The Demoiselles

If I was getting married, I’d want her songs playing at my wedding.  If I was involved in a breakup, I’d use her music for solace.  If I had just returned to my suburban hometown after years out of the country, I’d want “Hometown Glory” on my MP3 player, on repeat. Her name is Adele. [...]

I went to the gym with a friend last night – instead of a drink and appetizers to catch up, we use an elliptical machine and ten minutes in the sauna – and as we were standing in front of the cooler trying to decide between drinks with ridiculous names like Muscle Milk and Monster [...]

Do you have kids?  Siblings?  A boyfriend or girlfriend?  Impressionable roommates? When you look in the mirror, what do they see? When I was little, I remember my mother’s nude body shimmying as she stepped out of the shower.  I remember how comfortable she seemed in her skin, and how I always saw beauty within [...]

This weekend, while playing on Gilt, I succumbed to a moment of swooning: The Allure of Women (Gilt, Amazon).  What could be a better coffee table book? I’ll tell you what: The Allure of Men (Amazon). After spending more than a year submerging myself in the murky waters of media, societal perceptions, and what “sexy” [...]

Some people love silver, some gold…but lately, I’ve found that copper and brass are my precious metals. I’ve always loved the idea of focusing on the elements as I plan my outfits, and yesterday, my focus was completely earth-oriented.  Maybe it’s the oil spill (which has been heavy on my mind) or maybe it’s the [...]

Despite the Seattle rain, I’m determined that summer is almost here.  In an attempt to will the sun out with my mind, I’ve been thinking a lot about swimsuits lately: the current styles, the retro trends, the way they make us feel, the intense amount of Photoshopping involved in showing them off, and how that [...]

Reading this secret made me ache inside.  I can’t imagine being so ashamed of my own body – for whatever reason – that I couldn’t stand looking at it, or touching it. …okay, you know what?  That’s a lie.  I can totally imagine it. In fact, I think we all can, sometimes.  Anorexia.  Body dysmorphia.  [...]

Last week, I got my hair cut and colored. When I walked out of the salon I felt amazing, so I came home and did what almost any woman under the age of forty does when she’s made a change and her self esteem is high: I took lots of pictures and posted them on [...]

For months, Lindsay and I have been fighting against anti-progressive beauty standards – the “perfect” face, the “perfect” body – by asking women to challenge themselves to a day without makeup, upload photos of their “naked faces” to Flickr, posting our own naked faces, and celebrating women that choose to put their real selves out [...]