If I Could Turn Back Time: Vintage Fashion Makes a Comeback

Women are empowering themselves through an unexpected source – clothes their mothers, or even grandmothers wore.

 

Swanky mid-century modern furniture, twinkling jewelry pieces and rows of little antique soldiers were hard to miss at The Sydney Fair over the weekend, but it was the vintage fashion that really caught my eye.

Rows of beautiful fur stoles, elegant evening dresses, colourful 50s party dresses, cute summer playsuits. I was in vintage heaven…

 

 

I started talking to Jaimi in front of her stall of eclectic clothes, beaded heels and enormous art prints of rock and fashion icons. She’s the owner and dealer behind The Sleeveless Society on Edgecliff Rd in Woollahra.

Jaimi’s young and fun, with a relaxed but confident vibe about her. She’s wearing vintage from head to toe. A leopard print jacket, patterned cardigan tied around her waist, and the image of Marilyn Monroe laughing effortlessly on her t-shirt.

“I love vintage because it’s unique, and every second person has come up and asked me about or commented on my jacket,” she says with a smile.

“I just think today what we wear is so generic, and everyone looks the same.”

Any piece from Jaimi’s collection is sure to make a gal stand out from the crowd, but according to her there are preconceived ideas about vintage that are holding buyers back.

“People have this preconception that vintage is smelly and old and grannyish,”she says with a laugh.

“I’m trying to make [vintage] a resurgence. At my shop I actually don’t have ‘vintage’ outside, so I like it when people do come off the street. They get to the end of the rack and they say, “Oh, is this pre-owned?”

As we stood amongst the ebb and flow of potential customers, Jaimi was nice enough to share with me her main vintage styling tip. “It’s about having that one piece that makes you an individual and sets you apart – that gets you noticed for being different.”

When it comes down to it, Jaimi thinks that the clothes you wear can dictate how you feel.

“Vintage can definitely empower women – I think fashion can. What you wear can be very empowering. If you look good, you feel good, and it’s quite important.”

The Sleeveless Society in Woollahra.

As the fashionistas out there know, vintage fashion isn’t easy. It takes effort. Sourcing, fitting, altering, styling, garment maintenance… the list goes on. Not to mention that people were smaller back in the day, and the average Australian woman ain’t a 24” waist anymore.

So in a time where fast-fashion is fast and a quick trip to the local Westfield will tick off all your fashion needs, why are women turning to vintage?

“The structure of the clothes have this special, magical aura about them that makes people that wear them feel that they are worthy of wearing them,” says Lena Slater of Coutura Vintage in Bowral. “I think that empowers people.”

“It’s very easy to go to one of the department stores and buy what everybody else is, and there’s some degree of comfort in being part of the crowd,” she continued. “Certainly you stand out a lot when you wear vintage, but I also think that it also helps with your deportment and posture.”

Ingela from Fossil Vintage thinks that vintage fashion can really be a transformative experience for the wearer.

“People feel glamorous when they wear it, rather than being like everyone else who just buys something off the rack,” she says. “They’ve got to source it, and find it, and make it fit themselves. You can’t just wear it, and not do your hair and make up.”

“It’s the whole package if you’re going to do it. You feel more glamorous than just the normal, everyday woman.”

Beyond the walls of The Sydney Fair there are many more vintage fashion markets, stalls and shops cropping up all over Sydney, so why not take the plunge and try it for yourself.

Plus, when someone compliments you on your outfit, you will get the satisfaction of replying, “Thanks. It’s vintage.” *hair flip*

Rows and rows of vintage…

Looking at getting into vintage fashion? Here’s a list of tips I stitched together to get you started on your vintage journey:

• Make sure the garment is in good condition. Sure, it’s vintage, which means it is most likely pre-owned and could have minor wear and tear, but make sure there are no substantial rips or holes.
• Don’t go ‘head to toe’ vintage if it scares you. Grab one bold piece and accessorize it in a modern way, or look for those timeless vintage pieces that can add charm to any outfit.
• Double check measurements before making any purchases. If you’re shopping online, it’s not worth the disappointment of the piece not fitting when it arrives. (Also, don’t fall in love with something online that will never fit… exit out of that tab before you get too attached!)
• Don’t alter pieces yourself. Unless you’re super confident in your sewing abilities, it’s not a good idea to make your own alterations. To ensure your vintage piece fits in the most fabulous way, you can always alter the garment, but unless you’re a master seamstress, take it to a professional. The last thing you want is irreparable damage to a one-of-a-kind piece.
• Research the fashion of the past. Doing your own research will help achieve the overall style or look you’re going for, and you’ll soon even be able to spot the decade of a garment just by the zipper!
• Have fun. Let your personality shine through with bright colors, interesting cuts of fabric, or sleek retro designs – express yourself!

Do you have any vintage tips to share? Comment below!

 

Fab Sakker – 450610420

Understanding Depression in Australia

JIE ZHU  SID:440111311

More than 400 of motorbike enthusiasts gathered together to raise funds and public awareness of depression and suicide at Penrith leg of Black Dog Ride’s annual One-Dayer.

Black Dog Ride One-Dayer is a nationwide event held at 34 locations across Australia on the same day, thousands of bikers come together to revving engines in support of raising public conversation on mental health issues.

“Depression is a silent killer among communities, there are lots of people in communities are living with depression, but few of them have recognized the seriousness of depression”, said David Peach, the coordinator of the Black Dog Ride One-Dayer.

A 2014 national survey shows that around 2.1 million Australian have experienced depression and more than 6000 Australian depression suffers attempted to take their own life in one year. But only 39 percent of Australians view depression as a mental health issues.

Mr David said he can understand the reason why public fail to understanding the   depression. Because feeling depressed and anxiety is that everybody experienced. It is normal reactions to the stress and difficulties in our life. But when the anxiety intensified, it lifted to an anxiety disorder that affected people’s life. “The blur distinction between normal everyday anxiety and anxiety disorders makes people confused.”

Mr David said the aim of Black Dog Ride One-Dayer is to getting people talk about the depression and suicide. “With things like this rolling to towns across Australia, people want to know what it is all about.”

“It is a good way to deliver the message that depression is a illness that need more focus and understanding”, he added.

Riders are ready to depart Photoed by Kenley

 

Better Knowledge, better treatment

Jess Seigle, a depression suffer was introduced the Black Dog Ride after attempted multiple suicide last year.

Mrs Jess has been affected by depression for a long time. But she did not receive any professional treatment until last year. Instead, she turned to alcohol and drugs as a way to escape the depression, which has worsen her conditions. The intensely painful resulted from continual distressed promoted her actions to take her own life.

Extensive research has show that the delay to seek treatment is prevalent among depression suffers. Studies says only a few people seek professional help in a timely fashion although efficient treatment is available in Australian.

A national survey shows that only 28 percent of Australians attending specialists treatment services in the year of onset. Even when people do receive treatment, they typically wait for many years before seeking help. The average length of delay ranges from 8.2 years to 50 years.

Clive Jones, an associate professor of Psychology at Curtin University and a specialist on the treatment of mental health illness, explained that there are series of barriers faced by people with mood disorders when they take the first step to seek treatment. “One of the most commonly barriers is a fear of stigma associated with Depression. Patients often feel shamed about their depression and anxiety”, said Mr Clive.

Mrs Jess said she has realized pretty earlier that she was different from everyone else, but she did not tell anybody as she get a bit embarrassed. “ When I felt the depression come on, I just hid out in my room or just got into my car and drove for days.”

But her suddenly disappear has upset her families and friends. “ They have been gone through a period that they were scared as they think I was angry with them”, Mr Jess said. “ My illness made me endangered with my families.”

Until last year, her families and friends started to notice that she was struggling with depression. Instead of blame, her families try to understand each of her symptoms by reading a lot of materials.

“I was lucky that people around me are so supportive, they offered me patience and encouraged me to take step to seek professional help. I have met someone with mental health illness whose families did not support them and their husband and partners left them. I do not know how can I cope with my illness if I were in that situation”, said Mrs Jess.

Mr Clive also noticed this situation in his daily work. He said that families and friends understand and support is the most powerful thing to facilitate help-seeking.

 

Concerns about flaws of mental health system

Despite some patients have intentions to seek professional assistant, few of them obtain effective and adequate treatment.

In a national survey of 8841 Australians aged 16-85 years conducted in 2007, 17 percent of respondents met criteria of affective disorders. Of these, 67 percent of Australian adults have consulted a health professional for their illness, but only 30 percent of them received adequate “dose” of psychological therapy stated in Australian treatment guideline.

Mr Cliver said the mental health system is flawed. “In Australia, GP is the entry point of mental illness treatment. Patients with more complex and serve disorders will be refer to specialists by GP. However, this is rely on reach GP with sufficient knowledge in identification mental health issues”, Mr Cliver explained.

Further, he said: “patients with severe mood disorders normally are not able to work in general, many of them lost their jobs after diagnosing with depression. However, the occupational therapist that tailored to people with severe distress not covered by Medicare Benefits Schedule. Thus, it is impossible for them to afford the appropriate treatment.”

“When I was in public hospital, I see someone who give up treatment as they are not able to pay after they lose their jobs and their families’ supports”, Mrs Jess said.

“There are lots of things such as Black Dog Ride and lifeline that make we get better and better in understanding depression, but there is still a number of missing pieces in our mental health systems”, Mrs Jess added.

Key words:# Mental Health # Suicide # Depression # Black Dog Ride #Australia

Author: JIE ZHU            Email: kenleyzhu9536@gmail.com

 

 

 

Pinup girls vie for beauty prize that’s more than skin deep

In a time where skirts are getting shorter, some women are challenging the modern perception of beauty and empowering themselves through vintage fashion.

For my narrative feature I would like to explore perceptions of beauty for women in Australia. I will be looking at the women involved in the pinup community, specifically focusing on the Miss Pinup Australia pageant.

Miss Pinup Australia is one of the largest pinup competitions run in the world, but says it is different from the traditional beauty pageant, priding itself on being focused on each entrant’s journey of self-worth and confidence rather than judging solely on looks.

With this in mind, the pageant has different categories to include a range of different ages and sizes of women.

The pageant also believes in fostering strong comradery and friendship between entrants, creating a community aspect. Social media is used to connect people within the community, so people can interact and build relationships online.

For my feature I would like to create a video project, using establishing shots of the NSW Miss Pinup Australia Meet and Greet event, and also include video interviews of pageant entrants. I think the fashion and colours of the pinup style will lend itself to the video feature nicely.

My piece will be strongly based in the exploring characters of the interviewees. I would like to explore how each person got into pinup, what pinup and the pinup community means to them, and their own values of self-worth and beauty.

I think because the competition has various categories, with many types of women, it will be interesting to gain different perspectives and personal stories.

After establishing strong characters, I would like to relate pinup back to general perceptions of beauty in society today, and expectations of beauty for the modern woman. I will encompass statistics and data on body and confidence issues for women in Australia of different ages.

I would then like to explore the media’s perception of beauty, such as the use of photo shop in magazines or advertisements, and how this affects Australian women’s perception of self-worth.

I also think making a comparison to more conventional beauty pageants, such as Miss Universe, and their portrayal of entrants will provide great perspective for the reader, on perceptions of beauty.

This article would be aimed for online publication on women’s interest sites such as Mammamia in the Beauty and Style section.

Keyword tags:#beauty #pinup #pageant #bodyissues #community #confidence

Understanding Depression in Australia

Keyword tags: # Depression  #Australia   # Black Dog Ride

Background of the Black Dog Ride One-Dayer

Black Dog Ride One-Dayer is an annual event held by a national suicide prevention charity to raise public awareness of depression and suicide prevention. Each year, thousands of motorbike enthusiasts across Australia come together to hit the road on one single day in support of raising public conversations on mental health issues.

Existing Research on Depression

Depression is a prevalent issue in Australian. In the light of a national survey in 2014, 2.1 million Australians have suffered depression and more than 6000 Australians with depression attempt to take their own life in any given year. More seriously, few people have recognized the seriousness of depression. Only 39 percent of Australians view depression as a mental health issue. As a result, the majority of people with mood disorders did not receive treatment in a timely fashion although effective treatments are widely available in Australia. A national survey shows that only 28 percent of Australians attending specialist treatment services in the year of onset. The delay to help-seeking has contributed to the increase in the severity of mental health problems.

Proportion of persons with depression or feeling depressed   Source(s): National Health Survey: First results, 2014-15

 

Story Angle

In the feature article, I will focus on three aspects. First of all, I will explore the reason why organizers started these rides and how these rides contribute to the suicide prevention. Secondly, I will further explore the influence of this event on participants. Thirdly, I will explore the seriousness of depression in Australian. Furthermore, I will give in-depth analysis of triggers and some possible treatments. Moreover, focus will be put on the factors that lead to the delay of treatment.

Interviewees

In order to elaborate further on my story, an interview will be conducted with David Peach, the coordinator of Black Dog Ride One-dayer. Questions for David are about what lead him to start the ride. And how do these rides contribute to the suicide prevention. In addition, I am going to interview Jess Siegle as she is a participant of the ride and has been affected by depression. A close look at her may help me understand some barriers that depression suffers faced with. Furthermore, to learn more about the issues of depression, I will interview Caroline Hunt who is a professor of Faculty of Science in the University of Sydney. She has conducted extensive research on the treatment of mood disorders.

Target Publications and Audiences

My preferred online publication for this feature story is Medical News Today. It is a leading internet-based magazine aims to providing the latest mental and health news to healthcare professionals and general publics.

The feature story targets three groups.First of all, it targets those whose families and friends have affected by depression. Secondly, it aims to reach patients who want to seek some advices for depression. In addition, some mental health experts may be interested in article related to depression.

 

References 

Highet, N. J., Hickie, I. B., & Davenport, T. A. (2002). Monitoring awareness of and attitudes to depression in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 176(10), S63.

Thompson, A., Hunt, C., & Issakidis, C. (2004). Why wait? Reasons for delay and prompts to seek help for mental health problems in an Australian clinical sample. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 39(10), 810-817.

 

 

 

 

A comment on CNN’s iReport article

A screenshot of the CNN news by Eliott C. McLaughlin, Holly Yan and Ian Lee

On 30 March, a man hijacked the Egypt plan flying between Alexandria and Cario and ordered the pilot to divert to Larnaca, in Crypus. CNN’s iReport is closely following this incident. In the assignment one, I am going to explore several aspects that will help improve the news article “EgyptAir hijacker in custody, all passengers evacuated, official say ” on the CNN.com. The hyperlink of the news as follows:

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/29/europe/hijacked-egypt-air-jet/index.html

Suggestion improvement:

1.The heading of the news could be more concise and short, which is  beneficial for search engine optimization. In addition, it is inappropriate to quote officials in the title.

2.Relevant videos are embedded in the article, which allow readers to visualize this incident. However, the advertisement played before the start of the video is annoying, which readers might not bother to watch.

3.SEO is a problem that should be improved. It should be tagged some relevant topics such as Egypt, Air transportation and hijack, which will make it easier for readers to search the article.

4.In terms of interactivity, there is no comment area at the bottom of the page. Readers cannot engage with journalists and leave comments.

A screenshot of the CNN news by Eliott C. McLaughlin, Holly Yan and Ian Lee

5.Tweet of Cyprus MFA was embedded in the article, which might make the article convincing by citing the official in the very transparent way. CNN also provides readers with the opportunity to share the news by social media and e-mail.  

6. The link of the CNN’s iReport is problematic. When readers click the ‘news ’button from the homepage of the CNN’s iReport, it directly led them to the CNN news, which may mislead audiences. 

Name: JIE ZHU        SID: 440111311