Making Change

#TheLook

“The modern suit can trace its origins back to Beau Brummell. The English socialite was a prominent figure in Regency England and was responsible for starting many sartorial trends. Through this period, Western fashion was heavily influenced by the flamboyant styles of the French court.” (https://suitshop.com/blogs/news/a-history-of-mens-suits/)

Once an upon a time, and it wasn’t that long ago, women working in daycare’s for men the Office had to wear knee length skirts, no pant suits please. I started work at daycare for men an Office at the tail end of those years, and duly showed up feeling sharp, nervous AF, and ‘professional’, in a newly procured skirt ensemble. 

Did it help me get ahead? absolutely not…. 

Dress for the job you want 

But looking like a ‘professional’ certainly helped me feel like one, to fit in with everyone else, to take away Level 1 Judgement (superficial; looks, clothing, etc.) so that, hopefully what you do rather than how you look takes centre stage.

I remember seeing a girl on the weekend at the local shopping centre wearing a suit jacket, in maybe 1996 and thinking, ‘She doesn’t have to wear those during the week does she’. The delineation between corporate / office life and weekend life, was super clear. Maybe if you weren’t career focused you hoped to spend as little as possible on ‘work wear’ like you resented it, like buying school uniforms. I had read and agreed with the line in Anna Johnson’s “Three Black Skirts”, – you’re paid to look like you’ve got your shit together during the week, save the thrifting for weekend looks that are easily elevated in the shadows of cocktail bars etc. Also I felt like spending 40+ hours a week in these clothes made ‘investment dressing’ make sense. 

Well we all know what happened at the turn of the century. Skivvy’s and jeans became the look du jour in the office. NO need to revisit it. 

Regardless of this though, life and work started to bleed more into each other, your job is your identity and you give up your life for it. Slowly but surely, more weekend wear made it into the office, while ties gradually stayed slung over the back of the office chair, rolled up in the desk drawer only for important client meetings. 

The Americanisation of the world marched on 

It’s common in English speaking countries to wear athleisure or flat out gym clothes out and about while running errands, going for coffee, etc. All day. No need to even go to the gym. “I can wear what Iwant” whereas in Europe and France in particular, (it’s not just a Paris thing) you just don’t. Some say it’s snobbiness or something; it’s not, it’s “We’re living in a society, other people have to look at you”. Looking like you made an effort to be seen in public is showing respect for the other. Social cohesion as performance art if you will. 

And Now, after years and years of going to a corporate office many are working from home, working from cafe’s, not working, languishing, working for themselves, raising families, pets and so on. 

What does a wardrobe look like for a new life, when you’re no longer the Mary Poppins of the working world?

Finding new Lands

Moving on doesn’t have to be physical, it doesn’t always mean moving house, moving countries. Even if it does, those kinds of moves are often symbolic anyway, because no matter where you go, you take yourself with you. But at the start of the Lunar new year, which this year is the Snake, it is also symbolic that the snake is an animal that keeps its form but sheds its skin.

The Reset

Travelling for six weeks with 7 items of clothing in a carry on, plus a coat will do that for you. A black midi pleated knit skirt, 2 t-shirts (grey, black), A blue striped long sleeve t-shirt, A wine coloured cashmere knit, a beige sweatshirt and black pants. plus tights. Oh and a sequinned Chanel jacket which was an absolute waste of space and therefore doesn’t count. 

After week two you really don’t care to visit another Zara or fashion website. You realise you want to be comfortable, but also taken seriously. Not necessarily as an authority in fashion however, but it’s too early in life to have given up and it’s too late in life to care that much about what you wear, or anything other than your own opinion for that matter. Because after a life devoted to the acquisition of personal style and all the assets that represent that, you realise that one day you will look back and be happy with what you did more than how you looked, and while being regarded as well dressed is certainly a goal worth achieving, (and I hope I have and will continue to achieve it) .. in the words of Bjork.. “there’s more to life than this”