I post links: Are fashion makeover shows discriminatory?

I've got to post this, before I run off to work. (Need to pick up the pace on my unpacking after Cincy Fashion Week -- still haven't found the USB cable to upload the pics I got! Grr!)

But I've sang the praises of The Fashionate Traveller before, and today I'm going to do it again.

"How do I Look" -- Is it discriminatory?

I love a good makeover show as much as anyone. Seeing girls or older women who have no clue about fashion and style and who really want to learn, and see them benefit from others’ expertise, is a lovely thing. Sometimes it results in a whole new lease of life and improved self esteem which is a great thing.

But lately something has been irking me that I’d like to get off my chest: some shows, particularly “How Do I Look” decide that alternative culture is not valid and ladies with alternative/goth/punk/rock fashion senses need a good smack upside the head. Occasionally this is true. For every well put together rock chick there may well be another girl who just looks, well, trashy. But often I see people who already have a strong sense of self, being pressured to give up their old clothes, hairstyles etc…in order to please well-meaning siblings and friends who want to ‘vanilla’ them down. Know what I mean?

I've had these exact same kind of off-put feelings while watching "What Not to Wear." I loves me some Clinton, but not everyone wants to dress like they came out of a khaki cookie-cutter, like these shows seem to do to um, everyone. Good comments abound in this post, and I encourage you to go check 'em all out.

What do *you* think?

Personal style: Incorporating dolly kei elements into everyday

It's well established that I'm super-enamored with the Dolly Kei style tribe that's slowly establishing itself out of Tokyo and into the world at large. But I meet the same sticking-point, over and over, as I evangelize the fun of the style. "That looks AWESOME," they say, "But I don't think I could pull off something that out-there."

I submit my Easter ensemble for your consideration, my dear skeptics:

Black embellished tunic-style dress: Candie's, on clearance at Kohls.
Curtain tassel: $9 at Jo-Ann Fabrics
Hat: Thrifted and self-decorated with silk ribbon, hydrangeas and peonies.
Green jade earrings: A handmade gift from my fiance'
Not shown: sensible nude pumps

The dress is fantastic because it is oh so versatile, just like a LBD should be, but the detailing sets it apart from the average LBD. I almost wore an oversized white butterfly pendant, but even though it was huge, it just shrank into the lacy collar.

A curtain tassel adds interest, is easy to coordinate, and takes the whole thing from 2D to 3D. With a beaded black eveningwear top or dress, a black tassel is amazingly elegant. I've noticed tassel-style beaded necklaces popping up on jewelry-shop racks here and there, too.

You probably wouldn't wear *this* hat everyday, but a nice big straw hat is a breezy, fun option for spring and summer. I consider at least one sun hat a must-have. Go with a plain one, or a more modestly-sized cloche or fedora if the big brim seems too flamboyant for your taste. Hats are so versatile! You can accessorize with a ribbon, scarf, a nice brooch -- I have a leftover groom's lily boutonniere that I stick to my straw hats with some corsage pins.

Oh, and if you *do* want this hat, it will be coming up for sale online in a matter of weeks!

"You got your fashion in my politics!" "You got your politics in my fashion!"

Thus, this post begins in a similar way to most posts that actually see life on this blog. I go to write about shoes, I end up writing about Snuggies. I went just now to write about the joys of maxi-skirts, then after commenting on a recent What I Wore post, my brain went on a tangent about politics, fashion, personal style, and the inevitability of their mixing.

All Jessica did was put on some menswear and ask us if we felt free to wear whatever we want to!

The resultant conversation ranged widely, from women in menswear to hijabs to men in womenswear to bringing back the tricorne hat. (I'm bringin' tricorne baaaaack! You new-new-romantics don't know how to aaaaaact!)

Quoth your blogmistress in the comments:

Oh, I TOTALLY wear whatever I want. I don't even tone down the flamboyancy it now that I've moved from Indy to Vincennes for a little bit. (And for heaven's sake, my clothes aren't even out-there. People just aren't used to seeing hats with flowers and sashes instead of Nascar logos around here LOL) I am fortunate though, in that my personal style borders on the uberfemme. I barely even own jeans. People raise their eyebrows, and some shallow college students have openly made fun of my duds, but more often I get compliments on my "creativity and guts."

I'm all for women in menswear, men in skirts (Hey, it works in Japan), and I REALLY wish more men stateside were comfortable carrying a satchel, er, man-purse, whatever you want to call it. I'm of the belief that there are some norms that just shouldn't be as they are, and if you never push those boundaries, they're just going to stay right where they are, or even recede.

I totally realized, upon a re-read, that the way I dress reflects my politics pretty much exactly. Loud and proud in my femininity, and mostly unafraid to push against norms that I disagree with. I find myself wondering how common this reflection of politics in personal style is among my contemporaries. (more)

The mingling of style and politic has a long and rich history, with examples as obvious as women eschewing bras as an item of oppression in the 60's to the more obscure and exciting (albeit morbid) trend of women in post-Revolutionary France tying red strings 'round their necks and calling it "a la guillotine." Gallows fashion also extended to the short, shaggy cropped hair of the "a la victime" style. And let's not even get started on the modern-day implications of wearing things like the hijab or keffiyah, or modern ladies still wearing corsetry. In truth, though in more subtle ways than most of these examples, there is a political implication in everything we wear. There are just those people who recognize that they're acting within these implications, and those who don't.

(Supplemental: The Fashion Institute of Technology's "200 Years of Political Fashion" online exhibit.)

Do your clothing choices tell something about your own politics? What styles and/or eras are you most drawn to?

Inspirational Videos: Joie de Vivre

Jared predicted not long ago that, if I watched "Harold and Maude," it would quickly become one of my favorite films. Well, when he's right, he's dead-on right. Maude is certainly an icon of style and attitude. She is fiercely, recklessly individual, jovial, looks great in a kimono, and lives totally by her convictions. Oh, and she gives a suicidal boy a reason to live and love. Her multicolor velvet dress was what I thought of when I found my fabulous Elie Tahari top that I wore for New Year's. Plus, she sports some ladylike tweeds that are appropriate for any age. If I live to grow old, I hope I do with even half so much style, grace, and irreverence.