Loved this! Though I have a hard time seeing fashion or clothing as less insidious than beauty. I know they shouldn’t be intertwined, but the way the modern clothing industry operates seems so separate from personal expression and so much more closely linked to Beauty ™️ and prescriptive ideas about patriarchal appearance. I find fashion has become joyless to me since gaining weight for this reason, I wish it didn’t :(
Sure, and that is why I very purposely am not comparing fashion culture to beauty culture here, which are both corrupted by gendered:fatphobic/other discriminatory expectations. I’m comparing clothing and cosmetics, objects which scientifically affect the body and brain in different ways.
What a fabulous subject you make Jess! As a relatively confident person (I dunno, either I was born this way or it developed as a result of my fight or flight childhood…) I’m so envious of the bohemian style of expression via clothing…something I can’t do well with confidence! Being confident and pragmatic I’m a (horrors) basics gal. I have the sense of style but not innately- I am unable to express it very well from day to day. One day I manage to kill it somehow (by accident I imagine), the next I’m hopelessly clueless and end up looking like a dork (to borrow the most feared accusation from 7th grade) or opt for black top/black pants out of frustration. 😄 SO..you may not FEEL confident or think you are but trust me, you have a sense of it I will never possess! PS I remember those purses with the clocks!!! My best friend had one, (altho we were in our 30’s in the mid 90’s. Another style maven in my midst!)
Jessica, thank you for introducing us to Dacy Gillespie! I have to admit I took a short excursion to Ebay to look at your bag with the clock, but cooler heads prevailed. I also ADORED your characterization of your style as Shock and Awe! Ma semblable, ma soeur! The one thing I REFUSED to wear was something that ANYBODY else thought was a good idea. This drove my Mom bananas, and shopping with me was a JOY. I too have been overweight for a long time, although CBT for eating has gotten me to what I weighed when I was 13, and I'm happy and comfortable and enjoying being an effing size 14. If I had no skin or muscles, i would be a size 14 -- the frame is one thing you cannot change no matter how hard you try.
What I completely love is that my clothing has become an object of fascination for the ladies who attend my church. I'm told that there are whispers when I show up in LUlaRoe Lace skirt and a jumper that matches the turquoise waistband there are whispers of "what on earth is she wearing now?!" Not anything you'll see on anybody else. And that's my whole point.
Loved this! Though I have a hard time seeing fashion or clothing as less insidious than beauty. I know they shouldn’t be intertwined, but the way the modern clothing industry operates seems so separate from personal expression and so much more closely linked to Beauty ™️ and prescriptive ideas about patriarchal appearance. I find fashion has become joyless to me since gaining weight for this reason, I wish it didn’t :(
Sure, and that is why I very purposely am not comparing fashion culture to beauty culture here, which are both corrupted by gendered:fatphobic/other discriminatory expectations. I’m comparing clothing and cosmetics, objects which scientifically affect the body and brain in different ways.
Oh totally! Sorry if this came of as disagreement with your post — I didn’t intend it to but I now see how it reads that way.
Lol not at all! (And it’s fine to disagree with me!) It just seemed like we were talking about different things and I wanted to clear that up.
You always make connections that would have never ocurred to me, part of why I love following you so much!
I feel a very strong case can be made for the return of the MuMu ( alternate spelling)
Especially if we can tie wearing the muumuu with references to Zippy the Pinhead of Bill Griffith's creation. Zippy's signature look.
YES to big boobs as fashion barrier 😩
What a fabulous subject you make Jess! As a relatively confident person (I dunno, either I was born this way or it developed as a result of my fight or flight childhood…) I’m so envious of the bohemian style of expression via clothing…something I can’t do well with confidence! Being confident and pragmatic I’m a (horrors) basics gal. I have the sense of style but not innately- I am unable to express it very well from day to day. One day I manage to kill it somehow (by accident I imagine), the next I’m hopelessly clueless and end up looking like a dork (to borrow the most feared accusation from 7th grade) or opt for black top/black pants out of frustration. 😄 SO..you may not FEEL confident or think you are but trust me, you have a sense of it I will never possess! PS I remember those purses with the clocks!!! My best friend had one, (altho we were in our 30’s in the mid 90’s. Another style maven in my midst!)
Jessica, thank you for introducing us to Dacy Gillespie! I have to admit I took a short excursion to Ebay to look at your bag with the clock, but cooler heads prevailed. I also ADORED your characterization of your style as Shock and Awe! Ma semblable, ma soeur! The one thing I REFUSED to wear was something that ANYBODY else thought was a good idea. This drove my Mom bananas, and shopping with me was a JOY. I too have been overweight for a long time, although CBT for eating has gotten me to what I weighed when I was 13, and I'm happy and comfortable and enjoying being an effing size 14. If I had no skin or muscles, i would be a size 14 -- the frame is one thing you cannot change no matter how hard you try.
What I completely love is that my clothing has become an object of fascination for the ladies who attend my church. I'm told that there are whispers when I show up in LUlaRoe Lace skirt and a jumper that matches the turquoise waistband there are whispers of "what on earth is she wearing now?!" Not anything you'll see on anybody else. And that's my whole point.
Powerful thinking, as always.
I’ve always found it fascinating in the case of kohl, specifically used to protect the eyes transmuted to a beauty/fashion