EverybodyIsUgly's blog

Remember your first true love? While prowling Chictopia in its nascent months, I fell hard for the stylings of a certain red lipped, ginger-haired blogger. Starrgirl’s signature style has been making waves on and off of Chictopia’s community (one of our first Style Icons, natch). So, in keeping with our back-to-basics November theme, here are Starrgirl’s must-have picks for fall. Enjoy!

xoConnie

Let’s start off with a hypothetical scenario: Imagine that you ignored your alarm in the early morning and have now bolted awake only to realize that you have ten minutes to get to class. After rushing to slap on some makeup (I would, I’m not gonna lie) what would you grab to wear first?

Well my answer would be basics of course! Those fail proof pieces in your wardrobe that you find yourself turning to when everything else just seems too complicated. Along with listing my personal top five basics I’m also going to name the specific item that I wear most at the moment (all in black to allow for maximum laziness) because I think it’s more fun that way.

1. Leggings (American Apparel)
Affordable and super comfy. I would not be lying if I said both the regular and shiny versions have become my uniform.

2. Loose T-shirt (Lux boyfriend tee)
One of my favorite t-shirts because of its oversized fit and front pockets. It’s also got a seam down the back instead of the sides which makes it a little more fun. For me the three most important things when it comes to t-shirts are: fit, neckline, and fabric content.

3. Leather jacket (Forever 21 faux)
I basically wear this everyday. I’m currently waiting on an order for a motorcycle style version which hopefully won’t be a disaster.

4. Boots (Payless Raven)
Not necessarily my favorite boot, but definitely one of the most comfortable heeled versions I own. Comfort actually matters to me more than you would think when it comes to basics.

5. Hat (H&M Beanie)
Hats are kind of my solution to every outfit/hair problem. At the moment I’m wearing beanies most often because of the weather. So far I have black, gray, red, and white versions; although I normally just end up wearing my black ones.

—Starrgirl

TADAAA! After hours spent trying to figure out how Windows Movie Maker works (or doesn’t work, incidentally), a bottle of gas station wine, and too many pauses to stare at the obnoxious glare on my inch-thick lenses (seriously, wtf), the video’s done! Granted, it’s nowhere as pro as our first when our video-gal Sharon Lee was behind the lens.

But no matter. It’s done. I’m done. Enjoy :)

PS: Check out our tumblr account, okay?

So you might have all noticed that we Uglies have some things in common. We all have bangs (you too, Philip). We all love clothes. And last Friday, when Helen gathered up her little blogger kiddies and took us out for vegetarian Japanese food and some quality ugly bonding we kind of noticed something else.

We are apparently all obsessed with black leather.

Like true Chictopia sycophants, almost all of us came in black leather bags and lace-up shoes (except for one Coed Ugly who shall be unamed but LONG LEGGED ONE. WHY YA GOTTA HARSH OUR FLOW?).

PS: How cute is Helen?
PPS: Geekbonchic was there too :)
PPPS: Sorry about the video, but editing is HARD. I’ll be working on it this weekend.

Here it is uglies—even though it’s a bit premature considering most of you are in the market for summer internships—but since my inbox has recently been inundated with questions about this topic, it seems like a good time to get them all answered.

I’ve made my way around the internship circuit and consider myself a bit of a veteran regarding getting internships and making them worthwhile. Here’s everything you need to know to snag a fashion internship:

Do your research:
Before you even think about applying, make sure you’re sure you know everything there is to know about the company. This includes past mastheads, their editorial voice and successful past articles they may have written if you’re looking to go into editorial. For PR jobs, make sure you’re familiar with all the company’s clients and the overall aesthetic. You should be able to show that they’re biggest fan and be ready to answer any and all questions about why you want to work at that specific company.

Start small:
The most coveted internships are highly competitive, and you want to make sure that you can compete with the best of the applicants. This means that you should have plenty of relevant experience before you try for something big. Before I started at Teen Vogue, I had three other internships under my belt as well as experience writing for my own blogs.

Good timing:
Summer applications should be sent out before March, but apply early! The later you send something in, the more people you’ll have to compete with. Shoot for late-January to mid-February.

Resume / Cover letter:
Trim the fat on your resume: leave out irrelevant work experience, ditch the fancy fonts and keep mentions of your high school achievements to a minimum. DO make sure you’re thorough and specific when you explain all your tasks, commitments and responsibilities for each job. As for your cover letter, this is where you show (in three paragraphs) that you’re the perfect candidate for the job. Avoid clichés, don’t be redundant (if you can find the information in your resume, leave it out of your cover letter) and make sure you convert everything to a PDF.

Interview skillz:
Dress appropriately (no pantsuits, unless you’re applying for a finance job, ya hear?), and please study up before. Prepare answers to stock questions (“Why do you want to work here?” “What are your favorite designers?” “What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?”). Bring a portfolio of your work if you have one (Don’t have one? Make one!) Don’t be a sycophant, but don’t be too nonchalant. Confidence and enthusiasm is key.

Don’t get fired:
Read the contract thoroughly. Most places have confidentiality agreements that you have to adhere to. Also, don’t be snobby, don’t feel entitled to anything, don’t be rude, and don’t be afraid to ask assistants and other interns for help. The more tasks you complete perfectly and thoroughly, the more responsibilities they’ll give you.

This Chictopia internship is the sixth gig I’ve had since I started college, and probably my last before I graduate this May and head out looking for a real job. And though I’ve had my fair share of humbling experiences, I don’t regret any internship I’ve had. Each has helped me hone in on what I want to do with my life, and has given me invaluable tools in helping me get to where I want.

I hope this covers most of your questions! Leave me a comment if I forgot anything and I’ll make sure to answer it in a subsequent post!

I look like I am about ten years old in this photo and am about to go on my first field trip to the zoo. But don’t neg on me: the toothy excitement was due to the fact that this photo was taken ten minutes before I left my house to fly to Madison for Halloween (which you all know is one of my favoritefavoritefavorite things in the entire world).

My overzealous ass got to the airport way too early and I had to camp out in the lobby at SFO for three hours before the security gates were staffed. Luckily, I always dress the same way for airports (“prepared” that is. I’m like a freakin’ boy scout) so I wasn’t too cold when I was bumming in the lobby with the nightshift vacuumer and another sad and cold overzealous traveler. Hey, Bob. Hope Denver was fun.

I fly about fourteen times a year (yikes, I know), so I’ve come up with some pretty hardfast rules about dressing for a flight:

1. Layer, layer layer!
One minute you’re sweating and trying to figure out why the air spigot is broken. The next, you’re so cold you’re finding yourself inadvertently spooning your neighbor. With layers, this problem becomes not-so-big-a-problem.

2. Scarf = your best friend
Planes have the biggest narcotizing effect of me so I always make sure I have something to scrunch up as a makeshift pillow. Even in warmer months, a voluminous and breathable pashmina looks infinitely cooler than your mom’s travel u-pillow, yaddadimean?

3. Speedy check through
Leave your jewelry behind. It’s annoying enough to take your jacket and shoes off and then put them all on without having to worry about all your jewelry.

4. Footwear
My feet get cold on planes (don’t ask why), and I like to wear the clunkiest shoes I pack so they don’t take up suitcase space.

5. Glasses
If you’ve got glasses, wear them. I once woke up from a four hour flight-dry mouthed and dehydrated-and blinked out a contact. I had to navigate the rest of the airport scowling, with one eye shut and bruises from bumping into surfaces (no depth perception, ‘kay?)

Need some inspiration? MK&A are always impeccably dressed for flights (although keep in mind the fact that they have bodyguards who are always down to carry them around when their platform heels get too cumbersome—no such luxury for us po’ folk).

Annabel and I need your help in shooting our janky Q&A video for tomorrow. Post any questions you might have for us below and we’ll do our best in answering them.

No holds barred. We are OPEN BOOKS. Ask away!