// sacrificed

/ what is sacrificed?
“Be daring, be different, be impractical” were the words of Cecil Beaton, an English photographer and fashion designer. I’ve designed my blog, Sacrificed, to deliver that same message.

Fashion is not unlike an amazing and noteworthy career; it is not unlike a committed relationship, an excellent grade or evaluation, or getting the most out of life. They all require some element of compromise, risk, sacrifice. You have to be willing to do your homework, push yourself to your limits, see things a new way, and step outside of your residual comfort zone.

We all make sacrifices whether we realize it or not. We sacrifice our sleep to be with friends or study. We make compromises to ease certain situations. We risk our money in hopes that our purchases will fulfill us more than those bills did.

Sacrifice is natural. Fashion is sacrifice.

My idea for Sacrificed is to show how fun, funny, and rewarding (or disastrous) fashion can be when we take those risks that we ponder about beforehand. Whether I post a picture of Icelandic singer Björk in the infamous swan dress…

… Or talk about how I pissed my mom off by swiping my card a little too much last month… I want to look at everything in a positive way. A great outfit deserves compliments. A not-so-great outfit deserves recommendations. Everyone deserves the chance for improvement, room for mistakes, and opportunity to take more risks.

/ who is sacrificed?
My name is Thomas Johnson. T.J. is the most popular of my nicknames. I’m a Medill student with a passion for fashion and an eye for style. I use clichés, too! :D

I would best describe my style as classic look with new material. I’m a big fan sweaters, the sweater-and-button-front-shirt combo, unique graphic Ts, [slim] jeans, and sneakers. Plaid and argyle are awesome. And I think lumber (pictured below, traditionally seen in black-and-red or blue-and-black) is a pattern that is in right now and should be utilized a lot more.

My newest obsession is wearing graphic Ts with a button vest, nice jeans, and eye-catching sneakers. My most recent sacrifice started while ordering a pair of sneakers from an online shop made by an amazing California sneaker company named Creative Recreation. I discovered that I only could find the shoes a size-and-a-half too small, but I still bought them. Yeah, they’re a bit snug, but I love them. Colored oil brown, khaki and tiffany green, I have gotten several compliments on them. Plus, I don’t wear them daily; so, all is well.

/ how to be sacrificed?
I thoroughly encourage you to email me at Sacrificed@redmoonmidnight.com with:

-Your stories of sacrifice, risk, and/or compromise for fashion. Pictures would add to the awesomeness.
-Pictures in general that you think are worthy of a Sacrificed stamp because of the risk and payoff or even, risk and failure.
-Topics, in general, that you would like to see addressed here.
-Kind words just because you’re a nice person. :)
-Whatever.

Thanks for reading. And remember, as Yves Saint Laurent said, dressing is a way of life.