The Three Rules of Fashion

I haven't done a post about fashion in a long time. It's not that I don't think about it still, I do (and in fact, I do more than I used to). It's that most of those thoughts are fleeting, thoughts better pursued directly on G+.

And that is where this post originated, before I decided to  move it to Blogger. The reason is the topic feels more permanent, less about the fleeting aspects of fashion (shoulder cutouts, I don't understand...) and more about the permanence of style. Fashion is what they create, Style is how you present. If you're interested in the chatter of various fashion choices, let me know and I'll add you to the Fashion and Style Circle on G+.

The Rules of Fashion

Printable from Modern Mommsie on Etsy.com

Even if you've never followed them, you probably know that the old rules of what one wears are thoroughly smashed. "No white after Labor Day" has been relaxed to clarify that one shouldn't wear summery fabrics (such as white linen) once the temp drops (which might be November), unless you live in tropical areas (such as Florida), in which case the rules don't apply all. Almost every hard and fast fashion rule has undergone a similar obfuscation so that almost anything goes.

This is lovely from the freedom of expression angle and devastating from the "but how do I know if what I'm wearing is appropriate?" angle. Because the truth of the matter is that while the rules have gone, there is still an expectation of  "appropriate dress", which comes will all the cultural baggage of decades past and none of the rules to help one out.

The New York Times published an article back in October called "How to dress like an adult", in which the author addresses this exact issue. How do you mark that you're an adult now when a hoodie and sneakers is entirely appropriate attire for an adult? The old rules about what teenagers wear vs adults is long gone, with girls wearing high heels long before they turn 16 (or 18, depending on the height of the heel) and industry giants not owning a suit because their industry rejects it's formality. Vanessa Friedman, the author of the NYT piece, has distilled it down to three rules (you can call it guidance is rules makes you twitch):

1. Do not distract.
2. Think of your clothes as costume.
3. Learn to iron (and sew, and fold and invest in some good hangers).

She explains how these three rules cover a multitude of areas. She believes the first to be the most important, and it is invaluable, but the third is my personal favorite. The clothes you wear are far less of a concern than how you wear them. I have a pair of brown heels from Payless that I've owned for probably 10 years. I've replaced the heel tap and the insoles and they are my favorite pair of shoes. My personal philosophy of buy the best you can afford and that you really love, then use it until it falls apart, applies to clothing more than anything (it's where I developed the policy). So even though I now buy shoes that have a higher price tag out the gate, I still treat them the same - replace the parts you can replace until the shoes cannot be fixed, then mourn their death and find new ones.

A crumpled Chanel (which is a sin...) looks messy, where as a jacket from Target that is in good condition, ironed, and tailored will take you far.

Thoughts on these three rules?

Glamour Dos and Don'ts, 5 Years Later

I've been slowly-yet-surely purging my Glamour collection. Today I was reading through the January 2007 issue. The first thing I noticed (other than the stunning Christina Aguilera cover above) is that I think of 2007 as a "couple" of years ago, not 5. My brain hasn't adjusted.

Anyway, the issue includes 50 Dos and Don'ts from 2006. I realized while reading that a gerat way to identify which fashion items are going to last the test of time is to look back. So, a few items of note from 2007:

50. Black Nail Polish is a Do!
35 and 36. Red nails and lips are a Do...and have been for ages.
27. Sweaterdress over leggings - still a Do!
27. Hip-length sweaters over leggings - still a Don't!
22. Belting the natural waist is a classic Do.
19. Platform heels - a Do especially for us shorties.
18. Bangles - always a pretty-on-the-wrist Do.
2. Crocs are an ugly Don't (unless you're gardening, in which case they are acceptable)

Party Party

Tonight was Nyla and Aziz's surprise engagement party. I'm not really one of their crew, so I was really flattered to be invited. Even better...it was black tie! I love dressing up and am always looking for an excuse. Also, I just got in a pair of vintage pink opera length gloves that I ordered on Etsy and I was dying for an excuse to wear them. So, halter neck black dress, pink pumps and pink gloves. I got a ton of compliments on the gloves, which only reinforces my decision to wear gloves as often as possible. Vintage is better since my glove size is 4 1/2 and the standard "Small" is a 6.

I was a bit out of place since, of the 20 or so people there, I knew the couple who invited and the engaged couple. I'd met a few of the others before, but I didn't know them. My friend Chris jumped in and played host, making sure I was introduced to everyone, and I stayed until the party shut down. It was a lot of fun and I'm really glad I went. These kinds of things are the things I will miss once I'm not here, but it just means that when I come into town to get my hair done, I have to make sure to get people together to go out.

Tomorrow is moving day part 1, i.e. the big stuff. If I can get the major furniture moved with help, I'll consider it a win since I can move the rest in my car on Sunday, which is my technical move in day. I've got to get up early and clear off bookcases and load my car with at least one load so that the moment the landlord calls and says I can move in, I can take a carload over. Not to the most efficient way to move, but that's how it's working this time. Next time, for the big move, I'll pack and box properly since it's a hike. This time...I just want it to get done.

Someday, a Chanel suit

There are a few items that I truly want to own in my life.

An Hermes bag of my design (leather, etc)
A fabulous sapphire ring
A Chanel suit

These aren't things I need now. They are things that will come one day, marks of a comfortable adulthood and successful life. And that last one...

Chanel has been making stunning suits since Coco herself. The above is an excellent example of a vintage suit. Clean lines, elegant simplicity, the very essence of a lady. And this season, they've done it again.

Karl Lagerfeld's line this year is all about pearls and, like Coco herself, beautiful, clean lines that are actually wearable. I could actually wear that, unlike some of the things that have walked down the runway this season. I'd love to wear that. And someday, I will.

For my fellow hat lovers...

White House Black Market (one of my favorite places to stimulate the economy) has a lovely collection of spring and summer hats.

Click here for the goodness.

The Strain of Today

So March can be summed up with the following: Flu, Midterms, Flu, Spring Break, SNOW??

Today, however, was a doozy. I have been in a panic since when I got home from break yesterday, my computer was doing a mean impression of a paperweight, but failing to do anything else...and I had a draft research paper due today. Not to mention a Calc Quiz due tomorrow. So that sets the tone for the day.

Got up early, made hair pretty (thanks, Aunt T, for all the advice!) and got out the door early enough to go to the cobbler to turn in leather boots from the winter that need some love. My heart broke to discover that my cobbler has gone out of business! I adored him and now I need to find another one. Very sad.

Work went well. I was booked the entire time I was there, which makes it go quickly, and one of the sessions was with a fellow Psych student who needed help with a lit review, so Jody (the director) assigned her to me specifically. I'm happy to be getting a good rep!

Checking in with the HC, I discovered that the bookstore messed up my book credit and told me the wrong amount at the beginning of the semester and thus I now owe them a ridiculous amount of money. I'm furious and the HC director is understanding of my fury. I'll go see them tomorrow to see what we can work out. FURIOUS.

However, a reprieve - In class I discovered that the draft was moved from today to next Monday. Happiness ensued. I can write it over the weekend and focus on my calc test that is coming up on Thursday. Oh happy day! I followed this with a wonderful discussion with my professor on a topic change (as well as discussing historical religious fiction such as The Red Tent and Mother of Believers) and she asked me to focus on a topic that she thinks I could shed a lot of light on even though it's not really covered in class. I'm thrilled.

A quick hustle off to Macy's to spend my gift card on the pair of shoes I've been coveting only to discover that the designers have gone off their heads this season and the toe box of the shoes doesn't cover the toe cleavage (tops of the toes). Now, I have previously railed against unnecessary toe cleavage in my livejournal. While I can accept it in casual shoes, such as flat, I find it rather horrid in heels, especially to the level that it was in this case. Nine West, Anne Klein...all of them! The shoes I really want, of course, are at White House Black Market, but I can't justify the expense. So I'm going to fume over this for awhile until I come to a solution.

Finally, to Best Buy in the hopes that the death of my Lappy is a a result of a faulty power source. They are ridiculously expensive, it turns out, but this entry is proof that the problem was indeed a power issue. I suppose I can be comforted to know that $80 is better than buying a new laptop.

Fashion in the Writing Center

During my Writing Center shift this evening, I sat and chatted with the other tutor on duty, Barkley. He's starting grad school in the Fall for classical guitar and is older than the average student, having already completed his BA in English and now just completing a few courses to prep him for grad school. After our session with a girl learning to develop a thesis ended, chat turned to other interests, including short stories, television and, my favorite, clothes.

Barkley has the standard problem of having no idea where to shop or what to buy. He does, however, have an idea of how he wants to look. He likes the style in Mad Men (I am loving what this show is doing to our uber-casual generation) and particularly likes vests and hats. Huzzah, someone I can work with.

So we talked about what he should look for in a suit. He's broke, like most students of music, and his girl also wants to upgrade and refine her style, also on no money. I encouraged them to look at Target to build a wardrobe of basics and then upgrade as money allows. I explained that his shoulders being broad means he needs suits that fit there since tailoring shoulders is expensive and tapering waists are cheap. We talked about ideas for his woman, about stacked heels that are more comfortable for daily wear.

I forgot how much I enjoy talking about clothes and advising about fashion. With a few exceptions, I have very few chances to discuss it lately. I've missed it. So I'm thrilled for a project!