Fashion - Turn to the Left; Fashion - Turn to the Right

[jamesq]

I'm not a big fashion guy. I have neither the eye for it, nor the body for displaying it. As with most things, that doesn't stop me from having an opinion on it.

I do, however, enjoy dressing up. That's one of the appeals the SCA has for me (even though my garb ranges between inauthentic-scottish to generic-sca-t-tunics). If I had the talent for making costumes, I'd be right into cosplay. I bought a nice suit primarily so I can wear it to the theatre. I certainly didn't have to - most people don't dress up for the theatre anymore. I raised somejauntypolka's eyebrows when I declared that I needed at least a dress shirt for seeing Xanadu. Apparently Vancouver dresses up even less than Calgary does for these sorts of things.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to someone (somejauntypolka? othelianna?) about fashion, cosplay and steampunk. I suggested that cosplay trends are now hitting mainstream fashion. They're toned down in some ways and refined in others, but the influence is there. I predicted that we were going to be seeing Victorian-style outfits coming back, with lots of brass accessories. Not obviously steampunk, unless you're familiar with it, but the influence will be obvious.

Given the timing of Prada's latest offerings, my "prediction" actually comes after the fact.

This is definitely some Victorian-via-steampunk inspired stuff:



Oh to be rich and good-looking, I would happily wear most of that stuff. Hell, good-looking is optional: Willem Dafoe is one of the models and he rocks that stuff. Sadly, even if I did lose the additional forty pounds it would take for me to fit that stuff properly, it's still not built for my frame (not one of those guys have shoulders as wide as mine).

Still, it is proof that menswear doesn't have to suck. Greta Christina has a good article on why it largely does suck though and I agree with a lot of it. Let us say that it mostly sucks because men are hidebound into traditional gender roles, but we don't have to be.

Now to find a seamstress who can make me a cheap knock-off of some of this stuff. I really would like a nice steampunk costume, and Prada is as good a place to start as any.

Comments

[rato-do-perigo.livejournal.com]

Also realize that many times models have nothing to check against perspective. And I disagree that you can't wear any of it. You're tall and broad shouldered and I think any of the steampunk looks would be rather dapper on you.

And like any fashion tren the steampunk leak will fade back out so the whiners can stop whining about it mainstreaming. I personally like the fact it's becoming a bit mainstream. One year bdsm was leaking into mainstream fashion. Then it was gone.