Streetstyle vs. personal style

Ever since I spent my Saturdays strolling through Harajuku with my friends, a crèpe cone in my hand and a roving eye on the stalls, I have enjoyed checking out fashion trends and fads and trying them on for size. Its fun, its funky, its like playing dress up everyday. And that, for a girl who wore a uniform until age 16, is pretty fun.

As anyone who studies streetstyle is quick to tell you, since the beginning of the 20th century young people have defined their identities through what they chose to wear or not. Flappers, zazoos, beboppers, hippies, punks... up until the latest youth culture development: Jerking (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/20/fashion/20091120-jerking-feature/index.html). In all instances the clothes denoted ideals, rebellion and a response to the culture and society of the day. They help young people separate from their parents generation and yet feel part of a group, part of something. The dichotomy of longing to be part of a group and at the same time defining your individuality has been a main stay of the last century. A new social development that partly helps explain the growing amount of extreme individualists in Western cultures.

So, which of these subcultures have influenced my style? Well, obviously grunge was important. That representation of a disconnect between "teen spirit" and the surrounding consumer society was easy to identify with. Not only because I graduated from high school in 1992, but because, after the culture shock of changing continents once and high schools and countries twice in the last couple of years from school I felt completely isolated and angry. And wasn't that what grunge was all about? Plus it was comfortable - long bias cut black dresses, sturdy boots, lots of knit - what better uniform for a college student in London?

What remains of those first years of exploring how I should dress and present myself now that I had no uniform to fall back on? My love of black and gray, of warm knits, flat boots, dresses (but not minis, thank you very much) jeans with everything and a fascination with a certain cool, rock attitude - though that I have never really had (more nerdy than cool - that's me). Still, all this forms the basis of my style, along with a certain tendency to prefer the men's department, though I am no Patti Smith. (Ergo the H&M look above - all elements courtesy of the men's department).

All has been refined with age, as I began to accept both my physical characteristics (ie: I will never be Ms. Kate Moss nor do I need to aspire to that) and my personal evolution. Which is why this is a good moment to stop and review for a while. I have thoroughly enjoyed test driving many more or less wacky trends. Many have become permanent fixtures in my wardrobe. Some have had a short rotation period before moving on to the wardrobes of friends to who's style they were better suited, and still others found a new owner through the good works of Caritas. All ended up finding a good home, and that is something I am proud of.

What I wonder now is: Is the experimentation over? Does there come a time when we no longer need to play with our clothes? To use them to express ourselves?

Anyone got any ideas or insights on this?

Reviving the Arts & Crafts Xmas

Its 10 am and yet its so foggy and gray outside it could be nearing evening. The KIO tours have disappeared and so have, I imagine, the great skyscrapers further up the Castellana. They have been kidnapped by banks of fluffy clouds. Setting the perfect stage for a weekend of staying at home and enjoying a bit of arts & crafts.

First up on the list: bringing out and placing all the Christmas decorations.

Then, once the tone is set and I'm in the spirit, happily humming "Deck the halls..." its time to get serious and start on the hand crafted gifts that will be "de rigeur" this Christmas season. Promise to take some pics. There will be no "Christmas shopping" this year. Only "Christmas making"!

Phase 2 - Mix&Match, make do & mend

Hard to believe it, but its been almost 4 and a half months since I bought a piece of clothing!!! OK, its been that long since I bought a piece of clothing for myself. I HAVE indulged and got some really cute stuff for some of my favourite babies during this time.

But the most amazing thing is that I don't really miss not having "obtained" some of the drool worthy and beautiful things that are out there! Nor do I miss going window shopping. But maybe that's because I have been window shopping on the net - alot! And may I say, the most fun of them all is the H&M web page - as per the whole "dress up the cut out dolls 2009 redux" that they have invented (see results above). (P.S. I have finally figured out how to include more than one photo per post! What can I say? I'm a slow learner...)

Its fun, its creative and I give it extra points for giving me new ideas about how to mix and match what is already in my closet! Also has confirmed that often I am more drawn to men's clothing than to womens... but I guess that is a post unto itself.

I have yet to quantify my closet (will probably end up doing so in the future), but an estimated guess makes me pretty sure that I have enough clothes, in a sufficiently wide variety of sizes, to last me a lifetime. And that's no joke! So I have dared myself to begin a "how long can you go with your present wardrobe" experiment, akin to the one I've done with my pantry. Same goes for the accessories and all the beauty products. And I'm already considering how to update / upgrade / personalize some of these things... Something I've always done but that now seems even more relevant.

Phase 1 - Clean up, clean out and wave "stand by" good bye!

Hello again! No, the earth hasn't gobbled me up although it sometimes feels that way - and I still see the precipice all too close. The thing is I have been busy "practicing before preaching". Recycling on a regular basis, asking for my flat's windows to be upgraded to double glazing... all those things I'd done.

Changing the normal light bulbs? Check.

Replacing hand washing the plates with an eco grade "A" dish washer? Check.

Reducing the use of water? Check.

Filling the washing machine completely? Check.

Using only public transport? Check...

You get the picture.

But during the past couple of months, I have taken advantage of the forced staying at home to clean up and clean out the flat. Its been a much more ardous experience than expected given the reduced space (barely 55 m2). Truth be told, I didn't make it easy on myself. So many magazines, so many cut outs ...and instead of just taking them all out into the paper recycling container I actually read through them before chucking! Now the meter high mountain of cutouts is down to about 5 cm - Yuppy!

But don't think its the only home improvement going on. You know what they say about "stand by"... so I got a wonderful plug that helps me completely switch off the TV, tdt and CD player every night, and when I leave the house or am not using them during the day.

Then there has been the whole "lets see if I can empty my pantry and how long it will take me to do so" experiment. Its lasted from Nov. 1st until today - and the results have been rather surprising and imaginative if I may say so myself. Proving in the process that thrift does help to be creative.

I have been exploring other alleys for my creativity too during this time... but that's another story.

Luxury: trend vs. lifestyle

The fog of the past few weeks seems to be finally lifting from my brain! Yupi! Its been slightly eerie of late - a feeling of brain and body going each their separate ways, and the first loosing control of the second (and no, I am no longer on painkillers so this has nothing to do with meds - just with contractures in neck and shoulders)... Anyway, as always, I digress. So back to the thought, or rather, the subject for debate that has come to the surface: is luxury about trends or about lifestyle?

Today I  would definitely and inequivocably vote for "lifestyle". But I know that there have been times in my life when "luxury" could have been defined as "being able to keep up with the trends posited by the fashion designers and houses that I liked / identified with". Does this mean a new maturity? I never felt the need for "boatloads of money" to enjoy luxury, not really... maybe just a cool million in a currency where that sum buys you a nice house and leaves you with enough small change for other things...

I think there are people for whom luxury - understood in the sense that the "luxury industry" projects of material posessions created with care and aiming to achieve excellence -  is all about being liked / admired / envied /assimilated by and into different social circles. That can happen in a conscious way - emulating the spending habits of those we wish to resemble or in a subconscious way - creating through consumption the alter ego of ourselves that we believe will engraciate us most with those that surround us. That is the most straight forward, basic way - the "nouveau riche" way if you will. And we have all sucumbed in some way or other at some point.

The "luxury as lifestyle" thesis is more subtle, more lasting, and also more personal. Because it does not necessarily have anything to do with what you can buy with a credit card. (Hence the brilliance of the whole Mastercard ad campaign about making spending money all about the experience and not the spending... Personally I like the HSBC "What does luxury mean to you?" campaign much better - it is more sophisticated, more subtle - and if you ask me definitely an inspiration for the other). 

Haven't begun to read "Buyology" yet but I figure this is all part of  Martin Lindstrom's research. I love the fact that his name has been cropping up in articles I have been reading recently. Didn't really know he was so famous a wiz kid but I liked the word game. But then life got in the way and its been sitting on my shelf for ... six months already!  Still, I look forward to reading it now that my mind has defogged. I am always curious about what really pushes us to do what we do, be how we are... pop psychology, serious psychology, spiritual enlightenment, history - anything that helps me shed a light on my character and actions and those of others is welcome. So will let you know how I find the book - I plan to start on it as soon as I finish Pepys's biography. It is thrilling to follow the taylor's son transition from Cromwellian Commonwealth to Charles II's Kingly Spending and his rise to administration glory! Incidentally, he grew into his wealth and revelled in it - but seems to have always remained a "nouveau riche" when it came to the basics... Good night to all!!!

Words to live by

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - Mahatma Gandhi

Not as easy as it sounds. But definitely worth striving to achieve this.