Did you just seriously eat a pop tart??

Imagine a lunch room.... A busy cafeteria with tons of girls and guys. In one corner there are the skinnypreps, the footballs players, and the cheerleaders. In another the bookworms and the geeks. Now imagine just the average girls talking and hanging out. None of them are eating a thing. To them this is an every day thing. No one says anything about it, because they do it everyday. It is dismissed. This is a common scene in most middle school and high school cafeterias today. Girls starve them selves to be and stay thin. As a student myself, i think i can identify the problems. .

Models and the Catwalk:
You see those super thin models on the catwalk and you think you need to be like that. These girls are famous, mostly because of how thin they are and what they do. So ok, you become that thin then yhou become rich and succesful? No. Girls have serious misconceptions about the modeling industry. It is cut throat industry. The models are that thin so that you buy the clothes thinking you will look that good too.First of all, you will not look like that. Second of all, they look like they are sick. No one needs to look like that.

"I must be as skinny as she is. . .":
Another identifable problem is that girls are mean. If your fat, your going to get made fun of. Girls peer preesure each other in to being anorexic. It might not be noticeable, but it is there. There might be one girl who is perfect, and all the other girls want to be like her. Without knowing it, this one girl has caused maybe 15 to become very aware of what they eat.Girls need to learn to accept their bodies. Everyone has a different shape.

"Do you have an 00 jeans?":
A problem I notice is girls set a goal for themselves.They reach this goal, but it's not enough. They push themselves. They push their weight down farther and farther. Mainly they set these goals so they can be a certain size. But then it becomes a competition to see who can eat the least and weigh the least. They push each other. 10 pounds in dropped. Then 20 pounds.Girls flaunt their small sizes to each other. It is a chain reaction.

Girls:
all I can really say is to eat and be happy.You were made special and unique. Not everyone is the same. Stay actively fit and your great! Being a 0 isn't a size, it's a warning sign.

Written by: Jenny

what's it to you?

I've been spending ages thinking about a meaningful topic to write about for Retro Splash, but I don't think you can force these things. It's quite pathetic how I've only submitted two posts and I already came across writers block, eh? So I decided not to try to impress you guys, but just to be myself and write about people and aspects of fashion I am proud to have found. I can't delve far into that subject without writing about one of my favorite bloggers, though.

One of my personal fashion blogger icons is not someone I see on many people's blogrolls, but that doesn't mean she isn't recognized by the media and fellow bloggers. She's one of handful that really inspired me to get into fashion and writing a blog about my exploration, and the thing is I've never actually talked to her one-on-one. I don't have the same style as her, but I admire her take on fashion and quite frankly, everything about her makes me smile. She's just delightful, and I thought it would be only fair to share her words of wisdom.

Meet Siri Thompson, writer of the lovely blog Ringo, Have a Banana!



Her latest post was just a kind thank you to all her readers out on the intarwebz, but what really struck a chord was her response to the comments thus far:

I guess maybe I've been humbled by the fact that I was the most awkward, self-conscious, nerdy, sad little girl for such a long time growing up. I used to wish I could wear the kind of things that I really wanted, but I was so uncomfortable drawing attention to myself that I always shrank back. But, over a long painful time, I realized that I COULD wear those things and do whatever the heck I wanted, I just had to have confidence in myself and look at things with a sense of humor. That's all it took (ha, simple enough, right?)

Anyways, most of all I believe that no one should ever take themselves so seriously that they can't laugh at something as ridiculous as fashion. I mean, come on! As much as I love it, I know it's all, really, just a big joke, and we're just weird fur-less animals running around trying to fool each other into thinking we're all terrible civilized!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Let the truth speak

Who decides who is beautiful or pretty or even the “It girl?” These words mean nothing except to those few that will be given this title. Why do we get caught up in this silliness? I really don’t understand. We try and morph ourselves into people we just aren’t and won’t stop until we gain peoples applause.

In the fashion industry and in all the magazines we see all these gorgeous people on the covers; some girls can’t get enough and just think, “I wish I could look like them.” You really need to stop yourself and think, do you? They aren’t who you often think they are. They all have their flaws and need touchups. They aren’t as perfect as meets the eye, and have their mistakes like you and I. Let’s get through it together and realize we can do it.

You are beautiful, gorgeous, and most of all YOU! Don’t ever change or let others tell you different. The truth is they are lacking self confidence to tell you that. Whether it is your clothes or appearance, don’t let this affect you. Keep dressing how you do, and let your personality shine through. I promise if you can not let them get to your head, you will be the strongest out their and be the one people will want to be with.

Please watch and see what I mean:

Stay Fit Year Around

Hey girls, my name is Allie! I’m another writer here at Retro Splash, and I’ll be posting on how to stay fit, beautiful and healthy all year long with some ways to keep active and healthy, plus lots of beauty tips!

Since spring and summer are almost here, we’ve all been thinking about that beach-ready body we want so badly. A great way to stay motivated is to train for a triathlon, or organized run. These events can be extremely fun with a great atmosphere, and usually at the end you get a goodie bag… filled with power bars and sometimes even a t-shirt! Grab a few friends and start training for one that is best for your fitness level. A great goal for many girls is the 5k (3 mile) run. The website Coolrunning.com has an excellent training plan to help even the least athletic person start running 3 miles regularly. (http://tinyurl.com/28s74 click here to get directed to the page.)Following the plan will not only get you ready for a 5k event by April or May, the pre-made workouts will help keep you off the couch!

-Allie

Oscars in Review

With the recent end of the writer's strike and absence of blockbuster nominations (unless you qualitf Juno), many were questioning if the Oscars were even going to take place. The uncertainty did, to an extent, put a damper on the dress choices for this year's event but that isn't necessarily a bad thing; the colors were in most cases the only thing that was subdued. Red was a prominent color and H. Stein jewelery bedecked many a neck, wrist, or ears. Overall celebrations were just as fashionable as expected of the event. Some things I noticed about the Oscars, and not just the outfits:

1) Every man dressed the same to me. It sucks for guys and black tie events. I feel bad.
2) Daniel Day Lewis' wife's dress was ridiculous in a bad way. Heinous. Christian Lacroix Haute couture? I'm surprised. It's not haute. It's ugly couture. Red ribbons and big jewels... so distracting and don't compliment her at all.
3) Lots of babies, eh?
4) Rude sound crew! Let award winners have their say, if you please.
5) And There Will Be Blood & No Country for Old Men were filmed across from each other, and as it turns out had the same amount (or about) nominations. I wanted to mute the nomination annoucements after awhile; I got sick of hearing them constantly. I haven't even seen them yet...I'm going to have to force myself, with all the awards they've been given.

My favorite looks (in no particular order):

1) Marion Coutillard in Gaultier Paris Haute Couture. She's like a gorgeous French mermaid. How I adore. Congrats on the best actress award.
2) Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta.
3) Katherine Heighl always has amazing red carpet looks. I guess I'm biased though because she could look beautiful in a bag and I love Grey's Anatomy. But still. That color is fabulous on her, no? Escada dress.
4) Amy Adams in Proenza Schouler, she reminded me of pin-up girls and Jessica Rabbit. In a good way.
5) Keri Russell in Nina Ricci. I swear she had more detailing in her dress at the corset, maybe I'm seeing things. Nevertheless she looked like a princess. I couldn't take my eyes of her.

Looks to note: Nicole Kidman had gorgeous, beautiful, lustworthy jewelery that made her look, stealing the show from her black and perfect Balenciaga black dress. I was amazed that she was pregnant; she looked like her usual skinny doll-like self.

Anne Hathaway always wears red. This time Marchesa, but it's still red. Eh. Renee Zellweger looked phenomenal in her Carolina Herrera dress and short locks. It looks like she lost a substantial amount of weight as well, this is probably my favorite red carpet appearance of hers. No pursed lips! At least, not enough to make me want to kick her. Jessica Alba also wore Marchesa but I wasn't liking it very much. It looked like she took a dust catcher broom and wraped it around her chest.

Well, what were your favorite looks? The looks you hated? Disappointed or overjoyed? Give us your insight and comments, ladies and gents!

All images from style.com.

Is skinny TOO skinny?

You're guilty, I know. You are just like any other teenage girl, who reaches for the new issues of the hottest magazines to see what the latest trend is. But are girls finding the latest trends of being skinny as cool or IN?

I find this quite true. I see on TV all of these models or celebrities who have anorexia or are just unhealthily skinny. To be truthful, there is a difference between too thin and healthy. Magazines with these skinny figures on their covers are sending teenage girls the wrong message. They're showing that skinny will make you cool or hot, just like them. "If you are skinny and don’t eat you can look like me, and be cool!" Never mind them--we need to put an end to this, once and for all.

If this relates to you in any way all I can say is please, do not fall into this trap. You are gorgeous just the way you are. If you really think you need to loose weight, please do it in a healthy way. Talk to your doctor and family. Maintaining an unhealthy self-image is not worth risking your health over.

I would love to give you some tips, but that is up to you.

Stay gorgeous and remember people will love you for who you are. Don’t change for anyone, or they aren’t worth your time.

style icons and carbon copies.

Hi guys! The names Belle, and obsessing over style is my game. Ok, just from that sentence you ought to realize I am kind of dorky. But I mask it with my vintage finds and really, really, fast talking, so please don't walk away now! The parties just getting started, kids. As an editor and writer for Retro Splash, I've decided to just write what I want and what I think you all will relate to. When I read my favorite mags (Lula, i-D, Nylon, Elle Korea, FRUiTS to name a few) I decide on whether or not the magazine is right for me by how the articles, styles, and writers relate to me. I like reading articles that are easy to understand but in depth and I hope I can bring that to you, the readers, when I post.

Ok, now that the fancy editorial intro is over with I would like to touch on the subject of style icons. You know the major ones all the big kids write about---Cory Kennedy with her unwashed hair but killer connections, Lisa the simplistic chic teen, Modernitener and Susie Bubble. They're all queen's of style in their own right, which plenty of followers to prove it. But when does an icon become a mold? When a girl with 'original' style is airbrushed onto the cover of magazines, are they already the first edition of thousands or is it a starting line from when their faces are in print?

1) Cory Kennedy. 2) Rumi; Fashion Toast 3) Susie; Susie Bubble

How do you decide to make someone a style icon? Through the power of blogging, all of these people have reached fame, or infamy. It's of course their style choices, their trend-setting talents, and all of that ruckus but it must be said that they got their ideas from someone and somewhere previously. Make no mistake; fashion is a cycle and everything, everything with the exception of mullets, thank god comes back into fashion eventually. Do these people become our icons because they are step ahead in the cycle, or that they broke away from it completely?

Ah, so many questions and such varying answers. I am just one girl out of many, so of course I can't tell you the answers to all of these immediately. So tell me your thoughts on the subject, and in exchange I'll tell you mine.

To me, a style icon is someone to be inspired by, but never to emulate completely. The idea that imitation is a form of flattery doesn't hold for me because if someone truly inspires you, new ideas that continue their ideals will bloom and you won't have to copy their look piece by piece. That would be impossible to do, anyway; style is a person's second skin and can't be shed as easily as what they wear. Cory Kennedy and her comrades on the Style Pedastal (or whatever you want to call it) are famous and looked up to because they can't be perfectly emulated. Try as you might, that perfect picture of the girl can't be carbon copied. You can wear the same outfit but you can't be the girl.

And we should stop trying.

Style is unique to ones self. Period. People's style and fashion decisions are decided by their circumstance, their personalities, their moods, and their instinct; no two people can consistently share the same style. The same pieces in their wardrobe, yes, but how you wear them can be a polar opposite. So of course, go ahead and buy the same pieces, but put your own twists to it. Make it your own and don't just be a shell. If you really want to be on par, be recognized in the same caliber as the ones you look up to don't emulate them, take their ideas further and change it to suit you.

Little bits and pieces of your favorite style icon's outfit-- the shape, the colors, the patterns, they can easily be incorporated into your own style. The impulse to be another Kennedy.... it's infectious but curable. Take little things, and make up your own story. Follow in their footsteps but don't stop in their tracks. One day, you might be the one they're talking about. You never know.

signing off for today;


Belle