YOU GUYZZZZZZZZZ

I’m so excited to share this!!!!

A few days ago Catherine Connelly from SheKnows approached me for an interview. She wanted to discuss my reasoning behind my Photoshop post.

I think Catherine did an amazing job summing up my loooooongwinded responses.

You can read the awesome SheKnows article here.

But for anyone interested, I’ve included the full Q&A below.

Enjoy!

Do you think this is common among fashion bloggers?

Absolutely, and I know this for a fact. “Fashion” is synonymous with beauty and perfection, and fashion blogging is big business. But just as fashion makes millions selling perfection to the imperfect, an imperfect fashion blogger is a tough sell.

Why do you think you photoshopped the images to begin with during your rise as a successful fashion blogger?

I’m honored you say I’m successful, because I think I am. But I don’t make any money from my blog, so from a fashion blogger business perspective, I am a failure. But to me success is being honest and true about myself no matter how large or small my audience. It’s receiving a letter from a young girl in Sweden telling me I made her feel better about her body for a moment. It’s looking at my blog and being proud of the content. I photoshopped the images in the beginning of starting my blog because I wanted the money type of success.

Did you ever feel pressure to look a certain way after looking at other fashion blogs and sites? 

I don’t look at fashion blogs. I don’t read fashion magazines. I don’t look at anything where bodies are scrutinized or the goal is to shame women into purchasing something so they will look a different way. I only visit body positive blogs and they make me feel great after spending time looking at them!

What would you say to a women feeling down about her body image?

It sucks. It sucks so much. I know the hurt you’re going through. I know how crazy it can feel looking in the mirror and suddenly being disgusted with yourself. I wish I had a magic wand to take it all away….

A person’s self-confidence is like a muscle. We have to constantly exercise it or we lose it. If you’re feeling down about your body, try this. Stare at yourself in a mirror and say “I love me.” Say it over and over again. Say it until you laugh, say it until you cry, then keep saying it. Say it every day until you believe it. Your body will be there whether you love it or hate it, so why fight anymore?

Imagine if women put just half the energy we put into trying to change our bodies into trying changing the world. Imagine what an amazing place it could be…

What inspired you to publish these photos?

It’s weird, because I stopped manipulating my weight in photos with photoshop about a year ago, so these photos are between 1-2 years old. But I just felt like I had lied to my readers and needed to come clean. I’d been wanting to do this post for a while, but had to wait until I was brave enough to do it.

How long would you say you typically spent editing an image for a blog post?

Editing can be a long or quick process. It depends on the photographer, what type of camera, was it sunny, dark, shady, was I sweating profusely, or were there tons of wrinkles in my outfit? Or are there snowflakes all over my clothes! I usually spend anywhere from 2-10 minutes on a photo from opening the file to adding my watermark.

Just remember, Photoshop isn’t the enemy. It’s an amazing program that can make a cloudy day look sunny, it can bring out the greens and blues of a dress so they pop, and it can make a blurry photo look like it was taken with a steady hand.

Generally, do you feel comfortable wearing these outfits out in public? Or do you think that the comfort of knowing you could edit them made you more comfortable in the clothes?

Wedgies are the only things I edit out anymore. So, yes, I feel comfortable wearing these outfits in public. That doesn’t mean some of my outfits are so insane that I can’t wait get back home and take them off!!

Did you ever feel pressure from brands who sent you clothes (if they did) to look a certain way?

No. By now brands know who I am and what I’m about. I think my realism and honesty appeals to them. But they know there might be a feminist rant along with their pretty necklace shots. It’s a chance they’ve got to be willing to take…

Did you ever buy clothes because they were trendy even though you didn’t feel they would flatter your body, or you weren’t comfortable wearing them?

No, I just cried inside the changing room because they looked so good on models or other bloggers but not me. I would never buy clothes I’m not comfortable wearing. Not feeling comfortable in clothing is an energy that is immediately sensed by others. I never want that to be an energy I give off.

Is this something you’re going to continue with in future posts?

Absolutely. The feedback I’ve received has been humbling. It’s not about a skinny girl wishing she was just a bit more perfect. It’s about every woman feeling ugly and imperfect no matter how little the imperfection.

What message do you want to send women about what they see in blogs and in fashion ads?

Don’t believe anything you see. If you can’t touch it, it’s not real. The only real thing that will support you through life is your body. And that’s something you can hold…right now.

LATER DUDES,

XX-HOTPANTS