| I love clothes. For me, clothing is a
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| | get an accurate account of what I had
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| form of self-expression just like paint
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| | been absorbing mindlessly month after
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| on a canvas is a form of expression for
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| | month and year after year. Here's what I
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| an artist. So, over the years I've been
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| | learned: of the 500 pages, 300 were
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| known to scour the pages of fashion
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| | full-page ads. 172 pages were ads that
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| magazines for ideas. Sometimes I buy the
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| | pretended to be fashion advice, party
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| magazines in the store, other times I
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| | advice and editorial content. Let's get
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| subscribe to them for a year or more.
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| | real, when the fashion advice includes
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| Often times, when I flip through the
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| | the name, phone number and website of the
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| pages, I get inspiration to combine
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| | store and the price of the item, it truly
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| colors, textures or styles in a way I
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| | is an ad. About 30 pages of the magazine
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| hadn't thought of in the past.
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| | were not technically ads but they were
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| I've known for years that fashion
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| | things like: "This star likes this" or,
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| magazines are filled with unrealistic,
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| | "This star does that." Three of the
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| computer-enhanced images. I know that
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| | pages were public service ads (I believe
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| many models have eating disorders and
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| | this is a requirement). So, there you
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| drug problems and I know that many young
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| | have it, my 500 page contained 472 ads
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| women aspire to look like models and
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| | and approximately 30 pages of "content."
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| therefore become victims of eating
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| | And I'm the sucker who sent the check in
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| disorders, compulsive dieting, body
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| | to cover the yearly subscription fee.
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| dissatisfaction, drug use, smoking and
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| | Now after this informal research project,
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| more. I know because I was one of those
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| | I was beginning to get a little steamed
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| girls.
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| | up. Then, my friend Cindy e-mails me a
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| But I figured since I "know better" now,
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| | link to the Dove website
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| since I'm smart enough to see beneath the
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| | (campaignforrealbeauty.com) I go there
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| surface, that there's no harm in looking
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| | and watch a 30-second video that shows a
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| at the magazine for fashion ideas. It
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| | sped up version of all that goes into
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| was only this past week, after the
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| | your typical fashion photo shoot. The
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| mailperson delivered a 500 page copy of
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| | 30-second video clip encapsulates the
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| one of my favorite fashion magazines that
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| | hours of time spent on hair, make-up,
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| it all began to hit me. I sat at the
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| | lighting, professional photography
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| table eating cereal and flipping through
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| | techniques and computer enhancement that
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| the pages one at a time.
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| | takes place before an ad is published or
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| I oogled a $500 purse and a $200 pair of
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| | broadcast. When I say the magazine ads
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| shoes. I saw pictures of $1,000 dollar
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| | are unrealistic and unattainable, I mean
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| watches. Page after page was permeated
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| | it. Because not even the model looks
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| with items that would break my bank if I
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| | like the model!
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| were to purchase them. I realized that I
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| | So, I've made a decision. I am
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| was literally paying money out of my
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| | boycotting all fashion magazines. I will
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| pocket to be advertised to. I was paying
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| | never purchase another one again. I will
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| for a 500 page manual which might as well
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| | not spend my money on lies and images
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| have been titled: 500 pages of things you
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| | that lead to self-hatred, deadly
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| will never be, do or have.
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| | behaviors and oppression for women. I
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| I realized I was paying to look at and
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| | know that money is power and I refuse to
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| read lies. Even though I "know better"
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| | spend my money on harmful lies that
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| on a conscious level, there was still a
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| | destroy the lives of many women.
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| little girl part of me that wanted "that
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| | I know that my few dollars will not be a
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| purse", "those shoes" and "that watch,"
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| | big loss to the mega-rich publishing
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| even if they were all incredibly
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| | industry but I think it's important for
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| overpriced and sure to wreak havoc on my
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| | all women to realize that in a very real
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| financial future and my self-esteem.
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| | way we do not have to buy the hype. I
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| On this particular day, looking at the
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| | mean that in two ways. We do not have to
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| fashion magazine wasn't enjoyable, it was
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| | buy the magazines with our money and we
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| infuriating. I suppose this fury has
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| | don't have to buy the lies that reside
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| been working it's way out over the past
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| | within their pages. We can also decide
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| few months. There was the time when I
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| | to support designers and manufacturers
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| saw the picture of Madonna in a Versace
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| | that promote positive images for women.
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| ad and it hit me: she doesn't have a
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| | We can choose to withhold our dollars
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| wrinkle or a smile line or crow's feet.
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| | from companies that exploit women whether
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| Not one sign of being a mother of two,
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| | it's the model or the sweat shop worker
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| over 40 and a woman with an incredibly
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| | that sews the clothing.
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| demanding career that spanned several
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| | If a full boycott of fashion magazines is
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| decades. I thought to myself, "that's
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| | not for you, you always have the power to
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| impossible." It wasn't a jealous or
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| | write advertisers when you see images
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| envious thought, I meant it very
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| | that are harmful or ridiculous. These
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| literally. It is impossible. Computer
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| | letters do make a difference.
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| enhancement and heavy duty make-up is the
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| | Now, as far as my fashion inspiration, I
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| only logical explanation for the flawless
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| | decided that if my clothes truly are to
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| face I saw.
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| | be a form of self-expression then I will
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| I decided to put my emotions and
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| | decide for myself what textures, colors
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| judgments in check and get objective
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| | and styles I want to combine. I'm a
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| about what I saw. I performed an
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| | grown woman living in a free country. I
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| unofficial research project and scanned
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| | don't need a magazine to tell me how I
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| the pages of this 500 page magazine to
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| | should dress.
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