Dating & Dresses

Right, I have to admit to feeling a little smug at the moment, as I received a few compliments for the dress below that I happened to wear on a date last week!

Dress: Etam via E-bay, Necklace: Can't remember, Shoes: Ebay

There are several reasons for the smugness, not least that the compliments mentioned were from my date.  The dress made me feel exceptionally girly like I have NEVER felt before in my life, it cost me a WHOPPING £5.20 (inc. P&P) off Ebay (yeah, I was ripped off, right?) and although I admit to being a little nervous (I was expecting it to turn out like the Karen Millen dress disaster I ordered at the same time) it turned out to be beautiful.

The only downside I can mention to this is that the neckline of the dress is very low, and has a slight tendency to gape a little at the front showing a glimpse of bra.  Naturally this wasn't the look I was going for on the date, and unfortunately I had to make do with using a hair-grip to attach the inside of the neckline to my bra to stop it, as I had no safety pins to hand.  I think I'll be buying some in future!  Other than that, the fit was beautiful around the waistline and the skirt was beautifully floaty!

The other downside of the dress is that I kind of feel like I've set a precedent, and with another date being arranged I now have to decide what to wear for that! Somehow, jeans and a t-shirt just don't seem to cut it any more *sigh*.

ST x

Life Wisdom from Girl Code [from BuzzFeed]

Good grief, BuzzFeed have done it again!  Well, OK, the ladies at Girl Code have done it again - seriously, , if it's the last thing you look at on the internet, EVER, check this out:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/24-important-pieces-of-life-wisdom-from-the-ladies-of-girl-c

I'm not 100% sure what this program is all about, but from the BF piece I'm gathering it's a bit like the American version of Grumpy Old Men (remember that?) but for the average 20/30 something.  Broaching subjects from sex-with-the-ex, to dieting, this selection of gifs had me in stitches!

Favourite quote:

"It's good to be with other people that do the same thing as you 

and bond with them and know you're not a complete weirdo"

ST x

Women, Tattoos and the Internet

OK, this is my first post on this type of subject, so be nice!

I have been looking through the internet a LOT recently, to find some inspiration for numerous tattoos that I am considering getting throughout the course of... well, my life, really.  I have also been reading some powerful blog posts and getting an idea of things from a feminist perspective.

In doing both, I have noticed that a lot of professional shots of tattooed women on the net are highly sexual.  I get it, that there are tattoos women have that are in places that standard clothing will cover up, and when proudly displaying someone's ink you want to show as much of the artwork as possible.

However.  Is it really necessary to put them in such alluring poses, against walls, on beds, some with ridiculously high pleaser-heels, and pouty expressions reminiscent of page 3?  Yes, a back tattoo more than likely will require the owner to go bra-less for a photo, however it does not follow that, if female, she needs to be wearing skimpy knickers - a pair of jeans will do just fine!

Google the term "tattooed men" and the story is a little difference (yeah people, I said a little, ok!?) Most of the pictures are of men in poses that would not be out of place in a clothing magazine.  Naturally there are a lot of 'shirt off' sites (like I said, if that's where the ink is...) but the images seem to be a little more conservative.  There are lots of shots of men bearing back tattoos, but very few include a view below the waist.

But, let's not do the internet a complete injustice, there are a few pictures of men in some VERY provocative poses, but the quantity I'd say less than half that of the female equivalent.

Tattoos are sexy, but are we celebrating the art of the ink, or the body they're attached to?

Whether we are celebrating the body, or the ink, the question is why is there such a discrepancy in how the subjects are depicted?

ST x