Elle Magazine’s The Confidence Issue & Kim Kardashian

Blogmas day 7

Hey Sweeties,

I thought I would discuss confidence with you folks today but more so in conjunction with Elle Magazine’s January issue featuring Kim Kardashian which hit the news stands and landed on subscribers door mats this week.

When I first heard that Kim would be on the cover and the focus for the issue, I won’t lie, part of me was sceptical and dare I say disappointed with Elle’s decision to put Kim in the magazine. But, as you guys know I adore Elle magazine and I have had some great opportunities with them this year as an Elle Insider and I know deep down that they too would have deliberated long and hard over featuring Kim. I also admire that from time to time they do feature a celebrity or cover a topic that will be received with mixed views.

2013-4 hasn’t been the greatest for the Kardashian Klan (see what I did there?!) and I think the brand collapsed a little, mostly owing to the marriage breakdowns amongst other things. But equally, as the year starts to draw to a close, we have seen them explore new routes and begin to take hold again. While the older sisters have stepped back a little, younger half siblings Kendall and Kylie Jenner have really come into their own. Kendall is taking the modelling world by storm and Kylie is an Instagram sensation and recieves thousands, even millions of likes for her posts and her various endorsements are beginning to come through. She has also been responsible for Mac Cosmetics selling out worldwide of their Velvet Teddy lipstick and Whirl lipliner as every woman has fallen over themselves to recreate Kylie’s lips. Mental really. These two sisters would actually be great for Elle to also feature in time.

So, Kim.

Before we delve into the pages of Elle, my own personal impressions of Kim Kardashian is that despite not really liking her media image, I can respect her as a business woman. Of course she is no Karren Brady but she knows how to keep herself in the limelight and what products she needs to endorse and places to be seen to keep the interest. It’s also great timing by Elle to have her on the cover a mere month after Kim quite literally broke the internet! When Editor-in-Chief Lorraine (Candy) revealed on Twitter and Instagram the image of the front cover, most of the responses seemed to concentrate on Kim’s phyical appearance rather than how she would feature as a whole and interview. I for one forgive front covers but a disppointing interview does the most damage as I want to read about them and learn something. If they (the celebrity) don’t allow certain things to be discussed or the interviewer doesn’t build a good enough rapour during conversation then it just makes for poor reading.

The Confidence Issue

Lorraine opens the issue by writing When I first discussed the idea of creating a confidence special, part of me wondered if it was really necessary. After all, you are smart, stylish women with strong intelligent opinions...” she then goes on to say that the survey published in The Feminist issue (December) revealed results that out of 5,000 women that participated, only 21% said they felt confident and only 8% felt successful. While feminism is something that is really beginning to be championed and at the forefront of conversation lately; progress and change can finally be felt albeit just in the wind. However, I think for women to be able to outright speak about being confident and feel successful is still a way off until we’re comfortable enough with what it really means and is something we learn to praise and admire rather than reject as being too confident. If you know what I mean.

Kim Kardashian Elle Interview

The interview with Kim was the first thing I jumped to suppressing my scepticism as I read through it and fundamentally the piece discusses Kim; the subject she knows and loves best. But I liked it. The woman we now see in the media and pushing her way to the front row at Fashion Week is the woman she has strived to be for years. It’s difficult for the likes of you and me to feel confident and successful because we’re still journeying to the place someone like Kim has now reached. We’re still learning and this is what I think we need to learn to recognise and accept; we’re still getting there. It’s also important to recognise and reward the things we have achieved no matter how small or insignificant we think it looks to others. I beat myself up daily that I should be further ahead by now and I feel ashamed but yesterday I was almost embarrassed to say what I did to someone, concentrating more on where I was going rather than what it had so far taken to get to where I am currently at. But what really is the rush? We absolutely should live for today but if today spans the best part of 50 years God willing, we have time.

What I think we need more of is more mid-thirties female role models; successful women who are now in the position to reflect back and share advice, proper advice to young women like me. I shared these very similar opinions in a post earlier this year (here) where I highlighted that as much as young celebrities are fun and fresh, unless they are Emma Watson they have little to say. I do also say how bored I am of celebs like Cameron Diaz who in my mind and despite being 40 ish, no matter how many magazine covers she gets still has nothing of worth to really say and pass on.

Kim Kardashian you either love or hate but regardless, you’re intrigued by her story and who she is. Five years ago things would be different but as she says herself, “I’m an Armenian girl, I have shape, and it turned out people liked that. That makes me feel good about myself and about other women being so supportive. I am a confident woman, but I didn’t just arrive confident -it has built over the years and that is a big part of who I am now” (p134).

Well done Elle!

 

Until tomorrow x

The Benefits of Trying Something New

Sunday chat: doing something new

Hey Sweeties,

In light of the two previous posts Losing Myself and Seeing the Positives, I thought today I would discuss doing something new.

Depression and anxiety aside, there are so many benefits to trying something you’ve never done before, even better if it involves meeting and getting involved with a new group of people.

If you have recently moved house to a new area or maybe you have left home for the first time to go to University, there is nothing worse than feeling alone and isolated so you need to find something that gets you out and meeting people. This isn’t easy, in fact it is really hard and takes a bit of guts and some confidence to give yourself that push. So the first thing you need to do is make a list of all the things you enjoy such as your existing hobbies and interests, and maybe also a list of things you really want to try out. A quick Google of your local area will let you know what clubs, classes and social groups exist. If you’re at Uni, the Freshers Fair and your Student Union will have all this information for you and although it is nerve wracking introducing yourself to new people, there will be several hundred new students in exactly the same position. It all starts with “hi”.

For those (like me) that haven’t got a hundred people in the same boat, you need to be braver. You need to just go for it.

When I finished University (bearing in mind I had gone later than those in my year so I graduated when I was nearly 25), I upped sticks for the eleventh time in my life and moved to Hampshire to be with Ian. It took me a while before I realised I needed to find a new group of people, a group outside of work and those that weren’t Ian’s friends. I needed a group completely unique to me… this is how I ignited my love for playing hockey.

The last time I played hockey was in secondary school (about 10 years ago at the time) but I remember really enjoying it so I figured it made sense to see if this was something I could get back in my life by joining a local club. It didn’t take me long to find somewhere which is how I started playing for Yateley, I had enquired with another club but Yateley came across so much friendlier and more welcoming. Since moving  earlier this year I also now play for Windsor but I still play for Yateley when I can as they are such a great club to be a part of.

Hockey for me works on two levels 1. fitness 2. social. I don’t hate gyms, I just don’t find them particularly inspiring and it is a real effort to get myself there. This is the same for hockey training some nights as when it’s cold, dark and clearly raining who wants to leave the house? Not me but you do because you’re going to run around for an hour or so and have a laugh with some people. If I go to the gym I go to classes as a) you’ve probably booked so you’re expected to be there and B) there is a set structure to your workout C) You’re probably with some familiar faces you’re getting to know. Hockey for me is exactly the same which is why it works. It’s also outdoors which I also prefer. Hockey or anything physically active and competitive also releases me of my stresses which does me the world of good.

Hockey here is only mentioned for the sake of an example but see what is unlocked once you have that bit of confidence to go out and join a new club and meet new people! It also doesn’t just need to be sport, it can be anything! Maybe you love being crafty -perhaps there is a local arts club or maybe a theatre group that always need help with sets and costumes? Maybe you like singing -there are local choir groups everywhere! Or perhaps you just want to meet some new people to go out for dinner and/or drinks once in a while? There are groups for this too! When there is a planned activity joining new groups I think is much easier as you haven’t got to worry about thinking up new conversation, it’ll just happen and you’re all there because you enjoy the same thing!

I apologise if I make it sound easy but I think it’s important to remember I have done this all my life. I have moved house twelve times; I went to five schools (four Primary, one Secondary) and the last six moves have been my own doing (as in, not family controlled) so I have had to take the plunge and introduce myself to new people and put myself in new environments time and time again. But that doesn’t make it easier, I’m certainly not used to it. Every time I am presented with this scenario I am just the same as anyone else, I am nervous and if I didn’t have to do it I probably wouldn’t. But what does that achieve? It achieves nothing. Once the ice is broken between people it’s actually fun getting to know some new faces. Life long friendships don’t need to be made from it but at least you know that you have something in common and that for me, is the most important thing.

Be brave my Sweeties!

Until next time x

 

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