wardrobe_remix(ers) o' the week

hot damn! you're staying cool.
included a few extra to make up for the absence of this feature last week.
enjoy!

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this here is the ORIGINAL and OFFICIAL weekly wardrobe_remix recap of the latest and the greatest from the wardrobe_remix community, from yours truly, the creator of wardrobe_remix!
any wardrobe_remix photos that find themselves here showcase great style + great photography = the two meet and merrily marry to make a perfect expression of YOU and your singular personal style! and i've said it a million times before, it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it...the ticket is the confidence and sureness you exude when you express yourself the way that makes YOU feel most comfortable. that confidence shines through and is captured on film. so whether you're wearing couture clothes from the finest designers, mass market threads, stuff you made yourself, thrifted finds, or even a shirt you stumbled across on the side of the road...rock it! it's ALL GOOD and it's ALL WELCOME in wardrobe_remix!

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coco73:
hodgepodge brigade:
theremeana:
jodache:
galadarling (with nubbytwiglet!):
Aurelia__:
kasia+vintage:
seoulbukki:
DinGrace.Chiu:
the snail and the cyclops:

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thanks to everyone who's been posting about wardrobe_remix or featuring fashions and folks from the group in their own blogs or websites. thanks for getting the word out. i am glad that wardrobe_remix inspires you! remember to give credit to the people in the aforementioned photos (if you use them in your blog posts, etc.) and to wardrobe_remix itself. it's good internet/blogging karma! (plus it actually goes with flickr's terms of service and a little thing called copyright!)

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remember: you can click on the photo of any of these terrific wardrobe_remix(ers) to learn more about their photo or outfit, explore their flickr photostream, and beyond. all of the photos are owned by the awesome people who are depicted in them, of course!
join us over at wardrobe_remix and show off your awesome EVERYDAY trendbusting and trend-SETTING personal style!
spread the word!
and see you there!

photographing yourself/your style = narcissism?

(photo via amazon.com)

in a recent discussion in the wardrobe_remix forums, i learned about a soon-to-be released book, called what i wore today: online fashion narcissism from beijing to berlin.
not knowing much about the project or it's tack/arguement (i wonder: is it celebratory, or critical?), it seems that if nothing else, said book is focusing on the phenomenon of online fashion blogging/style sharing...you know, folks interested in fashion, photographing themselves and their outfits, and then sharing them with the world via their blogs, fashion forums, and communities or venues like wardrobe_remix (as well as other websites like w_r, of which i am sure many of you are familiar, net-and-fashion savvy as you are).

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i find use of the word narcissism in the title of this book curious (and frankly, a little odd). and it got me thinking...and questioning.
the word narcissism*, at least to me, judging simply by its definition, has a pejorative connotation. i.e., it suggests that said sharing is judged to be a vice, something bad, something to perhaps be looked down at. that it is, at least in the eyes of some, vanity.
do you feel that photographing oneself and posting that photograph in a public manner automatically and unequivocally implies narcissism on the part of the person posting said photo? is that person self-centered/self-obsessed? is that bad? is that okay?
or is there another, alternative interpretation? do people share photos of themselves, or share photos of their outfits/style for reasons other than self-obsession, showing-off, or egoism?
what's the point of sharing photos of oneself at all? why do we do it? why do do it, if you do? be critical, delve deep, divulge!
another thought: would it be better, considered less ego-centered to not share photos of oneself at all? if photographing oneself can be argued as just being documentation of what one is wearing and not intended as a narcissistic act, would it be ethically better to keep the collection of said photos to oneself? does the mere act of posting those photos to be viewed publicly turn the photos into a self-centered, egocentric endeavor, one that's open to judgement?
(*see also: some definitions of egoism and narcissism.)

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i know this may not be talked about often in the fashion blogging/sharing world...but i'm curious. i want to go deeper into this subject, if possible...
i'd love to hear what others have to say on this matter...particularly if you participate in websites like wardrobe_remix or focus on the documentation of your outfits in your own fashion blog.
what say you?

(not so) random links

-from a recent washington post article about (u.s.) vogue magazine editrix anna wintour, and the ethos of her iconic magazine:

i don't bother to buy or read vogue, for just such reasons. it's unattainable, elitist, fantasy aspects just don't appeal to me on a myriad of levels. it's just too divorced from reality for my tastes, with it's ridiculously priced clothing, and highly polished and crafted images of women, culture, and life...realistically, they will never be a reflection of my own life. stories about real people and images of real people, with their imperfections and differences, appeal to me far more than anything i might spot in vogue, or any magazines of a similar ilk. however, i'm probably in the minority...vogue is considered to be THE fashion bible by many, and ms. wintour is so revered and fetishized by the culture at large that she's almost untouchable, perhaps even goddess-like in the eyes of some.
what about you? what kind of magazines do YOU favor? do you like indulging in aspirational fantasy when you digest your fashion mags, or, conversely, seeing reality when you deign to crack a style-focused monthly? or do you like a little of each, depending on your mood or whim at a given moment?

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-could it be that hairstyles are a cultural barometer that suggests the current state of world economies? (via the independent) if so, some (japanese) economists say, then the long hair that heralded the high flying financial times of the recent past is on it's way out, and cropped styles are on their way in, suggesting that when money's short, so's are our locks. in a very simple way, lots of flowing locks could metaphorically suggest abundance, while cutting one's hair back may be seen as being suggestive of (financial) scarcity. others note that during the times when money and material things are scarce, people desire more visual stimulation...the variety and diversity of short hairstyles may give people at least some novelty in times of want.
any other reasons you think this might be? or is the supposition of these economists reaching for straws, and kind of a crock? what say YOU?
have you been noticing a trend (on a micro or macro level) in the way of shorter hairstyles, either locally, or in the culture at large, now that the economy has taken a dive? do you think there's any merit to the supposition of these economists when it comes to the way we choose to wear our hair?

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the quick and dirty:
-the renegade craft fair descends upon san francisco this coming weekend! cool! more details here.
-burdastyle recently made a post that featured some quick, helpful tips on taking better pictures. i've harped on this subject before...i don't know about you, but i'm sick of seeing janky photos of people's creative endeavors or outfits. make the effort...go the extra mile! you'll find that people respond more to aesthetically pleasing, thoughtfully designed photos and images in blogs and elsewhere. and, it's not really all that hard of a skill to master. just like anything else, it just takes practice. do eeeeet!!!
-i've always had a soft spot for knitted, crocheted, and fiber jewelry. which explains why i am enamored with this crochet collar pattern by the ongoing project. (via craft:)
-make a pleasing workbasket and matching pincushion using vintage sheets! it is by oh fransson and is friggin' adorable. put it to work as a place to stash and corral all those little bits and bobs you use for creative clothes-making (also via craft:)
-smagglestyle shows us all how to make good on those laddered tights and stockings by morphing them into a fabulous necklace. she's a smart cookie, that smaggle!
-because i quite literally have babies on the brain right now, and uh, a baby living inside my body at the moment (umm, hello???), i'm all "awwww!" over this cute little quick bias tape bib project over at the purl bee. cute! on a related note, their pattern for knitted baby bloomers is pretty damn adorable too.
-make yarn out of scraps of fabric with the help of laughing purple (via whip up). oh, the possibilities!
-some creative ways to lace your shoes/sneaks (via buzzfeed)
-liebemarlene just made a post about knitting and vintage knitting patterns and her love for such. one of the commenters on the aforementioned post linked to this adorable "3-hour sweater" pattern from the 1930s. v. cute, eh? and allegedly, quick too...