Pretty in Pink

Dressed up a bit for date night with the boy. First time I've worn all pink since I was five. Think I feel good about it!

blondes have all the fun, right?

Future Fashions, S.J. Perelman, Pt. 4

AM GOAN FINISH THIS BOOK TODAY IF IT KILLS ME!

some background on the following few quotes: they are from a scenario in which the author reads a vogue magazine (probably circa 1947) which envisions the fashions of the future, AKA the 21st century, AKA now. Interesting to read, and definitely funny both from the perspective of then, and [now.]

" 'These materials,' explains Mr. Teague of his fabrics of the future, 'will be of chemical origin, and many will be either transparent or translucent, with an individual life of their own.' [proliferation of synthetic fibers, anyone?] I hope this last phrase of Mr. Teague's is purely figurative; offhand, the thought of clothes leading an existence independent of their owner is a little on the spooky side. How are you going to remain cool and poised on that future day when you demand hotly of your wife, 'Where in the hell are those pants I threw over the chair last night?' only to get the answer, 'Oh, they went up to Pride's Crossing for the weekend with my girdle. They'll be back Tuesday morning'?"

"They wrap her (the woman of the future) in aluminum foil, woollens interwoven with electric wire, and as yet undiscovered fabrics, to quote . . . 'of microscopic cellular construction made of a contracting and expanding fibre.' What is this awful preoccupation with having your clothes twitch around in a horrid little life of their own? Did I miss something? I have the strange feeling that I have been asleep for twenty years and that everybody is jeering at my unkempt hair and rusty fowling piece." 

woolens interwoven with electric wire

"contracting and expanding fibre."

" ' She may wear in her hair a headlight,' .  . . The least her escort could do under the circumstances is carry an old fashioned stem-winding watch and whistle at the grade crossings."

That last quote predicts raver and steampunk

aesthetic quite nicely, don't you think?

"'These sequins are really . . .traffic reflectors of Lucite, made by the Signal Service Corporation. They are warranted to pick up and reflect the light from an automobile headlight a mile distant,' which certainly ought to prove a boon to the innumerable brides who are members of the united states army signal corps"

sequin belt

"Mr. Dreyfuss provides his miss with a combination electric fan and vanity case, described as follows: 'Nothing coquettish about it, for it will get its current by radio waves through he ether, nad will cool this girl, as well as clip the noses of any unwelcome suitors . . .I do not speak with bitterness, Mr. Dreyfuss, but to clothe a young lady in skin-tight black net and then hand her a gadget for clipping unwelcome suitors' noses is no way to creep into my heart"

Perhaps something like what
Mr. Dreyfuss envisioned 

"Mr. Rohde envisions the man of the twenty-first century in a ski suit. . .whose color can be changed. . .'The gentleman, for example, may start to the office in a rich gun-metal Solo-suit, drab in color, but scintillating with life (there's that same dreadful insistence on the material's moiling and churning"

Not quite what Rohde had envisioned, but UV color
changing t-shirts. 

"On this man's head, Mr. Rohde places an 'Antenna Hat," rather similar in design to the coils of a copper still: 'It snatches the radio and Omega waves out of he ether-here, at last, is man's opportunity to escape from the deadly monotony of the twentieth century male hat' The prospect of having Guy Lombardo playing about your head and ears is enough to stir the pulse of the most apathetic."

Not quite a hat, but the gist is right -- bluetooth

"The feet. . ..are to be encased in nothing more or less than congress gaiters 'with breather pores just large enough for air, but too small for water."

yup.

Perelman finishes: 

"For two days now I have been crouching in a corner of this coal bin, enjoying a peace I never thought possible. OF course, the grit gets in your teeth and there is a leak in that pipe overhead, but on the other hand its just a trifle too dark for reading. Why, you couldn't even see your hand before your face, particularly if it were holding a copy of Vogue. And goodness knows, it'll be a long time before its steady enough for that. "

Guess he wouldn't like living now much.

Cabaret

I watched this 1972 film today. The movie is set in 1931 Berlin during the rise of the Nazi Party, and centers on the erratic and intertwined lives of american singer and dancer Sally (played by Liza Minnelli) and British Brian, played by Michael Fox. Despite Scott laughing at me for watching it, and despite the rather sad ending, I liked it. I can understand why cabaret went home with eight academy awards that year, including best actress (say what you will about Liza, I LOVED her as Sally. Nyah.)

Liza as Sally

The film, first of all, is well written, and quite stylish. I found myself drooling a little over elements of the wardrobe. Maybe I was a drag queen in another life. The cinematography was great (they won another academy award for that as well), with a range of interesting shots, and a use of lighting that had a weight of meaning to it. Lighting for a feeling, not lighting for the script, if that makes sense. Yeah, you can tell I wasn't a film major. So sue me. *grins*

Love Natalia's driving outfit

Second, I felt that Cabaret did an interesting take on capturing a little heeded segment of history. Much attention is given to the time during and after the Second World War in film, but not much has been done on the climate in Germany leading up to the start of the war. There is a sense in which the movie captures the potent hangover of the "roaring twenties," and the desire to cling to a lifestyle of decadence that is quickly becoming unfeasible in the insanely inflated German economy. There is a sense throughout the movie of a gathering shadow, to which the characters turn a determinedly blind eye as they pursue their dreams of fame and wealth and romance. There is an eerie scene where Brian and his (sugardaddy?) Maximillion are sitting at an outdoor cafe, and a Hitler Youth begins singing a song called "Tomorrow belongs to me", and nearly the entire cafe crowd joins in. Here is an example of where the lighting is so exquisitely done. This scene was shot in the light of a near-perfect summer afternoon, an ironic contrast which makes the viewer even more keenly aware of the dark times the Youth's word's are foreshadowing. I THOUGHT IT WAS CLEVER.

Cabaret, despite its closing assertion that "life is a cabaret" reminds us that life is anything but. Germany--and the rest of the world--like Elsie in the final song number by Sally, is coming close to killing itself young with alcohol and pills. The absolute abandon of the twenties can no longer be sustained, and something is going to give. The final shot, which shows an audience of Nazi party members grotesquely reflected in the waved glass of the cabaret backdrop reminds us that the dissipated lifestyle warps one's ability to view reality, and makes one blind to danger. Cabaret dreams cannot last, just as the world was shaken awake from its 1920's stupor by first the depression, and then the war. 

I read it as a beautiful, but cautionary tale. I could just be pulling things out of my ass though. I usually do.

Philip V of Spain: Fashion Icon?

King Philip V. of Spain, longest ruling monarch in the modern history of that country. He ruled for forty five  (not uninterrupted) years from the end of the seventeenth century, and through the first half of the eighteenth. But that's not what I want to talk about. No, what I want to talk about is something far more important. That being, his clothes. I mean, look at him--this man is sex in black velvet. (I'm serious, he had something like twelve kids).

My big question today is, why don't men dress like this anymore? This look has gone the way of the codpiece or the cravat --sadly vanished from the realm of men's fashion. Let me outline for you some of the better points of this ensemble, and why we should bring them back:

1. The powdered wig: the eighteenth century's answer to male pattern baldness. Who wouldn't want a man with long, lush locks? The big haired look was brought back to life in the late seventies and the eighties for men, but has since fallen once again out of fashion. Why? Are men simply too lazy to maintain this kind of hair, whether its in a wig or home grown? I think so.

However, bringing back the powdered wig makes good economic sense. One of the biggest problems facing the world today is a burgeoning and impoverished population. Hair is cheap to grow, and easy to harvest. Think of all the starving millions in the third world who could be fed by selling their hair to a booming and wealthy western market.

2. The high square collar: The perfect way to show off the face and hair. Also can double as part of a "disembodied head" halloween costume, as well as provide extra neck support for the wearer.

3. Velvet doublet with cuffed sleeves: As members of modern goth culture know, there are few things more attractive than black velvet. It is soft, rich, and cuddly--not to mention warm, something which I am sure was of great importance to Philip V in Spain. The looseness of the sleeves allow for freedom of movement, while the cuff keeps it in place, preventing accidents with soup or ink pots.  I can see this top being effective evening wear for the modern man -- the very texture of the velvet proving alluring to the opposite sex, while still maintaining much of the sensibility of a dress shirt.

4. The heavy cloak: also highly useful for the Spanish climate. There are an infinite number of things one could do with this piece, were it to be worn as a regular part of the male wardrobe in the twenty first century. Late night at the office? (Or even better, an affair with your secretary?) Who needs a bed? A flick of the wrist, and you have all the comfort of a bear skin rug laid out at your feet. Terrorists on your commuter flight? Not to worry! You have your very own parachute. The end of civilization as we know it? I'd rather have a cloak than a coat, wouldn't you?

5. The ever-so-sexy knee length trousers and stockings: Hubba hubba!  This look allows for those strong, muscular calves to be shown off, while still allowing plenty of room for the boys. Unlike mere shorts, this could be worn in almost any weather, allowing for a year-round display of one of a man's greatest assets: his legs.

6. Dainty shoes: Only insecure men and construction workers need big clunking shoes and boots to cover their feet. Real men, like Philip V, feel secure in something softer and lighter, that allows them to be both nimble and stylish: a real catch at any modern night club, I'm sure.

Hard Worker/Odd Dresser

In referring me to the Saskatoon branch of my company, the owner apparently told the manager of this location: "She's a hard worker, but a bit of a weird dresser"

Is it bad that I take pride in this reference? Not only for the first part, but for the second bit as well. I am a hard worker, yes. Weird dresser is a title I'll also take happily, though I prefer "unique" or "unconventional"

I mean, who decides what makes weird anyway? Not only does perception of what is "strange" in dress vary from person to person, but it also seems to vary from place to place.

Take Saskatoon and Regina, for example. Regina seems to have a bit more of a liberal culture, and so you see a broader variety of dress than you would on the streets of Saskatoon. Although there is perhaps only one full on gothic lolita in Regina, there is a flourishing dressed down gothic culture. Other common features in Regina dress include dreadlocks, things made out of hemp, secondhand clothing, and anything handmade. .

In Saskatoon, the standard everyday dress is unadorned jeans and a t-shirt, with or without a pullover or zip up sweater. Accessorization is minimal. Dressing up for work consists of formal-ish black stretch pants from lululemon, and a less lived in zip up sweater than the one you would wear off-duty. Or, if you work in a more formal office environment, black dress pants (real ones), a monocolored shirt, a necklace. Going out? The same, but throw on nice shoes, maybe a skirt or a blazer.

Unsurprisingly, I thought myself more free to experiment with my dress in Regina. While I felt my job could be secure wearing a dressed down bondage collar to work in Regina, I feel a spiked cuff might be pushing it in Saskatoon. If by Regina standards I am a "weird" dresser, by Saskatoon standards, I must be a walking freakshow.

It is interesting, though, to contemplate how standards of dress vary from location to location, and more interesting to consider how they came to be that way. Could Saskatoon's conservatism in dress stem from its origins as a temperance colony? And if that's the case, do North Americans in general (with our largely puritannical roots) dress more conservatively than Europeans?

I don't really have an answer, although I do know that when on the streets of London, I observed a young woman wearing an outfit consisting of three small tartan triangles and fishnet, that would have gotten her arrested on the streets of Saskatoon for indecent exposure. I wish I'd been quick enough to snap a picture.



 In lieu of a scantily clad Londoner, here are some (considerably less sexy) pictures of me dressing strangely, as I tend to do.

 see my awesome free canadian club hat I got at the liquor store today? WINNAR!