22 September 08
The anti-thesis of stylish
I’m not a stylish gal. I create more fashion faux-pas than an entire kindergarten class. But thanks to having a few stylish friends who either come to this stuff naturally, or who spent quite a bit of time developing fashion-sense and exploring their own personal style. And I’m getting there. (Thank you, Tim Gunn and KateCat.)
I also don’t like to be catty about how others dress. Which I know has quite a bit to do with hearing classmates laugh but never quite undersanding why or being able to do anything about it. But today I had a moment that just made me stop and stare and study and shake my head. adn then it made me glad that KateCat wasn’t present because my CPR is a little rusty.
So at risk of being that catty person who made me cry, I’m going to describe him because I can’t get the image of him out of my mind.
Picture a man in his 40’s carrying a very broken-in gray leather briefcase with a strap made from nylon webbing that is tied through the D-rings on the bag. (I can only assume the original strap broke and he found the webbing at a fabric store and since he didn’t have tools, he simply tied it on.) Now the grey bag, was grey on the sides, but I noticed that the leather inside the facing of the bag was black. Which makes me realize that this bag is probably very, very old and has faded due to use and wear. And I respect well-worn bags, its this thing I have. And this bag, in and of itself, does not frighten or appall me. However, when the man carrying the bag is also wearing a really, really large Navy Blue suit jacket with a light gray button-up shirt (light gray from a laundry fiasco, not light gray from a dyepot). And at this point, I feel catty for talking about his wardrobe. It could be that he’s wearing what he can afford, it could be that he is color-blind, it could be that I really should pay attention to other, more important things around me. But then I look down and I see that he is wearing zoot-suit style trouser pants made from a small herringbone pattern made from black and white. He’s also wearing bright white socks and caramel-brown leather loafers. And that’s when I realize he’s probably either clueless about fashion (in which case I know that I’m not that bad) or he simply doesn’t care and turns to his wardrobe and pulls out the first clean items he finds.
So, I’m mean. And I’m stating my meanness publicly to just prove how mean I am. But also because I’m proud of myself for noticing these things. Because I not only would, but have, made all of these same fashion combinations. Just not always at the same time. And hopefully I won’t make them again. But I’m sure I’ll make others. Maybe even tomorrow.
Comments
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oh. mah. lord. you’re right, i would’ve passed out on the spot. every time i encounter someone wearing black, brown, and navy blue in the same outfit i die a little inside.
and here’s the thing, don’t worry about “being mean” – mean would’ve been laughing in his face. imho, it’s not a horrible moral failing to “judge” other’s fashion choices once in a while, especially if a)you’re not equating their fashion faux pas with their evident lack of worth as a human being, and b) if you don’t let them know you’re doing it. no harm, no foul, right?
except for the ulcer i get from those color combinations ;)
— kate.d. on Sep 23, 02:35 pm
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