Want to be truly cool? Ignore fashion’s hot diktats

“There is nothing wrong with loving clothes, but mindlessly following trends isn’t making us stylish, it’s turning us into sheep”.

Well, the Melbourne Fashion Festival finished on Sunday and so those fashionistas in the know are now on the go, hunting down those key pieces that will identify their fashion currency and credibility. This article I found on Google Alerts by Wendy Squires (SMH.com.au) did catch my eyes. Here’s the screen shot of the mail I received from Google Alerts, under Fashion Category:

Today, fashion is accessible to anyone and everyone. Walk down any mall in any city in any country and you will see the same chain stores offering the same clothes. Literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of the same item are made and distributed globally, meaning the girl in Quebec is buying the same as the chick in Queensland.

Her point on fashion and personal attitude is quite true:

” What I see is that this perennial requirement to update, to be fashionable, is actually a farce. By making us look current, it is just adding to us all looking the same“, Wendy said.

Incorporate trends in ways that work best for you! Not every fashion trend is going to be great for every girl.  Looking like you are trying too hard or over-styled is never good!

“ I was buying into the whole fashion shebang – until I realised this pursuit was painful and fruitless, making me only disenchanted, depressed and, well, destitute. Because the very nature of fashion is to constantly adapt and change. Which means want more, need more, buy more“, Wendy emphasised.

Perhaps the solution is to stop thinking about clothing as fashion and start thinking about it as we do food – read the tags, see where the material was sourced, where it was produced, and then contemplate how it got to the shelves here.

I realize that the most stylish women in the world are surprisingly consistent with their styles, whether that means keeping to basics or getting creative all the time. Be confident and do what you want when it comes to fashion because that’s an aspect in your life where you can generally do whatever you want and express yourself that way.

Again, always keep your originality, choose trends that you like and find ways to make them work for you own personal style.

(Google Alerts on 24/3)- Find the link here: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/want-to-be-truly-cool-ignore-fashions-hot-diktats-20140323-35bo7.html

 

Skype – a great way to communicate

Skype has been part of my life ever since I moved to Melbourne one year ago. What began as a way to stay in touch with friends and family back home in Vietnam, evolved in a daily ritual to stay connected with people around the world, whether home in the Melbourne or on the road.

I’m a travel writer and I have shared my travels in real time, and have constantly connected with fellow travel peers when working on travel assignments.  With the help of Skype video calling, I have shared priceless travel memories, or better yet Skype Moments.

• What’s Skype?

Me calling Maria – my study buddy from RMIT ( 1st CMWP class)

It is a service that allows you to use your computer and high-speed internet connection at home to place telephone calls anywhere in the world for a very cheap price. Professional reviewers and users alike love Skype because it allows you to have free PC-to-PC VoIP calls or video calls with other Skype users.

It is an option well worth considering, especially if you’re a heavy phone user. Each situation is different, but if you have the things necessary (most importantly, a high speed connection at home), you can eliminate a land line and/or save a lot of minutes on your cell phone package by using Skype. For calls to or from a non-Skype phone, you’ll have to pay.

……More thought!

……….

• Virtual Visits

I have a large family and we’re pretty spread out — I’m in Melbourne and my parents, sister and many relatives are back in Hanoi. During the holidays, we stay connected using Skype Group Video Calls because there’s no better way to feel like we’re actually together. In fact, these virtual visits are ideal for multiple reasons.

My family and I get to catch up via Skype…and I can enjoy the sunshine here in warm Victoria instead of the coldness from the driveway in the frigid Northern Vietnam. I’d say that is a win-win!

The software (didn’t tried any hardware device) itself is pretty functional and user-friendly. It is easy to use and does not need a lot of attention. So when it came time to find an international calling service to keep in contact with our family member overseas, Skype was the natural choice.

• Capturing the Moment

My family loves to know what I am up to, and since I am not around as often as I would like, I try to take as many photos as possible. This holiday season, I plan to take even more photos than normal, and share those images with my family on email, upload them to all my social media channels and file sharing them over Skype (that way I have all of my bases covered).

Big thanks to Skype and technology for helping me to be home for the holidays. And thanks to Skype, sharing one’s experiences is nothing short than a gratifying reality.