Ohhh how I love discussing spring fashion in the first days of winter chill! I just got my sweaters figured out!But alas the fashion world is always 6 months ahead of the rest of us plebians and the hoi polloi! Thus we have The Fashion Group International’s Panel On Spring. The obsession with layering and odd combos brought to us by the likes of Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, and that Coppola girl (who at least has an intellect going for you) continues.
“The preciousness of the bourgeois lady grates on people,� he said, and then lamented the fact that retailers are still stuck promoting matchy-matchy.
What boggles my mind about this idea that fashion is somehow done with suits and outfits and the like and anyone who promotes it just doesn’t understand that fashion is changing! Suits and their ilk will only be out when women don’t have to dress for work. While the bobo look may be great for the weekend, the fact of the matter remains that women need to look professional for work in a world where we are still competing on an uneven playing field with men. Fashion for me is often about political and cultural ideals conflicting, conflating, and converging but I think this anti bourgeois sentiment, while fascinating from an artistic position, just does not hold water when it comes to the business of fashion. Suits and coordinating separates will sell and do sell because of the cultural climate surrounding women and work. Failing to aknowlege that is a failure to see eye to eye with the women you presume to dress. Looking at Style.com’s picks of the season it becomes apparent that designers are experiencing a period of collective blindness about needs and wants of consumers. I don’t believe this is all bad of course, art for art’s sake and all, but perhaps buyers should be wary of subscribing to the same attitude. Clothing that is flexible, professional, and makes a women feel confident will always fly off the shelves regardless of what is in season. Hence my obsession with Yves Saint Laurent suits currently. Bless you Mr. Pilati! Other designers of course offer respite from inanity of the dirty fashion child. Another favorite of mine is Elbar Elbaz at Lanvin. Sarah Mower tells us that Elbaz:
achieved for spring: a rigorous, couture-informed reengineering of clothes for women who spend more time striding out in the world than simpering at cocktail parties.
And God bless him! As a woman ready to stride out into the world I will worry about cocktail parties when I am done with the work of the day, whenever that happens, and until it does I need to achieve an aesthetic that says I am in command.
My congratulations on figuring out your sweaters. I have spent most of this week contemplating the matter, and after several sessions of intense soul-searching I believe I too have figured out my sweaters. However, I have not yet solved the coat problem. The days are growing short and cool, and the spiritual necessity of finding the perfect coat before winter’s onset is increasingly troubling to my soul. I simply cannot wear last year’s faux-fur jacket!
The coat problem is a troubling one isn’t it? I have a full length black wool coat that gets me through the seasons but I really wanted a trench coat for the fall. Not being able to afford traditional Burberry I got myself a cheap one off of La Redoute. I suggest trying them for cheap coats. They are having a 10% off thing going on too!
Oh… how I dread my winter coats. I have a nice heavy princess-seamed flared coat with a hood… but I am just sick of it. Oh how I love this season’s military-style wool… and I’ve wanted to design a motorcycle inspired black wool coat with black leather contrast… by the time I’ve got time to do that it’ll be like 30 degrees celsius outside.
Don’t even get me started on my sweater inadequacy.
… someday…
I bought some Janet Reger lingerie at Debenhams the other day for my Fiance’s approval and it went down a storm to say the least. I bought a black lace trim wrap whilst underneath I was wearing my ivory/peach floral embroidered bra and thong set, which felt really sexy to wear and looked just gorgeous (or so I was told) and made me feel elated. I would highly recommend buying Janet Reger lingerie, as I say if you can’t get to her shop in London (knightsbridge) you can buy it online at Debenhams from the comfort of your own home … Bargin !!
Hey final fashion, if youre looking for the perfect Designer Coat for winter, check out my-wardrobe.com. I managed to buy a lovely Amazonie Black Coat by Paul and Joe from them and its just so warm and cozy.