Weekend Capsule Wardrobe: part 2

So, the second part of the ‘weekend in London’ capsule wardrobe…

Yes, you’ve seen the coat, and the bag, and everything else I’m wearing many, many times… But, this is a blog, not a fashion magazine, and I’m a busy teacher, not a model. What you see me wearing here is what I actually wear as I go about my life. And, like everybody else, I have a limited wardrobe that has to work very hard and fit into a suitcase, or in this particular case, cabin luggage.

The coat wouldn’t fit into the cabin luggage, of course, and neither would the boots. So, I had to wear them on my way over from Finland on Friday. And I had to wear them again on Sunday because when these pictures were taken we had already checked out of the hotel and left our luggage in storage for a few hours.

What should you think about when you’re choosing outerwear for a weekend break capsule wardrobe? The obvious answer: something lightweight and versatile, and weather-appropriate. This coat was a bit too warm on Sunday (but not on Saturday), and as lovely as it is, it’s not the easiest thing to wrap around the back of a chair in a restaurant, or stuff into the airplane overhead locker. Note to self: need a shorter, lighter coat for travel…

Anyway, this is what I was wearing when we went to see the Vogue exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. No pictures, I’m afraid, as photography was not allowed in the museum. But on our way to the museum we stumbled on this: the entire Trafalgar Square was cordoned off and turned into a film set. I found out later that it’s for the new Wonder Woman film, apparently set at the end of WW1, judging by the clothes and cars and the giant ‘War is Over’ posters everywhere…

And back to the Vogue exhibition…

I sort of skipped the more recent images and spent more time looking at the older photos and illustrations on display. Perhaps it’s my interest in anything Art Deco and mid-century modern, but I found the images from the 20’s, 30’s and early 60’s most fascinating.

And I realised that I seem to have sort of a double standard when it comes to fashion photography: while I don’t care much for contemporary fashion photographs, I admire the artistry in the older ones. I’m impressed by the styling and lighting of the old fashion photos but find contemporary images gimmicky and pretentious. Well, I often say the same about the clothes in fashion magazines, too. It’s because if I can’t imagine myself or my friends (who come in all shapes and sizes) wearing something, I see no point to it.

Could it be that that the models (as beautiful as they are) in the old fashion photos are somewhat more relatable in terms of body shape and age? Not that the pictures from the 20’s, 50’s or 60’s depicted any 40+ models, but at least they were clearly out of their teens. And it seemed that the old photos were less about the celebrity status of the model and more about (wearable) clothes. Who knows. Maybe it’s just the allure of vintage…

Outfit details:

coat: Hobbs / scarf: Jaeger / cardigan: Esprit / trousers: Marks and Spencer /
sunglasses: Coach / bag: Chanel / ankle boots: Clarks

What’s your opinion on fashion photography?

Tiina
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