FBFF - Friend Friday: Feminism

I am so very happy to announce that I've joined my very first online fashion blogging community! The lovely Katy from Modly Chic has put together an amazing group of bloggers...and I've been completely overwhelmed by the support I've received from everyone and I've already learned so much! 


So what the heck is FBFF? Well, it's Fashion Blog Friend Friday of course! Every week Katy comes up with some great questions, and FFBF-ers answer them to let our readers know a little bit more about ourselves. I love the idea! I love the opportunity to share with you my thoughts on some great topics and I'm very excited to get to know a little bit more about my fellow FBFF-ers!


This week's FBFF is a topic I've always felt very strongly about - feminism!


1. Do you think there is an incompatibility between feminism and a love for fashion?
Absolutely not! To me, feminism has always meant being proud to be a woman and having the freedom to express my feminitity however I choose. If a woman chooses to shun fashion, then she can be a feminist. If a woman chooses to strut around in Jimmy Choo's everyday, then she can be a feminist too. I think too often people expect all feminists to be the bra-burning hippies of the 1960s. I admire these women - they paved the way for the freedoms and rights I enjoy as a woman today. But I think feminism is fluid and evergreen...it has evolved. And to me there is plenty of room in this day in age for feminism and a love for fashion to co-exist.

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2. There is more to each of us than a love for fashion, how do you incorporate every aspect of yourself into your blog?
Well, my blog is still pretty new and I've only been doing it for a month or two, so I'm still trying to figure out ways to find myself within SC4TMQ. But I've found a few ways to do it. I am a music lover. While I love new music and a lot of Top 40 and hip hop, I was raised on "classic rock" and have a deep love for it. So when coming up with a blog name, I chose "Spring Clean for the May Queen" which is my favourite line from Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven (and is a play on my last name - May). Another way I've been incorporating aspects of myself is the photos of myself in front of my bookshelves. I *love* my books and so using my wall o' books was a perfect backdrop!


But material aspects aside, I think this blog is really reflecting the part of me that is wanting to not give a sh*t about what other people think, and doing what it is that I really want to do. I've been reading fashion blogs forever...but was always too scared or too worried about what people would think of me if I started one myself. But I decided to stop caring and just go out there and do it. There are still moments when I feel stupid or that my photos or outfits aren't "good enough" but I love this new hobby too much to let it get in my way!


3. With the fashion industry still being a male-dominated profession, how do you think it would differ if women played a larger role?
This is a hard question! And I'm not sure I really agree that fashion is still male-dominated. Sure the industry has been heavily influenced by icons like Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander McQueen, but I think even more iconic women turned the fashion industry into what it is today (Coco Chanel anyone?) and I still think women are very much in control. The focus on women in fashion can't be ignored...and neither can the vast amount of marketing aimed directly at women. Women influence every aspect of fashion, whether they are in the designer's seat or not.

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4. How is your self-image and the way you carry yourself informed by your beliefs?
Physically, I have a terrible hunch in my back that developed as a teenager as a result of years of insecurity. It's often painful and I'm sure it'll only get worse as I get older. But it's a perfect reflection of how I used to carry myself - insecure, shy and unable to hold my head up and be proud of who I am.


I'd like to think now I carry myself and come across as a friendly, honest person who is proud of who she is. I've learned a lot from who I used to be, and it is now important to me to not only stand up for myself, but also to be aware of others around me and how they influence my life and vice versa. This has made me a much happier person - and I hope I come across as a happy person!


5. Do you think clothing/makeup/hair helps communicate the truth about yourself or are those things superfluous add-ons?
I admittedly find it hard to dress to communicate the truth of myself. I live in a small city with relatively little shopping variety and so dressing for myself and dressing according to current trends is often hard to differentiate. But I never wear something that makes me feel uncomfortable and that I don't feel is a true reflection of me. A lot of the outfits I post on my blog are work outfits - and that very much portrays who I am 9 to 5. But I'm also a gf, a friend, a sister, a daughter...and my clothes reflect these roles and personalities and change constantly as my comfort levels or my interests change.

Me and my besties Becky, Lucy, Livia and Jess

Those were tough questions, yo! But important questions...looking forward to your comments and what others wrote for FBFF this week!


xo J.