-i talk about stuff a lot here. i think about stuff a lot, too. about how we have lots of stuff, what we do with that stuff...and i often wonder if we (we includes me) really need all that stuff...
apparently, comedian george carlin, who died sunday at age 71 of heart failure, pondered some of the same stuff about stuff.
RIP, george.
-do you love and/or accept your body? or do you, like so many, find yourself being critical of your current form?
already pretty made a recent post touching on body image, wherein she quotes stylist/designer l'wren scott, who dresses many rich and famous folks, many of whom who embody enviable forms: "i've never met a woman who loves her own body. ever." a tragic statement, if true.
relatedly, tara parker-pope of the new york times reports on a study that suggests that many normal weight teens feel fat.
where does this body hatred, this fear of flesh (or, really fleshiness) come from? what can we do to cure or counteract bad body image, culture-wide? what is already being done?
why are we so hard on ourselves, and so critical of the bodies of others? is it part of being human, is it social/part of society or something more?
how much culpability should the fashion industry (fashion designers, marketers, and fashion media all included) accept for this culture-wide body dysmorphia, if they should at all? are they, to a large part, to blame, because they glorify (and market) an impossibly skinny and tall ideal?
but...also, i ask: are things better now than they used to be, as far as body image goes? are we more accepting of bodies (of others, of our own) these days, or less?
-up until what seems like recently, fashion favored the showy 'conspicuous consumption' look: the 'it' dress, the 'it' bag, the 'it'...whatever. show it off, wear it proud, in your face, bling, blang...pow! wear the trends everyone else is wearing to show (or at least suggest) you're in the inner circle! aspirational fashion, ahoy!
now, with the looming recession, it's all about stealth wealth. to quote forbes magazine, "the fashion for aggressive displays of wealth is hitting a low point". the new, more subtle way to show your "in"? to wear that which flies under the radar, that which is recognizable only those "in the know".
after reading about this, i wonder: how long can these lower-profile, high-class trends really stay secret and stealthy? eventually, i'd argue, those wily plebes are going to catch on, no? :) how does/will this trend for the lower profile trends trickle and translate down the line? it's only a matter of time before it does, right? and if it doesn't, why wouldn't it?
apparently, this trend for showing off wealth in a stealthy way isn't the look du jour elsewhere (outside the states and parts of europe, in the middle east and asia/pacific, etc.). different markets are now demanding different approaches to luxury (via the international herald tribune). perhaps america is no longer setting the pace...or the trends. trends and innovation are more and more developed overseas, no?
and...the quick and dirty. just a few for ya this go round!:
-this simple, minimal knitted linen tunic pattern found on the purl bee so very much hits the mark with me right now.
-a brilliant fiber dyeing idea from the matchbook: use flour paste to achieve a batik-like effect on fabric. (via craft:)
-polka dot creations shows how to transform an old sheet into a funky new skirt (also via craft:)
