spacebug | On Fashion, or lack thereof.

I like costumes and dressing up and think I do pretty well in terms of wearing things that are flattering when I make an effort, but, usually I just can't be bothered. The biggest strides forward in my wardrobe over the last few years have been more fitted tee shirts and jeans that actually fit me. Because I have a casual job that allows such things, I wear jeans and tee shirts pretty much every day. I have kind of an arbitrary/self-imposed set of guidelines on what I will and will not wear to work- basically I don't wear printed shirts or jeans that are torn. (Quite the dress code, I'm aware.) I dislike carrying bags or purses- I don't like having a thing with everything important in it to keep track of, put down, have stolen, or lose. On the other hand, while I've worn a wallet-chain for the last several years, I also dislike how it looks- I wear it completely out of practicality as it's what keeps me from losing my wallet, from having my wallet slip out of my back pocket and into a toilet (seriously!), or from forgetting either my wallet or my keys whenever I leave my house. I think of it more as a mitten-clip. The wallet-and-keys-attached-to-me thing is also a lot of the reason I rarely wear skirts, but a lot of it is that I just feel more comfortable and myself wearing pants. I'd like to not wear jeans all summer, but I also tend to think that shorts look goofy, so... yeah, not many options after that. I like some cropped-type pants, but it's so easy for those to look so much like Mom Clothes. I started looking around on fashion websites and stuff, and ugh. Everything that's "trendy", at least to me, looks like 1979 and 1984 partied too hard and puked all over the place. Brown hippie mumus? The resurgence of neon? Leggings + poncho? Seriously? These things are what is "in"?

I did a cursory look around a couple of stores for a dress to wear to the derby award ceremony (we generally get all fancied up for this) and gaaaah. Everything was hit by an ugly stick.

I don't know if I'm just too picky, or too much of a tomboy, or what. I have few of the problems a lot of women have with finding clothes they like- I fit into standard sizing better than a lot of people I know, I'm in good shape, and while I could probably stand to know more about how to dress for my body type (someone at a dress shop once told me I'm long waisted, or was it short waisted? I don't know what that means for me, practically), I don't have any issues with my shape or size and I realize I'm lucky that my natural shape of tall, thin, and flat chested is still pretty much the fashion order of the day.

Part of it is money- I find it really difficult to justify spending money on clothes when I already *have* clothes. But, I also seriously still have shirts I've had since high school that I still wear. I don't make a ton of money and I like to think that I'm non-materialistic, I dislike accumulating STUFF, and I'd rather spend money on things that I can use to make things, or on having experiences.

And then there's getting attention for dressing a certain way, whether you ask for it or enjoy it or whatever. I kind of scratch whatever "hey, lookit me!" itch I have by choosing to wear spiked-up very-red hair, or very small, very shiny, very short shorts when I play derby, you know?

Anyway. Just thinking.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I have been trying for the last couple of years to dress more like a girl and more fashionable in general, but I've found the main obstacle to be that I continue to refuse to be impeded by whatever fashions I'm wearing. A friend said to me the other day "I don't ride a bike because if I ride a bike, I can't wear whatever I want." I'm exactly the opposite: "I don't wear stuff like that because if I wear stuff like that, I can't do whatever I want." This is why I have the same attitude you do about handbags and purses. They look better than adding a square lump to your curves, but they are definitely cumbersome and harder to take on a bike. This is why I tend to buy jackets with pockets that snap shut and then just carry the jacket around with me and/or keep everything in a backpack if I'm going to be carrying around a backpack for other reasons anyway. STUFF is the neverending challenge.

Ok, so this is to all my g-friends particularly the two of you and

gunn: Wearing a dress or even makeup does not equal 'girly'! Wearing pants does not equal 'tomboy'! I know plenty of girly-girls that only wear pants and plenty of hardcore punk-rock chicks that wear a lot of skirts and dresses.

I have been a considered a 'tomboy' all of my life, and I always wear skirts and dresses. I used to skateboard in a skirt. I ride a bike all the time, and I do it in a skirt. I wouldn't wear a skirt to ride a motorcycle, but that's only because it's not safe or practical. Although I am certain that I have ridden behind a dude in a skirt on a motorcycle. Hmm. I've been mentally designing snowboarding pants that have a skirt top for when my current pair fall apart. For me, skirts and dresses offer more flexibility and comfort than pants, and are more flattering to my body.

I carry a bag because it is more annoying to me to have something in my pocket than to carry a bag. I find the feeling of heavy things in my pocket super annoying, while I can shove a bag over my shoulder and totally ignore it!

I know this is nitpicky, but I am going on a thing about language, especially feminist language, lately. I feel like we all kind of give in on the gender things and don't realize how we are perpetuating the divisions. (just wait till you hear the rant I've been mentally writing about 'fat'!) I think that whatever makes you feel good and comfortable and attractive (regardless of what others think about it) that is what is feminine, because you are female. I do have particular ideas about what clothing looks good or bad, but I like to think (hope) they are based on what flatters a person rather than a fashion ideal or heightening femininity. Especially for us, people who appreciate and enjoy men who wear skirts and tutus and bend that gender a little, I think that describing our fashion choices as more or less 'girly' is problematic.

And now I will actually do my homework. Really.

I know this bit wasn't directed at me, but it made me think that when we say "girly" or "dress like a girl" we are acknowledging the stereotype. Does acknowledgement = perpetuation? Not sure. I guess that's one of those sticky wickets where you need to know the speaker and listener share a similar worldview or somesuch.

Until better language comes along (and I am loathe to slide into Women's Studies English, where every phrase is exhaustively qualified), I'm okay with using "girly" for shorthand for "traditionally-held notion of feminine dress, appearance and behavior as defined by representations in male-dominated fashion and media" without worrying I'm perpetuating the idea of girl=high heels.

Anyway, carry on!

actually i didn't say anything about dresses or skirts in my comment. When i said 'girly' all i meant was more form-fitting and revealing, which will bring out the girl that i am - much the same way form-fitting and revealing clothes would bring out a boy-like vibe from a boy.

my point wasn't so much about 'girly' clothes as it was about a perspective on fashion which puts function and comfort first. (and skirts are often the more-functional and comfortable option, like at burning man, for example.)

I'm totally with ya stranger on the whole "my bicycle riding lifestyle dictates my fashion decisions." I love my backpack, even if its not terribly, hm, posh?

i've got a large collection of backpacks and i love'm all almost equally! and every now and then i think up a new sort of backpack i probably need.

i think this has a lot to do with why ppl who don't know me well often assume i'm a student.

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