Low-maintenance and understated,
that’s my everyday style. I don’t want to think about my clothes after I get dressed, and I refuse to feel uncomfortable for fashion. If a piece of clothing is too complicated, I never wear it, however beautiful it is.
Yes, I know: there are very creative people who present themselves as living art installations. Well, I’m not one of them. It’s just way too much work, and way too uncomfortable. I tried it (turning myself and my outfits into a living art installation), a long time ago, when I was studying fashion design, and it felt contrived and fake. It’s not who I am.
If I’m totally honest, I don’t even think fashion is art, and I don’t see my style as a creative outlet (I use Photoshop as my creative outlet…). This doesn’t mean that I don’t care what I look like. I care, a lot. I just want people to notice me and not my clothes.
How can I say that fashion is not art?!?
Well, the way I see it, if a fashion designer thinks s/he is an artist, s/he should become a painter, or a sculptor. Or at least stop forcing their ‘artistic vision’ on us mere mortals who need practical, stylish clothes to make us look our best when we struggle to get through our busy days. My body is not a blank canvas for a designer to exhibit their style. I’m the star of the show that is my life: fashion is just costuming. And a designer who doesn’t understand that isn’t doing their job.
And what inspired this rant, you may ask…
Well, I’ve been to a couple of fashion shows this autumn, and watching the anorexic giraffes, sorry, models walk around like robots wearing a succession of (mostly) black shapeless sacks made me think that fashion designers are not very smart… I mean, there we were, a roomful of middle-aged women of all shapes and sizes, watching impossibly tall and even more impossibly skinny teenagers (OK, there was always the token ‘mature’ woman, just as tall and skinny as the teenagers…) walk around wearing clothes that would make any one of us (the audience, that is) look either frumpy or ridiculous or both. Not to mention fat. Because only anorexic giraffes look good in shapeless sacks… And yet, this roomful of women represents a lot of money fashion designers could be making, if only we weren’t invisible to them.
So, I won’t be showing you any photos of fashion shows, or analyse the autumn fashion trends. There are plenty of online magazines, websites and bloggers discussing trends and the fashion week and celebrity style, and the only thing I could add to all that is a few sarcastic remarks, which (even though potentially entertaining) would unavoidably cast me in the rather negative role of a whiner. I’d rather focus on something positive. Besides, when I started this blog I decided that I wanted to show you clothes that I wear in real life. So, this is me, in my comfy shoes that were made for walking, not on the catwalk but the city streets…
I’m wearing:
poncho: Marja Kurki (similar, seen before HERE and HERE) / top: J.Crew / trousers: Pure /
shoes: Clarks / bag: Adolfo Dominguez / sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana
How do you feel about fashion shows?
Tiina
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I understand and certainly agree with your point about haute couture. I part company, though, in terms of language. I believe fashion is art because it is a creative activity. The average woman who combs through her closet, putting together an outfit, is making art, even if she's using ordinary tools (e.g., clothes from Target) and unexceptional skill (e.g., color-matching). Creative effort need not be special to be "art"; much art is ordinary. In my opinion, haute couture is more about money and class than aesthetic choice.
Oh, I agree, art does not have to be special. There are lots of women out there, putting together impressive outfits, finding fashion as a creative outlet. I'm just not one of them: I'm a pragmatist, and for me clothes are just clothes. And that often makes me very frustrated, seeing what fashion designers send down the catwalk, or what's available in the shops.
I agree with what Ally is saying. I think designing is art. There are painter too who paint things you might not want to hang on your wall. It is THEIR expression of THEIR point of view. Only if they want to sell it, it would help if they read marketing books. After all, offering your buyers things they don't want and then say "why don't you buy them? I think they are lovely" is not going to help.And yes on the runway you think it is not about wanting to earn money. I suppose designers think we (mature women) spoil their art by wearing it hahahaha. So stupid.Greetje
Well, since clothes are supposed to be worn… I love art, but I prefer to hang it on the wall. Clothes, on the other hand, are nothing but elements for consumers to combine as they see fit: it's the wearer's vision that matters, not the designer's.
Ohh, I love the colors in this outfit! Especially the berry color! Your sunglasses are very chic, too! I have been looking for a similar pair.Carriecurlycraftymom.com
Thanks, Carrie! This has quickly become my favourite pair of sunglasses, an impulse buy at the airport.
I agree with you about these fashion show. I have nothing against the models but it's not a representation of real women. But I think these shows are meant to be more fantasy and maybe they think everyone's fantasy is to be skinny? Love the pretty wrap with the stripes.Thank you for joining TBT Fashion link up and hope to see you next week. Have a great weekend!Alicewww.happpinessatmidlife.com
Yeah… fantasies are fine, but I find fashion shows depressing. If there were models with different body types, maybe we could relate to the models more? When I see clothes in shows (or in shops), I want to imagine what they would look like on me, or my friends…
By the way. Love the scarf. Such an eye catcher, such a lovely colour.Greetje
Thanks, Greetje!
Those sunnies! And love the wrap too! Thanks for being a part of Fun Fashion Friday. Hope your weekend is fab!OXOXDawn Lucyhttp://fashionshouldbefun.blogspot.com
Thanks!