A Fashion Manifesto

The Economist has always been one of my favourite publications, and I read it whenever I have the chance, but as the title suggests, it is mainly concerned with economics, business and politics, with a tiny sprinkling of "lighter topics" in the last few pages of the magazine. I was intrigued by "Intelligent Life" because it is under The Economist brand, but it covers a wide range of topics outside of the regular purview of The Economist: culture, the arts, travel, and in particular, fashion and style! Who would have ever thought a magazine associated with The Economist would talk about fashion?

In the March/April 2013 issue, there was a fantastic article entitled "Clothes: A Manifesto" by Rebecca Willis (read it here).

In the article subtitle, it says "They want more style, less speed - and more sleeves." The lack of sleeves is a complaint I hear all the time. They should have mentioned a lack of dresses and skirts that have a hemline at or below the knee.

It is a hugely fascinating article on many different counts as it is sums up the results of a "straw poll" survey about what real women want from fashion. They really managed to capture the current mood as I am seeing it when I look at the blogs in my sphere of acquaintance: that women are looking for good quality, functional and beautiful clothing and finding such clothing these days is a Herculean task. It is sharply critical of the fashion industry as failing to listen to the women they are supposed to be catering to and for force-feeding us mountains of clothes that are badly designed and poorly made. Here are a few favourite quotes from the article along with my personal thoughts.

"Women are sick of low quality, overpriced, poorly made, ill-fitting clothes that don't last" 

This is my common gripe these days. When I have the chance to browse the fashions at the mall, I am always disappointed to find how poorly made everything seems to be. Even J. Crew, my long-time favourite has started to let me down in recent years. The quality has almost completely disappeared from their regular line and only glimmers of the original quality may be found in their astronomically-priced Collection line. Tailored items that used to be fully lined in acetate and sometimes silk are now unlined, or else lined in polyester that is suffocatingly hot to wear. Jackets that used to have self lining or silk repp tie lining under the collar now have the felt interfacing exposed for all to see (I think they are trying to convince people this is normal but it is not! It is a cheap shortcut!). Fabrics that used to be thick and luxuriant to the touch are now flimsy or coarse, and often with a synthetic content.

Then: Coppelle paisley silk twill top, J. Crew spring 2008. Made of substantial mid-weight silk twill that is completely opaque; features self-binding on the inside of the neckline so that it lies flat and does not buckle. Five years old and in perfect condition.

Now: Blythe silk blouse, J. Crew spring 2012. Made of very thin, sheer silk. The fabric shredded after the first wash, which was done by hand in cold water with delicate wash detergent.

I suspect this decline in quality has to do with the push to match the output of fast fashion retailers like Zara and H & M, who bring new inventory in every few weeks. It might also have something to do with the push to globalize and meet the demands of populations around the world. Something has to give and I guess from the management's point of view, quality is the first thing to go. 

"When we asked women to rate their interest in fashion and style out of 10, style trumped fashion overwhelmingly." 

YSL's quote, "Fashions fade, style is eternal" holds true, and I think it is the reason why style icons like Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis have such enduring appeal: these were women who were absolutely assured of their personal style.

Audrey Hepburn in trademark funnelneck coat.

Jackie O in classic white shift dress and Ferragamo shoes.

However, I think most women can attest to the fact that finding one's personal style is pretty difficult, especially in this age, when a woman is expected to wear many different hats all at once: career woman, domestic goddess, wife/girl friend, mother, etc.  This is the reason I was drawn into the world of personal style blogs, because they are supposed to give a glimpse into the style of the average woman. Fashion magazines like Vogue present highly stylized images that are beautiful to look at but have very little to do with real life. However, even in the world of style blogs, it seems like many are becoming more and more like a high fashion magazine and have little to do with real life. I find that the best style blogs are the ones by real women with lives and careers outside of the fashion industry, the ones that discuss the little things and small events that make up everyday life and how a good outfit can carry that person through the day. 

"What is surprising...is how poorly served older women still feel by the fashion industry." 

This is so very true. I often feel completely at a loss when I look over the clothes available at the malls. Most new fashions are directed to women in their teens and 20s, and are modelled by girls who are barely 20 years old. Most fashions which are marketed to the woman who is in her late 30s and upwards are completely dull and uninspiring. I have this to say to fashion retailers: just because we are over 35 does not mean that we want to be invisible! 

Anyway, I wanted to share this with you and find out if you are also thinking similar thoughts. My own fashion "manifesto" so far is to try to stay true to my personal vision of myself and not to be swayed by current fads. It helps to unsubscribe from all these emails trumpeting "new! just in!" and it also helps that I am no longer reading the popular style blogs. It also helps that I no longer look at H & M and Zara, and I have cut back severely on J. Crew. At the moment, I am coming up empty-handed: there is nothing that seems to suit my vision of my personal style, and that comes up to my standards of quality and fit, while remaining within budget. I guess it will be an on-going quest.

Do you have a fashion manifesto, or are you in the process of forming one?

Intelligent Life is a bimonthly magazine. The content is available for free at www.moreintelligentlife.com but I highly recommend getting your hands on the print magazine if you can. The thoughtful design and photography, none of which can be seen online, make it more than worth the price. The style section is especially informative as it is written by people who understand the industry but are writing it with a balanced perspective that is universally appealing. The current edition features a fascinating profile on Sarah Burton, the designer who took over Alexander McQueen's design house after his death.

Happy Friday!