I like to look up different kinds of style, and it’s what I’m most likely to do when I’m too tired to do anything else. About the only way that pop culture still has a grip on my imagination is through fashion: I don’t know or care about most celebrities or what they are doing, but I don’t mind looking at what they are wearing.
Of course one can take this too far. I love the feel of a well-fitted and pretty garment, but experiences matter more than what I am wearing when I have them. Likewise it’s possible to try too hard. A lot of movies seem to prioritize atmosphere and costumes rather than story. A couple of random examples: We were watching Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland yesterday, and the moral of the story is ostensibly about Alice not following feminine convention: marrying, taking care of a husband, etc. But every other scene has her breaking out a new outfit, including the last one where her new job offers an opportunity to pose fetchingly on the deck of a ship. There isn’t much straying from feminine stereotypes in the end, at least not those that involve shopping.
Over Christmas holidays my mother-in-law took me and the girls to see Wicked. As a whole this movie underwhelmed me, but they certainly were trying extremely hard with the sets and costumes. It looked like 80% of the budget at least. Amid the excess of colours and trimmings and mash-ups of every possible style, I found I had little attention or sympathy for any of the characters. They all came off as ridiculous, because what else could you be in such an absurd setting.* (I didn’t see the movie till the end: my youngest daughter got very upset during one scene and we left the theatre: thinking about it, I believe her instincts were sound.)
* I realize I might sound cynical. I might be turning into my dad when it comes to movies. Growing up, he refused to watch almost anything made after 1965, and his reaction to a majority of media was “this is completely ridiculous.” It’s not even taking offence at that point, it’s an inability to even engage.
So, I don’t particularly enjoy seeing my enjoyment of fashion taken to excess. At the same time, it is an art form and as such, you need to be open to experimentation. I enjoy combining pieces in fun, practical and surprising ways, and I enjoy watching others do the same. It’s probably the easiest way to bring a little creativity and whimsy into every day. And as the seasons turn, I always long for something fresh and different to match the moods of nature.
My challenge right now is to bring just a hint of springtime into outfits that still need to be cozy most of all. It is well below freezing outside, and my workplace is so poorly heated that going without a sweater is unthinkable, and often said sweater needs another layer on top of it.
I played around with lace and florals and bright prints and colours: all these have a whiff of spring and summer to them. But they can still be layered for warmth. As far as footwear goes, until the snow melts it will be boots or rubber boots: not much room for imagination there. But my little experiments are making me feel slightly more patient with the last few days of the polar vortex, at least.
I modelled for some headless photos here, to help me remember my ideas. I often spend time planning fun outfits then get apathetic in reality and just wear the same thing again. I quite like these though and I think I will wear them to motivate me to show up for the final weeks of winter with some enthusiasm.
