I've just stumbled across an article written by Tanya Gold for The Guardian and assumed it had been written to coincide with London Fashion Week which is currently attracting fashionistas from across the globe. I was wrong. This particular feature was actually published over a year ago. I hang my head in shame. But I was travelling around Australia for the past 18 months! I promise not to use that card for at least another six months...
If you haven't yet read it, in a bit of a *spoiler alert* Ms Gold basically explains the reasons behind her hatred towards fashion and that the thing that effectively 'saved' her from this hideously perfect society was getting fat. Ridiculously fat. Too fat for fashion if you like.
Reading the article I found there were times when I didn't fully disagree with what she was saying. It's true that fashion has the potential to be a cruel world where only the beautiful (or extremely lucky) people are accepted. And I have to admit that, as much as I love fashion, it doesn't always make me sublimely happy. *Shock* I can't believe I just said that - but it's true.
Like every woman - well I'm pretty sure it's every woman - I have my "fat" and "thin" days. But when I'm having a fat day fashion has the ability to depress me. It will make me feel all happy and bubbly inside for about 10 seconds until I realise that a) under no circumstances will that amazing skirt fit over my hips, and b) if for some incredible reason I can squeeze my lady lumps into it I will look like an elephant squished into a ballerina's tutu. And that's where the depression kicks in. I can literally stand in front of my wardrobe, staring at the countless clothes I have hanging there, for hours simply wondering what on earth I can wear that isn't going to make me look and feel fatter than I already am.
I hate the size issue. I hate watching models teeter down the runway with legs as thin as twigs, struggling to hold up their teeny tiny little bodies so much that it really does remind me of watching Bambi learn how to walk. I hate that young models feel under so much pressure to be that thin that they are literally dying on the catwalk.
I get really upset when I see a 15-year-old model caked in make-up, dressed in overtly sexy clothes being made to look like a woman 10 years their senior - and then being told to lose weight because they'll never make it in the industry if they don't.
But in the same breath, I also know how HAPPY fashion does make me when I'm not feeling like a total heffer. Which, to be honest, is most of the time - I'm not exactly Kate Moss but you won't see me signing up for The Biggest Loser anytime soon you know? I love the feeling I get when I try on a dress or a skirt or a top I really like and they look fabulous on me. I love it when I put on a pair of skinny jeans that make my bum look amazing. I love high heels that make my legs look so much longer than they actually are. I love bags and scarves and jewellery that can brighten up any outfit and reflect your mood for the day. And, by the way, I know that contradicts everything I just said about hating the size thing - but I'm almost 26 years old, 5ft 5 and a UK size 10. I'm not 15, 5ft 10 and a size 4 (size ZERO - which by the way is not a size) with an agent breathing down my neck telling me to drop 10lbs in a week in order to get booked for the next big fashion shoot.
Tanya Gold makes a point in her article about the potential dangers of wearing high heeled shoes. But, instead of just pointing out that it can be bad for your tootsies and your posture, she goes for the jugular and tells us how a 16 year old girl running along a train station platform in her high heels slipped and fell between the carriages of a train, resulting in her tragic and untimely death. We all know that high heels and snow (as was the case on this particular evening) do not mix well - but was "fashion" really the cause of this young girl's death? Had she been wearing flatter, more 'weather appropriate' shoes would she still be alive? That's not for me to say - it's a possibility, but it's also a possibility that it wouldn't have made one iota of a difference.
When I was younger I followed fashion trends around like a little fashionista puppy dog. Needless to say, at least half the time, I looked quite ridiculous. I wore stupid things that didn't suit me but at the time I thought I looked amazing because it was the latest in "fashion". Now that I'm older and (somewhat) wiser I appreciate it's more about style. I still love to watch the collection shows and one of my many guilty pleasures is tuning into all the Hollywood red carpet awards to see what the stars are wearing but I realise that I am not a clothes horse who can wear absolutely anything just because it's the latest trend (usually set by Alexa Chung).
There's a point in this article when I get the impression that Ms Gold is mocking fashion - and scoffing at those around her who love it. She says that she "can look at the clothes on the catwalk now and laugh at their imbecility" - I think that's almost as snobbish and narrow-minded as those fashionistas in high places who look down their noses at people who aren't interested in fashion. So she doesn't like it, she doesn't get it - we've all been there; we see things we don't like all the time and we have a good laugh to ourselves if it's all a bit too wacky for our liking. In my last post I likened some of Topshop Unique's new collection to Cruella de Vil's sense of style - but I would never go as far as to call a designer an imbecile. That's just plain rude. I think the more PC term is 'kooky'.
I also wouldn't exactly call fashion a "monster" the way Gold does but - and I know I'm playing devil's advocate here - I do agree with her in the sense that a lot of people feel under pressure to conform to what fashion says is right. Women are persuaded to wear high heels because tall is beautiful. Heels make you look slimmer - slim is beautiful. Fashion makes you beautiful - live it, breathe it, follow it. It's important for people to remember where the line is. And this goes for myself too - love it but don't let it rule your life. Be a dedicated follower of fashion but know that it's not the end of the world if they design something that's not right for your body shape.
But if I can't get a Vera Wang wedding dress to fit me...
Is this designer an imbecile?
Or just kooky?
Imbecile? Kooky? Or Genius?
No comments:
Post a Comment