Riegel’s Fine-carded Gabardine is a ’round the year fabric for smartly styled garments that must look well, wear well… and cost less! It has the rich “feel” that identifies quality everywhere… in a range of colors and weights for heavy outerwear or summer playclothes.
Whatever is wrong with actually dressing to fit the weather? Can you imagine the young woman above in stiletto booties with no socks or tights, and a shaggy white fur jacket? Or how about white wide legged pants that drag the ground, gathering snow and getting soaked through? And my personal favorite, white print skinny jeans with four inches of bare leg between them and white wedge shoes. Yet in the aftermath of a snowstorm in New York City, these outfits were a common sight.
I know that there are people who spend weeks planning their ensembles for NY Fashion Week, and far be it from me to say they don’t have the right to look as foolish as they wish. But there is a lot to be said for being a bit flexible when it comes to dressing for the weather. Is it not possible for one to be both comfortable and fashionable?
I know that I’m missing the point here. The purpose of dressing up for Fashion Week is so that one will be photographed. Suzy Menkes calls it the Circus of Fashion. The saddest part is that she is right:
Having lived through the era of punk and those underground clubs in London’s East End, where the individuality and imagination of the outfits were fascinating, I can’t help feeling how different things were when cool kids loved to dress up for one another — or maybe just for themselves.
The Vintage Traveler 
Brilliant! And so is Susy Menkes! 😉 xx
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Enjoyed your blog, Lizzie….especially enjoyed clicking on the “Circus of Fashion” you mentioned to click onto. I did so.
Maybe todays fashion designers have already seen good design done over and over through the years and years … so in their quest to design something new and different they have resorted to the “Fashion Circus” approach, (often seen these days) in designer’s effort for something new and different. They certainly are new and different.
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I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older, but I look at what some people are wearing in this weather, and style or not I think, “Isn’t that uncomfortable?” – bare legs with stilletto heels, bare feet in ballet flats…I can’t help but think that’s so uncomfortable in the cold weather! Not that I recommend dowdy old lady shoes, but I agree, there’s nothing wrong with dressing stylishly and smartly for the weather.
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I look at a lot of street style blogs, and I’m always surprised when they show photos of folk in winter, in the northern hemisphere, dressed in summery clothing. I never know if these people are actually dressed this way (global warming), if they’re photos from the archives, or what. (Which is why I love the Helsinki street style blog, Hel-Looks–the men and women shown there are usually dressed in lots of layers for winter!)
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Excellent post. AB-FAB AD. I love the gal’s coat, gloves and handsome sweetheart. We’d then head for a cuppa hot chocolate with marshmallows on top for two! T.
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Yes, excellent post. We’ve wondered why we’re sometimes the only ones at the ice skating area… and then we realized it’s the clothing. Who wants to be outside in polyester that doesn’t fit and keeps you cold in winter (or hot in summer)? There’s gotta be a better way! Love the picture………
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What an adorable ad! I hear ya about dressing for weather! I often resign myself that I just don’t understand contemporary people and their clothes…
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I, too, love fashion, but walking the 10 minutes from the train station to where I work in the Back Bay of Boston with its high winds and freezing temperatures, would put me over the edge if I were not covered from head to toe!
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I don’t think you’re missing the point. I think it’s entirely possible to dress for the weather and still be fashionable. I think some people are just too focussed on dressing for shock/attention value when more often than not, great style wins out.
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I think Hel-Looks pretty much proves that one can look great even when dresses correctly for the weather. Maybe it ought to be required viewing before next February!
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I had to laugh as I think think this very thing all the time. When I lived briefly in DC and the young women I worked with complained about the cold, I would tell them to ‘put on a coat’ and problem solved!. But, I agree maybe times have changed as people dress for a wider audience (facebook, blogs) instead of each other and themselves. In the 70s I loved putting on my lace-up boots and layering big sweaters under my cape in the winter. And I did the very same for the blizzard we had here in New England last weekend.
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