What Inspires Me: History



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Today I am starting a new series on my blog where I will share with you things that inspire me. I know I already do inspiration posts of things that I have seen on Tumblr and Pinterest that inspire my style but this series is going to be more of a what inspires me as a person so not just in style but kind of what makes me, me. I know that sounds a tad cringe worthy but hey ho. The first instalment of the series is History.

 

Why it inspires me: Those of you who have followed my blog for a while, follow me on Twitter or know me in real life will know that I'm a total history geek/obsessive. I know that some people see History as a subject that is utterly pointless because 'it's in the past so who cares' but I personally don't understand how you can't care. History is everything and everywhere. It shapes the society we live in and the future we will live in. We wouldn't be anywhere without our history. It allows us to learn from our mistakes, whether it's on a small scale, with us learning from our relationships, to large scale, learning that mistreating people based on their race, religion, gender etc. can have negative/disastrous consequences.

My favourite quote by George Santayana Source

What inspires me: Although I might seem overly enthusiastic about history there are certain periods I prefer over others and there are some that I just cannot bear (Romans and Saxons I am looking at you). I personally prefer modern history, particularly the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries as they are the times when the most life changing events happened and the events that directly impacted us. For example they are the centuries where some of the most influential changes for the rights and equality of women took place. Now where would us girls be without that eh? We wouldn't  have time for blogging and aspiring for a career in fashion. Instead we may have been trapped in a world of domesticity. From a fashion perspective these were also the centuries with some of the most beautiful clothes and trends that not only inspire me but many of you - how many of you like vintage or vintage inspired clothes? Exactly - history has inspired you!
 

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Who inspires me: I think, with the vast amount of people to chose from, it is difficult to pick main figures of inspiration. The most inspiring speech I have ever heard/read, I came across when doing research for my history coursework. It was Lyndon B Johnson's 'We Shall Overcome' speech about the voting rights of African Americans from the 1960s and, although it was probably written to gain electoral votes, there is just something about it that made me go 'wow - what a guy'. In terms of style I am particularly inspired by the keen taste of the Romanovs and perhaps the 19th and 20th Century Russian royalty in general as they had the most beautiful buildings and gowns. In a more broader sense the style ranging from the 1920s to 1960s is truly inspirational - the rise of the red lip and the most beautiful hair.  

On a more serious level I am well and truly inspired by a holocaust survivor that I heard speak as a part of the Lessons From Auschwitz project I have jabbered on about quite a bit. His name was Zigi Shipper and, considering everything he has been through, he had the best sense of humour. His view of the holocaust was extraordinary since when he was asked if he hated the Nazi regime for what they did, he said no and that you should never hate anybody because hate will get you nowhere. If that's not inspiring then I really don't know what is.
 

The Romanovs Source

I hope this post made sense to you and that you enjoyed something a bit different and gave you a bit of an insight into what inspires me. What inspires you? Are you as inspired by history as much as I am?   

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