Aja Barber

When I help people clean out their wardrobes, the items I come across that hang in the back closet never seeing the light of day are usually pieces purchased in a frenzy — out of necessity instead of joy.

Whenever Lena Dunham starts trending on Facebook or Twitter, it’s become this thing where I suddenly morph into Angry Tyra.

I am shocked, perplexed and a little bit dismayed over the amount of “good liberals” who have pushed my friendship to the point of no return over the term “white feminism." As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to say the cries over white feminism vs. intersectional feminism is the new #BlackLivesMatter vs #AllLivesMatter. You might not see it that way now but you will by next year. Trust me. I’ve been through this before and damn, am I tired.

I've been really trying to think about every purchase I make and its overall impact on the world. However, I recently broke code and indulged in the Marimekko for Target collection.

In fashion, the mantra is “never say never.” Never claim that you’ll never wear it, because that's the easiest way to end up eating your words, prancing about in a style you once referred to as “unsuitable.”

If gentrification bothers you, the first thing you have to ask yourself is “Am I part of the problem?” The world is better when it’s more diverse

Recently I went through another round of unfriending on Facebook. It keeps things tidy, the arguments thoughtful and my head from exploding. This time around I just got rid of any white person that felt passionate about "certain political topics," but wasn't showing up for people of color, as we watch the meteoric rise of fascism in America and police violence. I’m not obligated to educate anyone for free, especially if they don’t appear to be absorbing what I’m saying or having the tough conversations on their wall with their peers.

Marc Jacobs claims he doesn't "see" color, but people of color beg to differ. Whether he recognizes it or not, Jacobs is part of the cultural appropriation problem, turning black natural hair into his own "trend."

If Lena Dunham wants to be a part of the movement in a constructive way, I’d recommend stepping down and quietly supporting women of color with dollars.

We can never get enough handy gift guides, so we asked our lovely writer Aja what she has planned for her holiday shopping this year.