Jun 18 2008
Sheep
Hi people! This is Jill from “Thou shalt not whine” at http://andimeanit.blogspot.com
I’m excited to be guest posting for Brillig today! I had the pleasure of meeting Brillig at a Blogger lunch a few months back, and I will say that she is as delightful in person as she is on her blog. She kept us laughing the whole time.
I was watching a local daytime talk show a few months ago, and one of their guests for the day was a lady who they referred to as a “fashion expert.” She was there to tell us all about the new fashion trends.
Just the day before, this fashion expert (we’ll call her Laverne) had gone through the closet of one of the ladies hosting the show, (Let’s call her Shirley) and removed a large stack of clothes, and brought them to the television studio, and picked through them on live television.
She told Shirley that her that her clothes were out of style, and she just couldn’t wear them anymore.
Shirley was shocked “But I love those clothes!” she protested.
“No” Laverne told her, picking up a really cute skirt “Nobody wears skirts that length anymore.”
Shirley: But that’s my favorite skirt! It’s so comfortable, and it looks so cute with that pink blouse that I you told me to buy.”
Laverne: No, I’m sorry, it’s got to go. You really shouldn’t even have this in your closet, it’s quite dated.
Shirley: But I just bought it last summer!
No, it’s just not in style anymore. You can’t be seen in it. Donate it to charity.
Laverne went on to pick apart this poor lady’s wardrobe. There was something wrong with everything.
Laverne: You really need to get rid of this suit also. The color is all wrong. This year turquoise is the “HOT” color. Everybody will be wearing turquoise.
Shirley: I thought that gray was the hot color this year. Just a few months ago, you told me to buy everything gray.
Laverne: No, not anymore. Turquoise is now the hot color. Nobody will be wearing gray this year, everybody will be wearing turquoise!
I really felt sorry for this television host, and if I was anywhere near the size she is, I would have gladly offered to take the clothes off her hands. They were darn cute.
My question, where does this “fashion expert” lady get all this information, and why does her opinion matter so much?
Who is it in the big scheme of things that decides what’s “in” and what’s “out” as far as fashion trends go? Who is it that decides what does and does not look good? Why do we all need to follow what they decide?
This past winter, we were just leaving a movie theater, and a group of teenage girls came running in the door. Outside it was snowing heavily, and quite cold. These teenagers were all wearing shorts, flip flops and hoodies. The girls were all huddled together shivering, goose bumps all over their bare legs, and complaining about how cold they were.
Hello! McFly! Put some clothes on!
I would really like to know which girl in the group decided that it would be cute to wear shorts and flip flops in sub freezing temperatures, and why the other girls in the group were compelled to follow her. I wonder what would have happened if one of the girls had rebelled and worn, oh I don’t know, maybe A COAT! Would she have been shunned from the group and not allowed to participate in the group activity? Would the other girls have left her alone, and then made fun of her saying how stupid she looked in her warm clothes while they stand shivering in the snow?
Why are we all such a bunch of “fashion sheep?”
What do you think, are you more likely to buy something you like that is comfortable, or something that someone else has decided looks good?
(Of course, this post doesn’t apply to shoes, because most fabulous shoes just can’t be comfortable 
)
Jill
Fun post! I absolutely do not follow fashion trends. I never have, I have always had the “want to be different” mentality.
I’d like to say that I want to be different but who am I kidding, baaa. But I do find that the older I get the more often I end up going out looking like a slob mother of four. And I forget makeup a lot too.
The funny thing is that I don’t think I would have done the shorts and flip-flops thing in highschool but I would now, not intentionally, just because that’s what I threw on when I rolled out of bed and even though it’s late in the evening, I haven’t showered (and therefore gotten dressed) yet.
I go for comfort and looks realativly ok. I don’t have the salary to change my wardrobe everytime the fashion police decide I am outdated.
Except for shoes. Love shoes and need one in every color.
This reminds me of that show I loathe called “What Not To Wear” or something like that, where they ambush some poor woman and trash everything in her closet. Then they fly her to New York and make her pick clothes that have nothing to do with her own sense of style or personality. Hello? Like she’ll find fabulous clothes like that at Target next season?
Can’t we all get along? Fashionistas be gone! I have more important things to worry about!
It’s all about the comfort.
When I need new clothes, my children have to help me shop because I am sort of lame that way and have a hard time matching colors.
Comfort and fit. Fashion runs the other way when it sees me.
I second Jo. I feel so sorry for that host… I kept expecting you to say the fashion consultant then gave all the clothes back and said, “Punk’d!”
I’m all about what looks good on me regardless of how old it is. Of course, with four young kids, my clothes don’t last very long, so I’m “right in!”. . .
As long as you count the Kohls sales rack as in fashion.
Fashion “experts” don’t know what they’re talking about. Especially considering the majority of “normal” people can’t afford to buy all the “hot” clothes every season.
Just last night I went to a Mary Kay makeover and wanted some teal eye liner (lightly, I go lightly) and the lady was like “no, teal is so out, this year we have olive” and I’m thinking, okay lady, whatever, but you don’t know that I look horrid in olive and my eyes really stand out with teal.
Obviously I’ll never be any good as a fashionista!
My favorite thing to do is to buy small accessories in the “hot” colors (scarves, hair clips, etc) and stick to classic styles and colors otherwise. That way, while I won’t ever be on the fashion forefront, I won’t look silly either. (Though I do hate turquoise on me, and won’t buy it at all unless it’s mounted in sterling silver and fits around my neck.) Without a fortune, who can afford to be up to the minute? Besides, all that stuff has to be dry-cleaned, and I still get spit up on…
I never have, I have always had the “want to be different” mentality.
Great post!
I’ve never been a fashion “sheep” and I refuse to ever be one. It makes me sad that people waste their money buying completely new wardrobes for each issued “season.” I’d rather be comfortable wearing what I like to wear and standing out as an individual than be accepted by the stylists roaming the streets.
This made me giggle so much! Nicely written!
This is way I don’t pay attention to fashion. One minutes it’s all the rage and outrageously overpriced and the next, it’s filling the racks at second-hand shops. Also my body is kinda weird and rolly so I just get what covers it.
Why on earth would you get rid of perfectly serviceable comfortable clothing to be in fashion? Even if I could afford to do so, it’s not going to happen. I like my comfy ugly walking shoes and olf jeans, thank you very much.