The Color Lines of Fashion: Which Side Are You On?

The Color Lines of Fashion: Which Side Are You On?

On one of my blog networking sites, I started a group to critique blogs, so we could get feedback to improve our blogs.  The group is going pretty strong, I have received some excellent feedback and hopefully I've returned the favor.  This morning, I received a DM (direct message) from one of my new blogger "buddies" offering some suggestions to improve my blog.  It was odd that she didn't post in the forum, but whatever.  She wrote she did not like the moving slider (quite a few people don't but I am stubborn, I personally love it...sorry), some of my thumbnails are skewed (I haven't quite figured out how to fix that yet) and last but certainly not least, she did not think I should cater my blog just to Black people.

I gasped!  Really? I have not given much thought to whom I was catering to, until recently.  I viewed my blog as a place I post retail deals, my inspirations, and rant about my conspiracy theories.  I did not think I was catering to one demographic!  I immediately went through my blog posts to see if her observation was valid.

I found posts about hip hop; there was my song of the week by Chester French (who is white, mind you!) and of course, there is my notorious ode to Vogue (which quite possibly ruined any chance of me being featured in Vogue or at least being an affiliate marketer for Condé Nast...but whatever!  I got a year subscription to Vogue through Fab.com for $6!  Take that Anna Wintour! Wait...okay, don't say anything, let me have my moment).  However, besides brief mentions of culture and possibly references to Black designers (correction: one Black designer!), I did not see how I was catering to solely a Black audience.

In addition to hip hop, me stalking Nas, Stephen Burrows, and Condé Nast's unrequited love...I also wrote about Nicholas Kirkwood, Alexander McQueen, cosmetics, Makeup Geek, Jimmy Choo, Fashion Week, denim, the Magic Show in Vegas and facial hair for god's sake!  Am I really catering only to a  Black audience?

After this soul (blog) searching, I went to my blogger buddies site.  This girl has impeccable style.  Her blog has a great clean layout, she has ton of gorgeous look book pictures (she is under 25-so it's cool!) AND she is a witty and engaging writer, which is difficult to find in the fashion blogger world!  I scanned her blog and got lost in her look book for a while, and then I found it.  Articles about perfecting the milky white complexion, reviews on self tanning lotions, and how she loves rock music.

Okay, this is her blog and she can do what she wants with it.  However, I can not relate to the milky white complexion, I don't need self tanner, and while I love rock music too (gasp!  You know it's perfectly possible to be into rock and hip hop, right?) she could be accused of catering to a predominantly white audience.  So what's the difference?

While I enjoy her blog, I, obviously, do not relate to some of her material.  Yet, it does not stop me from reading her blog!  I continue to read and support, simply because I like her style. I have never thought to myself, "OMG, I cannot follow her blog publicly because I am Black!"  Quite frankly, I don't think she gave a conscious effort to the race of her audience, either.  I just think she writes about what she knows, what she likes, what she sees and what she experiences as a stylish woman who happens to be white.  Just like me, except I happen to be Black.  So why shouldn't I do it?

Because I would rather ponder philosophical, social, and cultural issues than fold laundry, scrub the toilets and finish my homework (which could quite possibly help me with aforementioned thumbnail skewing problem), I decided to find the answers.

I am not going to lie to you, dear readers, the answers did not shock me.  However, they may shock some of you; if they do then this post is definitely for you.  I polled my group critique members and posted the questions on my other blog networking sites to get some feedback.  I am biased, obviously, so I needed fresh perspectives.  Overwhelmingly, most of my Indian, Asian, Latin and African/African American blogger buddies, did not feel I was just writing for a Black audience.  However, most my white blogger buddies (at least the ones who felt comfortable enough to respond) felt like I was catering to a Black audience (with the exception of two).  One blogger said, "I do not feel as if you are catering to a particular audience.  I just think you are expressing who you are and you are a Black woman.  I don't personally feel alienated from the blog as a white woman.  I relate to liking Genetic Denim, too!"

From my polling outcomes two things struck me; first, the majority of my Black, Brown and Yellow bloggers did not think I was catering to a particular audience, while the majority of the white bloggers did.  Secondly, some of the white bloggers were not comfortable with replying to the questions.  I asked one blogger in particular why she did not feel comfortable enough to respond and she wrote, "I don't want people to label me as a racist".  Provocative answer, to say the least.  I guess we are not as evolved as we think we are.  For clarity, I do not think the blogger is racist because she thinks I am catering to a Black audience.   I am more interested in why there is such a disparity between what one ethnicity thinks about my blog compared to another ethnicity.  I also want to know why the same criticism of catering to one demographic isn't addressed on her blog or other blogs written by non Black or Brown people.

Is the mention of a Black designer, my encounter with a Black model, or me having a crush on Nas offensive or threatening?  If it is offensive or threatening, why isn't the same true for a blogger solely focusing on white designers, white models, lust for Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and porcelain white complexions?  I ask with no judgements, I really want to know why.  Well, really, I just want you to know why a few mentions of my cultural heritage and its members causes you to feel my blog is geared towards Black audiences, while your constant references to your own culture don't lead you to think your fashion blog caters to a white audience. 

Because the thing is, I am Black and am proud of it. (James Browns song is on heavy rotation right now!)  I can not water down who I am, ignore my experiences or my voice as a Black Woman...nor am I expecting you to water down who you are for me.  I appreciate the fact that you are different and I am not threatened by it nor uncomfortable with it.  I merely ask that you give me the same respect.

This issue isn't unique to my blog, either.  Some of you are missing out on some really great fashions and bloggers, simply because they speak in their own voice, which may be Latina, African, Indian, or Asian.  For example, my new blog crush is Nia Fashionista.  This young woman is fabulous!  While I do not know her full bio, I know she attends Howard University in DC, her major is fashion related and her style (as well as styling) is unbelievable.

When I perused her lookbook, however, she has few followers and one of her looks which I absolutely adore only had 5 hypes?  An article I read on the Grit and Glamour blog added some insight to a possible reasons why.  

Grit and Glamours reasoning for not being on sites like Lookbook or Chictopia were more or less geared towards the companies (and owners) of those sites.  My issue is deeper (yes, the laundry is piling up now), why wouldn't Nia Fashionista, or the other women featured in Grit and Glamour's article, not be receiving more fans, hypes and karmas?  Each of the women featured in her article, as well as Nia Fashionista, are stylists by profession!  Some of them have styled some of the biggest names in the industry, probably in outfits you would kill for.  Yet somehow that equates to no hypes and barely any followers.

 While that fact is odd to me...it is just that, a fact.  Beauty, fashion and art comes from all different hues, shapes, sizes, ethnicity's, socioeconomic levels, and nations.  However, overwhelmingly, one particular size and shape and hue are valued, and anything differing from the norm is weird, largely ignored or obviously threatening. 

My conclusion to this rant is this; obviously we are not color blind, nor should we strive to be color blind.  We need to celebrate people's differences.  By putting ourselves in bubbles we are missing out on great friends, good food, rich lasting memories and incredible fashion. However, if you can not appreciate others differences and celebrate their uniqueness, do not advise anyone to do, what you can not and will not do. (microphone drop)