Day 16 Blog June – I like fashion

I like fashion. I just don’t like wearing fashion.

This came to me while listening to a recent Chat 10 Looks 3 podcast episode. In this episode Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb visit the Isabella Blow exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum. Leigh makes a similar comment about fashion herself which prompted me to make the realizations about myself. I would love to visit this exhibition myself. I just have to engineer a trip to Sydney before the end of August.

I have always liked fashion. I am not sure when it began but I do remember pouring over a copy of Seventeen magazine my mother bought me when I was 13. I still love buying fashion magazines although I don’t buy them much anymore. For years I was an In Style magazine fan now I limit myself to reading it at the hairdressers. I did buy Shop Til You Drop yesterday and loved reading about the trends for Winter.

I love watching reality TV series and documentaries about the fashion and modelling industries. Americas Next Top Model and the other country spin offs (the New Zealand version is my favourite); The Model Agency; The September Issue as well as the films Pret- a- Porter and The Devil Wears Prada. I would watch more if I had Foxtel or a streaming service like Netflix.

I also really loved all of the apparel design/fashion aspects of home economics at high school and during my undergraduate home economics degree at uni. More the research side than actual designing though. I remember getting very engrossed in a small group assignment that I did at uni with a friend on the influence of Hollywood on fashion. We discussed everything from Greta Garbo in Ninotchka, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. We even got dressed up for our presentation. I don’t remember my mark, it doesn’t matter anyway.

However, I just don’t like wearing fashion.

The cost is not really a factor. Although I can’t afford to buy high end fashion even if I wanted too. It is more about comfort and being picky about what I wear.

Texture is a big thing for me. If a fabric doesn’t feel right to me I won’t wear it. Wool itches me so I very rarely wear it. I don’t like wearing man-made fabrics in hot humid Queensland summers (sweat eww). And don’t get me started on wetsuit type fabrics for clothing. That is just wrong.

I also have my own style of clothes I wear and I am very particular about it. No high necklines, no peplums, puffy sleeves or dropped crotch pants. I like some blouses but don’t wear them as I rarely can find any to fit the big bust/tuckshop arms combination I have going on. I have worked out what styles suit me and I tend to stick to that, whether or not it is in fashion.

In terms of shoes I don’t do heels very well so stilettos are definitely out. I like knee-high boots but I can’t get any to fit my chunky calves so ankle length it is for me.

I also hate ironing so that tends to dictate the clothes I buy.

So there is no Dior, Versace or Chanel in my wardrobe. I guess this isn’t a bad thing though and definitely a lot cheaper.