Tuesday 4 August 2009

Head to Toe Designer a Fashion Faux Pas?

My favourite thing about fashion journalism is pronouncements. No other form of journalism does pronouncements with such fever or gusto. Being opinionated is usually the preserve of columnists, who have freedom to stimulate debate or use their witty writing skills to induce mirth. Yet in fashion writing amongst the gushing admiration of designer/model/former model/dead designer/retro fetishism/muse/model over coming drugs/drink etc., there are general dictates beloved of the former Soviet and East European communist block countries.

Don't think these are up for debate. They are rules of current fashion and taste, you can be rebellious and break them but you run the risk of being a) slightly uncomfortable in your rebellion or b) snapped by The Satorialist or other street style snapper presenting the viewer with an 'actually no I really don't get that' moment.

I recently found myself slipping into fashion speak when a personal styling course student asked me why I changed her rolled up sleeves on the models jacket to push up sleeves. My pronouncement was something along the lines of 'it's a subtle shift this season and it is the sort of thing you need to be aware of .' Whilst it was probably true and I had absorbed this latest small detail pronouncement through fashion osmosis it did seem faintly ridiculous even to me.

One perennial fashion pronouncements is 'never wear designer top to toe'. Well last Friday I was sat in the cinema, admiring Audrey Tatou as Coco Chanel dressed top to toe in, yes you guessed it, Chanel and I thought would I and yes of course I would - who cares.

This liberated me to admit I would if I had the funds wear this complete Miu Miu look top to toe from Miu Miu's A/W 09 ready to wear collection without a care in the world. And you, your thoughts on this matter?

13 comments:

  1. I always worry about wearing one designer or store top to toe (its especially shaming when somewhere asks where you got your outfit and the whole thing is Primark!) but I think how you style things for your tastes is more important than where you got them from!

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  2. I think you should wear whatever you feel like wearing if it makes you happy. Life is too short and the best parts of fashion is self expression, not following rules.

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  3. I think as ever it comes down to having a sense of style and taste. As you've shown head to toe designer can work if done well and if it's considered. I do think some people throw on designer everything expecting it to look good and hang well together just because it's all designer.

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  4. I think it's ok to wear a full look if it looks good on you, but as long as you mix your look up most of the time.

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  5. It does at least save you from having to think about putting outfits together, would I, like you wear the Miu Miu, without a doubt!

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  6. Hi my dear-I would love to sneak in a vintage or thrift find into a designer outfit, just to make it a touch unique and my own look!!

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  7. I've never found that to be a faux pas at all. Mix or match or don't. It's whatever you want. The only thing that offends me is the stupid pronouncements of fashion people.

    Yeah, I'm in a bad mood today, so WHAT?!?!?

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  8. I can't imagine being in a position to wear ANY designer head to toe, but if I were, I'd do it without a thought.

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  9. I can't see a problem with wearing one designer head to toe - It can look perfectly matched and not too over the top i think.

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  10. Hmmm I usually try to avoid it but this one is just perfection!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  11. I really prefer to mix designs pieces to give more personality to the outfit ;)

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  12. lov your blog ! interesting comments over here !

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  13. This is an interesting subject. It speaks to the heirarchy (monarchy?) of fashion "insiders" and those of us who just wear clothes to cover our bodies and (maybe) make us feel pretty. The rules of which you write are everchanging and complicated. The very moment a rule is established there are those who will break it to either joyous approval or disdain -- all in the eye of the beholder. Consider the high waist pant of last year...Jessica Simpson was crucified for trying the look and was accused to wearing mom jeans -- they clearly were not. My take? If it is on a runway, anything goes - it's "art." In real life (and by real life I mean a forty-something, not size 8 or even 10 mom at the grocery store with kids in tow) if you try anything even remotely fashionable you will NOT have the admiration of friends and neighbors but you will be labled crazy lady who wears dresses and lipstick and heels to the neighborhood park. "Who does she think she is?" Don't even get me started on hats.

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