The Haute in Fashion

It's that special time again, time for my thoughts to meander about and question things that are beyond the comprehension of my minute brain. 

I have in the past touched upon the subject of people at work or partners' potential reaction to our interest in fashion but I wanted to elaborate on a certain attitude towards fashion-lovers.  In fact it's a certain attitude towards certain fashion-lovers.  By certain fashion lovers, I'm talking about the people who take fashion, as a lifestyle, very seriously indeed.  It's not just about wearing cool things or having a love for all things shopping-related.  It's about eating, sleeping, breathing fashion.  It's consuming magazines like there's no tomorrow and by magazines, I mean the upper echelons of glossies that outweigh our body weight - WAD, V, Pop, Another Magazine, Numero etc.  It's taking advantage of the cheap Eurostar fare just to go to Paris for the Balenciaga exhibition.  It's talking about fashion with lofty language as opposed to 'That's a nice dress'.  They will be very knowledgable in the history, context and scope of fashion, more than most.  I'm not saying that this is a description of myself but I can certainly relate to aspects of this fashion 'type' as it were and I certainly know people who completely fit the bill.  Thus I have come to witness the negative effects of having an 'off-the-chart' take on fashion. Of course I acknowledge that everyone is an individual and I don't want to them in a cubby hole but we all have to admit that a love of fashion can take many guises and this extreme form is one of them. 

Unfortunately, this does not bode well for how people see these hard core fashion fanatics  Just as fashion gives people the impression of shallow stupidity, the flipside is it also gives off an air of conceit and superiority.  There's an element of intimidation involved when people are hostile towards this extreme end of fashion enthusiasts.  So when for instance one is reading a copy of Numero on the tube, it makes the eyebrows of the person sitting next to you shoot up, when he/she sees a crazy picture of Behati Prinsloo in PVC stockings and a Gareth Pugh sputnik dress.  When you start dropping the word 'avant-garde' and 'fashion' in a conversation with the people at the office, there are quizical looks all round.  Even opting to attempt high fashion on a streetstyle level can invite hostility.  Wearing a veiled hat and a hoodie with a heavy white tafetta puffball skirt might seem perfectly natural to me but the image that it gives is of someone who has an attitude problem and looks down on people who are not fashion forward.  It can make people think 'Who does she think she is?' and the word I hear most often is 'Pretentious'.

In this sense, these people suffer because they are not amongst the fashion mainstream, they do not stick to the safe side of fashion, their interest  in fashion is a whole lot more evolved than simply reading Vogue and shopping in Selfridges.  However things can take a turn for the worse when people actually start to revel in their supposed fashion superiority and somehow get the idea into their heads that they are on a higher fashion plane.  My personal view is 'Different folks, different strokes'.  I would never have pretensions of being more superior than someone else simply because of a different attitude towards fashion.  The breadth of fashion is such that it allows for a variety of tastes, approaches and interactions.  Which is why it baffles me so when people view my avid interest in fashion as somewhat haughty, though I don't have the least bit of haughty pretentions.   Is it a price I have to pay for being passionate about fashion the way that I am? 

Having just re-read this post, I realise that this has come across a bit incoherent but I really did want to try and get across my thoughts on this matter that has been niggling me for a while now.   I would welcome much discussion if you relate, disagree or are confused! 

Comments

[missc]

I can completely relate to that. Although it may seem like I'm talking about a subject way over my head, even at my teenaged level there's a bit of that too. You get viewed as 'shallow' and 'superficial' if you're a living fashion type.

[stef]

"their interest in fashion is a whole lot more evolved than simply reading Vogue and shopping in Selfridges"

I know it wasn't your intention but that did come accross a little "superior". Just sayin'

[Phia]

I find that fashion is one part artistic appreciation for diversity in clothing, one part social conformity (and the regulation of visual shibboleths) and one part the cool point stock exchange of the wearable luxury market.

Mostly I follow fashion to see what I can get away with. Pretension, smension, I don’t care about a label’s cool points, I just want good tailoring/cobbling and clothes that allow me to complete the looks I have in my head. I like this blog because it's not obsessed with what other people wear except in the artistic sense (or interest in street trends).

[Erin]

A few years ago I became interested in fashion - it started out as a love for putting outfits together, accessorising, and having an eye for detail that others took no interest in.

Over time, though, that spark of interest has changed into a greater appreciation of fashion; that is, fashion as a form of art.

What I love about your blog, Susie, is your passion for what I see as the 'Art of Fashion'. It's not about clothes, or what's in style, per se. You talk about design, shape, form, trends, passions; Just as art-lovers might talk about periods and movements in art, the brush-stroke of an artist, and how that artist's vision relates to how they existed in this world.

Like art, fashion changes with the tides of our culture. It is a form of self-expression; and a thermometer for the climate of society. It has history, and it has depth. And you communicate that so beautifully, that in reading about YOUR passion, my own grows!

And it is this passion that I sometimes wonder that the 'haughty' fashion set have lost sight of. When it becomes more about wearing the latest / most expensive label, than appreciating design, which is a sad thing - because that seems to be the point at which the flame subsides.

Still - and more relevantly - I understand what you're saying in your post, and the frustrations that you vent. But we can't control how others think or feel about us, our interests or our passions. People will think what they think - whether you're wearing a plain black suit to work; or some avante garde PVC creation reminiscent of the styles from the renaissance period.

The important thing is that you continue to pursue what you love; and in doing so, you will inspire others to follow suite. People who march to their own tune will always 'stick out' to some extent, and as such, will always attract some negativity from others. But you know within yourself who you are, and that you are neither haughty nor shallow. Don't take on other's negative opinions - leave that to them. If you learn to do that - and it does take some practice - you will always shine.

[c*]

i can COMPLETELY relate to this. even though i am only a student im developing a taste for the different, one of a kind, avant garde, designer, and thought provoking peice of clothing. although my peers no im serious about my book work as well, they still dont understand my facination with anything fashion related. and they usually think im just obsessed with anyything expensive that makes me look rich.
anyway on an ending note, this is the kind of post that i love, when u really discuss some underlying issues in the world concerning fashion and how we percieve it. this is what makes me love style bubble.

[tralala]

well these fashion lovers should wear what they want of course, but nothing that makes them too paranoid about the people on the streets opinions

[tralala]

i bet it would be very difficult for these people to not blab on about fashion in a way that makes them seem pretentious, because they have such a passion for it! it's hard to hide your passions in conversation

[yui]

would you actually wear a veiled hat and a hoodie with a heavy white tafetta puffball skirt if you thought people would look at it and deem it to be completely natural?obviously a large part of fashion is about wanting to look different.
like stef pointed out, you say you would never have pretensions of being more superior than someone else simply because of a different attitude towards fashion but then you also say your interest in fashion is a whole lot more evolved than simply reading Vogue and shopping in Selfridges.
its those very people who "simply" read vogue and shop in selfridges that help distinguish you from the rest.
just think about it. if most people on the streets were actually more experimental in their fashion choices, we would be the ones walking around in tees,denim minis,and havaianas.
fashion is about many things but to a certain extent, you love fashion because you want to look different and you want to look different because you love fashion. quizzical stares and criticism are things that come along with that and really, i doubt youd get such a kick out of fashion if you didnt get those things.

[caroline]

i dont consider myself obsessed with fashion, but i can relate to this. as with anything, some people are going to take your desire to share information as (for lack of a better term..) being a smart ass. the great part about fashion is that it speaks for itself. it can say a lot about who you are, but this also opens you up to judgement. if you put yourself together well and look stylish, i'm sure most people will see you for the highly creative individual you are. :)

[cruststation]

I think it is cool that people can dress how they want as part of being an individual, it makes life more interesting and colourful. It's way better than looking at a magazine and dressing exactly the same as some fashion model or to follow trend to the 'T'.
To have fun with fashion is the key.

[susie_bubble]

Stef: Now you see how hard it was to write what I wrote! I didn't mean for that to sound superior and it did! It's very hard to come right out and say 'Well...actually, there are different types of people who love fashion....' without sounding like a pompous twat.

And there, in this post, I think I succeeded in sounding a little twattish. The thing I'm trying to say is I do distinguish myself as 'different' but NOT superior. It's more like a case of 'You like pears, I like apples.' NOT 'You're so dumb for liking pears, I'm so cool for liking apples.' If you know what I mean.....
I can distinguish the differences but I don't want to feel like there are prejudices between the different people and unfortunately, that is simply not the case.

Erin: Beautiful comment...... you're very right. As long as we know within ourselves what we are, there is no need to worry about what others think. I do know that but I just wanted to try and put my thoughts in words and try and work through what is a tricky situation.

[GoOjEe]

simply...FASHION=ART!...and no one can live without art...for me As a graphic designer I get inspired by fashion…the lines. Shapes, proportions and so on… and being ur self from the in side…means that u should be UR SELF from the outside as well!...so just be ur self when it comes to fashion…I like ur blog suz coz as the others said and also for believing in what u love …just keep me inspired ;***

[chloe]

Well, fashion is amazing and I think it's a way to present art in a more relatable way to the public. I think sometimes we do take fashion way too seriously. Lighten up! Its just fashion!

No one is going to die over an ugly dress or terrible handbag. Sometimes we put ourselves in the situation where we do take fashion seriously, but then overboard the seriousness. Which I have to say, sounds sometimes silly for clothes. And no matter what way you spin them, they are clothes.

Where I live, not a lot of people share my interest. So when I talk about fashion they feel uncomfortable because it's unrelatable to them. Whereas, if I talked about football or soccer they would not be so apprehensive towards me.

So what I am trying to get at is that taking fashion seriously and as your passion is great, but sometimes the reason people feel weird about it is that we can be pretentious! Whether we realize it or not.

[Danielle]

It may not be a desire to be superior but there is definitely a self-conscious desire to stand out that defines a fashionophile.

I experience the same thing but from a different end. I am obsessed with all things fashion but from the back end of the business, the industrial side. Not only am I incomprehensible to the mainstream world, but also I don't quite belong with the girls in bubble skirts reading numero OR the girls at selfridges reading vogue.

I think in fashion there are two opposing drives that kind of make up the conflict that you seem to be feeling - a self-conscious desire to stand apart and be different vs a self-conscious fear of looking different. We all feel a little bit of one or the other depending on the situation. But I would disagree that we suffer for our fashion choices - after all, they were our choices and that kind of suffering is not suffering at all in the broad worldview.

[Gina]

This is a very interesting nugget upon which to chew. Add to the mix the idea of sustainability, etc. How much fashion is really needed in order to life? Not much at all, but it sure is fun. I'm less passionate about it than you are, and that is why I read your blog. I like the passion, and I like seeing what's out there beyond the US. I undertand this post, as it's the sort of thing that I might write -- trying to get a bunch of same-themed thoughts together into a coherent post without offending anyone.

I don't think you are a snob at all -- I understood the metting out you were doing between the casual fashionista, the interested one, and the utterly obsessed one. I fall to the bottom of that heap, and I still feel a sense of frivolity, and guilt for such frivolity, when I bring home any and every September fashion magazine I can carry.

[jena]

At the ripe old age of 41 (and I am sure you are all much younger) you are correct in saying that fashion (for a women) is power. You can be viewed as pretentious (I don't care), Who does she think she is? (that happens as well). Let me assure you that as you get older your elite fashion sense will serve you well. It exudes confidence and you exist above the fray.

[Jamie]

I agree with previous commentors that we should just be who we are and wear what we want as we cannot control what others think about us. Though our clothing is an outward expression of our personalities, appearances are not the only nor the best way to judge someone.

Also, I do not agree that only women can use fashion as power, however. I think that part of the beauty of fashion (as well as art in general) is that it is universal. We ALL can use fashion in any way we please. As with art, it is open to interpretation, manipulation, and infatuation. It is just a matter of distinguishing between those who have a passing interest and those who have an obbssession, but we can all benefit from it.

Related to this is the comment about the people who wear veils and puffball skirts. I don't think that you can even say those people are the only people who have an interest in avant-garde fashion. I have a somewhat classic, clean style but I absolutely love to follow the fringes of fashion, the stuff outside of the mainstream. You wouldn't really know it by looking at me, though. That's why I said what I did earlier about how people percieve us. Even though we make certain choices about the clothing we wear, it still doesn't show the entire picture.

[dilemma]

You hit the nail on the head! People always think I'm being snobby when I talk about fashion when I'm really just trying to show how much I enjoy it. It's not like I'm purposely trying to intimidate anyone!
But I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm really quiet in person, and they already think I'm rather snobbish. So unless I'm with my good friends, I try to stay away from going in depth on the subject.

I don't even consider myself a 'fashion elitist' who only follows what's 'in' for the season or lets what's popular now stop me from wearing my favorite things. I just think of it as a normal pastime.

But it's just odd, because some girl my age can talk about cheerleading/piano as an interest and not be looked upon as having an elitist attitude toward that certain area of interest. In fact, they're praised for being interested in those things! When you say you're seriously interested in fashion, you either get an eye roll or a laugh. Either way, I'd rather look at Behati in PVC than braving the dangers of trying to complete a back handspring[I'm terribly uncoordinated].

This post wasn't incoherent at all! You're a brilliant writer.

[SwanDiamondRose]

you just have to keep doing your thing. fashion does have a shallow reputation. but it is concerned with the surface, and in a way technically it is literally shallow. but ideas can be expressed through any medium, fashion included. people who put more effort into their style usually get more attention and more opportunity in their lives. the leaders of the pack often do look a bit wacko to others, think of so many designers & editors. [most leaders of the pack in any industry are usually treated as wackos too.] i'd choose wacko over homogenized invisibility. and stylish over practical & easy. dressing in a way that amuses you makes every day special. it's a little bit of theatre bracketting your day.

[Echy]

First of all : i LOVE your blog, so interesting and smart!!!
Then, you should read this book : Fringues by Christine Orban. I'm not sure if you'll find it (translated)in London, but you should really search it and read it, it very interesting and the main character is so particular "eating, reading, living fashion"!

[jessica]

I've been reading your blog for the past few months, and I just want to say in the midst of finishing my final projects for school, and everyday chaos I find myself logging on and checking for your latest post. It gets my mind off of things, and it interests me just the same as work interests my father, nightclubs attract my sister, and television entertains my friends. People love to criticize what they aren't familiar with. As mentioned earlier, fashion has a long history, is it a creature with the capability of being beautiful and ugly at the same time. It is controversial, but most of all it stimulates creativity in that place between the ordinary life and the creative mind. Despite this "trend" of high design reaching mass comsumers, I find the world is becoming less and less creative, especially with the dependency on technology, and leaves us with less situations requiring creative solutions. My 71 year old advertising professor wears the same thing everyday, a black t-shirt and jeans, and I firmly believe that he is one of the most creative people I've ever met. I'd like to mention I've never even seen any of his ads. I do know that the majority of his life lacked the technology we have today, and everyday in class we hear tons of stories about situations he found himself in, and the funny ways he solved them. He is always angry when we come in with research from the Internet, or Photoshop tricks, or images from Getty. He doesn't need fashion, because every inch of his day is filled with smart, witty solutions (much like the ensembles worn by fashionistas). My point is, we aren't asked to solve anything anymore, and personal fashion, I believe, gives us a rare opportunity to creatively solve a simple situation. You can be outrageous one day and conservative the next, without (in most cases) worrying you'll cost your company millions of dollars or get the client angry. Everyone needs to practice a little more creativity or you'll lose your mind, and there is no better place to start than with your wardrobe.

[Sandra]

This is a very interesting topic. I am intrigued by everyone's comments. I agree with many of you in that fashion=art and without beauty and expression, we would shrivel up and die.

However, I am often intimidated and perplexed by some of the attitudes of some fashionistas (not Susanna necessarily) in thinking that certain magazines desginers or products make you more of a fashionista than others. Who cares where you fall on the pecking order? That is waaaaay too much pressure on reading the right magazine, the right blogs, wearing the right designer.

Wear what you love, what makes you feel special, what makes you look good. Because in the end, it's the memories you make in those ensembles that matters, not what someone thought of you for wearing it.

[susie_bubble]

Loving the discussion going on here. Sandra, your point about the stupidity of the pecking order is very valid. That's the thing - we all acknowledge there is a fashion hierarchy of sorts but certain groups in this hierarchy seem to provoke adverse reactions from people and that is what I was trying to say. I'm CERTAINLY not one to care what are the 'right' labels, magazines etc since I just keep to myself and enjoy what I enjoy. Unfortunately, there's only so much 'not caring' you can do before sheer sensitivity gets the better of you. Like Dilemma said, other interests don't seem to provoke negativity so why fashion? It just irks me.

Danielle, I think I phrased that poorly - 'suffering' is not quite the right word, of course I don't mean it in the broad sense of the word! I mean people passing negative judgement and making assumptions.

[Sasha]

Higher fashion PLANE... not plain.

People always fear what they do not know. Therein lies the root of prejudice. Just accept the stares as what they are and enjoy the beautiful aspects of fashion... and life.

[susie_bubble]

^Ooops... sorry! English is not my first language so please bear with the typos!

Duly corrected!