The love of clothes vs. Fashion

I have always loved clothes. I've always loved getting dolled up and looking cute.

However I am "JUST" now starting to apperciate FASHION.

There is a HUGE difference between loving clothes and loving fashion.

I've been on the loving clothes side for a very long time.

Lately I've been looking at a lot of fashion blogs. I have one that is like a super favorite. It's like a fantasy blog to me because I wouldn't buy any of the stuff this lady wears. While it's all gorgeous, it's just too expensive for ME.

What I'm noticing is that some of this fashion isn't realistic for everyday life. Well, let me back up and say it's not realistic for MY everyday life.

I'm a SAHM. Period. While I DO have days when I have on jeans and a tshirt (like I did this weekend) the majority of the time, I don't LOOK like a SAHM. I don't want to either. Folks will see me and will ask where I'm going and all I have on is a dress and some cute flats. Umm hello? LOL. I'm going to the grocery store. That's how MOST of my days are.

Colorblocking is HUGE right now, like HUGE. Some of the things I see are very cute, and very fashion forward. Some of this other stuff has me like O_o. It's tacky. Plain and simple.

This is based of MY taste. My preference. It has nothing to do with how someone else feels. Now, I don't always knock it out of the park, but I think I'm FAR from tacky lol.

I was talking to Toy about this the other day. I've been looking at a LOT of things different. I want the things I sew to last. Not just the wearability of my garment but the style. I love classic pieces that will last me forever.

I still have suits from when I was in corporate america. I still wear them. They STILL look good. WHY? Because they are classic pieces.

I like to have fun with my accessories. I'm beginning to not like trendy shoes lol. I love a cute shoe, but will I still like it in a few years? My thinking is changing.

Ok, my ramble is over. May not make sense to you but it's what's on my mind right now.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

[Alethia]

Girl, it's called maturing, getting older and wiser.Like everything else in life our perspective change as we get older and it should change. I love stylish, conservative modern clothes with a trendy. Beautiful clothes are allways fashionable and stylish. It's interesting that you wrote this post, because I started to look at patterns from the 1950s0 1970. The styles lines are simple, classic, elegant and will look beautiful made up in linen, cotton, wool and silk. In fact those styles can be made in about every type of fabric we have available today. If you are going to sew, then I believe it worth sewing clothes that will last a lifetime.

[Beth Conkwright]

Welcome to getting the wisdom of age. ha ha

[CarlaF-in Atlanta]

I think I have what my grandma called an "old soul". I've always been drawn to classic, timeless clothing.

[shai]

I agree. When I was younger and had limited income, I bought what was affordable. Usually the affordable stuff was trendy and didn't last long.

I think I have loved fashion since I was a very little girl. I loved the styles of the 40's and 50's when I was little. I loved some of Lucy's stuff on I Love Lucy.

Now to see classic styles, I loved when I was little out makes me swoon. Some stuff I can buy, some stuff makes me wish I could design and/or sew.

On one blog, the person said they make a style book of pics of things they want for the season. I just started mine and I love it.

[sheila]

I am a lover of clothes, but have not grasp the love of fashion. Being in corporate america for so long, its hard to step outside the box. Also, I find that in instances that I did step outside the box, those garments had a short life span. They ended being donated.

[Erica B.]

It goes without saying that I LURVE FASHION! It is truly becoming my life! As far as my personal wardrobe is concerned, the pieces that I put A LOT of time into constructing are the ones that I want to love years from now. Like coats and jackets. I like trendy pieces as well. And it's a MUST that I look "current". you just have to know how to keep your look updated.

[Buttahfly]

I miss working in San Francisco because fashion and functionality were always on my mind. And stuff was SUPER cheap because the big city stores had to keep their inventory rotating constantly and so there were always steep discounts. The people walking around in the big city were beautiful. It was fun being in that environment. Classic peices are vitally important. Vital! But, I do find myself sometimes sewing things that I would nevr buy because the style is so trendy it would be a waste of money. Fun to sew, but a waste of money.

[narcissaqtpie]

Yes! I have always been a fashion lover but I am relating very much to this post. I have been into the fashion blogs moreso than magazines lately and it caused me to re-evaluate.

I have been inspired to make and wear ONLY what I love and makes me feel good.

So, how about doing a shoe post?? (pretty please, again)

[toy]

They say fashion is never finished, basic design concepts are always revamped and de-constructed. Which means that you should never STOP growing in developing in your style, if you are falling in love with fashion right now, maybe its because you are stepping into the next phase of you "style development" and maybe what the world of fashion is putting out right now is the next step to what you already like right now.

[Lisa]

I feel the same way...I need my clothes to last a lot longer these days, so I look for classics, too...

[Carla]

I am with Alethia, it is a sign of mature thinking. You can wear every new trend. I stick to what works for me.

[toni]

It's definitely a function of growing older. Especially with trends. I'm at the age where I notice stuff that was trendy when I was in junior high is back again and I still love it. But right now I'm about timeless basics that will carry me into the future.

[Mary Pomeroy]

I would just like to know where you find all those cute little cardigans. I am seriously hooked on them too and where I live (Alaska) I need them all summer long.

[Barbara]

Thanks for a great post. I am moving to far more at home time and I know exactly how you feel, the trick is to be in style as opposed to in fashion, and to dress up for your day-to-day life. But not all that is on trend is wearable in a real life - I mean who can cook dinner in those shoes? I am trying to sew favourite clothes and to look to fashion for new favourites. Does that make sense?

[TJ]

I really like staying up to date with fashion and color trends, but my personal style is a bit more classic with maybe a trendy flourish here and there. I'm a BIG lover of accessories because they afford me that ability to put together a wardrobe that will last but is still fun.

[Myra]

OMG! I love both...Fashion and clothes! But isn't it fun to add a trendy piece every now and then just to keep yourself "fashionable"!

One of the things I'm not good with at all is accessorizing! I need to really start studying in this area!! Watching you and Toy with the belts, scarfs etc is really helping too! (and I love your ramblings, LOL!!)

[barb]

I have always loved style and not necessarily fashion.I never wear jeans with designer names because I fell why should they get free advertising from me and the prices are crazy. I was watching the spin off from the Mary Tylyer Moore show and I loved the way Rhoda dressed I still like that today she is timeless.

[robin]

I agree with you. I feel that way about knitting now - I want to knit things that are not only fun to knit, but are wearable and will last forever. Just like sewing - I am making tons of sheath dresses, which I think are pretty timeless, especially when made from a nice suiting fabric.

[raven]

I'm with you too. When I sew something, unless it's a very quickie project, I make sure that I take my time and it's a piece that I can wear for years. I'm into some of the trends that come through, but I don't have money to waste - period. If it's trendy and I have to have it, it's usually coming from a place like Forever21 (aka CHEAP) lol.

That's why I love collecting patterns, because I realize that even if they are out of style now, just wait a few years and it'll be back. When those 50s rompers were coming back, some of those folks were selling those patterns for a mint!! It's only now, a few years later, that I can actually get a Simplicity pattern romper or jumpsuit on sale!

Anyways, I am just rambling!! lol. THANK you for your comment!! And I wanted to tell you that I totally gave you a shout-out on my latest post, because I recall reading your pattern review on that pattern before I started it - so thanks a bunch!!

xo,
raven

P.S.--I get that o.O face a lot too on some of these fashion blogger stylings, haha.

[Bunny]

Adrienne are y'all ok?? Just checking on my B'ham friends.

[Melanie]

Funny that you wrote this piece...the entire reason why I LOVE Banana Republic is because I find most of their clothes "timeless", they are not following the latest trend, but following what's cute and what's not but also what can I person still wear two years from now....yes it's a little conservative sometimes, but like you I like dressing it up or down with accessories.

[rayban 3025]

This is the best iphone 3gs accessories article I have ever found on the Internet.

[Tany]

I too have been paying attention to fashion blogs lately and what inspires me the most is the constant change, the different possibilities and the ability of reinventing oneself on each day. I'm not saying I don't apreciate the classics, because I do A LOT but now I'm trying to mix them with trendier elements. Taking classic wardrobe elements and accessorize/mix them with the new fashionable ones, thinking out of the box, that's what's driving me lately.