Well, looks like the fashionistas are going to declare me obsolete and lock me up in a change room for the rest of my days. Because I still haven’t got around to see “Sex and The City” the movie yet! Even though A.’s been nagging to go for weeks. Prolly this Sat if I can get out of the shop early. I still want to see it despite scathing reviews that gave it a rating of 1 & 1/2 stars, despite knowing for certain that the plot would be disappointing, as with pretty much every other movie that was made from a popular TV series, like some kind of a pathetic last effort to milk the cash cow that is their already over-satiated audience. The X-Files movie, anyone?
I’ll be happily handing over 16 bucks (SIXTEEN!) at the box office if only to perve at Kristin Davis. Oh boy isn’t she THE eye-candy? Sizzling! If only to feast my eyes on Carrie’s 81 outfits. Yes, eighty-one, EIGHTY AND ONE! All in 2 hours and 26 minutes. That’s an average of 1.8 minutes per outfit. Brilliant! If only to hear the theme song. My fave theme song! Just after Mission Impossible’s “This tape will self-destruct in 5 seconds“.
Anyhoo, so here I sit, in my frumpy slumpy combo of slouchy jeans and shapeless sweater, scouring the Weird Wide Wed for photos of those eye-popping dresses. Here’s some visual aid for you:
Jaw-dropping, aren’t they? I honestly couldn’t help muttering “What the heck?” several times. Then suddenly a thought struck me. Why is it that Carrie can pull off those ridiculous clothes and the rest of us simply cannot? Not in this life time. Not even the next. All those clashing prints and colours, and fugly chunky shoes, amd MASSIVE CLOUD-LIKE HANDBAG AS BIG AS A BEANBAG! Oh wait, maybe it IS a beanbag. Kinda hard to tell. My Lord! Well we may try and be a little more adventurous, and even dash right to the shops after each episode and scoop up the latest Carrie-inspired pieces, but I doubt any of us would dare putting on a whole Carrie-combo without risking getting sent off to live forever in a psychiatric ward.
So according to yours truly, the answers to that throbbing question are:
a. She’s in a movie. DUH! You can pretty much wear a potato sack in a movie, and with the right lighting and filming angle, they can make it look all glamorous and artistic.
b. Her stylist, Patricia Field, is a genius. Or a goose made to appear a genius. Thanks to all those brain-washing multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns. I don’t know. But admiring as I am of Carrie’s outfits, Ms. Field’s clothing line just doesn’t do it for me. They all seem a bit forced, fake, too fancy-schmancy. But I guess that’s the whole point, isn’t it?
c. And this is the most important reason, my ladies, one that deserves to be bold italic underlined AND coloured: it’s Carrie’s ATTITUDE that makes her look good! ** Her confidence. Her utter trust that because an award-winning costume designer has put together a particular combination, it HAS GOT to be good.
I’ve seen the same in real life. If you put on something that you believe is gorgeous, you will look gorgeous. Especially more so if it goes with the right mix-and-match. Anything! Okay maybe not a potato sack or a plastic rain poncho, but really, anything else. That dress of 2 seasons ago? Yup. That hat found at the back of your local op shop for 2 bucks? Yeap. The little blouse that Mum made and you thought was downright tacky? YES. THAT TOO! I’ve also seen girls who had to have the latest Lisa Ho / Leona Edmiston dresses but looked dismal in them because deep down they didn’t think those dresses suited their figures.
I guess here is where all the hype surrounding Patricia Field’s work is justified: she encouraged an adventurous, individual, upbeat kind of approach: think outside the box, dress outside your “safe” wardrobe, shop outside the chain-stores, and just believe that you look great.
So stop stressing about what’s “in” right now, girlies. (Okay maybe still do — for what is fashion without the craze? — but try and relax a little.) Instead, start training your mind for a positive attitude towards your own image. Everyone is beautiful in their own way. They just need to believe in that. And push their nose up in the air just a teeny bit more. 😉
~silver rain~
PS: Okay, I was just kidding about the last bit. You can all lower your chins now.
** Oops did you hover your mouse over that line thinking it was a link? Coz I just did. And it’s my own post. Yeah I know I’m a dumb-dumb like that. Sorry it wasn’t. I was only emphasising my point with the underline. 🙂
Amy's little soap box 