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I'm going to be honest with you, I'm sad that Halloween is basically nonexistent this year. Obviously there are no parties this year, no trick or treating (not that I've done that in ages), no costume contests at bars...as a fashion lover, picking a costume and dressing up for Halloween is so fun because I get to unleash my creativity. In the past I've gone as Ariana Grande, Eleven, and Chanel No. 3 to name a few of my pop culture inspired ensembles. Back in February when I saw Birds of Prey I had already decided that Harley Quinn's iconic caution tape fringe jacket would for sure be my costume...
Of course, that was before coronavirus became widespread. As much as I would have rocked Harley's outfit, let's be real: that is made for a party, so we'll have to save it for some other time.
However, I still wanted to dress up as something, if only to take pictures for the 'gram (and the blog!) so I did some brainstorming and decided it was the perfect occasion to dress up as my favorite Disney princess, Rapunzel!
Locked in a tower, isolated from friends, growing bored of activities, in a kingdom called CORONA!? Hello, could she be any more perfect for this moment? Knowing that I was heading up to our mountain cabin for a week and that the woods outside would make for an iconic backdrop, I found this costume on Amazon, ordered some fake flowers to clip to my hair, and even brought back my Ariana Grande ponytail extension for round two. I knew there was a reason I kept it around!
Are you dressing up for Halloween? What's your costume?
I've been working from home for 7 months now with no signs of going back to the office anytime soon and the height of my daily social interactions is picking up my ordered-ahead iced latte at Starbucks. I haven't gone to a restaurant in ages, let alone a party. I see most of my friends over FaceTime and Zoom calls. A wild weekend night lately is staying up until midnight watching a classic movie on my watchlist, maybe with a glass of wine and some Postmate-d sushi.
Yup, that's how thrilling my life is these days.
Despite all that, though, I've been putting on makeup almost every day, no matter if I'm venturing out to Alfred Coffee or just sitting at my desk doing work. For one, you never know when a colleague is going to spring a Zoom meeting on you, and let's be real, I have a reputation to uphold of looking put together, even in quarantine!
But beyond that, I genuinely have loved playing around with makeup while hanging out at home. I know it seems a bit pointless to get all dolled up with literally nowhere to go (and don't even get me started on the lipstick + mask dilemma) but it's a small little thing that makes me feel put together for the day and genuinely good in the face of depressing times.
My growing obsession with TikTok (you can follow me here if you want!) and learning all about makeup from incredible creators (a few of my favorites to follow for tips are @mikaylanogueira, @bexcxmpbell and @daniellemarcan) has inspired me to try new products, experiment with bold eyeshadow colors, and extend beyond my typical five minute routine to achieve that "barely there" makeup look.
We know I've always loved a bright lipstick, but I've never been particularly skilled at eyeshadow looks. However, after months of experimentation, I'm now pretty adept at a winged eyeliner and have even tried a cut crease look or two. I've pulled out palettes that have been sitting in my makeup drawer for ages and have followed tutorials for no-heat waves and other fun hairstyles. I even purchased the Revlon blow-dry brush that everyone is obsessed with on TikTok.
Sure, I may not be hitting the town in my fancy makeup, but I can always share my looks to social media and use that as a way to make sure my makeup efforts live on beyond my bathroom mirror. And above everything else, it makes me feel happy, and honestly, I think we could all use a little bit more joy these days wherever we can find it.
Here are a few of my favorite beauty items I've discovered during quarantine:
A little concealer under the eyes and a dab across any red spots is usually all I need, and it's a real game changer for looking awake and ready on those Monday morning Zoom calls. I love that this concealer covers redness without feeling too heavy or drying, too.
This hot pink lip gloss is great for achieving that "your lips, but better" look, and I'll usually swipe it on before any video meetings or if I'm filming a TikTok!
Okay, I just bought this hair dryer brush last week but I am already obsessed. It makes my hair look like it was done at the salon, and I went 5 days without washing my hair the first time after using this because my hair stayed clean, fresh, and straight for so long!
I am prone to oily eyelids, so I'll often spot eyeliner melted onto my eyebrows halfway through the day. This Stila eyeliner lasts all day, though, and the felt tip makes it easy to draw on smooth cat eyes and other wings. When wearing a mask outside, you gotta make sure your eye makeup is on point since that's what people will see, so this eyeliner is a must.
What's been your approach to makeup during quarantine? I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts!
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is going on right now, which usually would be a huge deal for me. In years past I've previewed the collection, circled my favorite items from the catalogue, and counted down the seconds until my new fall purchases made their way to my doorstep. This year, however, I couldn't care less about getting a discount on boots I can't wear for 3 more months; the only section of the sale I've even looked through is their pajamas and home goods, and even then I feel no desire to purchase anything.
My ambivalence towards the Anniversary Sale is reflective of my feelings towards shopping as a whole right now. Five months ago my work sent me and my coworkers home, and currently there is no end in sight to my work from home situation, or the end of the pandemic as a whole. I venture out of my apartment rarely and for short periods of time, usually just to the Starbucks around the corner or the grocery store, and while I do love to dress up, dressing up for a run to the grocery store where I try to get in, grab what I need, and get out as quickly as possible, only to return to sitting on my bed in my apartment, seems frivolous. Occasionally I will put on a fun outfit for a TikTok or Instagram photo, but those looks last thirty minutes, tops, before I switch back into a T-shirt and loungewear.
And I know! This all sounds crazy coming from me, Lindsey, THE Fashion Barbie! The girl who wears dresses more often than jeans, who believes it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed, the girl who gets genuine joy out of finding a new item of clothing to love and style and treasure for years to come. Even toward the beginning of the pandemic I was feeling more optimistic about clothes and shopping, encouraging readers to check out Memorial Day Weekend sales and posting cute photos of the fun spring dresses I had hopes about being able to wear out and about by midsummer. But now, in August, the situation feels so much more dire, and with my return to the office now permanently TBD, I feel little desire to spend money on trendy items that might be totally out of date by the time I get to actually debut them outdoors.
Don't get me wrong, I want to like new clothes and feel enough energy to purchase cute new things. With social media becoming one of my few outlets, I’m constantly eyeing fun new trends to try on TikTok and Instagram, from cottagecore romantic dresses to pastel matching sets.
The problem is that, perhaps because my current situation longs for escapism, I keep gravitating toward dreamy maximalist pieces like this rainbow poof of a dress from Selkie or that strawberry dress that’s all over TikTok; dresses that, while fun and joy-inducing, don’t really make sense to wear in the confines of my apartment. The dresses I purchased near the beginning of quarantine have seen the light of day maybe once, and usually just for the purposes of content creation. I realized that one dress I bought back in April still had tags on it because I had only worn it for the purposes of Instagramming it, and while I know influencers do this all the time, it feels disingenuous and almost irresponsible to constantly be flaunting new items that aren’t actually worn out. From my blog’s conception back in high school, I always vowed that the outfits I showcased would be ones that I actually wore out in real life, not just for the purposes of a cool photo. I’ve prided myself on that authenticity, and don’t want to change that now.
Between the pandemic’s major effects on the economy and the fashion industry in particular, along with the Black Lives Matter movement encouraging me to be more mindful about where and how I shop, the idea of constant clothing consumption feels off-putting. I’m fortunate to have a job through the pandemic, but I know that for many people that is not the case, and even those with jobs have experienced salary cuts and other financial hardships. To spend money on clothes that may or may not stand the test of time feels wasteful, and again, if I’m not getting any use out of the clothes for the foreseeable future, why purchase them at all? If I do get the urge to buy something, I don’t want to spend large amounts of money on something because who knows how the economy could change in the near future; but then my options are fast fashion retailers who typically use substandard manufacturing practices and underpay foreign workers. As much as I can, I’m trying to avoid those retailers.
So what am I left with? A vague desire to try new clothes and styles but no true want to purchase anything, out of fears of uncertainty and wasted money. I’m not sure this will last forever, as I’m sure I’ll get back to my usual ways of wearing girly dresses once the pandemic is over and life gets closer to normal than it is now, but I do know that the ways I’ve thought about my clothing consumption has changed how I look at shopping, and I do think that will stick with me for years to come.
This isn’t to say that I’m “over” fashion or have no desire to talk about it, just that I’m putting more of an emphasis on the clothes I already have sitting in my closet and that I’m thinking more mindfully about my shopping practices. I may be wearing more shorts and T-shirts than usual, but even through all of this my love of fashion remains, just reframed to be more conscious of my participation as a consumer and what that means, both personally and for us all.
How are you feeling about fashion and shopping right now? Have your shopping decisions changed during the pandemic? Has your style?
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| Is the age of the #GIRLBOSS over? |
When I attended the Los Angeles Women’s March in January of 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration, I felt a mix of emotions flowing through me; I was angry with our country, worried for the rights of immigrants, women, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community (basically anyone who was not a straight cisgender white man), but also empowered to see how many people came together to march and stand up for what they believed. I was living a few blocks away from City Hall and walked there by myself, not knowing what to expect at all. When I saw the crowds of pink knit hats and protest signs spanning as far as I could see, I broke out into tears. Here we were, hundreds of thousands of frustrated Americans, channeling our anger into this outpouring of love and support. Donning an all-pink outfit and surrounded by thousands of fellow Nasty Women, I felt that we were onto something beautiful.
This was 2017, the peak of the Girl Boss era. Hillary Clinton was the ultimate icon for a generation of She-E-Os, taking her bold pantsuits and meme-able sass just about as far as a woman could possibly go. What is winning the presidency if not shattering the ultimate glass ceiling? She was the champion of a whole class of entrepreneurial women who weaponized millennial pink graphic designs and donned brightly-hued pantsuits with stilettos and blowouts, corporate badasses who owned their femininity rather than hiding it, as older generations of businesswomen had done. And despite losing the presidential election, in corporate America, the reign of the Girl Boss seemed inevitable.
Emily Weiss of Glossier. Jen Gotch of Ban.do. Yael Aflalo of Reformation. Sara Blakely of Spanx. On and on and on. You know the Girl Boss when you see her and her brand. She’s fashionable and cool, but never trying too hard. She dolls out career advice on Instagram and usually on her own podcast series too. She’s either written a book that combines career highs and lows with personal reflections, or she’s working on the draft now. She is a strong advocate for feminism, and her brand is all about championing women.
You’d think such a woman would advocate not just for white cisgender women, but for all women and non-binary people who should fall under the protection of feminism.
Instead, half of the aforementioned women (namely Gotch and Aflalo) stepped down from their posts this month after numerous allegations of racist behavior and toxic work cultures. Leandra Medine of Man Repeller, The Wing co-founder and CEO Audrey Gelman, and Refinery29 co-founder Christine Barberich have all also left their posts after similar complaints of racist behavior and work environments. The behavior of these women is absolutely unacceptable, but to the outside viewer, these allegations came as a bit of a shock. Their brands and social media personas would all have you believe these women were champions of intersectional feminism, but this year has proved that the Girl Boss’s digital persona of championing diversity and intersectionality is just a facade.
The Girl Boss wasn’t how you acted as a businesswoman, but how you branded yourself.
The term “Girl Boss” first rose to prominence with Sophia Amoruso’s 2014 autobiography #GIRLBOSS, which led to a short-lived Netflix series as well as an events and media business of the same name, all off of the idea that Amoruso is exemplary of how a woman in a position of power should behave. Let’s ignore the fact that she nearly ran her first company Nasty Gal (the one that made her a Girl Boss to begin with) into the ground, being bought for scraps by Boohoo and hanging on to this day only by running permanent ‘50% off everything’ sales. Amoruso is a talented woman who is responsible for Nasty Gal’s quick rise to prominence, but her true talents lie in her ability to market herself and her brand, not her proficiency as an executive. If you really examined the rise and fall of Nasty Gal, Amoruso wasn’t much of a boss after all, and there are the toxic workplace complaints and wrongful termination lawsuits to prove it, but no matter. What really mattered was how Amoruso made herself appear. The Girl Boss wasn’t how you acted as a businesswoman, but how you branded yourself.
A slew of female founders followed in Amoruso’s founder-to-celebrity footsteps, becoming the spokespeople for their companies and creating brand identities that weren’t just selling a product but a whole lifestyle. Jen Gotch opened up conversations about mental health with Ban.do, discussing her bipolar disorder and selling “I Cry At Work” T-shirts, blending personal ideology with branded products ready for consumption (and culminating in a book for Gotch as well, a memoir entitled The Upside of Being Down). Reformation highlights sustainability and the importance of ethically-made fashion that is also, you know, cool. The brand often featured their Los Angeles factory in campaigns and marketing materials. The creation of The Wing in 2016, a women’s club with locations around the country, felt in many ways to be a direct response to the 2016 election and our desires to keep the momentum of Hillary’s campaign going; a place for women and gender non-conforming individuals of all races and sexualities, to come together, network, and have a space all our own. How could these beacons of feminist ideology, mental health, and environmental awareness be such disappointments when it came to being genuine advocates of the Black Lives Matter movement?
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| Intended to stimulate conversations about mental health in the workplace, Ban.do's "I Cry At Work" T-shirt now hits differently when considering the numerous allegations of racist and toxic behavior at the company's offices |
In short, we were bamboozled by pretty marketing and a co-opting of feminist ideals to sell product. And if you feel disappointed that you didn’t see the signs earlier, I feel you. I fell for it all. I’ve purchased Ban.do planners for years and have applauded Jen Gotch’s honesty and vulnerability when it comes to mental health issues. My closet is filled with Reformation pieces. I read Refinery29 and Man Repeller articles on a regular basis. I became a Wing member last June. I believed that these companies, who featured diverse women on their social media and aesthetically-pleasing quotes from feminists and civil rights leaders, believed in the message they were plastering across their platforms. But if the person—and the company culture as a whole—beneath the facade was known for racist remarks, discriminatory hiring practices, microaggressions, and other toxic behavior, the celebration of women and diversity now starts to ring hollow. Were these women just marketing themselves as paragons of the 21st century female founder, using the language and imagery that women of diverse backgrounds would shell out money for, all while hiding their true feelings of discontent for anyone not like them (in other words, white, thin, and well-off)? That I fell for any of it makes me uneasy.
Like the Women’s March in 2017, this month’s Black Lives Matter movement has inspired me that change is possible, although difficult, and worth fighting for. It should not have taken this long, or the devastating loss of life that the Black community has experienced not just this past month but for years, to reach this turning point, but watching the ripple effects of the Black Lives Matter protests hit all industries, including the fashion and beauty world, has been incredible. These industries absolutely need to expand their definitions of beauty, and that starts with creating inclusive workplaces and encouraging diverse representation in magazines, online, on television, and so on.
With the mass exodus of so-called leaders like Jen Gotch and Yael Aflalo, I’m hopeful that the companies they started can move toward inclusive and respectful businesses, both in the way they market products to their consumers and the way their businesses cultivate a welcoming and positive corporate environment that accepts employees of all backgrounds. Moving forward, it won’t be enough just to wear the mask of the intersectional feminist and social justice advocate for the sake of reaching consumers. These brands must truly reflect that image both externally and internally, starting with diversifying their workplaces.
The age of the Girl Boss may be over, but all that means is that we are paving the way to celebrate true feminist business owners who actually embody the ideals that they publicly project. From these past few weeks, I’ve learned about so many incredible Black-owned businesses founded by women who are genuinely passionate about sustainable fashion, clean beauty, and redefining what the world sees as beautiful. For example, UOMA Beauty founder Sharon Chuter sought out to create a truly inclusive beauty brand, including 51 shades of foundation so people of every skin color can find their perfect match. Another beauty brand, Hanahana Beauty, provides natural skincare products that are ethically sourced from Ghana. These brands aren’t just wearing the mask of ethical, intersectional feminism; these tenets are built into the very foundations of these brands.
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| UOMA Beauty's ad campaign shows how wonderful and diverse the beauty industry can be |
This isn’t to say that white business leaders can’t be true allies. Emily Weiss’s brand Glossier recently announced they would be giving $500,000 in grants to Black-owned beauty businesses, as well as another $500,000 to organizations combating racial injustice. Glossier is one of the core brands of millennial culture, and Weiss every bit in the mold of the Girl Boss, but she has clearly recognized her power and her privilege, and she is using that privilege to help amplify underrepresented voices in the industry. There is a way forward for such entrepreneurs, one where they not only talk the talk of intersectional feminism but also walk the walk and create actions that echo their marketing sentiments, fostering truly inclusive workplaces and celebrating diversity in all forms.
Long live the new generation of women who will change the world.
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