One of the great innovations in fashion was when there were no longer any fashion police, at least for the most part. When you could choose what length of hem looked the best on you and all were in vogue vs. a time when only one hemline was being sold like a bill of goods to the consumer. When you could choose a shirtdress or a flowing skirt. When there was more than one style of heels...
The other night I was catching up on magazines. I first read the March, 2010, issue of Town and Country. Of course, this is a magazine for grownups. I could see myself wearing nearly every garment in the issue, if I were 20 something, if I were as thin as the models, if I went to appropriate events, and if I had unending money. Well, never mind, you get the idea!
Inside the cover was a luscious Ralph Lauren Collection ad with a beaded top, worn with jeans. Not so much a fan of the opposite page, overalls with a jacket and scarf, still nicely ecclectic. Turning the page to the RLC dress in denim blues -- simply gorgeous!
The Gucci ad was a bit much, but move on to Max Mara and Michael Kors, clothing in good taste. Then Cate Blancett advertising SK-II, which by the way I have never tried...the leopard print of Lafayette 148, then Ellen DeGeneres advertising the Simply Ageless product line (I love the foundation), the Chanel gaucho look, Marina Rinaldi...the jewelry...the clothes worn by real people... the winter white section...the tribute to Jackie...
It looked like a very good year for shopping!
Then I opened the March, 2010, issue of InStyle, a magazine I generally love. Most of the ads looked hard core biker chic meets goth meets street walker. And they looked like Lolita trying too hard.
I don't find it feminine. But, of course, that might be the point.
I thought the whole idea behind the economic slowdown and the loss of major players in the fashion scene due to insufficient sales was to design clothes the consumer would actually buy. Some houses are actually doing that.
A couple of the ads were offensive to me, and I don't offend easily. I asked my 20-something daughter, would you want your daughter to dress that way? or leave the house? (No.) They were pushing the envelope.
I can tell you that if I wore those get-ups -- or anyone did here -- they would be laughed at or worse.
Generally I think fashion is fun because it changes, but I disliked the cocaine chic which was portrayed as chic, though tawdry, a few years ago in Allure, for example.
Fashion is in my blood. But if it doesn't sell, you can't eat it. You have to mark it down until it goes out the door -- or it ends up shredded in the landfill, made into rags, or -- last resort it seems -- donated.
And you have to have new stock. It's a gamble, sometimes, choosing which trends are on mark. Or using a northern buyer for a southern store -- or expecting what sells in Florida to be what sells in California.
There was a time when I was glad not to be buying for stores any longer. I walked through the major stores in my area and saw nothing that I liked. It was very strange. And not too long after that all the stores were in some kind of receivership or bought out by another chain. Because. No.One. Was.Buying. Their.Clothes. And I could have seen in hindsight how I might have been in the same circumstances, if what they had stocked in their stores was all that was available to the buyers. You have to buy something! It was a tough economic time.
I think we should have fun with fashion. We should not sell ourselves short. We deserve to look the best we can. And I can tell you some things that definitely would not show me in my best light -- and likely it wouldn't show you in your best light either.
It's time to vote with our pocketbooks.
Karin
Originally posted 2010-04-04 00:22:21.
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