Sick of Glossies?? DIY Media is the Antidote

I like fashion. But there aren't too many places to look for inspiration that aren't kind of off. Take typical women's glossy magazines:

• every fashion spread is through the male gaze.
• The women in them aren't representative of what I look like, or what most women look like.
• The make-up and hairstyles are done by professionals in the industry, something I don't have access to.
• The clothing they're wearing is unaffordable to everyone I know.
• AND their images are retouched with digital imaging.

SO, looking at fashion mags was always kind of a bummer for me. But then I found a photostream on Flickr called Wardrobe Remix created by Trisha Royal, here's part of the mission statement:

wardrobe_remix is a DO IT YOURSELF street fashion community.i believe the best stylists walk the streets, not the photo sets, nor the backstage of the runways. the real style innovators are you and me: real, fashionable people, men and women alike...show us how you CREATIVELY put your everyday duds together! post your photograph in wardrobe_remix, and tell us about what you are wearing and why.

and i totally agree. here are some examples:

lokello

the little stn

ameliawearsclothes

katia+vintage

These women aren't trying to look sexy for anyone but themselves. Also, I like how the idea that users upload pictures of themselves in outfits they like means that there is confidence in each image, confidence WITHOUT photoshop,make-up artists, designer labels, and eating disorders. And you get to see people of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities looking good. Its really cool. We don't need the fashion industry, we have our own style.