The Swatorialist

Fashion and Cigarettes

It seems only fitting that the inspiration for my first Phoenix column would be a photo from The Sartorialist, the blog whose name I liberally used to make a not-so-clever pun for my column title. The photo/post was entitled “On the Street…That Girl! Paris” and featured a lithe young woman wearing a summer mini dress, bolero shrug, knee socks and peep-toe pumps. The length of the dress and her innocently nonchalant pose made her legs look miles long, and the structure of her outfit contrasted beautifully with the old and graying limestone walls in the background. But that wasn’t what people focused on in their comments.

The source of controversy lay in what she held in her hand — a cigarette, held delicately between her fingers in mid-tap. Readers bashed Sart for “promoting smoking” by featuring a picture of that same girl with cigarette in hand a couple of weeks earlier. Many commented that the girl looked cute, but would look better without the cigarette. Others disagreed and retaliated that smoking is a personal choice, or that it simply adds to the overall aesthetics and the attitude projected in the photos.

Given the percentage of people who smoke in Europe and the number of street style fashion blogs that photograph there, it isn’t surprising that cigarettes often appear to be the accessory of choice. While sometimes smoking completes the look (think chic fashion editor dressed in head-to-toe black), it seems to fit even more when there is a noticeable contrast. What could better balance out a ruffled girly frock than a lit cigarette? Or over-sized nerdy glasses and loafers? It sends the message that one may or may not have spent hours getting ready in the morning, but that it doesn’t matter anyway. It helps one to avoid that ill-fated trying-too-hard look, and ironically, it projects confidence, even if the habit may suggest otherwise.

Of course, it’s not just street fashion blogs that have pictures of women and men smoking. The most high-…

Read more…

September 11, 2008 | 0 comments

---

A day in the life (and wardrobe), remixed

When I joined the wardrobe_remix group on flickr back in the Spring of 2007, there were already around 3,000 members. In the year since then, the group has exploded, thanks to word-of-mouth press from bloggers and various magazines like “BUST,” which had an article that showcased four popular wardrobe_remixers. The member count has more than tripled to over 10,000, and there are now over 60,000 pictures in the group’s photostream, as well as almost 800 threads in the discussion forum. The increase in size means that you’re far more likely to randomly run into a fellow remixer on the street, or even not so randomly due to the many organized meet-ups in cities all across the country.

So what exactly is wardrobe_remix? It’s a do-it-yourself personal style online community that was started in September 2005 by Tricia Royale (username: bitsandbobbins). The process is simple: you take a picture of yourself in whatever outfit you have on that day, and post it to the group via flickr. Other members can view your pictures and comment on them. The effect is like a keeping a style diary/journal so that you can see what you wore from day to day. Some post daily, and others, like myself, not so often. Besides just being a nice idea, the utility of the group is twofold—you feel some sense of commitment to getting dressed to fit your own personal style in the morning, while at the same time gaining inspiration in getting dressed by the posts from the thousands of other members.

Of course, after a few years, the group size isn’t the only thing that’s changed. There are still a few restrictions on posting: no multi-photo collage shots, head-to-toe shots only, and a limit of 2 posts a day. The newest rule is that you must be over 16 to join and post, which keeps the group at a smaller size than it could be potentially. The most dramatic change, however, may be in the photos that members actually post.

When I first joined, I wasn’t so concerned with getting “great sho…

Read more…

September 25, 2008 | 1 comments

---

Back to the future

And now, for something completely different:

The Swatorialist Interviews …

Guy Fawkes

Stevie Wonder

Marie Antoinette

Jane Fonda

Genghis Khan

The Swatorialist: What is your wardrobe staple/one item of clothing/accessory you can’t live without? Is there a story behind why it is so special to you?

Stevie Wonder: Probably the glasses. I was in a store one day and the salesman just thought that they looked so good on me that he didn’t even make me pay! “Just take ’em” he said. “Just take ’em and get the [censored] out of my store.”

Genghis Khan: There is this really sweet knife that I jacked off of my friend’s slowly dying body after I stabbed him in the stomach when I duped him into attacking us. I’d like to see someone else deny me huge, disruptive military action against tenuously allied clans the next time I try to steal my wife back.

Marie Antoinette: I have this little sterling silver and diamond charm bracelet and it’s just covered in all of these decadent little desserts and pastries. It’s sort of an inside joke.

TS: Furs and leather, do or don’t?

GF: It depends on whether what I’m wearing has maimed multiple members of parliament or not.

MA: Do. Duh.

GK: What else would I wear?

Jane Fonda: You know, I tried it when I was filming 1986’s “Low Impact Aerobic Workout”, but it really doesn’t breathe that well. My vote is no.

TS: What comes first, vanity or comfort? Why?

GF: Let me tell you, Ming. (Can I call you Ming?) I made the mistake of looking good on my execution day and WOW. The high-collar-meets-hangman’s-noose? Hands down the worst chafing I have ever experienced.

JF: Let’s go back to the fur question for a second. Style doesn’t work with people who are trying to trim fat from their problem areas. That being said, solid, bright colors or mix and match pastels go a long way towards making an otherwise drab outfit look fantastic.

MA: Certainly vanity. “Comfort Fair”? What a bumpkin joke of a magazine that would …

Read more…

October 9, 2008 | 0 comments

---

More than just t-shirts

Is American Apparel trying to be as ubiquitous as the Gap?

After cornering the market on cotton t-shirts and briefs in every imaginable color, AA can now round out a full wardrobe. WIth new items coming soon that include a “unisex wool peacoat with sateen lining” and unisex knit v-neck sweaters, AA has continued its versatile and utilitarian style but upped the ante a bit. I have doubts about how well that peacoat may fit for girls, but I can’t say that I wouldn’t try it on if I happened to see one in an AA store. I mean, if AA could make tailored items like the slim slack and oxford button-down shirts work for both guys and gals, maybe this crazy line of coats idea could work too.

California Select, AA’s chain of vintage stores that are stocked with mini dresses, flannel shirts, and ankle boots, has also been branching out in cities across the globe, and has a universal market via its ebay store of the same name. So I guess those who hate American Apparel will continue to do so, but it’ll be a lot harder to ignore in the upcoming years.

October 26, 2008 | 0 comments

---