Monday 28 April 2014

BRILLIANT OR BONKERS?

I walk the line...

Unique. Individual. Distinctive. These are words that I'm pretty sure every fashion-enthusiast strives towards.

This looks bonkers. I can't pull this off. I look like I have 14 cats. These are words that I'm pretty sure every fashion-enthusiast has felt at least every once in a while. Or I do anyway.
 
Because it's a very fine line to tread, the distinction between 'making a statement' and looking 'just a little bit crackers'. However, the street style snaps from February 2014 Fashion Month - that watering hole to which all animals of the style kingdom flock - were inundated with people treading this line perfectly. So naturally I looked to these creatures for inspiration.

Picture the scene: me, procrastinating as per, flicking through street snaps. Coming across babes in yeti-esque fur, heroines in fanny packs, and goddesses in three types of denim. 'Of course!', cry I, pausing over an image. 'Clashing check! Why didn't I think of this before?' And off I run to my wardrobe - emerging only to discover that instead of looking like the awesome girl in the picture, I look more like I was nearby when a tea towel factory exploded. 'Drat', I sigh, grimacing at my checkered reflection. And then I change back into the borderline normcore (or as Leandra Medine aptly terms it, 'normsnore') outfit that I was wearing before.

For a while I felt rather hard done by. There are, obviously, greater injustices in the world, but it did seem quite unfair that these women could take something so wrong and make it seem so right. Why did clothes which looked genius on them look plain stupid on me? Of course there are looks which suit some better than others, but as far as I was concerned, this really was taking the biscuit.  

Then it occurred to me - I had a sartorial epiphany if you will - that this wasn't a question of fairness at all. It was me, was setting myself up to look stupid. Or more importantly, to feel stupid - and I know I'm not the only one. It's too easy to feel foolish when trying to be bold, convincing ourselves that only 'those women' or 'that kind of girl' can make it work. But really, this is a detrimental thought process. Who's to say that we're not 'that kind of girl'? This 'them vs. us', this 'those women' vs. 'normal women' dichotomy isn't helpful. It makes it feel impossible to be like them, when really, the only difference between us and them is that they didn't chicken out in front of the mirror and put something 'safer' on. They just went for it, and then someone took their photo. And it could so easily have been you.

Vaguely,
Elizabeth x










All images via The Cut

3 comments:

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  2. Absolutely love your blog!
    I'm 16 and just started my first blog, would really appreciate it if you could check it out!

    Amelia x
    www.wangsanmei.blogspot.com

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    1. Aw shucks. I'm glad you like it! I will most definitely give your blog a read x

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