I guess I’m saying this because I’m a grad student in fashion journalism and I don’t want to do it anymore. I don’t want to be a quitter because I’ve never quit anything before, but I don’t like this field whatsoever. I don’t want to tell people what trends they should follow. I don’t want to tell people they should buy $700 shoes because I can’t afford $700 shoes and I bet you can’t either. I’ve only been in class for just over a month and the intensity with which I dislike my classes is something I’ve never known in academia before. I’ve been a pre-med student before and loved all my bio and chem classes. I’ve been and art student before and loved the studio and art history classes. I’ve sat in on my friends’ sociology classes and loved them. I like school a lot. Which is why this is so troublesome to me.
I guess the only reason it’s troublesome is because I know what I want and the debt I’m going into because of these stupid classes that I’ll probably drop/fail out of will keep me from doing just that. It eats me up on a daily basis. If I could go back 45 days and re-do it, best believe I would. So it goes.
*edit: I'm taking classes online, which I think is making things worse than they are. I am very bad at multitasking and focusing on classes that I don't physically have to attend is extremely difficult. I think I'm might just drop out of the one class I feel is most useless to me at the moment and try to soldier on through the other two and bring my abysmal grades up.
I am agreeing with much of what you guys are saying in the comments, I think I might elaborate on my thoughts in a subsequent post.*
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65 musings:
I'm sorry to hear that :( No matter how much I love fashion, I understand what you mean - if you've ever read Freakonomics, I think you'll get what my mean by how it reminds me of a gang. Ah. Best of luck in the future xx
i think of this too the other day i went shopping and over heard soem girls saying how bad they wanted to get something but didnt because it wasn't going to be "in" anymore and i was like
"what?!" why do we have to care if others like it or not i mean we all seek approval but if you like it isn't that enough? man we get brainwashed so fast!
best of luck in your classes, i know what you mean by not wanting to quit i hope you stick with it :)
Finally, someone echoing my own thoughts! The problem I have is that I just don't believe the majority of the "fashion world" is anything to do with us mere low income mortals! I can't even afford to buy Vogue let alone the clothes advertised in it! (Ok, not strictly true, I could buy Vogue but I can think of much more important things to buy, like bread and houmous ^^)
But then again....I suppose there are many independent publications out there, struggling to be heard. Ones that are actually trying to reach the real people? And blogs too of course!
I agree with so much of this. In so many ways, fashion reminds me of what I am lacking. At times my wallet just cannot keep up with the image and wardrobe I would like to present to the public. Even reading some fashion blogs (NOT including yours) has lost its appeal when the fashion bloggers I admired so much who could spend $50 or less in a thrift store and walk out with an inspiring outfit are now sporting designer goods courtesy of sponsors. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy these bloggers are successful, but that's not the reason I turned to fashion blogs rather than fashion magazines. I'm constantly searching for "undiscovered" fashion blogs because I think real people with limited resources are the most creative when it comes to fashion.
I love your blog. You take real clothes that real people wear and make inspiring outfits for real life. You deserve an even wider audience, and fashion journalism can help you get there. Good luck!
Oh wow! that is a huge catharsis and I can totally relate as far as wasting money on a major I had no intention of using (early education), but as far as fashion journalism I'm sure it'd be an easy switch to just journalism. I know this is your graduate studies though, so maybe not? You could always use your roots in fashion and your own creative flare to create your own online magazine and collaborate with flickr users and just do your own thing for creativity's sake. Whatever choice you make you will know in your heart that it will be the right one. Money can't run our lives if it gets in the way of happiness. That's my point of view anyways. Good luck!
there is QUITTING and then there is redirecting your course to something else. i was a journalism student who didn't quit when i realized i hated it and now im jobless and have a degree i could not care less about.
I'm in journalism school too, and sometimes I feel exactly the same way. right now I'm actually in a group making a magazine for men, and I was really excited. but the others want it to be "high brow" and feature $300 t-shirts, and I think it's more useful to show things from h&m (that are just as nice).
my point is, I hate that part of fashion journalism too. but the way I look at it is, if I succeed, I get to be around all these beautiful things that I look at more for inspiration than a shopping guide. then I don't have to buy the $700 shoes, just get ideas from them.
I'm sorry to hear you're so frustrated. why not try arts journalism? seems like something you'd like, and I personally think it's one of the most fun topics to cover!
anyway, I think you should find what you love and go for it! you seem like a smart, passionate person and I'm sure you could succeed at anything. good luck with everything. :o)
:( hugs !
Powerful stuff! I'm sure you will find the direction that is right for you!In the meantime you write really well! I wondered if you would like to enter my Topshop scarf giveaway over on My Passport to Style. Great Style trancends fashion and allows the wearer to become at one with their garment. Sharon xx
What a tough lesson to learn. I think that this happen to a lot of people, even when they're almost finished with college. At least it's only 45 days and not 3 years! I have, and will always struggle with the superficiality of the fashion world. But, I try to look at it as art, like you do.
Get to an adviser immediately. It's their job to help you figure out your studies. You may be able to use the credits for something other major. I know that's not the bigger problem here, but talking to someone might her you figure out an alternate route for your professional direction.
Good luck to you.
i completely agree with you. there is nothing more that i like than to gaze at magazines for hours.. and i enjoy shopping almost too much.
but i do not think i own a piece of clothing that i have paid full price for.
ever.
so; if you don't want to tell people that they should buy $700 shoes..
at least tell me where to find the $30 ones :)
xo
I know how you feel and I totally agree. It just sucks about your classes. Is there any way you can transfer them to a regular journalism degree and head off in that direction?
Good luck, and I hope you will be able to find something you love to do!
I know exactly what you mean - I can't say I read all the magazines, or keep up with trends or really know many designers at all.
I can say, as someone who has been in grad school for 5 years, that if you're already hating it, it's probably not worth your time and money. It's early enough in the school year that you can probably get most of your tuition refunded.
Great thoughts! I think that we as a culture and also the fashion industry are on the edge of something new. Blogging is on the edge of this evolution of though and the way people connect and inspire--its not top down any more its shifting to be bottom up and like any change its uncomfortable and difficult for everyone who's out there on the edge of something new.
I always wanted to go into fashion journalism but now I see what it's like. So sorry to hear that.
Thank you so much for saying what we have all thought at some and reading from the comments there are a lot of us that think the same way! I struggle with the fashion industry all the time and especially because of my feminist beliefs I find it very troublesome to read magazines such as vogue.
I wanted to offer my 2 cents to your dilemma first and foremost I think that you need to first finish the semester/quarter/term but in the mean time talk to lets say others in your program professors and even counselors. If it REALLY evident its not for you well start looking for another program. it might be a little hard now but you never know after begin applying to those other places. It is important to just finish the course load you have now so it doesnt look bad on your transcripts when you elsewhere
I give this advice which is the same I gave to a friend in a PhD program that he is not happy in.
I hope it was of some help! Great blog by the way!
gloria
http://dresshangsthere.blogspot.com/
Is this degree the only way to attain what you want ultimately?
Is there someone doing what you want to be doing that doesn't have this kind of degree?
I feel for ya, I quit 2 different grad programs because I lacked the passion. I work at a University and the programs are offered free to me and I still quit!
I hope it all works out for you =)
I have an idea. Take what you love from it and discard what you hate. Be the voice that causes the rebellion in the industry but that causes so much it becomes an attraction. Be the voice that shows all the different styles people are wearing, and that it is not limited to that. Perhaps if you ever create your own fashion magazine, have different people you think are creative and artistic, be the photo takers, the models, designers. Every great person stepped out at one point because of something they disagreed with. They had better plans and I honestly think you could do something great with the industry. Show them the beauty of difference. Show them the beauty in $5 shoes verses $700. Show them how to make their own style and figure out what matches them!
You can be the difference in that industry. You have supporters here! that's for sure. And you seem to be a very catching person! (don't know if that made sense) but I believe in you girl! Make it what YOU WANT IT TO BE AND THINK IT SHOULD BE! I think a lot of girls out there (including me) agree with you on all the things you dislike. We'll be the girls to support you 100%!
Hey, apologies if this is sharing something you already know but have you looked at this magazine: http://www.neetmagazine.com/ ? I saw it posted on academichic yesterday. If you were to stick with your course and then use your journalistic skills for a venture like NEET that would be really cool. The Vogue, $300 shoes scene is really only for a minority. With your fashion and writing skills you could really create something fantastic...possibly from the comfort of a Winnebago :) GOOD LUCK!
Elizabeth, I completely understand what you are saying. I just want to encourage you in your studies to not lose your values and what you believe is right in fashion journalism. It is time for a change to happen because I feel like fashion is no longer for a select few, but its becoming for the masses (why else would some magazine fashion journalists be so threatened by fashion bloggers). If you don't want to write an editorial about a $700 pair of pants... DONT. I know, I am personally so tired of the Anna Wintour vomit spewed all over the pages of Vogue.
I'm getting involved in this "low fashion" magazine. I am going to e-mail you about it.
This post is all too true. I'd say, don't look of leaving the fashion journalism degree as a failure but rather as a venture you tried and found it wasn't best suited for you. I really think we're only truly happy doing what we love, whatever that might be.
I had to delurk to offer you some support. If you haven't already talk to an advisor - a good one who you feel comfortable and tells you that what you want to do can be done - don't stop till you get to that person, because the beauty of grad school is that it's easy to customize a course of study to suit a person's needs. Combine courses from different programs that you're interested in and unfortunately, if you have to take a few that you hate, just try to pass them (that was Biochem for me - required but hated with a passion). Good luck!
i have an english degree i'm not using and also a nursing certificate i'm not using. but none of the money it took to get me that education has been wasted. i do have a more well rounded view of life and it also helped me to know what i don't want to do. so you don't want to be a fashion journalist anymore? at least now you know that and you don't have to wonder anymore. don't stress out about the money, if you keep doing something you hate then you'll stress out way more and for a much longer time. you're not quitting, you're just going in a new direction. we all grow and find new interests. maybe you can redirect your journalism background to reflect something you are super passionate about. as a side note, i'm not trying to tell you what to do or whatever, just trying to be encouraging:)
I am so sorry to hear that you aren't enjoying your graduate program. (I feel the same way about fashion journalism, btw.) If you transfer to another type of journalism program, they usually take up to nine credits from another program. Also, you really shouldn't pay for graduate degree unless it's a professional degree (J.D., M.B.A., M.D. etc.). There are various opportunities on university campuses that provide graduate assistantships which pay tuition and a living stipend. (I actually plan on writing about this on my blog tonight).
Have you thought about your other options and what you would rather be doing?
http://toya-quarterlifechronicles.blogspot.com
For what it's worth, I went through the exact same feelings right before I finished my degree. I think it's incredibly normal to hate what you're doing after so many years of hard work. It took me a summer of interning and an entire year off before I even used my degree (journalism) and then learned to love it.
Also, I think it's awesome that you pursured the fashion side of journalism. That was my plan when I went to school and an advisor actually talked me out of it, so I just went with journalism.
It's okay to be burnt out and confused, but I think if you just keep following your gut, you'll be fine.
I feel the same exact way you do about fashion! I think alot of people do which is why fashion blogging is the "new thing". Because people want to see REAL style, wearable style, and creativity as presented by someone they can relate to.
I am sorry that you are struggling with your major. Are you able to switch to a similar major and get credit for some of the same classes? Like maybe something in fashion styling instead. You clearly have an eye and brain in fashion, and fit, and I think you could totally find something that utilizes that natural ability!
Good for you Elizabeth {ps; how the eff am I just now realizing we share the same name? I fail}. Not a lot of women will admit what you're sharing here with us today. You've topped my list of *fashion bloggers* because unlike others, you don't come off as a pretentious fashion snob. Your style is your own and you aren't striving to fit into a certain genre or anything. It shows. And it's a good thing :) You seem really smart and so no matter what you decide to do I'm sure you'll be fab at it. xo
i wholeheartedly understand where you are coming from ... it's one of the reasons i started a bargain blog of my own because i know that all the pretty pennies i could save would never amount to enough for one of those extravagant pieces i adore and see walking the runways ... don't fret. i have no doubt you'll find your place right when you're meant to. it's just how fate works.
~bb
I'm a journalism major too. It frustrates me to no end. I often wonder why I'm doing it too, since I am so irritated by it most of the time.
I read fashion magazines, not because I'm a slave to fashion, and I want to buy $700 shoes, but because I like to look at pretty things. Keep in mind that most women pick up fashion mags while they're in line at the grocery store, and they just flip through to read something light and pretty.
Like others have said, don't give up entirely, but try to redirect your focus to something you feel you can honestly write about
Don't worry, you're not alone. I'm going through the same thing with my major and I'm about to graduate and start a job that is misery on a silver platter. And, I feel like I can't even apply for other jobs because I already accepted the offer and who quits before they even start?!
I'm just hoping that I'll get some perspective with this job and that my next career move will actually help get me to where I want to be in 5 - 10 years.
http://jammer10am.blogspot.com/
Hey!
I've been reading your blog for quite some time now and this is the first time I will leave a comment, and it's because I fully understand how you feel: about hating fashion, about hating what you're doing.
I like clothes as much as the next girl but I don't like how magazines tell us what to wear either. However, it's liberating to know that I can choose NOT to follow trends and not care about what people will say about what I wear.
Secondly, I don't know why people (in general, not you) make such a big deal about quitting. It doesn't always mean admitting defeat or conceding or whatever. Sometimes, it's a matter of knowing when something's not for you. I think that's a whole lot better to redirect your efforts than to waste time and resources on something you absolutely abhor. :)
Just my $.02. And I've been meaning to say, I think you're beautiful and that your style is just as gorgeous. :)
well, like coco said, think of fashion in the same way you do architecture, it's all a matter of proportion. i don't give a shit what anna wintour or vogue thinks either, but everybody has to wear something. (at least, we would like for everyone to wear something). who says you can't be the one creating your idea of fashion as an alternative to anna & friends? you're much cuter than she is, and i prefer your fashion choices to hers! you'll find your thing, just keep listening to your inner voice. and keep writing, because i really like it (and it's all about me :))
What you're talking about is the exact reason I, and I think a lot of other people, never considered working in the fashion industry even though we love clothes, styling etc. I hate how status-conscious many fashion people can be. They lose sight of the pure beauty of fashion in their single-minded quest to "succeed." And it's a shame the whole industry gets that rep, because I have been friends with/ worked with so many fashion people who are amazing: talented, passionate AND sweet and considerate of other people. For every Anna Wintour (whom I actually admire as a business woman even if I don't agree with everything she's created) there is a Grace Coddington. I think that you'd find a fulfilling career in fashion journalism by seeking out those people who feel the same way about fashion as you do and getting the message YOU want to spread out there.
I also shy away from "demonizing" magazines with $700 shoes in them. I love those magazines! I don't read them and feel like my own fashion is lacking; I read them to escape into a fantasy world and soak up beautiful things which I consider works of art. Yes, I love my $22.80 forever21 dresses, but they in no way compare in craftsmanship or design to the Bottega Veneta dress I ripped from Vogue and posted on my bulletin board--as inspiration for the next time I hit F21. I never feel patronized by Vogue...I view these people as different from me, not better than me. These magazines, and people who act like fashion is all about the newest "it" accessory, can only make you feel bad about yourself if you let them.
That said, I know how being in a program where you don't feel connections with your fellow students can sap you of passion you once had, so maybe it's this particular program, not fashion journalism itself, that's not for you. Sorry for such a long comment (I'm a blabber!); I just wanted to give encouragement because your blog is so amazing it made me sad to think of you turning away from something you're really talented at.
Can I get an AMEN?! Though I love my style and the clothes and accessories I wear, I despise fashion elitism. I say UGH to trends and UGH to the people who reinforce them by spending absurd amounts of money on them!
Halena
You sound just like me my junior year of undergrad, when I had taken years of education courses and realized I didn't want to be a teacher. I felt like I was wasting my time and my money. I'll pass along my dad's message...there are only a couple things worth going into debt over - a house and an education (not clothes, so you're definitely right about the $700 shoes), and you will never regret getting an education. I finished it out, got my degree, and I am a teacher now. While I don't love it and am leaving the profession because I just got accepted to FIT...I promise I'll create low-budget lines for the working girl :-)
Throw yourself into it, and take something out of it. Everyone who reads your blog considers you a fashion journalist of sorts :-) Now, you'll have the title to go along with it. Shit...start a fashion magazine that holds your ideals and throws Vogue's out the window...
I completely agree. I hate the ethics of the fashion world, the ridiculous prices and hierarchy of brand names. Fashion magazines also bother me, sure its nice to look at well taken photographs but they are 90% adverts. Why would I want to pay £3 for that? But I know its tough kinda losing faith in something you're doing, I'm feeling a bit like that on my course at the moment.
xxx
I went through a similar dilemma when I was in school for journalism. It was such a cut-throat, money mongering business - not at all what I was expecting. But you know what, even though I'm not working for newspapers, I've used my education and made what I want out of it. I love blogging and being free to write what I want, and still have an audience who cares. You'll figure it out girl, just keep truckin!
Maria
http://BachmansSparrow.com
How comforting to hear how many other people feel the same way about the downsides of the fashion industry! I've talked to so many people who get so frustrated with that Vogue/Harper's scene. Most people are shopping at Urban Outfitters and H&M, not Neiman Marcus!
Sucks about your grad school stuff though, I really hope you figure out what direction you want to end up going in!
Life is short. Do something you like. Go back to pre-med or art. You can write about fashion without studying fashion journalism too.
And maybe they can reimburse you for some of the class costs if you drop it now?
Hang in there. xoxo
I'm sorry to hear that. :( but just think: you're still young, and even though money might a problem for taking new classes (school is expensive, i agree) to do what you want...it might be worth it to take the plunge. my old high school english teacher said that education is something no one can take away from you, and is the best investment anyone can ever make. you don't want to think back ten years from now, being at a job you hate, and say to yourself "what if". i think you should go for what you want to do with no regrets! :) good luck with everything.
I think sometimes things seem overwhelming with school, I've def. been in your shoes before. But the thing is, the real world is nothing like school. And what you're learning from your classes is only the slightest part of what you'll actually be doing.
I used to share very similar sentiments to you about Fashion, until I realized that Anna Wintour and Vogue really do not matter to me, to anyone I know, and to anyone in my world. No, I cannot afford 700$ shoes, but counterculture has always been cooler anyway.
First, I just want to mention that I love your blog/style.
Second, I agreed with a lot of the points you made in this post, like the fact that fashion magazines make pristine style seem unattainable, the idea that fashion should be a form of beauty, not some sort of hierarchy, etc.
But there was also a lot I disagreed with.
I, too, am a journalism major and I'd love to one day write for a fashion magazine. I've just always loved fashion. To me, fashion magazines aren't about the latest $700 shoes; fashion magazines (and fashion in general) are worth so much more than that. Those expensive shoes represent something so much bigger. They're a form of expression, something a designer worked so hard to build, something a model launched down the runway, something fashion journalists are warning the public about.
Although magazines may be advertising a pair that's seemingly exclusive to the wealthy, fashion allows for tasteful imitation. That is to say, within a couple weeks, cheaper versions will hit stores, making room for more variety and more individual expression.
Of course, this means trends. But are trends necessarily a bad thing? Even though plaid may be popular this season or jewel tones are in next fall, fashion magazines don't dictate how these trends should be worn. People seem to think fashion trends are so entirely narrow, but I see it in a different light. Although the fashion world may be praising plaid or jewel tones, there's so many ways to make that "trend" your own.
Maybe I'm putting too much thought into this, but I think there's something beautiful in fashion and the fashion industry that a lot of people skim over. Sure, it looks like a cold world run by the ice queen Anna Wintour and modeled by thin ice princesses, but beneath it, there's this warm sense of unity where one girl can wear a plaid shirt and the next can wear plaid flats and the next can wear plaid hair accessories and they're not clones, but rather their individual persons.
Elizabeth, you need to get out. I know, I know you don't "quit" things, but like many other girls who have commented here before me said, it isn't quitting it is REDIRECTING yourself into a better place. what's the point of spending so many years and so much money for something you've loathed from the get go? yea, you cannot go back in time, but you can stop now. I would suggest you finish out this semester (if you can possibly drop a class and throw in another you might be interested in that would be good) and then if you still hate it to your very core just stop. it is not giving up, it is fulfilling your dream.
I know that you feel that school sucks and I think that you are being smart by addressing the issues. However, maybe instead of telling people to buy $700 shoes, you can tell us where to buy $7 shoes? I mean, most of us know where some good deals are, but if there was a magazine that told me where it would be worth driving to, to get clothes at a cheap price, or how many ways to wear a dress...I mean even an Online magazine. I think you can make a change to how your profession works. I think that you are creative and smart enough to figure out something to do with what you have. I really think that you can do it.
*sorry so cheesy :P
More power to you! In fact I thoroughly agree with you. The only reason I buy Vogue, Elle, InStyle, etc. is too look at the new fashion trends. Half the time I don't even like what they're saying but I buy the clothes anyways because it seems to be 'in' or whatever. However in the next issue they say something completely different as to what is now in style, so I end up buying more clothes. Thus I am left with an overstuffed closet where I only wear a quarter of what is in it. I'm wasting money on clothes and on the stupid magazines themselves!! Sometimes the magazines are fun because you get inspiration, but other times I just want to follow my own fashion drum and I feel restricted by them... this is a very interesting post and very thought provoking.
www.ohlalababy.tumblr.com
I think you are fucking awesome for speakin' the truth!!!!!!!!!!!! Too many people are too scared to say what you just did... and I haven't read all the comments, but I know you said what a lot of us feel. Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
p.s. Even though they suck, try to stick with the classes ! You are totally tough! You can do it!
I think that sometimes you need to take classes that you hate in order to lead you to what you love.
I took anatomy last year- twice- and didn't good a good enough grade because I hated it so much- twice. I ran out and changed my major to family studies and am now somewhere that I LOVE!
Best of luck on your journey- and I have to agree with you on this- When I'm looking through fashion magazines and the "look for less" costs $900 total, I'm shocked that they're still in publication.
I have your blog connected to my Google Reader; this is my first time commenting...
Just wanted to say that you should go with your gut when it comes to college/classes. I teach online & on-campus... if you need f2f, seek it out in whatever major!
And my sister has often told me that my Plan B should be fashion journalism, but I disagree with her because my hobby should be my hobby and that's it. I couldn't write about heels every month. Eeek.
Lastly, I LOVE thrift stores. I'm addicted. So, I hear ya on the $700 shoes and stuff.
Keep blogging, doll. And chuck up some photos of your wonderful self, will ya? :o)
Dude, you gotta do what you love! Dont settle.
I totally relate to your thoughts about fashion!
good luck for your studies, all it matters is for you to be happy!
x
I'm sorry to hear you are not happy. I was in the same position 3years ago in medical school. I didn't like what I was learning and didn't want to be a doctor anymore but I also did not want to quit since I worked so hard to get accepted. I ended up quitting at the end of the first semester and am happy I did so. I am back in grad school but getting an MPH this time. I am so much happier and really enjoy my classes (and life!) again...though I spent$12,000 on that semester! I suggest waiting until the end of the semester to really get a feel for the classes. Maybe this is just anxiety? You are not really "wasting" money because you are learning valuable information about yourself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us!! I hope everything works out.
I feel the same way. When people say "oh so you like "fashion" they are surprised when I am like "No." The truth is I like style, creativity and clothes, but I think fashion is just an excuse for a bunch of people just like Ana Wintour to create a culture of exclusivity and the elite that most people who are just as creative if not more will never be able to buy into. That's what I love about blogging and all of the people I meet and discover that inspire me in the blogosphere.
I think we all have these sort of academic and professional epiphanies so don't worry too much about yours, your already one step ahead of the game figuring that out this early. Not to mention if this is what you don't like about fashion journalism, YOU ARE ALREADY COMBATTING IT THROUGH THE PARTICIPATING IN THE BLOGOSPHERE. I don't buy magazines anymore, I read blogs like yours. I don't even look at the magazines websites because I find what bloggers like you post ten times most interesting because it lies within the realm of possibility for me and my style. Plus I don't have to wait every week or month for updates and its free!
Keep up the good work :-D
xoxo Bardot in Blue
Thanks for the interesting post! It's really fascinating to read everyone's responses to it. I agree with a lot of what you said, I think that people in fashion can be so judgmental. I hate seeing things like "Worst-dressed" and 'What was she thinking." A lot of people don't have time or money to worry about clothes and people should feel free to wear whatever they want!
I think it's a good thing that you're realizing that what you thought might be the 'thing for you' isn't the right fit. No matter what, you will always have the knowledge from the experience and that's never a bad thing. I studied Cultural Anthropology in school and was fascinated by it and am glad to have the education, but I know it's a field I don't ever want to work it. You'll find your path -- part of getting there is figuring out what's wrong for you just as much as what's right. :)
wow thats a lo t... well i 'm glad you have such diverse interests on the bright side :)
ever considerd being a diffrent kind of fashion journalist ... or make something what you want it to be .
I am so sorry to hear. I love fashion with all my heart but I do understand where you are coming from. The sad thing is that people do follow those trends and buy the $700 shoes because without them they wont feel in the "in crowd." That's why I love blogging and the blogging community. This is the place where ordinary people can express themselves and their individuality and not feel the pressure of having to fit in. The only thing I can tell you is to follow your heart. If fashion journalism isn't for you then you should take another path. The sooner, the better because you will save time and money. Good luck =]
-Shantel
http://www.livefashiondiehappy.blogspot.com/
Maybe you can turn things around in the fashion world. Especially with the economy.
My humble suggestion?....Occam's Razor. "Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity." i.e. The simplest answer is most likely the right/best one. If you aren't passionate about your major, and you aren't looking forward to your classes, then maybe you aren't supposed to be there?? btw, that is what college is for. :) You drop your major, you get a new one, and then you drop it again. We all do it, and it no way does it make you a quitter. Just because you find something that doesn't fit with you anymore doesn't mean you gave up. It would be quitting if you continued to pursue something you weren't passionate about, THAT would be quitting, on yourself and your freedom to find something you are truly passionate about, right? ..... AND it is ridiculous that anyone can justify spending $700 on shoes. I appreciate your rant. I like looking cute, I check your blog alot. I like your style, but in no way, should fashion mean thaaaat much. So, In the end what will you be happy you did with your college experience??
just a thought. :)
Life's too short to do something you hate. Don't feel obligated to keep at something because you've "never quitted anything before". I left school because I felt like I was wasting my time and money in classes that at the end of the semester I couldn't remember what we studied and didn't have anything to show for it. I was supposed to be making a portfolio of my work, and instead did class assignments I would never see myself displaying anywhere. I realized I was getting the majority of my experience in my free time with the films I volunteered to costume design for and was actually looked down on by my department for doing so. In the end, I decided to leave school and pursue costume design on my own. I've always been an A/B student and enjoyed school, but I'm so much happier for leaving it. You have to look at what makes you a better person and if its worth it in the end. You have this dream to tour the country and support yourself, but is school going to put that on the back burner? You have your whole life ahead of you to change your mind on school, to go back to it at some point if you want to, so think of the immediate future and what you want to do, not what you think you should do.
As for fashion journalism: I used to read Vogue and Elle every month, along with other random ones, until I realized I was more infuriated by their articles than not. They try to cater to everyone, but still leave so many behind. I hate the whole models vs. "Real Women" debate, and the fact that they try to sell me $500 shoes on one page, then tell me how I can "still be fashionable in this troubled economy." It doesn't pan out in the end. You can't have it both ways. I wish they'd grow a backbone and either be one way or the other. I guess we just want a little more honesty in journalism than what we're getting.
Great points!I've wondered the same thing for years...why buy a $700 pair of shoes rather than a $50 pair that looks exactly the same. And all magazines only show whats "popular", and "hot on the runway".... but whats the excitement for wearing something like that?... why wear something trendy, why be sharp, clean, and modern... why not be wierd, quirky, and colorful?
Hi! I agree with you so much! I'm collaborating in a new online fashion&shopping Spanish magazine that wants to be different to the way the magazines have always treated readers... as if we are dumb or whatever. Real fashion for real ppl...
In some of my latest posts I talked about how tired I am to see the same trends and same everything everywhere.
xx from Madrid:)
Iris.
I never really read Nylon but have been looking into it recently and don't like it at all because of how fake it is. Their front page celebrities (eg. Megan Fox/Lindsey Lohan) don't even dress remotely like the outfits they put them in. The pages are filled with ads for Chanel or Bebe couture... and I don't feel they're even appropriate for Nylon's demographic. The fashion magazine world is frustrating but print is being phased out anyway. It feels like almost everything is going online, especially with the environmental edge coming into play. Magazines have a 30% sell rate of issues printed and the rest are pulped... so I mean, take the knowledge you've learned with fashion journalism and be a headliner for the online movement.
girl, you just made me 100x more attracted to your blog. your situation is so relate-able. i was working in the make-up industry and planning on making it my life.. no matter what it took. i was completely aware when a similar "disconcerting realization" suddenly swept over me. it was really emotional for me bc i felt safe on the path i was on and that abandoning my plans would lead me into fields of regret.
i'm now back in school and loving every second even though i dont know where my life is exactly going. i learned an important lesson that night: you gotta live in the moment and do what feels truly right IN THAT MOMENT. only then will you get to the place you really want to be.
i applaud you!!
Oh. My. Life. It's like reading a page out of my diary! I'm a poor lass - I don't use the word "shop", I use "thrift" - and constantly being bombarded with that'sjustsolastseason, buythisbuythatbuythosebuythese is even more distressing than subliminally being told I'm fat and ugly.
I'd love to create a magazine which is the total anti-thesis of it... I dunno, like, purely editorials and street-style and junk, and really creative ways to wear things in your wardrobe that you maybe hadn't thought of yet.
It'd probably bomb. :P
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