IdentiFemi VLOG: We Had A Show!

On Sunday March 3rd, we had our first IdentiFemi show of 2013. The weeks leading up to the show were both exciting and stressful! In the end, we were very pleased with our set up and the amount of product we were able to create! Here are a few photos and a video of the experience. (Note: The volume of the video may be a little low, make sure to turn your volume on high so that you can hear it.)

              Love,
            The IdentiFemi Girls

Model Spotlight: Tina Sickinger

 (As part of our mission to provide accessories that help women "identify their femininity" IdentiFemi  utilizes real girl models in all of our product shoots. Each model brings a set of skills, experiences, goals, and style preferences that make her amazing! We want to share our amazing models with our customers and blog readers. We are super excited to present our first model spotlight.)
Meet Tina!

Name
Tina Sickinger
Age
20
Relationship Status
Married

If you could do anything with your life or have your dream job what would you do/be?

 I would do something on a global level helping people change behaviors.[Helping people] change to more healthy behaviors and life styles.

Describe your style? What does Tina like to wear?

Tina likes to be comfortable. But that doesn't mean I don’t dress up. I like classy not trashy. But I do like a lot of bright colors.

Is there a particular color you find yourself wearing more than not?

I like pink. I don’t always wear it, [but] I do like pink. People have told me I look good in purple  I don’t know how true that is.

Who is your style icon? Do you have one? 

Not necessarily [a style icon] but I am a really big Beyonce' fan. She’s pretty fierce, but she's also classy.

What does femininity mean to you?

Embracing being a woman, whether that’s as far as style, your curves, or [being] unique. [Doing] different things  with your hair and stuff that guys just don’t do.

Has there ever been a time when your femininity was challenged? 

In high school I wore sweatpants probably everyday, so I would say definitely in high school. It had a lot to do with like some of the activities I played. There was once, [when] we had to do a gender bender day where the girls dressed up as guys. It was interesting.

Since you had to wear sweats [in high school] what helped you develop your own style outside of that?

You still know whats cute and stuff; but I don’t know, that one’s hard.

What are some things that make you feel beautiful? 

Natural is the true definition of beautiful for me. Whether that’s little makeup but natural tones or no makeup. [With] my hair, people tell me that they like it better natural.  Just kind of being yourself I feel like is attractive to anyone.

If you could give advice to your younger self what would you say?

I would have never dyed my hair for sure! But I would say, just be natural. Be who you are, not who you think you should be, or who other girls are trying to be. Especially like in school, girls get caught up in who they are not.

How do you stay confident?

I’m not always confident but I think I've learned  through performing and being in front of people that if you half do something, even talking to people,  then it comes off that way. If you’re not having a legitimate conversation or  speaking to people in a true manner; if you're nervous they know. 

Where do you see yourself in five years and ten years?

In five years I see myself hopefully either out of grad school or through a nursing program and hopefully with a pretty stable job and maybe thinking a baby, at some point.  In ten years definitely children, having a career that I like and not something that’s hard. Hopefully working in Health Education. I’m kind of open though to what comes and what ever falls in line for Brian [my husband].

You know our company is called IdentiFemi and it stands for "identify your femininity." How do you feel like you "identify your femininity" as Tina?

Probably a mixture of being confident, but naturally, and just being who I am

 Thanks for the AWESOME interview Tina!
Stay tuned for our next "model spotlight" on November 30th.

Myah's Words: Accepting My Style, Accepting My Femininity.

When I was in high school, I hoped to win “Best Dressed” my senior year. I put my best foot forward, wearing the cutest outfits I could create and almost never having an “off day” when it came to my clothes. I was sure I stood a chance. In my eyes, I was definitely stylish and people always commented on what I wore. When the “Best Dressed” winner and nominees were announced, I was nowhere in the running. I was devastated. I remember thinking “is my style not good enough?” “Do I dress bad?” The experience led to a fashion downward spiral that lasted four years. From that moment on, I constantly compared my clothes to other girls. I tried to keep up with the trends. I tried to learn the “cool styles” and wear heels. With every outfit I tried to create using other people’s style preferences, I lost a part of myself. 

                                            High school Myah, when I was comfortable with my style.

By the time I graduated from college I was painfully insecure and totally confused about my style. I didn’t feel cute. I didn’t feel feminine. And most of all, I didn’t feel good enough. In graduate school I ran a style blog. Style blogging gave me the opportunity to showcase my personal style, but reading other style blogs caused me to do what I had done so often in the past: compare myself to other people. Once again I was miserable, frustrated, and style-less. It took me a while, but I soon realized that what I had been trying to do all along was gain acceptance through what I wore. In high school, I really believed that winning best dressed would validate my importance. I didn’t feel important so I thought having the approval of “the right people” (popular people) would solidify how important I was. In college, I wanted to fit in so I followed the model of other people. If the cool, accepted girls wore pink boot and fur coats then I wanted to wear pink boots and a fur coat, even if my real style preference was a plaid shirt, jeans, and Uggs. I always wanted to be chic, but really (as someone recently accurately described) my style is very creative. I now seek to enjoy my clothes rather than to wear things other people approve of. Honestly, I’m not trendy. I only know a handful of brand names. My clothes aren’t chic. My taste isn’t sexy. But none of that matters because I have learned to wear what makes Myah happy. I feel the most comfortable in clothes that are sweet, colorful, and sparkly. I’ve learned that my acceptance and femininity are not defined by trends but rather they are defined by me.
Myah

                                    Myah now. I have redefined my style and now I feel more like myself. 

To see more of Myah's style (or to hear more of her thoughts) head on over to her blog :http://thehappyhealthywholegirl.blogspot.com

Mallory's Thoughts: What's Your Style:

What’s your style? Maybe today it’s a two strand twist, slacks, a chunky sweater, small post earrings and a charm bracelet. Maybe tomorrow it’s a twist out, denim skirt, knee length boots, jersey tee, large hoop earrings and a hobo bag. Whatever your taste, remember that your style is a representation of your femininity. On several occasions I have been told that my style is unidentifiable and cannot be easily classified. But unidentifiable is not how I would describe my style. I would describe my style as individualized, creative, classic and sort of chic. Sounds different, right?  Well it is. 

My style is a representation of me. I refuse to be identified by clothing, hair, and accessory norms. I prefer to define my style by choosing accessories that make me feel proud to be a woman, clothes that fit neatly and are comfortable, and hair styles that showcase who I am as an individual. I am a firm believer that your style should represent who you are and what makes you feel feminine. So, I challenge you, instead of allowing others to decide what you should wear, or decide what clothing is acceptable for each season, Identify Your Own Femininity by wearing clothes, hairstyles, and accessories that represent you.   

Mallory