002

on the left: taken from The Sartorialist in 2009; on the right: from tumblr, date unknown

First let me preface this post by saying that though fashion may seem like a frivolous thing to write about, it's not. I'm tired of people dismissing fashion as something frivolous. After having spent six months in France, I wholeheartedly agree with Susan Sontag's point of view that France is one of the few countries in the world that doesn't demean fashion as mere women's play but rather holds it up as an accessible and important means to self-expression and creativity. I mention this because it is at times refreshing to be in the dressing room of some bougie store in the Marais and hear a man giving his opinion on the dress his wife is trying on--something more than a mere "Oh that looks nice." This goes along with how the French hold beauty and beautiful things in the highest regard, but anyway I digress.

I stumbled upon the first photo (posted on The Sartorialist in December of 2009) yesterday while I was clicking through his "Random Posts" section, and instantly recognized it as a favorite that I had saved to my hard drive some time in high school. The second image is one that came up on tumblr, and I "liked" it so that I could remember it for later.

It's still surprising to me that the first photo was taken more four years ago because that mix of boyish silhouettes is still relevant today. In fact, I wouldn't have been surprised if that first photo had been taken just a couple days ago somewhere in New York or Paris. There are a lot of elements to this outfit that I love. There's the layering of the shirt, sweater, and blazer that was seen as a bit unconventional (if you scroll through the lengthy comments section you can see that this was right around the time when this type of look started to make its way onto the street style scene and there were both staunch supporters and opposers); the blazer and sweater and shirt all hit in a way that is proportional and complementary despite the blazer's short length in comparison to the shirt. Then there are her jeans, whose holes nicely counterbalance her uneven pant rolling. The masculine brogues are still such a classic shape and color. Her Miu Miu bag, so functional and chic. I want to say I am drawn to it because of how the smaller handles work in relation to the bag's vertical shape, creating a really elegant line when it's held just that way on the crook of her elbow instead of being hung from her shoulder.

And finally, I want to speculate that this was taken at a time before the whole disengaged, "I'm very busy on my phone being important" look became way more superfluous in every street style blog ever. Even so, there's still something elegant about the way her phone is being held in her hands that keeps me looking.

The second photo works in a similar way, I think. There is something reminiscent here of Matisse's idea that "one square inch of blue is not the same as one square foot of blue" in that this all white look is really constructed by the different shades' proportions. The sweater, a tiny bit too small, hits above the waist in a way that the bright white t-shirt underneath billows out and creates a silhouette above the hips. The look doesn't become too top-heavy with the cropped pants hitting at the ankles, and the flat line otherwise created by her Converse. The look is boyish, but once again there is still something so elegant. What is it? Does she only pull it off by being thin and (ostensibly) beautiful, or is there something else?

These photos make a good pair because both of these women possess a style both masculine and elegant. Is it our changed notion of femininity--of what "feminine" can be and mean--that allows women to claim masculine pieces and silhouettes for their own? I think yes. However, I think the real draw in looks like this is their sense of irony: the look becomes sexy and appealing when shapes and cuts that are traditionally not seen as flattering on a women are worn anyway with a sense of playfulness and recognition.