Some Notes on Fashion

I never met Isabella Blow, who died recently. We didn't exactly move in the same social circles-she being a British muse/socialite/fashion icon and me being from a small town in the Mid-West who dreamed of beautiful clothes. And yet, I vividly remember the first picture I ever saw of her, wearing a hat made of coins that draped down over her face. I wondered who this woman was, who could wear a hat like that with such insouciance. And the pictures of her kept coming-in a dress that seemed to be made of metal, like something from the 1941 version of Robin Hood that Olivia DeHavilland wore in that movie, both modern and medieval. And all the hats-as the muse of Philip Treacy, she had hats that obscured her eyes, her face or were a wisp of fabric, a feather,or spelled out her name. she viewed fashion as costumes, as a show and she dressed by her own rules. She was never thin or beautiful (or, as it turned out, rich) but she had more style and verve than anyone I had ever seen. The best comment I read on her after her death was a friend who was meeting her at the airport to go on a fashion shoot and said "I was no shrinking violet and had dressed up, but Issie...she was wearing a cape and a tricorn". I wish I could do that-I'd love to have a tricorn.

And as for Tim Gunn joining Liz Claiborne-thank God. When I was growing up, you could always count on Liz for something nice-a well-cut jacket, nice pants and good-looking sweaters. They weren't fashionable but they were basic and reliable. But about ten years ago (maybe more) the clothes became stodgy and old fashioned. The cut of the pants and jackets never changed (and a word on the side-please, ladies, give up the pleated-high waisted pants. They aren't comfortable and they are aren't flattering. The nice pair of lower-rise pants is a million more times comfortable and flattering. Speaking as someone who pulled her older sister into the dressing room and made her try on a pair of lower-rise pants, I know whereof I speak. Please give them a shot. You won't be sorry) and colors transformed from fashionable to old-lady pastels-and as someone who has a hard time wearing pastels, I resented it and gave up even looking at those clothes. And then a funny thing happened-I went to the Liz outlet with my mom and sister over Christmas-and while there were still the boring pastel sweaters, there was a cool brown, brushed cotton jacket, with a nice cut (mine and I wear it all the time) And a dark-red leather jacket, short and cut close to the body (my sister's). And brown sweater, sort of hippie-ish with woven sleeves and a black sweater, woven like a delicate spider's web. It was refreshing. And now Tim Gunn is going to be advising them and they've bought Narciso Rodriguez's line (I'm sorry-they can whatever they like about the President of Liz being instrumentel in buying Narciso but Tim Gunn HAD to have something to do with it). It's always good to see a fashion line reinvent itself, so I'll watch with interest to see what happens.