Today I am super excited to introduce to you October's blogger of the month, Jamie from Petite Panoply! What first drew me to her blog was her infectious smile, and it was her awesome sense of style that kept me coming back for more. I swear she is a woman after my own heart with such a colorful wardrobe. I think I would die if I had access to so many fun colors! She kindly let me interview her for the month of October, so be sure to read on to get a peek into this awesome lady's life!
1. First things first, can you tell everyone just a little bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m Jamie: a mass communications graduate student at the University of Georgia (though I’m sick of defining myself by my eternal student status). My creative outlet is putting together non-boring outfits, playing with makeup, and blogging. I’m a Disney animated movie aficionado, nail polish hoarder, donut-lover, ex-theatre & band geek. I live in Georgia but I’m not a southerner. I enjoy tasty craft beer and going to nostalgic concerts. I have way too many shoes for my own good. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I’m a bit of a nerd (books! science!). My idea of an excellent fall evening is binge watching TV shows with my sister while drinking boozy coffee and reading blogs. In reality, most of my fall evenings are spent reading academic articles, writing papers, and quickly scheduling blog posts.
2. What was the inspiration behind your blog name?
I was really feeling unique vocabulary words around the time I made my blog. I came across “panoply” which means “an array” and liked how odd it sounded. (I’ve always enjoyed funny-sounding words. And making up my own words too.) My blog name kind of has a dual meaning because it’s both talking about a small array of things and referencing my short height. Plus alliteration is king in the blog name world, right?
3. How would you describe the perfect outfit?
This question is so hard for me! I like wearing and mixing a lot of different styles depending on my mood that day. Usually the perfect outfit for me is: 1. full of color, 2: includes a vintage/retro-looking piece, 3. has polka dots or leopard print, and lately 4. Has a slight edgy factor. I’m happy in any colorful retro outfit but lately I’ve been enjoying darker edgier looks too. Mixing those two styles is always great in my book!
4. The tagline for your blog is "short girl style". Have you had any struggles with finding pieces to fit your height?
Oh always. My struggles were really prominent in my middle school and high school days when I wore jeans all the time. I had to search for stores that carried a short inseam because bell bottoms and boot cuts were in style then and the flare would start at such an awkwardly wrong place if they weren’t jeans made for short people. I still end up with 6-10 inches of extra fabric beyond my foot when shopping for pants in regular sizes. Lately I have problems with the bodices of dresses being way too long for my short torso. My red lace graduation dress had to have the bodice shortened (which was not easy). I also have issues with tops being too long. They usually hit at an unflattering place so I tuck most of my shirts in. The crop top trend is my friend! At least I can buy some things in the kids’ section. Basic tights are much cheaper there and even seem more durable.
5. How do you overcome the fashion industry's inclination towards taller girls?
I figure the majority of the fashion industry styles clothes for 2% of women. These are the tall, super skinny model types, which is a valid body type, but not at all the norm. I make do with the body I have just like any other woman who is outside that 2%. I get inspiration from the industry trends and adjust them to fit my style and body. Luckily there are stores that carry petite sizes and shorter inseams. Plus there’s always tailoring which is a short girl’s best friend. There are some styles that probably won’t ever be flattering on me though (like drop waist dresses). They just weren’t designed for a short frame and it sucks, but that’s life. There are plenty of other styles I can try out instead!
6. What's one style you wish you could emulate?
I really love Zooey Deschanel’s style. Her girly, retro style is exactly how I’d love to dress for work each day when I actually get out of grad school. I really like Emma Watson’s style too. I like that she takes chances with her look.
7. If you were to give one piece of advice to your readers, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to smile in your pictures (if you have a blog, that is)! It’s okay to look happy.
Thank you so much Jamie for letting me get to know you just a little bit. Be sure to check out her blog, Petite Panoply, for even more awesome colors (and a fun Halloween post for today!). I hope you all have a great day, and happy Halloween!
