On Fashion, part I

I wrote this on the train from Belgrade to Ljubljana yesterday, I'm going to Milan tomorrow, my life is crazy and I'll sleep when I'm dead.


My favorite dress I've never seen. By Yohji Yamamoto (who else?).

on fashion, part I

I. fashion versus style
Everyone has their own definition of style. Most often it comes down to knowing who you are and expressing it through what you wear; this automatically poses the question of how closely fashion and style are intertwined, more specifically how much attention (if at all) style should pay to fashion. Diana Vreeland made a very famous statement that "Style is saying no" and indeed saying no inevitably means differing from what is expected. Applied to fashion, it favors timelesness over impromptu shopping for the sake of shopping and ditching half of your wardrobe each season in order to "stay in the moment"; sometimes it turns into a longer process whose development is constant, opposing the ever-changing trends. In essence, style is the negation of fashion.

II. staying in the moment
It's difficult for me to evaluate how much attention I pay to fashion. During fashion weeks I'll check out the new collections of my favorite designers on Style.com to stay updated on their work and the most outstanding pieces end up on blogs anyway so I don't feel like I'm missing out on something by not digesting every single show, but I don't read fashion magazines (except the local ones) because I don't find them inspiring. Fluff articles that don't bring anything new are a waste of time and regarding editorials, I (desperately) want an editorial to have a story, a working concept that makes me think. Too often they are too "style over substance", but what's even worse are anemic, lifeless models incapable of supporting a story by showing emotion.

I determine whether a piece of clothing, a pair of shoes, a bag etc. will find its home in my closet by answering the question Do I want to wear it forever? While this may seem radical as garments themselves don't last forever in the physical sense, it helps me create my own "moment" (metaphysical time capsule) independent from the fast-paced "modern life" and what is dictated by others (fashion- and otherwise).

III. fashion fascism in slovenia, i.e. ljubljana
The general opinion about the culture of dressing in Ljubljana is that it is virtually non-existent. Many people complain about this city (and country) being light years from fashion forwardness as if the fact that it's not a world-renowned fashion capital is something surprising. I view Ljubljana's character as primarily Central European (despite its numerous Balkan influences) and major Central European cities except Berlin aren't known as fashion capitals either, so the real reason might lie behind the mentality of the whole region. What's particular to Ljubljana is the lack of high-end stores, however this can be explained by the smallness of Slovenian market; there simply aren't enough people to shop there regularly.

How much is being well-dressed related to one's personal quality and intellect? It's rude, not to mention shallow when people view it as a social norm and refuse to acknowledge the freedom of priorities; in Ljubljana this unfortunately happens quite often (I call it "fashion fascism"). People who work in the field obviously have to be well-dressed because it's a part of their job, but otherwise I think deciding how much attention they're willing to pay to this aspect of their life is completely up to an individual and someone who doesn't care about clothes should never be criticized for their lack of sartorial intelligence.

In Ljubljana/Slovenia, a couple of times a year somebody will raise their voice about how they went out dressed in a more unusual combination and scored negative comments from others, claiming that Slovenians don't know a thing about fashion and style (actually putting their own hubris on display for the world to see) and how "awful" it is that they can't be themselves in this city/country without being laughed at; the great irony is that their style (or lack thereof) usually isn't that revolutionary to begin with. I also know several people who qualify as overdressers by "normal" standards and have never had a problem with anyone. My experience is the same; maybe we're lucky, but maybe the reception you get from others mostly has to do with your head, not clothes.

IV. what fashion capitals?
When I moved to Manhattan one year ago, I thought I would be seeing really well-dressed people all the time. It didn't happen and I continued to travel around Europe after I had returned to Ljubljana with this in mind, still surprised about the only thing about NYC that wasn't like in the movies. After extensive research consisting of rummaging European boulevards watching people without making it look like staring (only tolerated in Vienna where it's a local custom) I grew sure about one thing: the percentage of well-dressed people is the same everywhere. If you hang around hip, culture-related places or attend fashion weeks, of course the number will rise, but from my experience cities where people's fashion consciousness is significantly above average (fashion capitals) are nothing but a myth.


To be continued.

→ On Fashion, part II



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