winter is coming*
Vanessa Jackman
The world has, for the moment at least, appears to have gone to the pits, what with riots in England and our Titanic of an economy steering itself into another iceberg, threatening a slow, painful death. And this while we're still reeling from the Norway bombing and shooting, to say nothing of the the famine in Africa. Bad times.
I felt like a Marie Antoinette after an email exchange with a friend over handbags. I am shamefaced by my frivolity, but a part of me is relieved, and grateful, that I'm in the position to even talk about handbags. Some of us have so much.
Still, even now, I was today struck by a thought about... dressing.
I've always been attracted to comfort dressing, but these days, even more so, given the state of things. What do you wear when you have that nagging feeling of apprehension and faint dread at the back of your mind? How do you dress as you mentally prepare yourself for whatever comes?
I feel inspired these days by clothes that mean business. Smart, chic, yet comfortable things built for mobility. The things I pull out of my closet these days are weathered but sturdy, unassuming in their strength and durability. Shoes I can run in (my desert boots, trainers), crisp shirts just softening at the edges from lots of wear, any of my jeans, a chunky pullover whenever the weather permits, or an unlined jacket. Clothes that are sober, but not grim.
Vanessa Jackman, Maya Villiger
These looks are of course too hot for me to wear in the weather. But I like their air of self-sufficiency and purpose. I don't feel good about the world. But my clothes help me get on with it.
*Fans of "A Song of Ice and Fire" by George R. R. Martin, anyone?
Pictures from vanessa jackman and turned out
Comments
At times like this I like clothing that requires little thought - falling back on a uniform of tried and tested, pull from the wardrobe in 30 seconds things. And, as you say - shoes you can run in!
i've been looking forward to fall and winter and sliding into the relative comfort and protection of my leather jacket, and perhaps some post-apocalyptic boots. emphasis on the post-apocalyptic.
But, on the topic of distractions, I spent my lunch hour making cat ears for a party costume. Time to forget all the tragedy... for a few hours at least!
A: I suppose for some of us, how we dress is a way of dealing with situations.
Amanda: I think many of us are affected, but it's not the easiest thing to express. The idea of shopping has become a vague concept for me, but I do take comfort in what I have - material and otherwise.
Siobhan: I become a news addict too when something bewilders me. And hurrah for sane shoes.
miss sophie: I know what you mean by post-apocalyptic :) I hope you're all geared up for Shanghai by now?
Pret a Porter P: Agree. I had wondered whether I wanted to make a post of this on my blog, but in the end, I'm not one for keeping things separate I suppose, hahaha. And 60-second dressing: the envy of us all!
la fille mal gardee: Sounds like a very sobering experience.
Hope those cat ears turned out well!
Can't wait for fall/winter! Though I have not been as enthusiastic about making wishlists or browsing runway shots - I think the volatility of the markets is making me more cautious.
I have not read A Song of Fire and Ice but have become obsessed with HBO's Game of Thrones, which is the show based on the book. I have been trying to rent out the book from the library but due to the popularity of the show it's always checked out! I might have to just buy the eBook... I can't wait for season 2 of the show! I hear they stick pretty closely to the book, although a few plotlines have been left out and of course it's dramatized and sexed up for TV.
However desirous of a greater good, I mean by this term as well--the "goods" that have been and continue to be looted; it is ever so wrong to steal. They riot for a new tomorrow, but the only tomorrow they will see is a messy cleanup and a potential jail sentence.
In many ways, we must smarten up.
P.S Excellent post on the parallels between style & rioting.
rL
But I think you're right and the best thing we can do is be aware of the fact, that we're well, and be grateful for it.
btw "winter" is also what I've been thinking of first, after looking out of the window lately...
The books has plenty of graphic sex and gore, so the TV series isn't too far off. The books definitely have richer characterisation, but all adaptations are like that. The plotline and characters are what's keeping the show from becoming "Spartacus" for me...
rL: Thanks! I am guilty of wearing yoga clothes outside of the studio, haha, but only if I am headed straight home after - too lazy to lug sets of clothing around!
cato: I agree, I was a bit, hmmm can I really post this and then go back to musing about shirts after that? I did my best to put it in context.
The looting is actually quite interesting in the sense that it reflects certain values people hold about "things" and "possessions". I think it says something about the obsession with material wealth. It's only on strand of the whole myriad of problems but it's a telling one.
son: my brain vacation is, as one can tell from the post title, medieval fantasy epics. But frankly, the warring, the betrayals, the realpolitik, the gulf between the rulers and the oppressed - they're quite an ironic reflection of our times, haha.