{ FAQs } the inside scoop

{ FAQs } the inside scoop

recently, i've been bemoaning on twitter about how busy i am, and i hope it doesn't come across as complaining, because i feel really lucky to get to do all the things that i do! still, i have a really full plate these days (as you've likely gleaned from recent postings)! i try not to let it get in the way of keeping this page updated, but it's not always as easy to stay on top of the innumerable emails & formspring questions i receive. thus, i thought i'd take a moment to address a couple frequently/recently asked questions!

1. what do you do for a living?
i studied apparel design in college, and i've worked in fashion (as a designer & stylist) for many years ~ long before i'd ever heard of this thing called a blog! however, for a little over a year now, i've been self-employed ~ supporting myself by designing jewelry, consulting clients as a personal stylist, collaborating with fun companies, and yes, blogging!

this site has certainly opened doors to opportunities i might not otherwise have had, but when i first started blogging, it hadn't occurred to me that it might benefit my career. in fact, i kept it a secret for a long time because i was afraid it would yield the opposite result, and that my credibility in the fashion world would be jeopardized if people knew i had this silly little personal style site! still, i loved reading other people's blogs, and felt irresistibly drawn to get in on the conversation.

2. since you buy so much vintage clothing, do you have any suggestions for getting musty smells out of things?
first of all, if it smells really gross, i don't go there. some things just cannot be forgotten. however, a little mustiness can usually be mastered by your dry cleaner ~ and i spend a fortune on dry cleaning!! fresh vintage finds always get an automatic trip to le bain; sometimes they go through twice before i'm willing to wear them. i'm so not a grunge girl; i like my clothes to be clean and pressed. that's why i also take a lot of new, fast-fashion, budget pieces to be professionally steamed before i wear them. i think it makes an enormous difference, even if i'm the only one who can tell.

3. do you have any advice on blog formatting? did you do it all yourself or have some help?
i've done all the design work on my blog by myself. it's a constant process of tweaking and updating. i started with blogger's most basic template, then slowly customized the html over time. i figured out each step through a good old-fashioned combination of google + late-night experimentation.

4. what camera do you use for your blog?
i shoot my own pictures (like jewelry shots, or the recent alice+olivia post) with a canon s90. i carry it with me everywhere, so my guy will either use that, or his own nikon d3 to shoot my costume posts. it just depends on where we are & how much time we have.

5. how do you stay in shape? do you have a specific diet/exercise regimen?
i am very fortunate to have a gym in my apartment building, so i have no excuse not to be active. i try to use it three times a week, though i fall short of that more often than not. i like to use the weight machines and the bike machine ~ i'll pedal on that thing for an hour if there's something good and trashy on tv! since i don't actually have a tv in my house, i have to work out if i want to earn a little mindless entertainment (flipping out on bravo is my current favorite).

i also eat pretty healthily. i'm primarily pescetarian, and don't really have a taste for junk food (except tortilla chips. LOVE tortilla chips). luckily, i was only allowed to eat healthy, natural stuff growing up ~ so that's what i developed a liking for!

6. some people always go on about how high-street stores are cheap; what would you say to that? i like F21 and h&m, but some of my wealthier classmates look down on me, because they wear dior dresses, and i can't even afford to *look* at those.
i think the greatest trend we've seen recently is the democratization of fashion. part of what i try to communicate through this blog is that glamour is attainable every single day, whatever your lifestyle or means may be. i could go on indefinitely about the difference in quality, labor practices, distribution/exclusivity, etc between high-end & mass brands, but i think in this case we're just talking about personal style & affordability. and i've never believed that true style comes just from a fancy label.

while there absolutely IS a difference between the quality of what you'll find at h+m versus dior, i don't think that either is necessarily more relevant than the other. i feel just as chic sporting my stella mccartney vest as i do in my forever21 dress! as a true fashion lover, i enjoy ferreting out finds from anywhere and everywhere. i feel distinctive and unique when i'm wearing my miu miu pants with a modcloth top, because my confidence comes from a strong sense of self, not from a ritzy receipt!

i love designer clothes, because i know from experience the thought, work & care that goes into creating them. at the same time, i think it's equally feasible to create a great look with $100 or $1000, so don't go broke for fashion. i say purchase what you love, and what you can afford. train yourself to look at clothes objectively ~ never buy anything just because it's a bargain, or just because it comes with a designer label. learn what flatters your shape and your personality, have fun fine-tuning that, and you'll always look like a million dollars! it may sound like a total cliche, but over time i've learned that it is unequivocally true.

XOKelly

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