FFB: Guest Post on Planet Holiday

This month’s Feminist Fashion Bloggers post is a guest post, and Mrs Bossa of Mrs Bossa Does the Do and I are trading posts on holiday dressing, using this paper (which unfortunately needs a subscription to download) as a starting point.  Be sure to check out the roundup of all the posts at the main FFB site, and without further ado, here’s Mrs Bossa!

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Holiday Fashion: your ‘best of’ in a box?

Can your holiday wardrobe give you a new identity? I have to admit: I hate this time of year in fashion magazines. We seem to go straight from bobble hats to bikinis as though Spring doesn’t exist. When I thought more closely about this, I realised – I struggle to make a ‘holiday wardrobe’ fit with my sense of self; I shy away from buying summery clothes and end up being a similar version of my A/W self (albeit more overheated). I’ve noticed a few fashion bloggers talking about rotating their wardrobes, packing away their winter items and bringing their flimsier clothing out to play. But it was when I noticed my mum choosing the items she wanted to buy for a holiday in Nice that it struck me – she wasn’t simply stocking up on some essentials…she was planning her holiday identity.

Before you tell me to put down the piña colada, think about it: aren’t there clothes that you just wouldn’t wear on holiday? Clothes that you would only wear on holiday? Even I would be happy to brave a boob tube in the soaring temperatures of the Mediterranean. But it’s not just the heat – a holiday is a chance to experiment, free from people who judge you. I bought hotpants once, for god’s sake.

See? she looks relaxed. (Now stop looking at her stomach - it's not THE POINT.) Source: photographed from Elle magazine.

‘Planet Holiday’
In their article ‘It’s Like Planet Holiday’, Maura Banim likens holiday wardrobes to a theatrical performance; tanning and waxing are part of the preparation for the role, buying clothes becomes similar to choosing costumes, and a few well-chosen props allow women to “have the confidence that their performance will be successfully executed.” Not that all this is a chore – she discovered that many women see all this not only as a means of enjoyable self-indulgence, but also as a key transitional phase between ‘real life’ and the holiday fantasy. Planning outfits is a key part of this.

Practical, schmactical. She's created an image. Source: http://alittlebitsilly.wordpress.com/2010/06/18/sex-and-the-city-2-the-movie/

From Day to Night:
Fashion magazines always talk about taking your holiday wardrobe ‘from day to night’ – somehow simple vests in multiple colours, the bikinis and the sarongs all form part of a carefree daytime identity (Banim likens this to being part of a ‘chorus line’ instead of being in the limelight). On the other hand, in the evening the ‘performances’ begin. The researchers suggested that holiday evenings gave women the chance to ‘launch’ the best versions of themselves, night after night – many women took a separate outfit for each evening, but they were always their ‘best’ clothes. Self-awareness increased; striking a balance between showing more of the body and looking sexually available was key. I was most intrigued by the idea of groups of women being ‘performance teams’: giving advice on outfits, monitoring any potential clothing mishaps throughout the night and relying on each other to style hair and put on makeup. Says Banim: “co-operation was important in allowing women to pull off a seemingly effortless performance.” I’m sure many of us can relate to that.

A Case for Naturism?
The idea of sunbathing being liberating is an interesting one: many women surveyed felt that body exposure en masse granted everyone some form of anonymity. Not only did it free them from self-consciousness, it also seemed to liberate them from the ‘sexual gaze’: although close to nudity, no-one seemed to feel they were being objectified as they would be in other contexts. At least not by men…

Puts your cellulite fears in perspective, doesn't it? Source: Clipart.

In summary: There are a lot of factors at play as we plan our holiday wardrobes: the transformative power of fashion, the fluidity of identity, the liberation from judgment, the interaction of women-only groups. It seems that packing a suitcase is more than just an arrangement of clothes – it’s our ‘best of’ in a box. And we don’t even have to go abroad: every time I visit my parents I plan my ‘look’ – I’ve been known to do my makeup on the train and quickly swap my flats for heels as I pull into the station. There are some that would argue that many women are constantly ‘performing’ with their bodies and wardrobes, but the style advice, colour choices and even types of fabric in holiday attire all speak of a tantalising kind of freedom.
What goes through your mind when you’re planning your holiday wardrobe?
Do you have a ‘best version’ of yourself?

Recommended reads:
Banim, Maura, Ali Guy, and Kate Gillen. ““It’s Like Planet Holiday”—Women’s Dressed Self-presentation on Holiday.” Fashion Theory 9.4 (2005): 425-43. Art Full Text. Web. 8 May 2011.
Millie’s Take on Modesty

Interrobangs Retrospective: Our Favorite Posts of the Past Year

Or, in which the Interrobangs kill two birds with one post.

One year anniversaries call for cake!

A year has come and gone, and it hasn’t just been a calendar year, but also the first year of Interrobangs Anonymous. Technically, our first post was on December 21, 2009, but with the hullabaloo of Christmas, Solstice, New Years, and Tuesdays, we postponed our celebrating until now. So here are our favorite posts of 2010/our first year blogging together.

This is how we really act

Style and Self-Image

• Going Grey in Your 20′s
• Thoughts on Having Short Hair
• The Leg Hair Question
• Fashion while Traveling
• Style Advice from Slime Mold
• No Makeup Podcast
• Gender Roles in Fashion Blogging
• Attractiveness in Academia
• Exploitation in Fashion
• Will I be Pretty/You Don’t Have to be Pretty
• The Prices of Things Part I, Part II
• Negative x Negative = Positive

Tutorials

• Shredded Jersey Scarf
• Mosaic T-Shirt
• Ruffled Collar
• Reverse Tie-Dyeing
• Cutlery Pendants
• Patent Leather Patch-Up
• Wearing Pins without Ruining Your Clothing

Resources

• Sticky insoles
• Natural Beauty Products
• Stores for the Long of Leg
• Stores for the Narrow of Foot
• Where Katie Doesn’t Shop
• Where Millie Does Shop
• Ditching the Shampoo

Series

• Fashion Timeline
• Sustainability

Pure Awesomeness

• Milliesaurus
• Is that a Tapeworm in Your Pocket?
• Clown Noses Make Everything More Fun
• Ada Lovelace
• Bison!
• What to Wear when Dissecting Squid

The past year has been so much fun. Thank you for reading, commenting, and being such an amazing community of fun, inspiration, and friends.

January Outfit Inspiration Calendar

Happy New Year, lovelies!

Another month is upon us, and that can mean only one thing: another edition of Kimberly’s Outfit Inspiration Calendars! I’m quite excited for January’s calendar, and not just because I’m in it (although there I am, January 13th!).

No, why I’m really excited is because so many other bloggers I adore are also featured. I already take way more inspiration from these ladies than should be legal, but now I have sanctioned days on which to plagarize my little fashion heart out!

Who am I looking forward to being inspired by?

• Tall Girl Blogging
• Daily Haiku
• Silvergirl
• La Historiadora de Moda
• We are Large, People
• T Minus T Plus
• Megan Mae Daily
• Fashion for the Economically Challenged
• And many others!

Along with being a great source of ideas, these calendars are also a terrific way to learn about bloggers that are new-to-you. So go forth, be inspired, and maybe make some new friends! And I expect you all to be dressed exactly like me come January 13th. I’ll be checking.

A “Modest” Proposal

I own 26 tank tops – I just counted. They’ve commandeered two drawers in my dresser, and I suspect they’re plotting a coup to take over the socks.

Now, I believe there any many things in the world that one can never have too much of: jars of Nutella in the pantry, copies of Dorothy Parker’s poetry (always have one with you – trust me), and friends who’ll have Abba roller disco parties with you. But tank tops? You might argue that 26 is on the excessive side (and if you don’t, let’s hold your intervention first. It’s alright, I’ll wait my turn). But I have a good reason for all the tank tops: the “girls.” Tank tops are my “modesty pieces,” the articles of clothing that let me wear comfortably the v-neck and scoop-neck shirts that flatter my figure the most.* In A Return to Modesty, Wendy Shalit describes the modesty pieces of the eighteenth century:

A good example of the playfulness modesty encourages is the existence of the “modesty piece,” often worn with a tucker and covering the “pit of the bosom” in mid-eighteenth-century women’s dress. If the concern were mere prudery, then dresses of the period would have been simply high-cut. Instead, women wore gowns with a low decolletage and then inserted a modesty piece. But low decolletage and a modest piece would seem to cancel each other out – unless, perhaps, the modesty piece was removed later in the evening? The imagination is certainly compelled. Did they play games to see who could last the longest with her modesty piece in place? No, that couldn’t be. Nobody had any fun until the 1960s – or so we have been told, anyway. – Wendy Shalit, A Return to Modesty, pg 174

Can you spot the modesty piece? That one’s named Emily. When you have 26, they’ve basically become family.

Now I don’t wear my modesty pieces as part of a game, as Shalit implies might have happened in the past – I wear them so I can function in day-to-day life without being inappropriately dressed for work, feeling that I’m compromising my own personal sense of modesty, or giving just anyone a free show. In the winter wearing tank tops works wonderfully – everything is covered and I have an extra layer of warmth. But come spring and summer? The shirts get skimpier and some sort of cleavage-barrier is a must. But the extra layers can just get too hot, and tank tops that bunch and roll can be very obvious. Have you ever tried to pull down the bottom of a tank top under a maxi dress? Getting arrested for indecent exposure for flashing your knickers sort of defeats all the effort at covering the top, doesn’t it?

Enter Second Base.

Second Base “Sarah”

These cropped camis are marketed as being:

• Light enough for comfort, but opaque enough to cover your cleavage and your bra
• Won’t roll up
• No snaps, hooks, velcro, or tape

They come in four styles and multiple colors, and I’m intrigued. This might be just the thing for this summer…

Does anyone else have the same problem? What have you found that works? Has anyone tried Second Base?

*Has anyone else noticed the conundrum that the shirts that best cover large chests (e.g. crew necks) are the ones that look the worst on that body type? Put me in a crew neck and I look like the prow of a ship.

Upcycling ‘High-Style’ Handbags

I was leafing through some book catalogues today when I came across this book. Sounds interesting.

In Refashioned Bags, you’ll learn how to create carryalls, clutches, laptop bags, totes, and more. And all of them will get a unique look, whether from the use of an old wool sweater, an ex-boyfriend’s neckties, extra shower curtains, dad’s hand-me-down suit jacket, a quilt, an umbrella, or even a bath mat. Some of the inventive and one-of-a-kind bags you’ll learn to make include:

• Boho Hobo Bag
• Sweater Computer Cozy
• Dapper Diaper Bag
• Dolce Doily Purse
• Le Zip Sac
• Tux Redux Bag And more!

Helpful diagrams accompany the step-by-step instructions, along with bonus crafting ideas, fun facts, and tips and tricks from top bag designers in the DIY field who work with, at times, unusual materials. By following just a few easy steps that require little more than cutting, folding, gluing, and basic stitching, you’ll be able to add refashioned bag designer to your repertoire.

9 amazon customers gave this book a five star rating, do you?

Literary Inspiration – Elizabeth Bennet

Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet

Huge revelation coming: I’m a girl who loves Pride & Prejudice. It’s such a shame that I’m in the minority on that; I really wish more girls would start liking this book, it’s quite good…

In Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest daugher of a poor country gentleman, has little physical description. She’s touted as being “not half so handsome as Jane [the eldest daughter], nor half so good humored as Lydia [the youngest daughter].” The most detailed description we get of her comes from the narrator, assuming the mind of Mr. Darcy

Occupied in observing Mr. Bingley’s attentions to her sister, Elizabeth was far from suspecting that she was herself becoming an object of some interest in the eyes of his friend. Mr. Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sonner had he made it clear to him and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes. To this discovery succeeded some others equally mortifying. Though he had detected with a critical eye more than one failure of perfect symmetry in her form, he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were nothing of those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness. Of this she was perfectly unaware; — to her he was only the man who made himself agreeable no where, and who had not thought her handsome enough to dance with.

Since that description doesn’t give us much to work with style-wise, I’ll take my cues from Chapter 4 of The Making of Pride And Prejudice by Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin. What? It came with the deluxe DVD set of the classic BBC version of the story. You know you own it (or wish you did).

Literary Inspiration – Pippi Longstocking

My favorite characters in books were always the girls with spunk, the girls with brains, the girls with sass. Anne Shirley, Harriet the Spy, Ramona, Elizabeth Bennett, Pippi Longstocking.

For years I’ve looked to the books I love for inspiration in lots of different areas of my life: Should you eat your mother’s pot roast if the meat is covered in small, taste bud-like bumps? Nope. Should you crack a slate over a boys head if he teases you? Absolutely. So why not look for the same characters for fashion inspiration? Dresses with puff sleeves, here I come!

Up first: Pippi Longstocking.

In Astrid Lingren’s novel, Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Efraim’s Daughter Longstocking can lift a horse, throw pirates across the room, and sleeps with her feet on the pillow and her head under the covers. When we’re first introduced to her, she’s described like this:

“Her hair, the color of a carrot, was braided in two tight braids that stuck straight out. Her nose was the shape of a very small potato and was dotted all over with freckles. It must be admitted that the mouth under this nose was a very wide one, with strong white teeth. Her dress was rather unusual. Pippi herself had made it. She had meant it to be blue, but here wasn’t quite enough blue cloth, so Pippi has sewed little red pieces on it here and there. On her long thin legs she wore a pair of long stockings, one brown and the other black, and she had on a pair of black shoes that were exactly twice as long as her feet. These shoes her father had bought for her in South America so that Pippi would have something to grow into, and she never wanted to wear any others.”

Here’s my modern take on Pippi:

Wardrobes then and now

I’ve been under the weather for the past couple of days (who gets a cold in only half their nose? I do, apparently!) so I’ve been, er, less than photogenic. Considering my lack of photogenic-ness (photogeneity?) at the best of times, I elected to spare you, dear reader, the sight of a disheveled Millie surrounded by snotty Kleenex (I go through incredible quantities of Kleenex when I get a cold — it is truly a sight to behold. Or, you know, not.)

Anyhoo! I’m feeling considerably better, am down to the equivalent of two or three of those Kleenex purse packet things a day, and am back on the intertubes. So let’s talk about the contents of wardrobes!

This is a really interesting article on a survey of college women’s wardrobes in the 1940′s. The people taking the survey polled college women on how many sweaters, skirts, dresses, hats (and amusingly, boyfriends) they had in their wardrobe, and published a graphic of the averages. Comparing this to my (smallish, by comparison to my co-bloggers and many women I know) wardrobe is proving really interesting. I’m quite certain I have more than 11 skirts (the average maximum listed), at least 12 sweaters and probably more, and probably at least 11 blouses (I counted collared shirts as blouses). I’m not sure what constitutes a “street length dress”, but I’m guessing that my casual dresses count. I don’t have a lot of those, but I also have pants, so this probably balances out. I’ve even got 5 hats, which is near the 6 they list. So I tend to exceed the average maximum wardrobe, and my wardrobe is small!

I’ve been thinking about my relation (and the cultural relation) to consumption lately, and I’ve been sort of at a loss as to where to start talking about it, since it’s a huge topic with a lot of aspects. This seems like a pretty good start — comparing my small wardrobe to the average maximum wardrobe of a woman in university in the 1940′s. I’m surprised at how much large mine is in comparison! I’d be really interested to see how much of that wardrobe is handmade, but that’s not mentioned at all. I suspect that a considerably larger part of the average woman’s wardrobe was handmade, because home sewing was more of an economic necessity for more people 60 or 70 years ago than it is today, since cheap mass market clothes were not as plentiful or universally available. I’d be interested too to see this sort of graphic from say the 50′s or 60′s, since in September 1941 WWII was in full swing (though the Americans had not yet entered the fray) and the Great Depression was less than a decade deep in the collective memory. On the other hand, university was not nearly as accessible to women in the 40′s as it is today, and the women who did manage to go were more likely to come from affluent families. The text on the side says that the average woman surveyed spent about $240 a year on clothes. Adjusting for inflation, that amounts to about $3500 in today’s (American) dollars. I know I spend less on clothes than many women (I rarely go shopping, and tend to go thrifting when I do) but there is no way that I have $3500 a year to spend on clothes, even if I was willing to spend it. But perhaps clothing was relatively more expensive than it is today? I don’t know (weigh in if you do, please!).

So, what does this add up to? I’m not sure, exactly. Like I said, I hardly buy clothes, and I’m somewhat mystified by the appeal of conventional shopping. I don’t understand “retail therapy” — if anything, I need therapy after wading into retail stores! I identify strongly with people who undertake things like the Uniform Project and Makeshift, since they look step outside the consumptive aspect of style today. I’m not interested so much in consuming as I am expressing myself, or just not leaving the house naked. To me, having a limited number of clothes means I identify more strongly with those clothes. They’re my skirts, not just skirts I’ve bought; this is underscored even further with the clothes I’ve made. I’m not drawn to the whims of fashion trends, because they aren’t me — they’re images I’m supposed to identify with, but don’t. I don’t know much about the sociology of fashion in the 40′s, but I wonder whether a relative lack of consumer culture (compared to today) helped foster women’s sense of sartorial self-identity, rather than group identity which consumer culture fosters. Perhaps this would lead to the considerably smaller wardrobes than those of their modern day equivalents? Or is it simpler than that: were clothes simply too expensive for women to own in large quantities? I’m not sure; what do you think?

Madeleine Albright and Her Pins

Madeleine Albright and a wasp

In the spirit of posting links today, here are two articles on former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s new book Read My Pins, about how she used her brooches  as diplomatic tools. I love how jewelry, something that might seem so frivolous and insignificant, can sometimes send stronger political messages than what can be said.

For example:

“A second pin, this of a blue bird, reinforced my approach. As with the snake pin, I had purchased it because of its intrinsic appeal, without any extraordinary use in mind. Until the twenty-fourth of February 1996, I wore the pin with the bird’s head soaring upward. On the afternoon of that tragic day, Cuban fighter pilots shot down two unarmed civilian aircraft over international waters between Cuba and Florida. Three American citizens and one legal resident were killed. The Cubans knew they were attacking civilian planes yet gave no warning, and in the official transcripts they boasted about destroying the cojones of their victims.

At a press conference, I denounced both the crime and the perpetrators. I was especially angered by the macho celebration at the time of the killings. “This is not cojones,” I said, “it is cowardice.” To illustrate my feelings, I wore the bird pin with its head pointing down, in mourning for the free-spirited Cuban-American fliers.”

If you have the chance, read Read My Pins. Gorgeous jewelry and the political process – win.

Madeleine Albright’s Jewelry-Box Diplomacy

Madeleine Albright and Her Pins

Chelsie Daily Style – Vintage Sewing Book

• Tam – Forever 21
• Belt – Forever 21
• Purple Sleeveless Top – RW&Co.
• Brown Corduroys – Reitmans (finally hemmed them this morning)
• Blazer – self made
• Necklace – Gift from Katie

This is the new sewing book I got. I saw it on Ebay last Sunday and then found it on Amazon for cheaper, so I got it. It’s basically a 1940′s reference guide to sewing. Being a librarian and historian how could I pass up that deal, historical fashion plus a reference book?! Awesome! So here are a few shots I thought you’d find interesting:

Like any good fashion book, it lets you know what’s what and how you should change up your wardrobe every month to keep yourself looking classy. Also, at the beginning it tells you what styles you should wear for each shape body, neck, face, arms… the whole shebang! Also teaches you how to made underwear for men and women, and brassieres. Pretty much the basics, gives you all your handstitches, and directions on making old dresses look new, how to make curtains, or how to reupholster furniture. It’s an interesting read, especially the parts where it tries to convince people to leave their Victorian views of sewing behind, and embrace the machine.

I thought these pages would be of interest since they explain how to make collars, and these seem to be becoming all the rage with the bib necklaces and whatnot.

Makeshift

I just read an interesting article about a woman in Vancouver who is going to wear only stuff that she makes herself for a year starting September 2009. I think it’s something interesting to check out.

http://makeshiftproject.blogspot.com/

Bib Necklaces

This article reminded me of the bib necklaces I created this summer.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/office-fashion-the-bib-necklace/article1411673/

Fashion Reading and the Basement

For my subway ride today I will be reading “Style Deficit Disorder” by Tiffany Godoy.

My trip to the infamous ‘Basement’ was a partial success. I did want to get that red and green plaid vest, but I forgot. I did return with a black dress, it was floor length but I shorted it to mid calf and a pair of pull on boots. I also found a couple things in my ‘Closet’ from the 90′s! Two dresses and a skirt. The one dress is floor length with a sort of cherub/angelic print going on, sort of Sistine Chapel. The other dress is an asian style, and the skirt gathers in the back to form a sort of small bustle.

I also completed half a jacket with the help of my mother and returned with several vintage sewing patterns and a new sewing machine. Though I will think of getting a new pedal for Old Caste Iron Olive, who I think may just be immortal, especially physically.

Time to go meet Millie.