Cardiff girl, I'm curious too! One thing I find surprising is that many people seem to use their real names. I feel much more free to say what I want under a pseudonym (even though you can see my face). Am I correct that your name is straightforward and you are a  woman living in or near Cardiff?

Aren’t they amazing? If those boots came in my size, I'd be dangerously close to ordering them.

Wah! This find has nothing to do with the conversation, but refuses to go away. 

Correct I am a woman living in Cardiff!.I agree with you that I feel freer to comment under a pseudonym but my mind always goes blank when I try to think of a name so I find it best to keep it simple but I really admire people like yourself who have chosen names that have real resonance for them.

Even if everyone else thinks it’s a seagull(lol)!

Ha!
Your interpretation of a “turn” towards fashion is somewhat more accurate.
The funny thing about so many people misunderstanding it is that I meant it to be a real signal that I don’t know what I’m talking about, so please excuse (and answer!) all my dumb questions, don’t roll your eyes too hard at my bad ideas, etc. So much for waving a flag of humility, if it isn’t understood!

So, I’ll answer as to why I use my real first name. First and foremost, I always have a hard time coming up with something that’s interesting, describes me, and that I think I’d use for a long time. Also, since I do have an externally facing job in academia, my picture, full name, and bio are available elsewhere on the web, so I’m not anywhere close to a fully private individual. On this site, and the other one I use, I’ve posted pictures of myself, so even if I used a fake name, work colleagues could easily recognize me. Ultimately, I’ve come up with a “middle road” of a somewhat anodyne social media presence, but with my actual name, that works for me.

Kathie, that makes sense. My first name is one that’s taken. Even though I have a web presence elsewhere, I don’t expect a lot of crossover.

Fashiontern, I’ve already told a bunch of work colleagues about this site, so that ship has sailed. Glad I can share a helpful, supportive corner of the internet!

fashiontern, I gotta run (spent way too long ruminating on style goals this morning), but the three most formative books I read in school were The Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram; And Our Faces, My Heart, Brief As Photos by John Berger; and A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Rebecca Solnit.

Re: usernames -- I think there was a long thread Angie started a while back asking for the inspirations behind our avatars. I'm "la pedestrienne" just about everywhere on the internet (including a stagnant blog). I adopted the moniker after reading Geoff Nichols' The Lost Art of Walking, which touches on the history of pedestriennes (women who participated in competitive walking in the 19th century). I'm a pretty devoted walker and hiker, and I also like to think I'm riffing on the secondary meaning of pedestrian (mundane, ordinary).

Oh! I love The Spell of the Sensuous! Wow, I am so delighted to learn of someone else who knows that book.

Thanks, LP! The “ordinary” meaning of your handle adds interesting richness.