Lately I've been reading my stash of Glamour magazines from 1956-60, enjoying vintage-centric sites on Instagram and Facebook and playing with a reproduction set of Claire McCardell paper dolls. My subscription copies of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, InStyle and Marie Claire sit unread in a tidy pile. Very thin these days, they don't take up much space.
I am someone who lived to love Fashion—the history of, the business of, the future of. Fashion to me is culture. I've no degree, but I consider myself a Fashion Anthropologist. The icing on the cake is I like to get dressed too.
All this time on my hands has made me wonder if fashion is even a thing anymore. I don't see where it's going, but then I'm not going anywhere either. Fashion has become nostalgia, remembering when it meant something to be dressed.
Once upon a time there were rules. With rules comes a certain relief. If you followed them you would be well dressed. If you broke them, you could claim you were asserting your personality (not unheard of even in the '50s). I remember reading that Audrey Hepburn once used a strap from a case of wine as a belt and thinking that was a genius I could ascribe to.
When anything goes, what goes with what? Think about it. What is there today that is "wrong"? Bra straps showing? That's okay. Dark bra peeking through sheer blouse? That's okay. Wearing a bra as outerwear? That's okay. Wearing no bra? Okay too.
 |
| Still not okay. Dodie Goodman in "Splash" |
This is nothing new. Fashion has been on an "anything goes" trajectory for a very long time. At first I think many of us greeted that with enthusiasm and relief. Finally you could wear mismatched socks without anyone looking at you funny. But what fun is it to wear mismatched socks if everyone is doing it?
Fashion was also ageless. Remember back, if you can, to the Jackie Kennedy 1960s, a style that lasted longer than JFK's brief tenure as President. I was in my 20s; my mother was in her late 50s. We didn't exactly dress alike, but you could tell we were from the same era. I could ditch the hat; she might have lower hems, but we were still "in style". It was an attitude; age alone was not a deterrent.
 |
| We all loved Jackie's style. |
Forget that one can barely decipher what is "in" today. Much of fashion is aimed at the young, with a well intentioned invitation for all to play along. Thanks, but no thanks. And I don't think many of us, no matter what our age, really want to look like this:
 |
| Vogue, May 2020 |
I hear you! It’s a lot to think about, maybe I need more coffee. There’s two things going on it seems. The “why bother getting dressed up” of right now and the strange state of recent fashion. Both are pretty distressing. I do find it lifts my mood to make an effort now, even though I head out to a one person office and just see a couple people at the beginning of the day. I feel so much better when I make a small effort at style. The yoga pants I wore at the beginning of the pandemic ended up making me feel blah. And these times will pass.
ReplyDeleteThe larger picture of “anything goes “or “everything goes” for shock value is sad in fashion. I think good taste is never out of style, and I hope it wins.
Thank you for clearing up the fog that kept me from making that very point. I too feel so much better when I get dressed, even if it's just to go to the grocery store. It's harder to dress up around the house, but at least I am NOT in PJs all day!
Delete