We Don't Need To Look Good Naked... We Have Style

Happily driving down the street.  Heading into school – on a day I don’t need to, so the happy bit was a little strange really.  Music was blasting in my ear as I sung along to the latest trashy song.  Then my eyes locked onto the car in front of me. “Fashion sucks: the only label you should ask for is this one”.

 

It takes me a while to realise exactly what I was reading.  Although some people think I’m a reckless driver I do actually focus on the road.  I felt a sense of outrage.  The idea that anybody who doesn’t see the value of getting up and putting on that gorgeous skirt, dress, pants or shirt has the nerve to judge those who do.  How does liking fashion make us any more stupid than them?  This guy for instance was in a rundown, white van.  It was nothing special and neither was the man in it. 

It’s a known fact; looking good gets you further in life.  Think of it like this.  Two people go for a job interview.  One person is wearing a cute outfit; the other is wearing sweat pants.  I’m confident enough to say that the person in the cute outfit will get the job even if the other person is more qualified.  Fashion tells the world who you are, who you want to be.  Looking at a person can tell you whether they are rich or poor, do they like colour or even are they confident enough to step out of the mainstream trends. 

Why would you want to hide away from an everyday and normal expression of yourself?  Everyone has to get up in the morning and put clothes on.  You do it from birth.  Even naturalists need to put clothes on to get to a place where they are allowed to be naked – unless of course they are happy to get slapped with a indecent behaviour fine.  Why hide from clothes?  Why be scared of looking good?  Why judge those who make an effort? 

Anna Wintor, editor-in-chief of Vogue, said in The September Issue, a documentary about Vogue, that even she felt judged by her family because she puts her time and energy into clothes.  Her family however are all in more ‘serious’ professions.  If Wintor gets judged then I suppose there is no hope for us little fish.  Until fashion is seen as serious there will always be somebody thinking they are better.  Just remember, at least we look gorgeous no matter what we do.

Love Me.

Tailors may be our answer

Trends.  Seasons.  Skinny.  Curvy.  Black.  Everywhere we turn it seems we are being told what we should or should not wear.  Now sometimes this is good.  It should be heard.  It should become a mantra but sometimes it helps to criticise, to analyse.  If you don’t believe me then watch Funny Face.  It taught me one really obvious and simple rule: everyone shouldn’t wear pink head to toe.  More specifically - if you didn’t catch my Funny Face joke - is that the people who tell us these absurd creations aren’t even abiding by their own rules.  They see the lunacy of it.  They have realised that just because it sits nicely on a runway doesn’t mean it sits nicely on a street.   Kay Thompson, actress in Funny Face, highlighted this very point for her 1950s audience.

So maybe you’re beginning to re-evaluate that recent impulse purchase of a hair necklace.  Starting to wonder how much money you could have saved on clothes that don’t suit you.  Well I may have a curer. 

Tailors may be our answer. 

A little beckon of hope for those who want to create not regurgitate trends.  All those women who are recognised in society for being fashionable, for being fashion forward do not follow others.  They are not sheep, they do not see the person in-front of them and think I better act exactly as they are.  No.  They branch out and turn something quirky and unusual into a garment to be loved and admired.  

Tailors may be our answer. 

The answer for all those women and men who not only want to be ‘trendy’ but want to look GOOD as they are doing that.  Imagine how good it will feel to have someone come up and say: ‘that skirt is amazing.  It suits your body so well.  It’s so flattering.  Where did you get it?  I have the same body shape as you and I find it impossible to get anything to look that good on me.  I thought it was my fault.  But apparently not.’  You can then turn around and let them in on that little secret.  The answer is a Tailor. 

Ok I must specify something here.  When I say the answer is a Tailor what I actually mean is the answer is a GOOD tailor.  Shop around till you find someone you can trust to be quick, worth the money and has talent. 

There have been so many times I have walked for ages around the shops trying to find something very specific.  Knowing exactly what I wanted and never found it.  This winter for example I become in love with the idea of a cream skirt that came just above my knee.  I wanted this skirt to be made in heavy cotton that can be worn for winter, summer and job interviews.  I feel in love with something impossible.  It unfortunately doesn’t exist at the moment.  I do that a lot - don’t get me started on navy pants, dark brown boots, aubergine coloured tops and cream light hooded tops.  So perhaps I too should take my own advice. 

A tailor may also be MY answer.

Love Me.

My Heels Are Packed, Im Ready To Go

It’s time for some career talk.  A few things have happened this week.  Firstly I let my inner desperation, persistence and soon to be harasser kick in.  I sent tonnes of emails out to various companies.  A few of them were agencies that look after freelance stylists, a runway event organiser and some upcoming fashion shows: Sacred Heart Fashion Show and SMFF.  I’ve given up on getting work experience so now I am aiming for some volunteer work.  No, actually, that’s a lie.  I have not given up, I’m just trying another alleyway.  Walking down another path.  If there are any companies I should consider looking into please let me know.  I am willing to take ANYTHING.  

So with all that begging and desperation seeping through my pores I had to reward myself.  What better way than to trot off to my first runway show.  I was so excited.  LMFF Metamorphosis Student Showcase here I come!  First was the dilemma on what to wear.  Let me tell you, if you haven’t been to a fashion show before then be prepared, you can wear whatever you want (as long as it’s trendy of course) but make sure you add a pair of heels. I worked out the heels memo but forgot about the dressing ‘trendy’.  Then next fun fact about runway etiquette is you can take photos during the show.  I couldn’t believe it.  There were flashes coming from everywhere.  So unfortunately I didn’t take any photos but next time I will not make that mistake.  

The student showcase was amazing.  There was a lot of black gracing the runway.  I like black but I also need a bit of colour.  I know we live in Melbourne and black is apparently our signature colour, but how about a hint of brown?  A splash of colour?  The standouts for me were Laura De Vries and Robyn Taggart.  Laura’s garments took a spin on ladies underwear.  Envisaging superman, surprisingly in a good way.  Garters, bike shorts, thigh high stockings were incorporated into her winning look.  To top it all off she remembered that black is not a colour and added pretty pastels to her collection. 

Laura De Vries told Sportsgirl that her collection stemmed from “the idea of using underwear as a form of outerwear, and also displaying finishing techniques found on the inside of garments, the idea of exposing contained detailing was then enhanced by exploring the detailing of modern interior architecture designs.”  

Robyn Taggar also integrated colour into her designs.  Through the bolts of black we saw tinges of vivid blues, yellows, oranges and purples.  But why listen to me ramble on about their clothes.  Scroll down and enjoy the photos I so gracefully pulled (stole) from Sportsgirl’s website.  Thanks Sportsgirl!

Love Me.

(The first two photos are from Laura De Vries' collection and the last two are from Robyn Taggar's collection)

Jiggling Through the Streets Since 2010

Summer’s latest trend was everything mini: shorts, skirts and dresses.  This trend was taken to new lengths or to be precise lack of length.  Shopping proved difficult for women whose body didn’t resemble a Victoria Secret model.  It took all your energy to work out whether those underpants were actually shorts?  Or was that shirt possibly a dress?  Every day I prayed that the infamous saying ‘does my bum look big in this?’ didn’t suddenly become ‘can you see my bum in this?’  Some men might have secretly loved this new trend but what emotional trauma did the fashion industry inflict on women? 

The culprits emerged through New York, London and Milan fashion weeks.  Julien Macdonald, Yigal Azrouel, Sass and Bide and Wayne Cooper were just a few designers who sent itsy bitsy, teenie weenie garments down the runway.

Michael Glasser, founder of Seven For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity and Rich and Skinny was asked why he and many other designers create clothing purely for ultra-thin women.  His response? ‘Because they’re hot.’

Meredith Chittenden is like many other 20-year-old women; she is fit, healthy and happens to be a size 12 in clothes.  According to Tyra Banks, supermodel and host of The Tyra Banks Show, this would make Chittenden a plus-size model.

Chittenden explains the damaging effects of Glasser’s comment: “It makes people feel negative about their image because they don’t fit into that tiny criteria.”  This summer had women feeling anxious about going shopping.  It was not a joyous experience.  No rush of excitement, no endorphins bursting beneath the seams as that dress effortlessly slid over nature’s curves.

Shopping for shoes is the only enjoyable experience these days, explained Chittenden.

“A size ten in shoes is always a size ten.  A size ten in clothes can be completely different depending on the designer or the store.  The most hurtful thing is when a shop assistant explains that they don’t have anything bigger.”

Some designers may want their clothes made for the so-called ‘hot’ women, but should these designers be thinking about the emotional impact this has on everyday ‘normal’ women?  When you think about it, the emotional damage this leaves will be around a lot longer than the clothes.

You might be asking, what’s my point?  These days summer is, at best, a few days a week and then an influx of cold weather storms in.  Stop the bitching.  You don’t need to worry about seeing women expose themselves to society.  Think only to the future.  Fashion is looking forward not back, right?  Well I suppose this might be true.   Regardless of this point, it still stands that fashion doesn’t take into account women of different sizes.  It doesn’t take a genius to see that skinny women are seen as the desirable ones.  They are on billboards, runways and pervasive on the silver screen.  Fashion has one body type that it caters too.  Unfortunately women who don’t fit into the tiny criteria still seem to dress as though they are a size 0. 

Who’s to blame?  Most shops only stock up to a size 12, sometimes you might find stuffed at the back of the rail a size 14.   Unless we want women walking around naked then they have to squeeze themselves into clothes that don’t fit.   On the other side the designers are the ones who create the trends or should we blame the teachers who initially educate the designers?

Ada Ma, lecturer at the Hong Kong Institute of Education, warned the conference of the Home Economics Institute of Australia in Adelaide, 2003, that classes did not teach students to be socially conscious about the garments they design and make.  Teachers need to be concerned with students being taught how to question society and become critical thinkers.

So, winter is nearly here, we are on the cusp of beautiful coats, opaque stockings, leather boots, and woollen skirts.  The problem here – and this is why I’ve dragged you through endless babble about designers not creating trends for ‘real’ and ‘normal’ women – is that tights are going to surface there way back into society.

Last September the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that in 2008 46.2% of women over 15 were classified as over-weight compared to 40.6% in 2001.  Over-weight, curvy even athletic women do not, I repeat, do not, look good in tights.  I want to make myself very clear here, only models and those women who look like models but haven’t yet been ‘discovered’ should be wearing tights.  They show everything.  Every lump, bump and ripple. 

It’s evident women and their bodies are changing and the fashion industry needs to consider changing with it.  How long will it take before the standard size 0 mannequin is thrown out and replaced with a model that represents the real size of women?

In an attempt to give all sides of the story I am going to acknowledge that every so often the fashion industry speaks up and declares curves are back.  In August 2009 City Chic, leading high-end fashion retailer, used only plus-size models during their runway show at the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival; Whitney Thompson was the first plus-size model to win America’s Next Top Model in 2008; and in 2006 Jean Paul Gaultier sent a size 20 model down the runway in a corset and sexy underwear.

These events may all be encouraging but the positive buzz regarding the awareness for the issue of plus-size women rarely lasts.  “Sadly, thin is still in; curves just make for a nice, ‘good news, ladies’ interlude,” Sarah Wilson wrote in The Press last July.

Designers seem to always go back to creating clothes for the lean and the lanky.  Lagerfeld has described his H&M range as being designed for ‘slim and slender’ women and many high-end fashion designers do not make clothes for women over a size 12.  Bettina Liano is one of those designers.  She has said that there was a time when she made size 14 clothes but they just did not sell.

Linda Drodge, fashion stylist for Complete Personal Styling, explains the ridiculous nature of this comment.  “I think Bettina Liano is an icon, however, her clothes are very small fitting and tight.  Girls would love to wear it but I reckon most wouldn’t even go into her shop because they just don’t think the clothes will fit them.

“Women shouldn’t be slaves to fashion.  They need to work out what suits their body shape, style and personality.  Fashion has the ability to increase your confidence but first you need to know who you are,” explains Dodge. 

Stand up, relish your curves, and ignore the trends – especially tights - if they aren’t right for you.  No matter how good you think you look, remember the wobble you just felt ripple down your leg as your foot connected with the pavement.  I assure you, that jiggle is visible to all around you.

Love Me.

It All Starts With A Piece of Fabric

I’m biting the bullet and not to state the obvious but I’m braving the big scary world of blogging. After months of saying ‘I’m going to start a blog, no really, I am’, its happened. I’d like to have my first opening lines as something a little bit more inspirational but alas I have learnt - every time I step into Alannah Hill or Scanlon and Theodore - that I can not have everything I want. After long consideration and a little push from Prospect 360’s Fashion Seminar I’ve decided to focus on all things fashion. Since blogging has become an insane amount of people rambling about this, that and everything, I’m going to strive to be a little different. I can't make any promises but lets see how I go. I not only want to discuss runway shows and designers, as every good fashion blog should do, but as a budding young journalist I want to discuss my experiences as I strive - and lets face it, embarrass myself, as I beg editors and stylists to give me an opportunity for work experience - in an attempt to make this career work for me. I want to look at the deeper issues of the fashion industry and lifestyle. Lastly with my trusty Fuji camera I want to snap away what it means to be a true Melbourne fascinista. So if that all sounds interesting to you then please, and to not sound too desperate, I BEG OF YOU, come back and read this rambling blog. 


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