Cora Maria

Fanart by @eclecticlunarhop on Instagram. There are so many things I love to wear or would love to do that aren’t good for the environment. I would love to add more glittery things to my wardrobe, but glitter is a micro-plastic. I would love to bleach my hair, but bleach poisons the earth. I would love to buy a pair of Irregular Choice shoes, but they often use leather and other non-eco-friendly materials. I want to support my friends' businesses, but I don’t know the hands that make their clothes. I love things that are plastic, artificial, and bad for the Earth. I also love the Earth. Isn’t it ironic that the people who feel the most guilty about their environmental impact are the ones doing their best to reduce it, while others get to consume and consume without feeling the weight of a dying world every single day? Isn’t it ironic that even though it’s not my fault that fast fashion companies are violating human rights every single day, I still feel personally res...

She told me I could wear these shoes. I was a fool to believe her... Your fantasy self. You might not have heard of them, but you know their presence deep inside of you. They are everything you are not, but wish you could be. The most dangerous part about our fantasy selves is how they are shaped by the consumer culture we live in. Media and advertising wants to alter your fantasy self into someone who benefits them. They want you to believe the illusion that you can become the fantasy self with their products. They want you to think that with this new dress or hair dye or make-up product, you will finally be beautiful and happy, just like that perfect image of yourself in your head. Or if you buy these expensive comic markers, then maybe you’ll finally start drawing, or actually start being good at it, right? For someone so imaginary, the fantasy self is surprisingly demanding. What it comes down to is how much stuff you buy that goes unused, and how much guilt and shame...

I once had a wardrobe too large to make me happy and it looked like this. If you’re a kawaii fashionista, you’ve probably experienced the following: You feel disappointed that you can’t afford all the things you want. You’re jealous of other people’s wardrobes. You wish your style was like someone else’s. You feel pressure to always look good. You often felt like you have nothing to wear. I’ve been in those situations, and they all cause anxiety. It’s something I’ve rarely seen discussed in depth in our community. This is unfortunate because it is so important! Harajuku fashion can and does cause anxiety and self-esteem issues, and we need to discuss how we as a community can reduce or prevent it. I’ll start by explaining how I managed to overcome it, or at least reduce it. I’ll also explain why its coming back as well. Disclaimer: Please note that this is my personal   experience about how my fashion has caused me mild  yet fre...

Welcome friends and possibly strangers too. This is my blog, something I have been wanting to do for many months but kept putting off for various reasons like: insecurities, procrastination, insecurities, perfectionism, insecurities. Will I stick with it? Will people like it? Will I do well at it? But I’ve decided that I am not going to let these thoughts prevent me from starting my blog. I could spend forever daydreaming and preparing and worrying but this is the point where I have to start and keep going. I have things I want to show, say, and do for the world. I can  stick with it. People can  like it. I can  be good at it. There’s no way to know how this thing will turn out unless I start and give it my best effort. One of the reasons why I decided that I couldn’t put this blog off much longer was because I have a lot of exciting changes happening in my life right now: I’m moving house. I’ve become sub-editor for Frock Paper Scissors  (a Brisba...