Loser Mag

Wardrobe Must Haves!

by Ella

Clothes can be expensive. Even though it’s a drag, it’s a fact of life. And good, high quality clothing can just be off the charts sometimes! I, like many other people, sometimes get caught up in whether it’s “worth it” to buy an item of clothing- how often I’m going to wear it, how well it goes with stuff I already own, how expensive it is, etc. But I’ve also learned that with several basics, you can build a simple and versatile wardrobe that is completely easy to style and will flatter everyone! So without further ado, here is my (almost complete) comprehensive list of wardrobe must haves (not in any particular order):

  1. Boyfriend jeans: Light wash is best, ripped always look fantastic! They’re comfy, casual, and go with everything.

  2. A pair of converse: Black high tops. That’s all I have to say.

  3. A flannel: Cozy, warm, easy to pair with anything, laid back. An essential.

  4. Funky socks: They can make even simple outfits have a unique twist (my personal preference are sock tutus!)

  5. Big basic tees: Pick a lot of neutral colors like black, grey and white, along with some graphic tees.

  6. Bralettes: A necessity. No wardrobe is complete without them. None. Lace = yes.

  7. Striped tees: The bigger, the better. Oversized looks good on everyone.

  8. A good hat: Makes any outfit 10x cooler. 100% guarantee.

  9. Fab sunglasses: You will be the epitome of too cool for school.

  10. Ankle boots: The Chelsea boots are prime and make everything look so polished. I love it.

  11. Loose dresses: They can go from sweet and girly floral prints to wild graphic prints to basic black dresses, but one thing never changes. They look amazing.

  12. A denim jacket: Oversized takes the cake yet again. So great.

How To Be Smooth

by Haley

I’ve done quite a few stupid things in the fourteen years, four months, and twenty or some days I have been on this earth. For example, when I was in the first grade, I wanted to be a monkey. A face plant into the gravel from the monkey bars on the school playground and nine stitches later I decided being a monkey was lame and suddenly becoming an astronaut was way cooler. When I finally got to middle school with the big kids, I had read in a magazine that to express how fun I was I should wear sparkly blue eyeliner. I paired that with my super cool uniform and I was just bound to fit in with those freaks of nature who had flawless skin in the seventh grade.

The point is, I am an expert when it comes to dealing with embarrassing moments, simply because I’ve had so many of them, and while you may not be there yet, here are a few awkward situations and how to avoid them.

1. You fall in front of everyone

·    Option 1: Use this opportunity to show off your incredible break dancing skills. Everyone will completely forget about your fall, and you’ll probably be given a cool nickname like groovy Judy.

·    Option 2: Immediately start quoting the speech from your favorite death scene. Anyone who is cool will join in.

2. You send a personal text to the wrong person

·    Option 1: Embrace it. Have a heart to heart with someone you wouldn’t have thought you would. Who knows? This could be the start of something beautiful

·    Option 2: Act like one of your friends sent that text. (If you have a conscience about letting them take the fall for you promise yourself you’ll pay for their next coffee)

3. You don’t actually have enough change to afford something and you don’t find out until you are at the register

·    Option 1: Keep Calm, take a deep breath, and moon walk away. Most likely everyone will be too dazzled by your grace and talent they will faint and give you ample time to grab your bag and make a break for it.

·    Option 2:  Throw them your most dazzling smile. They will most likely let it slide if you’re short less than a dollar (or whatever currency your country has)

Rant: Virginity

by Haley

*Disclaimer: The following rant is completely opinionated. Please feel free to disagree with me as I am a simple teenage girl and these are just my thoughts. Also sex is mentioned many times, so if you’re uncomfortable with that please refrain from reading*

“I think the concept of virginity was created by men who thought their penises were so important it changes who a woman is.”

-unknown

Its becoming more and more apparent that the concept of virginity is outdated, and is only used today as a social construct to keep females from fully embracing their sexuality.

I reject the concept of virginity because having sex for the first time doesn't mean, "losing" anything. I mean, with every other new experience in life we simply have the pleasure of a new experience, but with sex we magically "lose" something? It's straight up slut shaming, teaching girls that after they've had sex they're "impure" and "corrupted". Why do we need a separate word for what we are before and after we've had sex?

Not only that but the concept itself is completely heteronormative and flawed. Society would consider someone who's been sexually active in some way a virgin, but have a penis stuck in your vagina and suddenly you say goodbye to your virginity, your purity, if you will, forever. In school, we learn that sex is penis-in-vagina, and nothing else, so some people consider people who have had oral sex and even anal sex to still be virgins. And what does that mean for same-sex couples?

Small Room Decoration

My room is so small that sometimes I feel like Harry Potter, living under a staircase. Well, ok. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point- small rooms (at first!) can be tough. They can feel cramped, claustrophobic, and just downright boring. Because what are you going to do with it? Large furniture is out, overwhelming patterns and colors are out, and it seems like anything fun is out. Well I’m here to prove that wrong, with some tips and tricks I’ve gathered over the years about decorating teeny little bedrooms that you just don’t know what to do with.

  First, light colors are your friend! A lot of people make the mistake of choosing a dark, overwhelming color, in hopes of making their room feel colorful. This, in fact, does the exact opposite- it makes your room appear smaller and darker, which is exactly what we’re trying to counteract! Choose a light, bright color, like light yellow, white, pale blue/green/pink/anything! This will open up your room and make it seem more spacious and airy.

  Second, you can’t have large furniture. Yes, I’m sure that the 8 foot long vintage sofa that Grandma gave you is adorable, but it just can’t fit. Period. Small rooms tend to not have a lot of floor space, and we want to keep that as open as possible to create the illusion of a bigger room. And for some people, this can be a problem. What about desks and dressers? Well, for desks- try a simple small table that could function as a minimalistic bedside table. Don’t go for the old vintage one with 100000 drawers and secret compartments. Stick to the basics. And for dressers? I don’t even have one! Try keeping your clothes in drawers under your bed, in a closet already built into your room, or a closet outside your room! Make efficient use of your limited space.

  Next, don’t clutter it up with a lot of stuff. People with small rooms can’t be hoarders. Choose some nice, simple accent pieces and place them in strategic locations across the room. Make sure they have a common color scheme so it doesn’t distract people’s eyes too much and make the room feel cluttered.

  What about the bed? Ah, le piece de resistance. This is kind of what can make or break your room. Choose one that accents your wall color! Try not to make it too bold and patterned, as this is what pillows and throws are for. If you can’t decide? Go for white. You can completely customize a white duvet with colorful pillows and change it up whenever you want!

A couple other side notes:

Mirrors are your friend!

Hard wood floor is probably the best.

Think outside the box: loft beds are a great way to create more floor space!

Windows are some of the best additions you can have!

The more light (especially natural lighting), the better.

Easy Things to do to be More Fit

by Ella

Seeing the pictures and hearing people’s remarkable tales of humongous weight loss in microscopic time periods, and all the various success stories surrounding them can be a little disheartening. People think “Why can’t that be me?” and then that leads to the inevitable downward spiral of self-hate and body bashing, and this portrayal of exercise as an unattainable and difficult way to be fit, which only promotes the concept of reducing people down to what they look like. This isn’t ok! Being fit is more that having that stick thin body or super toned muscles, or whatever it is that the media broadcasts as desirable. Exercise and eating right are a great way to feel good about yourself, be happier, and have more energy- but how can you do it?

1. Get into a routine: Have something that you do every single day, whether it’s jumping jacks to wake you up in the morning, drinking __ glasses of water every day, stretching to relax before bed, or anything else that makes you feel fit!

  2. Remember that the little things add up: Being fit isn’t about drastic changes- you won’t suddenly be able to run a 4 minute mile, but walking the dog every day sure as hell will make you healthier. Tiny changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the library instead of driving, stretching for 10 minutes a day, or not eating a lot of fatty foods daily will make a huge difference!

  3. Eat snacks: Healthy snacks, that is. Snacking on fruits, veggies, hummus, etc throughout the day will keep you from being so hungry that you overeat at meals. Another benefit is that it keeps your energy level up all day without the crash and burn after a huge meal.

  4. Don’t restrict yourself: This is the easiest way to make yourself crave something. Once, I was trying to get clearer skin, so I just cut all junk food out of my diet. I lasted maybe a day before I saw some damn fine Cheetos and couldn’t help myself- and that’s ok! Junk food, or watching TV, or eating a lot sometimes won’t have negative effects if you do it in moderation! This is key- eating three slices of cake won’t kill you as long as you don’t do it every day, the same way that saying “Fuck it!” and watching Teen Wolf on Netflix with a box of Goldfish every once in a while is actually good for you because it lets you take a break and chill so you don’t feel pressured to not eat or anything like that.

Heart It Races // Dr. Dog Flashed Junk Mind // Milky Chance Candles // Daughter Hand-Made // Alt-J Can’t Help Falling in Love // Fleet Foxes Lippy Kids // Elbow Ends of the Earth // Lord Huron Bloodstream // Stateless Mad Sounds // Arctic Monkeys Magpie // Khushi

How to Give a Kick Ass Compliment:

Compliments are some of the best things in the entire world, in my opinion. They’re a win-win situation for everyone involved: the recipient gets a self-esteem boost, knowing that someone went out of their way to be nice (warning: that’s not a measure of your self worth, it’s just nice knowing that people appreciate you), and the giver gets to see the smile and know that they made a difference to someone. But the problem with compliments is that they’re so overused and cliche’d sometimes: Wow, I love your hair! ; Your outfit is so cute, etc that an unfortunate result is that they sometimes lose some of their sincerity. So here are some unique compliments that most certainly will brighten someone’s day.

Warning: Make sure these are actually true and come from your heart, as cheesy as that sounds!

1. Notice the details: Instead of complimenting someone on their whole outfit or look, pick one part that you especially like:

Wow, those earrings look like one-of-a-kind!

Your eyes really look bright when they pick up the sunlight!

2. Don’t just compliment their looks: Everyone’s heard about what they look like, but maybe not so much about their unique personality traits:

You handled that situation really maturely.

Your laugh is contagious- I love it!

3. Go for it- don’t worry if it’s a bit cheesy, the message still rings true!

Honestly, I think I’m my best self when I'm around you.

I smile whenever you do!

4. A corny pick up line will do wonders to brighten someone’s day: Nope, I’m not kidding- it’s the perfect combo of sweet and silly. And I’m not gonna help with these ones, they’re coming straight from your imagination (or google I guess).

And now I have a challenge for you: compliment someone every day. It’ll make the environment around you a more positive one, and not only will it make someone’s day, it’ll make you happier knowing the impact you have on other people!

50 reasons why: I didn't do my homework

Jesus

Obama

I cannot let the government win

I was working on my Napolean Dynamite fanfiction

How can i do hw when a man like Harry Styles needs pursuing

It wasn’t 3 hole punched

I was sticking it to the man

I experienced serious emotional trauma 4 years ago

Audition for So You Think You Can Dance didn’t work out

I’m too hipster and I drowned in the new wave

Alex Turner didn’t do his hw and look where he is now (not in my pants but oh well)

My chi wasn’t in order

I was reading Drake and Josh fanfiction

The feng shui of my room was all wrong

Busy creating a costume for pioneer cosplay

I joined a cult with a rigorous orientation process

I was expecting my juggling career to take off

boys boys boys boys boys

The narry smut tag on tumblr was really busy last night

Too much sexual tension between me and my fridge

Sterek

Larry

Ziam

Troyler

Had to take down the patriarchy

I spent my entire night mass toasting bagels

Experienced an existential crisis

Still trying to get over the fact that pluto isn’t a planet

My boobs were in the way

2 kool 4 skool

Simon said no

My marilyn manson club met last night

Had to time travel back to the 1960’s to ensure my birth

Too busy making a fort

My cat ate it

It wasn’t punk enough

Forgot the date

do

you

even

lift?

for the children

I got into a twitter war with my mom, it would have been rude to leave

I found out the Tooth Fairy wasn’t real, and am still struggling

I was at a party educating the youths of the dangers of drinking and driving

My hand fell asleep and I couldn’t wake it up before it got to the good part of its dream

I didn’t do it in the name of fashion

Who can be bothered with hw when anything else

My brother needed comforting after finishing all the seasons of Attack on Titan

How To: Keep A Journal

some quick tips

1. Make it Desirable

If you’re like most of the population (aka not Tavi Gevinson), and keeping a journal isn’t the easiest thing for you, pick out a journal you will want to write in. Pick one with birds on it, pick one with stripes, pick out the hipster-est leather bound journal ever (or bound it yourself whoa), whatever your heart desires, just make sure its something you want to write in.

2. Make it Functional

You’ll want to carry this thing around with you wherever you go (see next tip!), so make sure its a small enough size that you can chuck it in your bag in the mornings, but not so small that writing in those last couple lines at the bottom of the page feels like heading into battle. (trust me this makes a huge difference)

3. Bring it Everywhere

Yes, I mean everywhere. You never know when the opportune moment strikes. When you have that epiphany while staring at street art, write it down. No - you won’t remember it. Thank me later.

4. Make it Fun!

This is so important. Alot of times keeping a journal can become a chore, and that’s not what it is supposed to be about. Do little things to make writing a more enjoyable experience. Write in colored pens, don’t erase, let your thoughts come as they are. Doodle in the margins, or print out pictures of your favorite celebrities and glue them on the pages. If you can’t think of anything to write, write down the lyrics of your favorite songs.

5. Understand It May Not Look Like One You Saw On Tumblr

I see so many pictures of adorable journals on tumblr, and more often than not your journal won’t look like that, unless you have boatloads of extra time. I’m not saying you can’t make it cute, you totally can, but if you’re anything like me, it will most likely be just pages of scribbled thoughts, and its important to know that thats okay.

6. Write As Often As Possible

I’ve actually found the more often I write, or doodle in my journal, the more creative I feel. Its like getting rid of all the tangled thoughts in my head to make way for the fun stuff! I understand, you lead a busy life, but try to write a little something each day, even if its just writing down what you had for breakfast, or 3 good things that happened to you that day.

7. Do What You Want

Let’s Clear Something Up: Rape Culture

What is rape culture?

by Ella

Rape culture is the idea that rape and sexual harassment and/or abuse of women is normalized and accepted in our society.

How does it affect us every day?

In a nutshell, it holds the entire female population in a subordinate position to men. In simpler terms, the social norm is that men are more powerful and women should be treated as lesser individuals.

Some examples?

Blaming the woman: “She asked for it/Did you see what she was wearing/She should have been more careful/etc”

Trivializing sexual assault: “Boys will be boys!”

Slut-shaming: shaming or attacking a women for being “too sexually active or promiscuous”- yet another way of blaming it on the girl

Jokes demeaning women

Tolerating or ignoring reports of sexual harassment

Teaching women not to get raped instead of teaching men to not rape

Street harassment/catcalling

“The Friend-zone”: the idea that women should be ever so grateful to be treated like actual human beings that they should consent to being again used as romantic and/or sexual objects

The fear of reporting rape cases

And so so so so much more...

What can we do to stop it?

Stop making degrading jokes/comments

Call someone out for doing any of the above

Reinvent the idea of masculinity vs femininity

Education of the general public

Don’t laugh at rape