed)
-rostitchery demonstrates how to make a 'convertible' dress (a frock that can morph into a bunch of styles, depending upon your mood). genius! (via craft:)
-rowan yarns has a neat little archive of free knitting and crochet patterns here, all available via the pdf format.
-maker/crafter jon golden has a video how-to on youtube that gives the deets on how to make resin jewelry. i've *always* wanted to try this, myself... (via craft:)
-casey of casey's musings illustrates how she dresses her tresses in the perfect modern-yet-1940s up-do.