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On my way to breakfast the other morning I moseyed past the Hermes window in Sydney and was fairly taken aback at what I saw. I’m all for avant garde displays when it comes to fashion, but this one came complete with a nice array of taxidermy and a skeleton performing a science experiment. It was a little much at 7am, although to be honest I’m not sure if I would have felt about it later in the day, especially as after telling one of my friends about it, he messaged me when he happened upon it and was equally confused and appalled. The whole thing made me wonder, what have death and fashion actually got to do with each other?
This little quandary plagued me as I started to recall fashion shoots whereby designers propped their models about as dead bodies, and other fashion ads have used murder scenes as the basis of their creative. Death and fashion, it’s an interesting link. Of course almost every time this pairing occurs, people are up in arms and ads have to be pulled, executions (maybe that was a bad choice of word…) changed and the whole thing made to go away. And yet it still keeps creeping back.
I wonder if the idea behind it is about being fashionable ‘til death do us part? For me that makes sense. I don’t know how many times I’ve passed a group of older ladies and said to my friends, “If I start thinking it’s okay to dress like that, beat me with a Manolo until I change my mind.” I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want to stay stylish until your time comes to an end. Maybe that’s the link.
Another possibility is illustrated through a hair-raising work trip I recently had to endure. In the not so distant past, I was required to represent my company at an induction workshop for new employees. I was also required to wear the completely unflattering corporate uniform, which on every other day I manage to avoid. And as my assistant, who is possibly the world’s worst driver, bashed her way along precariously narrow country roads to get to the location for this presentation, I said “I cannot die today; this cannot be the last thing I ever wear.”
Maybe that’s the link. Whilst others say ‘live every day as if it were your last,” and I wholeheartedly agree with that theory, I also say ‘dress as if every day were your last.’ Lord knows most people don’t want to die, but if I have to do down, I can at least do it in a fabulous outfit.
Something struck me as I was watching MTV the other Sunday afternoon, and it struck me again when I was out and about the next Saturday, and the more I look around the more apparent it becomes. Being an individual when it comes to fashion is actually impossible.
I first started to think about this when I saw a group of emos, who despite flying in the face of conformity were actually almost identical to each other, and every manufactured emo group I’d seen on said MTV viewing session. The emo trend was spawned because these people wanted a physical way to express themselves and their interests, and like I always say, what better way is there than fashion? Body adornments were added to the mix and this homogenous group were suddenly individuals! See the oxymoron? It’s popping up everywhere, and I’ve termed it generic individualism.
When you look at fashion, fashion statements, trends and styles it’s all about copy-catting to a certain extent, something I touched on in my Single White Fashion Female post not long ago, (speaking of which, did I mention she rocked in with almost identical boots to me last week? The nightmare continues…) and something that to a great extent is accepted. How often will you be at a bar and see three or four girls rock in wearing almost identical outfits right down to hairstyle and accessories? My friends and I insisted someone get changed when the same situation arose when I was in the height of my partying hey-day, but it seems times have changed and today there is fashion safety in numbers.
If that’s the way some fashion followers want to roll, that’s fine, but what gets me is when people claim to be unique and individual and really they too are just following a style conceived and made available through someone else’s creativity. Of course to begin a trend there must be an individual concept to begin with, and the like of Vivienne Westwood who I also blogged about recently is a testament to this. But then what happens – someone like the Sex Pistols took a shine to her unique style, gave her the means to make the trend available en masse, and then suddenly everyone who was ‘different’ looks like a whole bunch of other ‘different’ people and no-one’s actually got individual style any more. It seems to be the unavoidable fashion phenomenon.
I’m all for taking a trend and making it your own, and I do believe that you can still express your own sense of style on a daily basis, but even if you decide to pair your harem pants with stilettos instead of ankle boots, seriously how different are you?
And really, when you consider that fashion is mostly about aspiration and fantasy, who can blame us for copying what the likes of Giselle is wearing?
Casual day in the office never ceases to amaze me. I still agonise over what to wear that day, usually because casual days tend to fall on a Friday which means after work shenanigans need to be dressed for, but also because it’s still work. That seems to be a point that many a person misses when dressing for the corporate casual day.
I was recently alerted to one of the most heinous casual day crimes, and that’s wearing the Uggies to work. I’m sorry, but I have issues with people who think its acceptable to wear these to the mall, let alone to the office. I know they have taken off massively in the USA, and you cant set foot anywhere in California in winter and not be overwhelmed by the sea of Ugg boots, but back here in their little land of origins, I stand by the widely held opinion that they are just an oversized slipper and as such should only be worn at home, or at most in your car if you have no intention of getting out of it. But I digress, the Ugg boots to the office is seriously not okay, and I’m not even talking the ‘designer’ version – I’m talking scrappy old boots with casual pants and a dress shirt ON A MAN. I don’t really know why gender is so important here, but somehow that makes it worse.
Everyday dressing for the office is an incredibly important thing, and the general rules that apply day to day can’t be overlooked just because its casual day. Most employers actually mean “corporate” casual, which should indicate to most people that skin tight summer dresses that barely hold in boobs, and the previously mentioned ratty uggies are not acceptable.
A study by a company called the Aziz Corporation has actually revealed that 25% of employers admitted to being more likely to hire a female who wore make-up as opposed to one who didn’t. Right or wrong, there’s all the proof you need the appearances at work count. Your boss doesn’t turn blind on casual day, so you shouldn’t turn into a slapper/sloth/general fashion disaster.
A good rule to workplace dressing, regardless of if your boss announces casual day or not, is if you’d wear it when you’re just hanging around the house and guaranteed that no-one is going to see you, don’t wear it to work (and don’t pretend you always look amazing even when you know you’re alone on a Friday night!). Similarly, if you’d wear it out on a Friday night, it’s probably best to leave it in the closet too – for the majority of us, work isn’t about showing off our sexuality, so leave that for your extracurricular activities!
At the end of the day, the rules that apply to looking fabulous at work are the same as those for the rest of your life – clothes that fit properly and flatter your shape are going to do the best job for you. Don’t wear shirts that are too tight so you can see between your button holes (I have friends that do this, seriously, it’s not a good look) and never allow the VPL to come into play!
Work is about more than just your fashion choices of course, and we all have a job to do and the focus is meant to be on doing it well. According to the Journal of Applied Psychology, intelligent people will earn more in their lifetime than people who are attractive or self confident, but we fashionistas know these qualities are not mutually exclusive, so just imagine what you can achieve when you choose to combine the two!
I defied the recession this weekend and flew down to Melbourne to see Wicked and partake in a spot of shopping. I am now a recession in my own right as a result, but the amazing trench and suede booties I came home with means it was worth the next month of beans on toast. I also found time to stuff myself silly on Lygon Street, as it would have been an Underbelly-worthy crime not to in that town, and what struck me as I sat and people watched (other than how incredibly tight my jeans were beginning to feel after mountains of pasta and red wine) was how incredibly meticulous some women are about their appearance, even on a Sunday afternoon to head to a patisserie. And it made me ask my equally uncomfortably full friend, as women, who exactly are we dressing for?
There was one female in particular who stood out for me and started this train of thought. She would have been in her late 50s, and she was wearing enough make-up to cover myself and four of my friends. She also must have spent hours on her hair, and she was glammed up enough to warrant lunch with Richard Branson, not an afternoon of scoffing cannolis. Similarly two other ladies who would have been attractive if not for their clown-like cosmetic choices had clearly gone to far more effort than was required to catch up over coffee, and it made me realize, these women are certainly not dressing for themselves. In fact, I highly suspect they were dressing for other women
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I find, and many agree with me, that it is often easier to be stylish in winter, for men in particular. But even we ladies should struggle to look bad when we have such an amazing array of coats, great boots, the joy of layering up, being able to wear winter hats and accessorise with scarves. It’s all good news. Except when it starts raining. Lumping an umbrella about, or at least one adequate enough to protect your fabulous attire, is problem number one, but the whole trying to remain fashionable in the wet thing is an incredibly big ask.
Most of our first memories of dressing for the wet are not great ones. In fact, I remember as children the majority of us being herded to school in shiny rain gear, jackets too big for us, or having a dreaded plastic poncho pulled over our heads and tiny bodies. I remember one poor guy who was sent to school wearing head to toe iridescent yellow rain gear – I’m talking the whole shebang - hat, the shiny mac and the matching pants. And even in year two of primary school, I knew that wasn’t cool. Now its kind of fun to be hidden beneath a plastic poncho when the summer rain hits at the Bondi outdoor cinema, but it’s not the kind of preventative clothing you’d be prepared to don day to day
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The plight of the Belgian girl with unwanted facial tattoos which recently broke on the news got me thinking. Firstly about why no one is questioning the validity of her story – I can’t sleep through my neighbours arguing let alone someone sticking needles in my face – but secondly about body art and how it’s almost a form of fashion, definitely accessories, and what makes someone want to commit to that particular accessory permanently.
I get that body art is exactly that – art, and that art plays a huge role in fashion, but fashion pivots around trends and seasons and that’s an acknowledgement that people’s tastes change periodically. If we were forced to wear a particular colour, or a particular style of dress for several weeks let alone months or years, most of us would curl up and die in fashion horror. Yet the commitment made to body art is exactly that. One design, forever. Or in the case of the Starry Faced Belgian, until she can afford the laser surgery needed to remove it
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To a great extent, fashion is all about copycatting. Someone starts a trend and everyone follows it, its even evident from designer to designer. And they say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I have recently managed to collect a Single White Fashion Female in my workplace, and it’s really not that much fun.
I’m all for taking a trend and making it your own, but fashion is about personal style and expression and when someone seems to just want a carbon copy of yours, suddenly the imitation is not so much flattering as highly annoying and kind of creepy
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My boyfriend has just gone to London and, as I type, is heading to Royal Ascot in a top hat and tails to partake in the sport of royalty. Well watching it at least, and I’m sure the bar will get a good workout. So being the good girlfriend that I am, I had a little look through his itinerary last night, and I realised in what became absolute jealously and frustration that his ticket to the races includes access to the Bessborough Restaurant where the Royal Ascot Fashion Show takes place. That means Vivienne Westwood. And he doesn’t even care. In fact, he doesn’t even know who she is. Where is the fairness in that? Clearly there isn’t any.
So after giving myself ample time to stomp about in a defiant rage of fashion exclusion, I actually started to think about Ms Vivienne and how she really is an icon of British fashion, and more importantly she is widely credited with bringing modern punk to the mainstream
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There are a few times in life when many are tempted to throw fashion sense to the wind, but when there is still the need to be seen in public, and those of us committed to style of course advises against this line of thinking! Tracksuits and ugg boots are fine if you are at home and not execting to see anyone. Not even your parents.
One such situation where I see many a person succumb to their inner sloth is the aeroplane trip. When you’re intending to sit down for a while, it appears to be very tempting to don your most shapeless outfit judging by some of the ensembles I’ve seen recently but I defy the idea that jet travel has to be daggy. You wouldn’t wear a tracksuit to work even though you’re mostly sitting down for 8 – 10 hours, so you shouldn’t be considering the same on a plane! And unless you have the fortune to always travel first class, there is so little that's actually pleasant about a plane journey that I think looking good is the least we can do
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Renowned demographer Bernard Salt recently came out and said that in the face of economic downturn that like which we are currently experiencing, females return to an ingrained desire to seek out “manly” men. And in saying this, he predicted the downturn of the metrosexual trend that has dominated male fashion, grooming and lifestyle for so long now.
Interestingly, at around the same time as Bernard was publicly pitying those males who purchase more beauty products than their female partners, stories of designers returning to beefy men on the catwalk over the skinny boys we’ve seen of late began to hit the fashion pages. Could it be that this is already being reflected in fashion and in what is either a very clever marketing move, designers are sending manly men down their catwalks in the hopes of sustaining their sales, and female following, in these days of economic hardship? Whatever it is, it would appear to be working. Women are swooning and whilst high street sales have been hard hit in the current recession, designer sales have managed to be better maintained
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Comment by JEz
on Permanent Fashion Choices
Life according to Jane
Fashion Moi