SUNSHINE STYLE FOR A SKEPTIC

The birds are chirping and the sun has risen. Spring has somehow already arrived and Summer is just around the corner.

 Florals everywhere and the earth is celebrating life, love, and new beginnings!

The problem is, what do you do when your mood is in darkness, pessimism, and ultimate skepticism? You just aren't feeling it, and you rather just crawl back in your moody dark corner with your black yoga pants. The last thing you would ever want  is a bit of sunshine.

Hold on my friend, skeptics can also do well with a bit of sunshine in the their Spring style. There are ways to keep your edgy style while  adding a bit of light and life to your dark aesthetic. 

1.) BE BOLD WITH COLOR: 

As a skeptic, you are naturally opinionated and have no problems questioning the norm. Use that courage, and gamble on a powerful color. Try a bright red/orange with harsh lines, and dare to be seen. It's a statement of power, and it suits you. 

2.) VINTAGE 60's:

If you have never tried vintage shopping, give it a try. Most skeptics detest being like everyone else, and shopping in vintage shops is guaranteed to suit your desire for individuality. The 60's were a very creative, and daring period of fashion. Mod Style, is edgy, bright and fun. 

(The dress I am wearing above, belonged to my mother from the 60's.)

3.) CONTRAST SWEET AND SOUR:

A skeptic, loves nothing more than a good argument, and a playful banter of opposites. If you can't commit to head to toe color, then intermix it, and create irony. A black leather jacket casually worn over a soft floral, is a salty bite to a sweet center. 

From one skeptic to another, don't be so predictable and wear the same style or color every day of the year. There is nothing edgy about a one dimensional style formula.

xo,

Maya

FASHION AS A HUMANIST NOT A FEMINIST

Female empowerment is on a huge rise, and the fashion world has taken notice.

Feminism has taken on it's own identity, and apparently 'she' has clothes to match. 

The problem is, fashion is not a feminist. 

The beauty of what we wear and how we wear it, is the freedom to freely express ourselves without the disruption of genders, politics, or religious practice. It should not be used as a tool to divide, but as a practice to celebrate Humanism.

Humanism- is a progressive lifestance that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead meaningful, ethical lives capable of adding to the greater good of humanity. 

The sooner we see fashion as a humanist, the quicker we can make the appropriate changes to how the fashion world functions and thinks. Humans need to support humans, before the profit line.

 The heart of fashion must be found and practiced. 

Believe it or not, a greater good of humanity can be found in Fashion.

#fashionthinks

love,

Maya

FASHION DIARY: 9 DAYS, 9 OUTFITS (January 2018)

FASHION DIARY

JANUARY 2018 

Dear Diary,

With the the glitz of Christmas and New Years having past, January has quietly snuck up on me. With its watchful eyes, and silent judgement, I find myself in resolution for massive changes. This is the year to change.

Believing in the watchful eyes of 2019, procrastination finds me agitated...

 Today I find myself enveloped in darkness. Black. Such an attraction. I find it rather amusing how the color black flirts with the absorption of light.

 Playfully encouraged, I find myself uplifted by its opposite. Ironic. love it...

Can I live in a  Chagall Painting? No feet. No boundaries. Limitless love.

Light as a feather, slightly delusional, but euphorically happy. Colors bursting with new ideas and dreaming of the impossible.

Don't control me, I am going to fly...

Frozen in the midst of winter, my heart is blossoming.

Could it be Spring so early? Still winter, and yet, I hear gentle melodies by chirping birds....

Feeling tropical today. Wearing cobalt blue and imagining the sea. chose a crop top and feeling chilly. Note to self, it's still winter... 

Happiness. 

Life is good.. for now.

Learning to grab the moments as they come.

POP!

 Like bursting bubbles, watch out, they are fragile.  

White Tiger.

There is so much strength and beauty found in the electric combination of black and white. 

Forcing myself today to not depend on color, but to work with textures, and shapes...

Mopsy Maya.

Wearing my favorite cardigan, with enough absorption to mop the floor. I feel enchanted and unable to concentrate. 

Do I have super powers or am I dreaming?

Officially Spring in/on my head. 

Took a walk in my day dreams, and rather enjoyed it. 

How was your January, friend?

xo,

Maya

CREATE YOURSELF: FASHION EMPOWERMENT

Fashion Empowerment.
We are born into this world with an identity. A name given to us by our parents, and a life predestined by the hopes and circumstances placed by everyone around us. How do you define yourself? A race, a gender, a career, social status, fame or money?

Perhaps, the problem begins by the very fact we spend far too much time defining ourselves rather than creating our own identity. We have the power to mold our lives and ourselves into the shapes and colors we desire, but we lock ourselves into preconceived ideas that have been placed around us. Why?

Fashion. As superficial, meaningless, and vain as many people believe it to be, it is actually one of the most practical ways of discovering your identity on a daily basis. What you wear is a reflection of how you think and feel. This is why your style evolves alongside your experiences, confidence maturity and surroundings. 

Creating yourself neither begins nor ends with what you wear, but it is a progression of limitless ideas   and questions regarding yourself as a work of art. 

Who are you today and how would you express it? What are your limits, fears, and dreams? Break free from the mold of following everyone else around you, and start questioning and creating your own path. 

Mix and match things you like, and break free from the idea you must "fit" into a square that society has placed upon you. 

To be creative, means you no longer see yourself as a creature of attraction, but an ever-changing creation of ideas. Your primary goal is not to be beautiful, but to say something. Strengthen the ability to express ideas, and eliminate the need to conform. 

If you want to wear your skirt as a shirt, and your pants as a scarf, then do it. Challenge yourself by feeling uncomfortable, and push the boundaries to make people THINK.

Stay Tuned !

 In 2018, Talk Fashion Blog, will be exploring new and unique ways to explore the art of fashion expression. Fusing the fashion world with philosophy, psychology  literature, mathematics, music, and art, we will be exploring the limits of personal style. Join us!

xo,

Maya

HOW FASHION CAN HELP YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION BE SUCCESSFUL?

"Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. 

What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do? "

-Pythagoras

A new year, a new you, but how?

New Year's Resolutions are often created with a mindful goal to attack specific things you would like to change about yourself. Whether it be your weight, your lifestyle, or unrequited passions, a better you is waiting to be born. Unfortunately, every year we spend 10 minutes creating a list that is probably more productively used as a piece of scratch paper.

Why do our resolutions fail and how can fashion help?

New Year's resolutions usually fail, because they are concentrated lists of problems, without any regard to the formula behind these bad habits. Here are 3 examples of how fashion can help your resolutions:

RESOLUTION 1

HEALTH/FITNESS

You want to lose 10 pounds. 

You make a list of how you will exercise more, eat less, and stay away from processed foods. Sounds like a good plan, right? Wrong. This plan is too centralized on the specific problem and lacking in inspiration, and motivation.  If you want to lose 10 pounds, try adding the element of fashion and stay motivated. Invest in an attractive, but comfortable work out gear and enjoy getting ready for your exercise sessions. Buy a fun dress that is 1-2 sizes smaller, and hang it in a place you can see it every morning. Use it to motivate you, and provide you with visual imagery that is a tangible version of the future you are creating. 

RESOLUTION 2

PERSONAL LIFE

 You want to be more outgoing and meet someone new. 

Your plan includes, going out more, downloading a dating app, and being more "social", but most likely you will do none of them. The problem is, improving your personal life, can only happen, if you change on a "personal" level. Often times, this includes what we choose to wear. We fail to realize the impact of how we dress, and its relationship to how it attracts or rejects human interaction.

 The style of clothing, color, and cleanliness, are all factors observed before a smile is exchanged, or a word is spoken. If you want to improve your social life, start by evaluating your current fashion choices. Simple changes such as wearing a softer or brighter color, will immediately make you appear more cheerful and approachable. 

RESOLUTION 3

CAREER

You want to quit your stable job and chase your dream job.

Your plan includes calculating your finances, and mustering up enough courage to quit your stable job. However, most people, never find the courage and live a life of paying bills, and unrequited dreams. 

To "imagine" the reality of a dream, you must realize the discomfort of the unknown. Fear is one of the main reasons we stop ourselves from pursuing our passions, but the lack of positive visual imagery also exacerbate our fears.

One of the most simple ways to boosting positive visual imagery of your dream job, is dressing the part. Adopting the style of the person who has such a job, is a strong foot in the door of imagining yourself as that person.  

Best wishes and may you have a phenomenal 2018! 

xo,

Maya

S. FREUD: HOW TO DRESS ME, MYSELF, AND I

FASHION PSYCHOLOGY 101

Take a look at your closet. What is it like? Is it a chaotic mess filled with multiple personalities? Or is it a small organized capsule collection featuring only the basics? 

According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, balance is key in all genres of personal taste. Surprisingly, being too chaotic and instinctual with your choices is just as bad as being too organized and predictable.  

Freud theorized that personality contains 3 main elements: id, ego, and super ego.

1.) ID: impulsive, uncontrollable, and primitive. 

Like a baby, it is the unconscious element we are born with that is extremely impulsive. It has a simplistic desire to satisfy our primal instincts, without any regard to its effects on others. This is the part of you that picks clothes based on primitive needs, such as warmth, desire, pleasure, etc. 

An overly dominant id, can lead to impulsive fashion choices, uncontrollable shopping habits, and disorganized sensibility of any type of order, or logic.

2.) Ego: calculated, conservative, narrow-minded.

 Very much like a control center, the ego is the element of rationality. It is able to control one's impulses and manage it's choices with calculations and directions. 

An overly dominant ego, can cause you to be conservative, narrow-minded and predictable. Your choices follow the fashion book and your style can lack spontaneity and understanding.

3.) Super Ego: moralistic, and judgmental

The Super ego behaves as the moral compass, and suppresses all unacceptable behaviors and pushes idealistic standards. It acts to civilize our behaviors and distinguish right from wrong.

An overly dominant Super ego looks to perfect and abolish all unacceptable choices.

Each element of personality is negative, without its equal counterpart to balance them out. Be aware of our natural impulses to forget to be diverse, and embrace contrast. 

 It is easy to fall into one category of mind set, but fashion excellence is achieved though embracing all aspects of our personality.

Always remember to style with a healthy dash of spontaneity, a structure of calculation, and a sprinkle of morality. 

xo,

Maya

What is 箱入り娘 ?

箱入り娘 (hako-iri-musume), is a Japanese proverb describing a metaphorical "box" that surrounds a girl who was raised in an overprotected family, and given very little freedom. 

                                                                   
 At the heart of TALKFASHION, is a Girl in a Box (箱入り娘). For her, fashion is an inspirational  tool to discovering herself, and finding her voice. Breaking free from her mental prison, requires cutting the need to impress, and the importance of her heart. Observations of nature, art, music, color, and emotions, are all used as guides to push her senses of expression.
 What she wears is no longer just garments to keep her warm, nor are they tools to impress her peers. Clothes, are now a self discovery tool, of creating an image that reflects the person inside.

Join TALKFASHION 箱入り娘 Girl in a Box, and follow her artistic journey of introspection, inspiration, and self projection.

                                                        xo,
                                                      Maya

BEAUTY CHAT: ARE YOU UGLY OR ARE YOU LAZY?

The truth of the matter is, laziness is ugly. YOU are not  Ugly. 

Like anything in life, "effort" does make a difference. Those extra 5 minutes of attention, will make a world of difference in your appearance, mental health, mood, and self image. 

Beauty is defined in the work you apply to take care of yourself. Just like a plant needs proper nutrients, sunlight, and water, your attractiveness depends on factors of maintenance.

This includes: skincare, hygiene, exercise, personal maintenance and wisdom. I hate to break it to you, but you are not just born beautiful. No one is. 

It is a daily effort that fluctuates based on will power. I personally,  struggle with my skin and weight  during stressful or hard moments in my life. This is a result of poor food choices, lack of sleep, and exercise. 

Just like any skill, you must learn the techniques to maneuver your actions for the desired reactions. Learning from your mistakes, looking for solutions and striving to be better on a consistent basis, is not an easy task. It is okay to fail, we all do; but,  personal beauty can only be achieved with humility and acceptance of those mistakes, and the commitment to try again. 

The way you live your life, and the effort you put into yourself, is your personal canvas. 

The clothes you wear, match your personal aesthetic. The books you read, represent the shape and directions of your thoughts. The food you eat, symbolizes your desire to live.  The art you love represents your soul.

Just like the furniture in your home, your efforts should bring you joy, and comfort. 

A sense of home.

Live Beautifully!

xo,

Maya

4 WEIRD THINGS I DO ON INSTAGRAM: @mayahorikawa

Hi Guys!

It has been awhile since I have updated TALKFASHION, and from today all that will change. 

Look forward to new layouts, fashion articles, ootd, and much much more!! 

Join me on a whole new journey with TALKFASHION Blog.

Life Update: Where have I been? 

Lately, my new obsession has been INSTAGRAM @mayahorikawa, and I have adopted rather weird social habits, and thought I 'd share them with you. DO you have any weird social habits on IG? Please follow me on IG and lets be friends! #talkfashionfam

4 Weird things I do on IG:

1.) EMOJI Memory Game. 

🍕

As a child, I loved playing the memory card game. It was a game where you have to remember where the matching pairs are, and collect them. Anyways, I seem to have carried on this weird obsession of collecting like pairs on IG. I scroll through photos daily, commenting emojis that match photographs.  Weird. 

2.) STALKING CATS

I always thought I was a dog person, but lately I have grown a love for cute adorable cats. Scrolling through countless funny, cute, beautiful cats is undeniably therapeutic. Weird.

My most favorite cat is a british shorthair @mammisej , that lives in Sweden. 

3.) SENDING VIRTUAL GIFTS

I'm not sure if any of my followers realize I do this, but whenever someone comments on my photos, I will respond with a message and send them virtual gifts ( usually food emojis) , as a token of my appreciation. Yes, I am very weird.

4.) MAKING FRIENDS ALL OVER THE WORLD

To be honest, I am rather anti-social, and I never thought I could make so many friends from all over the world. It is a whole new concept of social interaction and a constant system of support and inspiration. 

Please follow me on IG @mayahorikawa  and lets get to know each other. #talkfashionfam

xo,

Maya

HOW TO MAKE YOUR FASHION STYLE REFLECT THE PERSON YOU ARE?

The process of dressing ourselves is the direct link between our mind, body, and heart. If all 3 parts work harmoniously, your fashion style will give an accurate portrayal of the person you are.

How do you strengthen your fashion mind, body, and heart?

Mind: 
The mind/brain is like the headquarters of processing practical matters of fashion. This is the area of educating yourself on fashion knowledge, etiquette, and basic common sense. Study designers, collections, trends, history, and fill up your fashion bank with information. Know the difference between, such things as black ties, verses cocktail, and most importantly use your common sense.

Body:
Positive body image and a solid understanding of your body type is a crucial aspect of fashion style. You must feel good about your body naked or else the process of dressing will always be a strategic act of hiding, manipulating, or deceiving. If you have gained some extra weight then lose it, but learn what your "healthy" weight is and STAY on it.
My healthy weight is the same as when I was in High School, and I fluctuate + or - 10 pounds. Staying on this one size allows you to understand your body shape. I can look at a pair of pants, or top and know quickly whether it will fit.

Heart:
The heart is by far the hardest part for most people. If you are not naturally instinctual, you may find it difficult to form your fashion style based on what you feel. It requires emotional freedom and the ability to express it without fear of judgement or rejection. Strengthening your heart, will require surrounding your life with whatever you love.

           You will find your identity in everything and anything your heart decides to love. 

xo,

Maya

TFTV: WHAT I WORE AND NEW YEARS EVE LOOKBOOK (2017)

TALKFASHION TV

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"As far as we can discern, 
the sole purpose of human existence 
is to kindle a light 
in the darkness of mere being." 
-Carl Jung

Featuring the merger of Richard Strauss, "Blue Danube", the galaxy, and what I wore, check out how light and darkness inspired my New Year's eve style!

xo,
Maya

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS! "HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!"

TALK FASHION TV 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My heart felt wishes to all of you on this very special day. May your holidays be filled with warmth, love, and positivity.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is one of my most favorite holiday songs and something I hold dear to my heart. Immortalized by the iconic Judy Garland it reminds us of life that reflects the bitter sweetness of golden moments.

Much love to you all

-Maya

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Lyrics)
Music composed by Hugh Martin, lyrics by Ralph Blane
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now. 

HOLIDAY LOOKBOOK 2016! (Jingle all the Way!)

CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT: DO YOU SEE UGLY OR FESTIVE?

Is this sweater ugly or festive to you?

What do you see?

😄festive: cheerful, joyful, jovially cheerful.

😖ugly: unpleasant, repulsive in appearance.

CHRISTMAS PAST

During Christmas past, holiday sweaters use to be described as festive. I can remember as a child wearing them to school, and pretty much everyone else wore them too. Adults, teachers, children,  we all proudly wore them while wishing merriment to everyone and anyone who would listen.

These sweaters were more than a fashion statement but a process of celebrating and sharing joy with others.  

We would all wish each other a merry christmas and jingle all around the neighborhood. It was these sweaters that signaled our Christmas spirit! There was no shame or idea of "disgust" for being too sparkly, or overly embellished.  

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Not to get all Charles Dickens on you, but have we all become a bunch of Scrooges?!

Why is it that we now make fun of Christmas sweaters? We intentionally make them as ugly as possible, get together, and make fun of each others ugliness.  If that doesn't spell out a dysfunctional society, I'm not really sure what does. 

Have we as a society become so pessimistic,  that we view the active display of joy, as a form of disgust? 

Or are we all a bunch of cowards, who are too scared to show that we have an honest need to be happy?

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year and it is the one month in a year, we can give ourselves a break from our pessimistic ways, and be genuinely optimistic!

Take care and Happy Holidays! :)

xo,

Maya

FALL FAVORITES! SHOES AND BAGS

TFTV

SUBSCRIBE!

xo,
Maya

HOW DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MANIPULATE YOUR FASHION STYLE AND MAKE YOU BUY?

Swipe, swipe, swipe!

Do you ever think about how the images you see effect your brain? The scary thing is, social media is like a double sided coin. In one sense it can empower you, and in another it can manipulate and dominate your mind and opinions. 

You may think your thoughts are your own, but in reality, many of your thoughts have been placed there. 

Just take fashion trends as the biggest proof of product placement, and mind manipulation. Brands will contact popular bloggers, or people with large social media followers and give them free products and paid advertorials to jumpstart a "popular new trend". 

Instantaneously, the product appears repeatedly in your feed, planting mental seeds in millions of brains.

The key to having original fashion style is to be aware of how social media works. Ask yourself why you like a certain fashion item? How original are you? Why do you want it?

 If the main reason you want something is because you saw it all over Instagram, then give a silent applause to the brand advertisers who have successfully sold their products to you. 

Happy Holiday Shopping!

xo,

Maya

DOES FASHION BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE?

Fashion can boost your confidence, but it is not as straightforward as you may think. 

First of all, what is confidence? 

Confidence: a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities.

If confidence is a "feeling" based on "one's own abilities and/or qualities", then how does fashion play it's role in boosting self confidence?

The common misconception about the relationship of confidence and fashion is that it can be bought or copied. If you have the best you will feel the best. People focus their attentions on the results of what you "look like" and how "good" it makes you feel. The more beautiful you look, the more confidence you should have. 

However, this theory falls flat, as there are many beautiful and wealthy people who have the lowest sense of self worth. Not to mention, the common pursuit of a particular type of beauty, serves no purpose beyond physical attraction. 

This type of mental manipulation causes people to link confidence to money and success, when in actuality they are neglecting the essence of confidence building.

The only true way to use fashion to boost your confidence, is if it is used to celebrate who you are. No copying, no depending on labels or price tags, it's all about you.

 The mental process of choosing and coordinating creates a relationship of understanding who you are. It is only at this level that fashion can become a vehicle of self discovery. As you explore this type of fashion adventure, you start to understand, and accept the essence of your personal formula. The better you understand your formula, the more you learn to trust it. 

Embrace yourself, and discover your own beauty.

Follow your own path. 

xo,

Maya

TFTV: WHAT I WORE AND ATE: THANKSGIVING *SPECIAL* EDITION

TALKFASHION TV

Episode: WHAT I WORE AND ATE: THANKSGIVING.

Thanksgiving Day has once again, come and gone.
In this episode of TALKFASHION TV you will see my own personal fashion creation, inspired by ginkgo trees, Fall, and Marie Antoinette.
It is a dress I handmade several years ago and it has become a yearly tradition for me to wear it at Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner was made by me this year and it was a combination of my own recipes as well as an amazing apple pie recipe from the food network. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/apple-pie-recipe.html

MENU
-Fried Mashed Potato Cheese Ball
-Roasted Tomatoes stuffed with vegetables and spicy Italian ham.
-Cranberry green beans in White Fish.
-Roasted Vegetables and Chicken.
-Apple Pie

Please SUBSCRIBE to TALKFASHION TV!

xo,
Maya

TFTV: HOW TO DRESS AT #NYFW

TALKFASHION TV

BEAUTY: HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF? (PABLO PICASSO)

"Beauty?... To me its a word without sense because I do not know where its meaning comes from nor where it leads to." 

-Pablo Picasso 

Did you ever think about the face you see in the mirror every morning? 

Most of us do not give our reflection much thought, but the reality is, what you see is largely influenced by what you value in your thoughts, experiences, and moods. 

What you may love or hate about yourself is completely effected and filtered into an illusion of what you see.

"Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon. When we love a woman we don't start measuring her limbs."

-Pablo Picasso

Master painter, Pablo Picasso has painted a vast collection of self portraits throughout his lifetime and they teach us how dramatically perceptions of self can alter through age and experiences.

When we are younger, we are largely influenced by the standard conventions of beauty, and the shell that contains us. 

However, through life, hardships, heartbreak, failures, and knowledge, what we see in ourselves will evolve into more complex forms.

Beauty is not what you see, but what you feel. 

xo,

Maya