It may not have been the most productive day, or the most organized, or the most relaxed. But yesterday, I did take one hour out for a pleasure I have ignored too long. Vogue.
There is something about the heft of the magazine, the glossy surface to its pages, the implausible looks that have been semi-ridiculous since. . . oh, always. But I adore them all the same – it’s fashion.
Ideal for a case of Spring Fever, no? Not to mention, to check out the upcoming trends in tones or textures?
Passion for Fashion
All in all, my hour of looking at Vogue in order to imagine being in vogue was delicious. And then I paused.
I am fully aware of the ways in which my life has changed – for better and worse – over the past 10 years. And I simply don’t live a “Vogue” life any longer – if I ever did. And that’s just fine with me – though I certainly enjoy my periodic visits!
I also thought of the word vogue, of what it means to be in vogue, not to mention how tied some of us are – to appearance and names, and to the judgments of others.
What’s in a name?
Do you drop names? Do you care about designer labels? Do they signal a level of quality – or exclusivity?
And so I ponder pretension – the need to wear the latest designer, to shop in the right stores, to drive the right car, stay at the right resort on the next vacation.
- I thought about name droppers, and why they do what they do.
- I thought about trend setters – or should I call them early adopters?
- I thought about marketing and branding, advertising in all its increasingly viral forms, the extent to which we wrap our identity around the things we purchase, the objects we aspire to possess, the people with whom we seek to be seen.
Pretension Intention?
And as I thumbed lovingly through the thick March issue, trying to pick out items that were especially appealing, it was hard not to think about those whose lives are about things and trappings and comparison. Mine is not.
It was hard not to think about those who must have the latest look, the newest gadget, or consume the most current in pop culture news. Not my style.
Still – is it pretension, or a love of quality, or curiosity – and excitement about what is new? Is it a combination of these elements?
What if we can afford it? Are these simply variations in consumer behavior, and instilled in those privileged enough to use their disposable income as they please? Don’t we all make choices as to big ticket items – clothes or cars, homes or schools? Is it a matter of priorities? Of values? Of how we grew up – or something missing in our sense of self – if we can’t have the name brand, the flashy accessory, whatever is most in vogue?
Are you in vogue?
Naturally, I looked up the word vogue, and found:
The prevailing fashion, practice or style; popular acceptance or favor, as in – in vogue.
What about you?
- Do you care about being fashionable?
- Are brand names important to you?
- What about the latest trends?
- What drives you to consume them – or aspire to do so?
Trend-setting and Name-dropping
Recently, I had lunch with someone I hadn’t seen in some time. I threw on jeans (nice ones), a comfortable jacket and low-heeled boots. I put on my make-up, an unusual cuff bracelet, and dashed out the door. We had a lovely time catching up, but there were very subtle references to my lack of seasonal style.
The old friend in question is also not averse to a bit of name-dropping (I had forgotten). Not excessively, but noticeably.
Being a trend-setter is important to him. He drives an expensive car and wears fashionable labels. His budget and lifestyle allow for that. Mine do not, and most of the time, I couldn’t care less. But over that lunch?
I will admit I felt less than great, and slightly annoyed. But is there anything wrong with being a trend-setter, however you define it, if you can afford to be?
I’m not so much interested in Fashion as in Style, especially as a form of self-expression. Vogue is fun/fantasy, but I see very little that relates to my life.
Here in Southern California, one sees plenty of ostentation and Flagrant Logo Flashing. I got caught up in Designer Bag Fever for a couple of years, but now I’m satisfied with the pieces I have and haven’t been keeping up with the trends. The bags I’ve kept are the ones that are classic and functional. Quality is more important to me than a label.
deja pseu – I love the distinction you make relative to style, as in personal expression. Fashion can be a vital part of that style (and so much fun), without being a slave to the latest trends (or labels).
I would imagine you see a little of everything – especially the label-flaunting! Quality. Yes. And yes to the classics that never go out of style.
I love to look through Vogue just for the artistry in the pictures/ads. I’d never wear anything in it, though. Then again, all of my clothes, since I’ve had kids, come from Target.
This makes me think of my parents, who have since lost everything, and the magazines that would come to the house when I was a kid, learning about what the world was, in part, from these monthly windows: Vogue, Town & Country, Architectural Digest and Fortune.
I once saw these world-views as the way one lived if one only could (and especially Vogue was full of terribly interesting images to me as a child), but now I see them more like Hollywood sets, with very little real joy or luxury behind gloss good enough for a quick shooting. Now they are guilty pleasures while killing time at the dentist, and yet they do not threaten my sense of what is good for the kids (who largely ignore these dying vestiges of magazine publishing), but rather I feel a little sad for these fading tomes of name-dropping and icon-worshiping bids at importance by association—especially on “important” months when Vogue grows almost Biblical in overcompensating tumescent thickness.
…and to think we once called it macaroni.
It all depends on your intentions. Do you (generic you, not you BLW) love fashion because you love beautiful things? If so, do you care only about beautiful things? Or do you also care about things of substance and meaning? Do you love fashion because of what it says about your status? If so, is your life filled with people whose opinion of you hinges on the labels of your clothes? If so, why is that? And on, and on, and on.
I think for most people it’s a harmless diversion. It’s aspirational. It’s daydreaming. For some people it is reality, and even for them (provided the rest of their lives are in balance) it can be equally harmless. The wicket gets sticky when we start to derive true meaning from things that are (or at least should be) mostly meaningless.
Alan Watts said that our problem is not materialism, but anti-materialism. Materialists savor things. Anti-materialists consume things (including labels) compulsively and without enjoyment. Do you love your shoes–their look, touch, smell? What else matters?
Savoring. Mmm. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could savor more? A sip of wine, a wondrous bite of a fabulous dessert, a beautiful pair of shoes or fabric. As you say, Wolf, perhaps in our abundance, we’ve lost the enjoyment.
I’m immediately reminded of the SATC episode where Carrie starts writing for Vogue. And gets something outrageous like $2 a word. (Who makes that!?) Then there’s the episode where she has to wear the glorified bra and underwear and becomes “fashion roadkill.”
I think everything I know about fashion I learned from that show. Maybe next time you have lunch with your friend, you should take me with you. He’d have so many names to drop with me and subtle jabs to make that you’d be in the clear! =>
Writers used to get paid to write, tra la. For print. $2/word? ‘Twould be nice, no? 🙂
Fashion roadkill. It’s such a great line! (And it was glorified underwear – and killer heels.)
Savor is right. In another life, I bought props and worked on costumes for several nationally acknowledged local theater companies. This opened my world to the wonder of thrift stores and “re-purposing” of clothing.
I have a few amazing pieces that I consider my faithful fashion friends…and, because they cost nearly nothing, I feel free to wear and enjoy.
I also take care of my clothes, including airing them. And, neutral shoe polish weekly on my shoes.
Caring and homekeeping are part of the savor… thanks for the chance to think about this.
I’ve never been a name dropper or label wearer. If it looks good and fits well, I will buy it.
I think the living an authentic life means carrying yourself with humble intentions.
I’m conscious of making sure I select clothes that make the best of what I have. Designer? Probably not. I’m just not willing to pay for the label when the clothing is no better than another brand. I’ve never been hung up on designer labels, even when I could afford them. I find it sad when people attach their identity and worth to a label, or to name dropping. Trends can be tricky. As a woman of a certain age, I really work at keeping a classy but youthful, fun appearance. I won’t hop on the latest trend wagon, but I’ll adopt aspects of a trend that I like.