2.17.2014

style notes: what women want / or, practical luxury pt. II


“The desire to be comfortable is profound, shaping attitudes and markets."
–Cathy Horyn

in her last piece, Cathy Horyn elaborates on the gap between high fashion and real retail, and the shift towards comfortable chic. it's fitting that a writer and critic of Ms. Horyn's caliber leaves her tenure at the Times with such a prescient essay.

last year i wrote about the concept of 'practical luxury', and many readers chimed in. i hope we can continue the conversation here.

the fashion industry is full of contradictory truisms. consider the men who design so-called empowering, sexy heels for women vs. the women who can't actually walk in them (and go on to develop debilitating foot and back problems from their prolonged stiletto habit). the mainstream fashion media tells us to "look effortless (but really make an effort)", "master the art of the 'no-makeup' look (with make-up)", and so on.

perhaps the biggest contradiction is the so-called dichotomy between 'chic' vs. 'comfort' – the tired refrain that "looking stylish has nothing to do with feeling at ease". but you only need to look to recent bestsellers – like the dickersthe trinasold-school sneakersbirks – to see the retail impact of chic comfort. 

while this may be yet another trend for some, the idea that real, honest comfort is fundamental to inhabiting one's sense of style has always been at the core of LAM and my own sartorial philosophy. i stopped buying painful shoes that i couldn't walk in years ago. i don't believe in masochism for the sake of fashion (well, perhaps with the temporary exception of those A.P.C. jeans). i don't splurge on clothes that i can't see going the distance as wardrobe workhorses.

this is why i love brands like Everlane, Vince, Emerson Fry, and (even though i can't afford it) The Row. real clothes for real life – now that's something worth paying for.

what do you think of the nexus between comfort/style, and practical luxury? do you find yourself struggling with the balance?

25 comments:

  1. I couldn't be happier that fashion is singing my song right now. Snapping up loads of sneakers. Green suede Supergas are the latest:). Now if I can find a velvet jacket to pair them with...

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  2. i don't like clothes (or anything) that restricts freedom of movement. i don't want to be trapped by fashion.

    i can wear heels to "look taller" -- but actually *shorten* my leg muscles, tuck my pelvis in and *scrunch* my back into a C-shape. or, i can wear flats, stand aligned, stick my butt out (thank you Beyonce) and actually be taller -- cos my back is straight. i would rather have the latter!

    i recently splurged on Outlier riding pants shop.outlier.cc/shop/retail/women-s-daily-riding-pant.html and they fit perfect - no waist/butt gap at all. and i noticed that these pants allow me to move in every which way. (is that why, side note, the website is full of pictures of people jumping over stuff?). and i love that the clothes empowers me to move and live the way i want.

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    1. i love your ethos on fluid clothing! and yeah heels should never compensate for bad posture ;)

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  3. I've actually been struggling with this a bit over the past few years. After I messed up my feet (and was ordered by my doctor to not even THINK about a heel more than a couple inches high) I've worn mainly flats and a few kitten heels. I love running, and my stilettos were not worth messing up my feet further and hobbling me.
    After I had to give up my heels the rest of my style started becoming much more tomboy and relaxed, and I'm not a big fan of showing a lot of skin or wearing a lot of makeup, so recently I've been worried about being perceived as frumpy. When does casual chic slide into being unkempt and frumpy? I'm not sure myself, but I"m trying to make sure that I stay firmly on the side of "chic".
    Anyway, great post, it's definitely echoed a few of my own thoughts.

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    1. i just think of Audrey Hepburn's approach - she wore a lot of ballet flats and kitten/moderate heels. graceful and ethereally chic then, and now.

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  4. If you read some definitions of the word "chic", one is actually "casual and understated style". In my opinion, stylish and chic isn't necessarily the same. Take Victoria Beckham for instance - she's stylish, but she's not chic. I also tend to relate "stylish" to "trendy" and "chic" to "timeless", but that's just my personal perception. As for practical luxury, it's definitely worth paying for good quality and timeless styles as long as you actually wear or use the items in question.

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    1. nanne - that's such a good point you raise. that definition of 'chic' is def what i strive for.

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  5. I have to say, the pants in the picture do not look comfortable. And the shoes in 80% of Emerson Fry's pictures... are 4'' high. Of course the reason I know this is that I love a lot of the clothes EF makes and their pictures are awesome, which is why it's sad the way a good chunk is not practical. Like thin white dresses that you can not wear with a bra.

    But I agree with your post completely. I wish more companies focused on trying to create stylish, "chic" if you like, comfortable and practical clothes. It is possible! And I'm convinced there's plenty of money in it. But there doesn't seem to be that much interest :(.

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    1. I love the look of Emerson Fry, but I don't really think it's that practical either, and it stops me from ordering every time. I agree with your point about the heels and the thin dresses. I also hate the fact that so much of it is dry clean only, in spite of natural fabric content and in simple designs. I'm sorry, but an item of clothing simply will not be a staple in my wardrobe if it has to go to the dry cleaner. They are a number of reasons why. Dry cleaning is bad for fabrics, the environment, workers, and me. My closest dry cleaners suck, and the only cleaner I trust is in my old neighborhood, a litle out of the way. Dry cleaning is the only reason I have to go to the area, and I don't own enough dry clean only clothing that I'm there often, so it piles up, out of rotation before I make it there. Plus, the costs are really high where I live and they add up quickly. I think it's a waste of my money.

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    2. @ Victoria - i think there will always be a spectrum of comfort that varies from person to person. but i do know what you mean about falling in love with a photo of something online and finding it impractical in real life. i do hope LAM is a community resource for instances like this!

      @ Alyce - i try to minimize my dry-clean only items to dressy / formal / work pieces as well. i also read fabric tags like a laser and whittle out impractical items that way.

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  6. I'm really pleased that this style is becoming the new norm. Love what Nanne says about the definition of chic, and couldn't agree more- casual and understated style is becoming easier to achieve. The key, I think, is to develop one's sense of style, so it doesn't slide into shorts-and-flip-flops.

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  7. Comfort completely guides my wardrobe but not at the expense of style - it's the difference between wearing a baggy tee and wearing the perfect slouchy tee. I think that's why it's still worth blogging about, and worth considering. It's the art of looking stylish while feeling comfortable. I've recently purchased my first pair of boyfriend jeans and though I'm still not convinced they do anything good to my bum, they're so comfortable I know there's no turning back. Even though my style is all about comfort, I reign it in a bit by being strict with colour and proportion, so even if I feel like I'm wearing pyjamas, there's the bare wrist, the little gold watch, the comfy suede boots. It's a balancing act!

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  8. I'm big on practical - I can't bring myself to buy anything that isn't. But I did make a big concession to an impractical item a few years ago -- my Chanel 2.55. It's an easy bag in all ways but one: the weight. It's probably my heaviest bag, given its size and when I use it I leave my wallet (which is really heavy because it's stuffed with receipts for work claims) at home, to relieve some of the weight. The chain strap also leaves terrible marks on bare skin. In comparison, the new Boy bags have that adjustable leather padding on the chain, which is a smart move.

    I also hate buying anything that needs dry cleaning or special cleaning. I recently tried on a fantastic pair of trousers and they were perfect in fit - it pained me to see that it contains a bit of wool and the label called for dry cleaning. I'm still on the fence whether to risk it and just buy it and wash it on the delicates/wool mode on my machine, because the fit is awesome, but fabric care is a big practical concern for me.

    I think age makes me really sensitive to discomfort - i cant stand shoes with low vamps any more and have virtually retired from ballet flats because they're not as comfortable as my lace-ups and loafers. And there are no lack of luxury options to choose from -- I think the variety of flat shoes out there is a really nice development, fashion-wise.

    I think that even a comfortable look requires a lot of effort to pull together - I want slouchy garments that also fit and hang off my body right. I want flat shoes but they also should convey a sense of personal style and flair. There's the never ending search for quality at the right price. A comfortable, practical look isn't a rejection of style and probably involves as much care and planning as that of someone who prefers a look that's ostensibly more "high maintenance".

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    1. the drycleaning issue is really hard to navigate for certain garments/fabrics. i'm willing to make a concession for a work/dressy item like a suit obviously, but i refuse to do 'dryclean only' basics! :P

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  9. As I get older, I have very little patience for impractical items. There are a few I hold on to, like gold leather Bruno Magli peep-toe heels (strictly for saris) which are not particularly comfortable to stand in for hours on end. But the vast majority of my wardrobe is easy to wear, and I find myself becoming increasingly annoyed with the items that rarely see the light of day, compared to those that I wear all the time and own in multiples because they are so wonderful.
    That said, practical does not have to equal frumpy - all one needs is a few key items or details to elevate a basic look - my Carven cocoon coat has served me well this winter, adding polish to every look.

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    1. ammu - you really should join instagram so that we can see some of your lovely wardrobe essentials in action! ;)

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  10. I agree with all the comments above. I can't spend money on something that I won't wear because it's uncomfortable. End of story. And the older I get, the more ruthless I am about declaring things uncomfortable. Which is not to say that I'm going to end up wearing yoga pants and sweat shirts all day, it's just that things need to permit movement and activity. I always liked Ines de la Fressange for mastering the art of the chic flat shoe.

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  11. I think it's become much, much easier nowadays to dress comfortably and stylishly. For years, I felt there was a huge divide between the two and I couldn't be happier that the tide seems to be turning to more easily available clothes and accessories that are offer both. My lifestyle doesn't allow for anything but practicality but I agree that it is often a lot harder to combine stylish and chic with comfort. Most of my former closet consisted of 'dress up' clothes and I realised it was so much easier to do that than work out a more comfortable chic look for everyday.

    The key for me are shoes, always the shoes closely followed by bags. I'm so glad we have kitten heels, more reasonable 3" highs, slippers and brogues (my saviours!) for all year round! I think my face looks best if my feet are comfy! Also an acceptance of my figure and learning to make the best of my proportions helps a lot.

    I also reject anything that requires dry cleaning except for coats and similar tailoring. My fabric choices are much more careful and I've found great pieces for very little, it's just a case of keeping an open mind and knowing what to look for.

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    1. i agree - i really am optimistic that this sea change is for the long term!

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  12. My clothing, and my purchases are imminently practical (rather than comfortable per se - though comfort does play a role in practical). I have a long checklist that has to be met before I'll purchase something. The item has to made of soft and natural fibers. It cannot duplicate something I already own, unless of course I wear it often enough that the duplication is warranted. It has to work for my professional and casual wardrobe, unless it's a dress or skirts (which I tend to like in either very formal or very casual variations). It cannot require dry cleaning, unless it's a work dress or skirt, but this caveat is the exception, not the norm. It cannot pinch or tug my body, or require readjusting throughout the day. Absolutely no visible labels. It must work seamlessly with my existing wardrobe. I have to love it from the first moment I put it on - no "making it work" and feel really good wearing it.

    Given these requirements, I reject almost all of the clothing I encounter. By the time I find an item that meets those requirements, I don't particularly care if it's "stylish" by someone else's metric. So while I have a clearly defined and comfortable way of dressing, I don't think of my wardrobe as stylish. I occasionally wish for more stylish clothing, but then I rarely find stylish things that fit my requirements. So instead of stylish, I have a 65-item wardrobe of basic and simple items in neutral colors in very plush, natural fabrics. I wear the same things over and over again, and have been for years. I'm excited about this returning trend for comfort, because this clothing is more likely to meet my requirements than more stylish trends. (That said, the requirements that can still be difficult to meet are no dry cleaning and natural fabrics.)

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  13. I love "a practical approach to 'impractical' puchases"!

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  14. My list of "practical luxury" items always includes a nice pair of shoes, the latest being the Hope Macy boots in black. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to upkeeping my favorite shoes yet--I'm afraid to take them to the cobbler but am thinking about resoling them myself with vibram soles since I now own a small orbital sander.

    Also, for silk, cashmere, wool, and "dry clean only" items--one of the best purchases I made last year was a handheld steamer. It is like MAGIC watching it take wrinkles out of silk and comes with a lint comb for sweaters and also assuages my fears of things getting ruined at the cleaners.

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  15. I wear what I want to wear. It's as simple as that.

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  16. I am so happy to have found this blog. I struggle with the comfort/chic thing all the time and usually fail so I love to read about you all who can make it work! Plus you all write with charm and respect for others opinions. So refreshing to find on the internet!

    Anyway, for me it's always the shoes that cause the problem. Most shoes give me blisters without socks. I have narrow feet that seem to always hurt in anything but tennis shoes. Even ballet flats that everyone else can wear, hurt on me. Please keep up the discussions so I can lurk and maybe find some pretty things that work for me.

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