Sunday, October 24, 2010

A wannabe fashion blogger writing from St. Petersburg, Russia

Fashion blogging has proven to be the thing that most takes up my time while I'm studying Russian in this fine country, so I finally decided to create a blog of my own. My goal is to create a collection of inspiration and post some pictures of my own, whether they be street fashion or pics of my own outfits or just pictures from around St. Petersburg that have lots to say about the state of fashion.

First of all, I would like to say thank you to all the incredible women who have inspired me to create this blog. Among the main ones are:

Renee Sturme: http://www.fashionfillers.com/

Another Day to Dress Up: http://anotherdaytodressup.blogspot.com/

The Clothes Horse: http://theclothes.blogspot.com/

and Spotding: http://www.spotding.com



So, I guess I should start with what my deal is at this time in my life. I'm spending the year in St. Petersburg, Russia studying through an intensive language program. I just graduated from college and had no idea what I wanted to do except continue my Russian education. The problem is, the fashion here is BOOOO-RING. Everyone wears exactly the same thing, to the point where it is creepy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with trends or with following them, but this is a whole other level of conformity. It's to the point where the only H&M here sells only the things in their collections that are black, grey, and leopard print. Zara sells its business suits and fancy leather coats. And the prices are unbearable. Zara in America is pretty reasonable, am I right? But the prices in the Zara here are more like Neiman Marcus prices. For pieces that are HORRENDOUS in quality. That being said, there are gems in this city. Udelnaya Market is a great place to dig through piles of second-hand. I found some great granny boots there as well as a scarf probably worn by a hottie during the Soviet Union. And there is a vintage boutique near the Ligovski Metro stop, which has a pretty impressive collection of random European vintage clothes. Granted, it is a random collection not at all on-trend, but if your choice is between a random pile of vintage shit and a synthetic blazer priced at 100 dollars (not exaggerating), it's a no-brainer.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that being in this country would be creatively stifling if it weren't for fashion blogs on the web. They give me a sense of freedom to be who I am and to derive inspiration from others who have extremely original visions. So I finally decided to take the plunge!

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