Thursday, August 7, 2008

The Argument on Fashion

There is a difference between fashion and style. Although most believe that one is synonymous of the other, this is simply not true. Fashion is primarily antiquated by the runway shows and models who weigh approximately 60 pounds despite being over 6 feet tall. It doesn’t really matter if they are in New York, Paris or Milan; fashion exists solely from the solidified image a designer has for a particular season. Its more of an art than a lifestyle. Style on the other had, is very different. Style is more mainstream. Whether or not one has bad style versus good style is not the question. Style is of the individual. However, one’s may be not in fashion. This is where the line is drawn.


For instance: I have always been fashionable. It has always been the same style and it has always been influenced by the same three major factors: My Parisian Grandmother, the Jazz era, and the fact that my puberty existed during the days of grunge. As a result, I have never worn sweat pants out of the house, I love sheath dresses with long necklaces, and I resort mostly to the color black when I am trying to look sexy. However, the fact that I have my own style does not in any way render me as cool, popular, or even stylish in the sense of society norms. In fact, until I was about 21, my sense of style was not popular. From adolescence to the beginning of college, I never chose to wear anything that happened to be popular with my peers. This made me dorky. When everyone was freely advertising for Abercrombie & Fitch my sophomore year of high school in 1999, I was paying attention to the runways. I followed Miu Miu, who’s models sported preppy A-line skirts with turtle necks and v-neck solid tees. I even added a bit of Louis Vuitton, who was slashing ‘The Rachel’ hair cut by having all his Spring ’00 models wear their flat, straight hair in a low ponytail and a side part. I followed this spring sensation to a tee and I learned what I looked good in. However, despite my valiant effort to follow Vogue’s finest choosings, I was not accepted warmly by my 15 year-old counterparts. I was made fun of for dressing weird and looking like I was from the 1960s (yes, Mod was in style in spring 1999 and yes, I got a lot of my clothes from the local Goodwill). So I had style but I wasn’t cool. Luckily, I never cared and by the time I hit my early twenties, I was being complimented for my choice of outfits.


My point is that one can follow the runways and be a fashionista but it doesn’t necessarily give them a ticket to the cool crowd. And I know someone is going to retort about the girls on Gossip Girl, The Hills, etc, etc. Those people don’t count and (ding, ding), they aren’t real. Maybe if your parents are millionaires in New York, following the runways is the acceptable and expected thing to do but, in normal America this is rarely the case and guess what, that is OK.

3 comments:

Sholeh said...

hear hear!

Agreed, wholeheartedly.

e.e.mullarke said...

This post just took me on a trip down memory lane....oh my. It's nice to find what works for you and sticking with it despite trends...I think at the age of 26 I have finally found it. Have you frequented the vintage shops in Chicago or in the suburbs? Any suggestions? I've become an Etsy fanatic....but I love buying local when I can.

Elegance and Mommyhood said...

Hi dear. My name is Ada. I am fairly new to blogging and I just happened to find you so as usual, I started reading from the beginning and let me tell you, this is one of the best Style/Fashion blogs I've ever read. It describes you to a tee, which gives us the readers a better chance to know you and imagine your style without ever peeking a look in your closet. You are my kind of girl as you like to be feminine, dressy, sophisticated and sharp, on a budget like most real and normal American girls.

I, like you, don't wear any Abercrombie clothing neither did I ever cared much of it when I was in High School (and we are close in age.) I, like you, prefer the 40s, 50s and 60s to what most teenagers wore when I was in high school. I was and still am, ALWAYS an old soul when it comes to my style and clothes. I've always had an elegant & sophisticated taste, dreamed of Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu and Vera Wang but I did it my own way on a mall and medium-priced department store budget. Now I know for a fact I am stylish because I feel comfortable, pretty & chic in everything I wear and I admit it to myself when I may have made a fashion crime or made it to the fashion police lol. And I wouldn't be caught dead wearing sweats but at my own home, in bed or at the gym.

P.S. I am now your newest fan & follower of both of your blogs. Cant wait to read more and get to know you better. Please do the same, read my blogs and follow me.

Take Care, Ada.