Homemade fashion, why not?
Net a Porter is a site that could be more practical for the non-rich than the latest copy of Vogue. Agree with the choices or not, an attempt is made to present things real people can actually wear. Varying levels of courage may be required. Prices are baldly stated.
For me, however, it is a lesson in practicality. My budget doesn’t stretch to €1000 skirts. When I clicked to see all the skirts, most not €1000, certainly, my thought was, “If I want almost anything on that page I could make it or get someone else to make it.” Most skirts are the easiest article of clothing to make. Not, unfortunately, stitched down pleated skirts, which are the one skirt flattering in the correct length to almost everyone and still offering complete freedom of movement. But all the rest are easy. You choose the fabric, the style, the length and it takes from one to three hours to get it onto your body.
And yet, very few of us bother. Why is that? A good seamstress can even relocate darts and seams to take pounds off or to accommodate our peculiarities, whereas even for €1000 an off-the-rack skirt isn’t designed to do that for anyone but the fitting model. Who is perfect.
Most people have never even thought of hiring a dressmaker to make anything other than a prom dress or a wedding dress. Many people have sewing machines gathering dust unless there’s a household repair to be done. Unlike this woman, most people don’t even think about creating inspired fashion for themselves, but if they love clothes instead save up their pennies to buy a longed-for item or wait for the shops at a mall to knock it off.
And yet, once upon a time, women couldn’t wear what they couldn’t make. I don’t want to go back to those days! I do wonder why we can’t do a little more, though, just as we do in the kitchen. Only a privileged few can eat at The French Laundry but many can buy the cookbook and make some of the food.
This is all wondering out loud. I do have one message for the day. If you don’t think your legs are slim enough, don’t wear the now-stylish opaque black tights, but instead wear black tights with whatever level of transparency suits you. Opaque tights make tree trunks of legs, translucent tights cast shapely shadows. Really.
7 comments September 16th, 2007
