i agree about the smile, any positive attitude in general, if it shows through, is great. but you know, i saw this picture while quickly looking at the magazine and paused at it and felt ... the style, unlike so many images in that issue (haven't bought it yet), this one felt very contrived to me. not like it was contrived for the wearer (not positive but i think it was part of a profile section a'la streetstyle, and that this was this woman's own clothing) but that it didn't appeal to me because i would feel very clown-y/contrived in it. this is interesting to me because a lot of what i wear, my mom and also another friend comment that they like it on me but would feel foolish wearing it themselves.
up and down....her outfit walks a fine line for me as well. not even close to my style, but every time i flipped to the page i stopped. i think its because with each glance i appreciated something different. the pants are of-the-moment, great gray shades, the addition of the casual hoodie with the silliness of the bow-tie all mix to represent something fresh for me. i think this might be the image that encourages me to try to dress outside of my comfort-zone in 2009. oh, and always wear a smile!
i think what rubs me the wrong way is that every item on her is screaming for attention. there is nothing on her that is basic in a "normal" way (normal meaning under-styled, not normal as in mass-approval), and i like to have the balance of contradiction that comes from very normal items paired with something exceptional, even if the exceptional is only exceptional by virtue of being super normal.
when asked by someone recently what store i would pick if i could only shop at one from here on out (it was in casual conversation, which is funny since it's a question i'm sure i've posed on previous blogs), and i told her it would have to be 2 - an army/navy store (or my equivalent, which is dave's in ny), and then something in the opposite direction, like dries van noten.
aahh, i understand what you are saying. the pants would look fabulous still with just a white tee and her black flats or her jacket & hoodie with a pair of jeans. which is most likely how i would wear the pieces. from what i observe from japanese street fashion mags, most subjects are dressing for attention...to get their pictures taken. and it may have taken a couple weeks for this particular outfit to come to fruition. i'm reading her smile as if she a lot of fun doing it.
exactly. i hate to think that i'm so rigid, but i remember when i saw this picture on the page, it helped clarify for me what i like, based on what i was responding to in this image. wearing my skirt is also tied in with this since the skirt feels best paired with the most utterly normal (docs, white v-neck, i think these are super normal, but i have to read more) items. i said "feels" so i do know that it is subjective. same with how i respond to the picture of this woman, it's my personal feeling, not an assessment of right or wrong. she looks great.
and to some wearing docs would be out of their norm......what piece can you imagine would be out of your norm? do you even own it, so you could wear it?
hmmmm, i kind of hope i don't own anything that strays from my norm. i'm sure i have in the past, and it inevitably gets moved out once it's identified as such. i am often attracted to things outside of my norm, but if i'm lucky, i recognize that it's not "me" now before i buy it. i'm getting better at that. i don't find any benefit to wearing things that are outside of my norm. i tried on 2 dresses in a shop once and the sales woman was enthusiastic about only one of them because it did fit me well, but i had to explain to her that it was not "me" even though it suited my body. it's difficult with the inside and outside me - i've talked about that on my blog before (the into construction blog). i have this problem with my hair - my current style might not be the most flattering to my outside me, but it appeals to my inside me. so what makes you want to explore fashion that is outside your comfort zone?
some of my favorite pieces are items out of my norm but morph into my wardrobe effortlessly and really give me a boost when i'm a bit bored. but then just this morning i contemplated tossing all my 'average' wear. so, i start asking, are those the pieces 'not me'?
my computer konked out on me:( great little thread here... i can imagine some fashion mag's useless and trite cringe-inducing fashion snippet accompaniment. "toss on a structured, striped blazer over a fun pink hoodie," and "anchor slouchy silk trousers with demure black pumps" and "tie on a quirky ribbon for an unexpected touch." this one always takes the cake for me: " TOUGHEN up a girly frock with a pair of beat up (insert) boots." what a waste of print... i flipped through this mag very quickly and noticed her as well. her look is too obvioulsy schizo stylistically for my tastes but i always love odd color palettes and a confident, anything goes attitude. as an observer the most intruiging fashion in motion are the people with unassuming, ambigious style. ever wondered : "stylish hipster or well dressed bummed?". the clothes i get the most enjoyment and mileage from, are things i can wad up on the floor, then throw it on and go!
i agree about the smile, any positive attitude in general, if it shows through, is great. but you know, i saw this picture while quickly looking at the magazine and paused at it and felt ... the style, unlike so many images in that issue (haven't bought it yet), this one felt very contrived to me. not like it was contrived for the wearer (not positive but i think it was part of a profile section a'la streetstyle, and that this was this woman's own clothing) but that it didn't appeal to me because i would feel very clown-y/contrived in it. this is interesting to me because a lot of what i wear, my mom and also another friend comment that they like it on me but would feel foolish wearing it themselves.
ReplyDeleteLove your style tip: a smile is indeed the most priceless, if free, of all accessories :-) Happy new year!
ReplyDeleteup and down....her outfit walks a fine line for me as well. not even close to my style, but every time i flipped to the page i stopped. i think its because with each glance i appreciated something different. the pants are of-the-moment, great gray shades, the addition of the casual hoodie with the silliness of the bow-tie all mix to represent something fresh for me. i think this might be the image that encourages me to try to dress outside of my comfort-zone in 2009.
ReplyDeleteoh, and always wear a smile!
i think what rubs me the wrong way is that every item on her is screaming for attention. there is nothing on her that is basic in a "normal" way (normal meaning under-styled, not normal as in mass-approval), and i like to have the balance of contradiction that comes from very normal items paired with something exceptional, even if the exceptional is only exceptional by virtue of being super normal.
ReplyDeletewhen asked by someone recently what store i would pick if i could only shop at one from here on out (it was in casual conversation, which is funny since it's a question i'm sure i've posed on previous blogs), and i told her it would have to be 2 - an army/navy store (or my equivalent, which is dave's in ny), and then something in the opposite direction, like dries van noten.
aahh, i understand what you are saying. the pants would look fabulous still with just a white tee and her black flats or her jacket & hoodie with a pair of jeans. which is most likely how i would wear the pieces.
ReplyDeletefrom what i observe from japanese street fashion mags, most subjects are dressing for attention...to get their pictures taken. and it may have taken a couple weeks for this particular outfit to come to fruition. i'm reading her smile as if she a lot of fun doing it.
exactly.
ReplyDeletei hate to think that i'm so rigid, but i remember when i saw this picture on the page, it helped clarify for me what i like, based on what i was responding to in this image. wearing my skirt is also tied in with this since the skirt feels best paired with the most utterly normal (docs, white v-neck, i think these are super normal, but i have to read more) items. i said "feels" so i do know that it is subjective. same with how i respond to the picture of this woman, it's my personal feeling, not an assessment of right or wrong. she looks great.
and to some wearing docs would be out of their norm......what piece can you imagine would be out of your norm? do you even own it, so you could wear it?
ReplyDeletehmmmm, i kind of hope i don't own anything that strays from my norm. i'm sure i have in the past, and it inevitably gets moved out once it's identified as such. i am often attracted to things outside of my norm, but if i'm lucky, i recognize that it's not "me" now before i buy it. i'm getting better at that. i don't find any benefit to wearing things that are outside of my norm. i tried on 2 dresses in a shop once and the sales woman was enthusiastic about only one of them because it did fit me well, but i had to explain to her that it was not "me" even though it suited my body.
ReplyDeleteit's difficult with the inside and outside me - i've talked about that on my blog before (the into construction blog). i have this problem with my hair - my current style might not be the most flattering to my outside me, but it appeals to my inside me.
so what makes you want to explore fashion that is outside your comfort zone?
some of my favorite pieces are items out of my norm but morph into my wardrobe effortlessly and really give me a boost when i'm a bit bored.
ReplyDeletebut then just this morning i contemplated tossing all my 'average' wear. so, i start asking, are those the pieces 'not me'?
i did that, i tossed my "eh" stuff.
ReplyDeletemy computer konked out on me:(
ReplyDeletegreat little thread here...
i can imagine some fashion mag's useless and trite cringe-inducing fashion snippet accompaniment. "toss on a structured, striped blazer over a fun pink hoodie," and "anchor slouchy silk trousers with demure black pumps" and "tie on a quirky ribbon for an unexpected touch."
this one always takes the cake for me: " TOUGHEN up a girly frock with a pair of beat up (insert) boots." what a waste of print...
i flipped through this mag very quickly and noticed her as well. her look is too obvioulsy schizo stylistically for my tastes but i always love odd color palettes and a confident, anything goes attitude.
as an observer the most intruiging fashion in motion are the people with unassuming, ambigious style. ever wondered : "stylish hipster or well dressed bummed?".
the clothes i get the most enjoyment and mileage from, are things i can wad up on the floor, then throw it on and go!