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Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

Fashism - or, what clothing rules do you set yourself?

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22:01 / 15.11.03

DMs vary as much in style as Nikes you've decribed. There are long boots, calf boots, ankle boots, shoes, mary-janes, sandals, loafers (eugh, I hate that word) and whatever style you will, not simple the 1460s you're probably thinking of. As for skinheads- been one. Art student- wanted to be one. But am neither, so (may) prove you wrong.

Repressive? I would argue that. They are *the* most comfortable shoes I have to be standing about in all day. I have sketchers, that are a bit heavy, and shame be told, I have an ancient pair of nikes which arent as comfortable either.

As for your argument; "Nikes are for freedom"- well you then go on to say forget all the little kids slaving away, who cares about them?

Perhaps you're right about the Thacheritism of them, but all I remember from the Thatcher years is a trip to Legoland and creating a lake of vomit at a Safeways checkout.

at the scarwash

04:50 / 16.11.03

Oddly enough, I seem to wear a hole in a pair of DMs in about 6 months. My Adidas last hella longer. DMs look good with jeans, but feel like shit after a couple of nasty rains when the sole gets all bunched and warped.

19:42 / 16.11.03

I still have DMs I bought 14 years ago - never experienced the soles warping. Do you have very acidic rain?? I love DMs.

at the scarwash

20:29 / 16.11.03

I must have fucked-up feet. I walk a whole lot, but that doesn't explain exactly how the soles become caltrops after a few months.

10:13 / 19.11.03

Spend as much as you can possibly afford when buying shoes. Cheap shoes look cheap, don't last and bring your outfit down. You can tell a lot from the quality of a person's shoes, as, I believe, Hannibal Lecter once commented.

Good shoes and bag (and pssibly coat) mean you can get away with anything I think, but then I confess, I am an utter shoe snob.

10:16 / 19.11.03

Oh, and wearing Lederhosen is terribly wrong and sad and a great big no.

16:08 / 19.11.03

Booo! Hisss! I've never worn them myself but I can say as an observer that leather trousers are a thing of mighty righteousness on the right pair of legs and the right arse. As long as they are tight, too. Baggy leathers, however, are an abomination; a 'why bother?' thing.

18:55 / 19.11.03

This new guy I've been dating brought me back a T-shirt from his hols with the city name on it 'Arizona' and some crappy blurb, it is huge and black and just sooo shite. i was horrified. Not even funny. That, and those kinds of T's are something I can never wear, not even in bed. When I see it I panic!
Docs were very cool in the early 90's, in the 80's I'm sure they were dyke / student, at least in UK, but I might be confusing my dates. They are truly awful though.
Nike have become a bit pase no? Only because the 'Air' style are a bit long in the tooth and we're all a bit bored with them. I still use them at the gym they provide the best protection and give elevated height to feed my 'strong & tall' fantasy... They were also extremely excellent at D & B nights, Bounce! I understand that unlike other Indonesian, Filipino originating/based organisations they actually teach basic literacy and numeracy and provide other 'perks' of civilisation to the employees?
Expensive shoes v. cheap shoes. Well, can depend like most things I s'pose. Top Shop have some excellent ones and they're relatively cheap. Pied a Tere are expensive to my wallet but totally sexy. Expensive shoes do tend to be more sexy IMHO, is this related to the soft focus Vogue photography etc etc? Anyway, I did have sex in mine the first I wore them and one of the 'attached' flowers (corsage in shoe speak?) came off. Not happy about that bit. Had it stitched back on, but next time I wore them and got really drunk the other one came off and I didn't find it. I am really off that make now.
Lastly I currently love some LK Bennet gold numbers. Am I being out of control. Can I wear gold shoes, if so what with?

No star here laces

08:09 / 20.11.03

"Be serious, cos i lost another hour on my shoe,
It's an Air-Force-One..."

Dizzee says so...

No star here laces

08:20 / 20.11.03

Oh ass. Impossible to find pictures of AF1s on net due to bootlegging activity. Fucks sakes...

Anyway was going to express my dissatisfaction with mens footwear generally. Leather shoes are just generally so vile. The only ones I've seen that I actually like are Gucci, and I'm not that much of a plutocrat.

I mean, is it too much to ask that somebody somewhere could create something a teensie bit elegant yet formal for the y-chromosomed foot? I don't want big clumpy boots, I loathe brogues, won't go within 40 feet of a loafer and find desert boots and wallabies very played out. What is there left? Nothing!

So guess it's Nike for me for the foreseeable future.

14:30 / 20.11.03

olula, i hear you, but then i go into payless and some of the shoes are sooo cute, and they come in wide widths, and are sooo cheap, that i just can't help myself! and then later i'm like, i *told* myself i wasn't going to buy pleather shoes again, and look what i did! plus they really make yr feet stank cos man-made leather is not breathable.

Red Cross Iodized Salt

03:25 / 21.11.03

Oh ass. Impossible to find pictures of AF1s on net due to bootlegging activity. Fucks sakes...

The trick is to search Japanese sites.

I like me the Dunks myself. Was very happy to find a pair of these today...

I saw them online while looking for info on the rumoured Orchard Street Dunks a few days ago, wanted them, and then saw a pair in a store...on Orchard Street...this evening. True Jungian synchronicity.

Tryphena Absent

10:40 / 21.11.03

wearing Lederhosen is terribly wrong and sad and a great big no

Unless you're going to the Sound of Music singalong. Then it's terribly right and sweet and a great big YES!

09:01 / 24.11.03

No, no no, Tryphena. You need to go in those little overalls made of curtains, preferably with a group of friends of varying heights who are also all wearing identical garments.

Tryphena Absent

09:40 / 24.11.03

Excellent, I'll take that as a vote in favour of a barbelith singalong meet.

02:49 / 04.02.04

i made this rule somewhat recently that i wasn't going to wear anything w/anyone better looking than me on it. BUT i just saw this bag and i like it a lot, and i need one like it (shape/utility-wise), and i'm thinking of breaking my own rule. but, i don't know...

it looks better irl, that's kinda a crap picture.

10:03 / 04.02.04

I'd say get the bag, because it rocks (and is, as you say, the size you want a bag to be) -but then, I tend to make a point of wearing clothes with people more attractive than me on them.

I think that bags are slightly different, though... so you could always fall back on the flimsy justification that accessories don't count!

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:11 / 04.02.04

Get the bag, and fill it with records by The Detroit Cobras and The Raveonettes.

05:20 / 30.03.04

Hmm. OK. Other replies have given me ideas.

Trousers - no tapered. Absolutely no tapered. I try to buy mine from attitude.co.uk whenever possible, as Criminal Damage jeans are the only ones that fit me right (when I'm not being fat). If I can't buy any from there, I buy bootleg shape jeans.

Shoes - I hate my feet. They are uber wide, but a size 6. So I buy Vans trainers, as they come in different colours, and for some reason they are quite squat looking (squarish almost), so even though I have to buy size 8, my feet end up looking smaller than the shoe size dictates. Right now, I am rocking a pair of grey Vans as I left my black and whites back in the UK (blah).

Hair - don't wear black with blonde hair. If you do, make it minimal covering clothing. Don't wear white with black hair, and if you do, same as above rule. If you put colour in your hair (pinks, blues, reds etc) as highlights, coordinate your accessories with that clour.

Tops - I have big boobs, so I wear v-necks and wide necks. No round necks or polo necks, as it makes my breastage look too concrete like. Warm cuddly sweaters are a must. Minimal amount of logos - no big name band tops either. I wear my Alec Empire one, my Rachel Stamp one and my NIN hoodie. If logos, then they should be genuine vintage. NO FAKE VINTAGE - it's over priced and hollow anyway. And I never buy logo tops in mainstream stores. If you wear a logo, wear one that no one else has.

Accessories - no more than two different colours at one time. Any more and you might as well just wear rainbow colours. Don't wear a rock bag with a movie star look. Don't try movie star when you are being punk rock. Mixing styles is fun, but it takes a fashion genius to pull it off.

Bags - for some reason, I can't carry bags that aren't shoulder bags (I think my butt is too big and it ruins the balance), so I don't even try to use them anymore. I have them in different sizes, and one necessary handbag.

Socks - I always wear knee high socks. I only wear white socks if I am having an ironic day, or if I am at home. I wear thick socks during flights.

Skirts - knee high. No higher, no lower. And I usually wear them with jeans or trousers underneath.

I do think the keys to fashion are basic clothes and great accessories though.

16:13 / 30.03.04

I always wear white socks. But then I'm ironic all the time.

15:34 / 31.03.04

I wear white socks all the time cos my feet sweat somethin' fierce.

20:17 / 05.04.04

My only strict fashion rule is that I try to counteract loud patterned clothes with something to break the visual monotony. Usually a jacket serves the purpose well. I can't stand seeing people wear clothes that do nothing but pull attention away from the face. Clothes are to accent, not distract. Wearing a loud blue shirt can make blue eyes pop, but if the shirt is so loud that nobody bothers to look at your face, then its just for attention.

01:32 / 13.04.04

I don't have any fashion laws dealing with colour, because all those stupid laws can be broken.. for instance.. black and brown.. they do go together if you just wear it correctly. Black top with brown belt with brown shoes and a brown bag.

Dolce & Gabbana has a recent advertisement that mixes different patterns together of different fabrics and different colours and it looks good!

To me, if someone knows how to pull it off then they are fashion gods.

Be daring, even if it doesn't work.. who cares what people think. Fashion to me is about creativity, not about pleasing others.

~Kat

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