“A new dress isn’t going to get you anywhere. It’s the life you live in that dress.”
That’s a quote from fashion doyenne Diana Vreeland, who made her observation long before street style reached phenom status. But her philosophy still has legs. These days, fashion lovers are living it up in self-styled looks and providing inspiration for others online in the form of outfit posts. Creativity begets creativity, favoring wildly original points of view over the tired redundancy of fashion clones.
Seek inspiration and ye shall find. There’s enough idiosyncratic style at the following sites to satisfy even a Vreelandian appetite.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL
Atlantic-Pacific (atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com): A recent post titled “Red” is a vision of romance with a sexy edge (check the shoes). Leopard print and leather make regular appearances, too, earning this bi-coastal blog a serious stamp of approval.
Dapper Lou (dapperlou.com): The attraction at Dapper Lou is elevated men’s style. A mix of “Just Dapper” shots of Lougé himself and pics of other “Street Gents” keeps the ever-changing view fresh and intoxicating.
Lookbook.nu: The roots of my outfit post interest can be traced back to Lookbook.nu. Described as a “collective fashion consciousness,” the site brings together guys and dolls from around the world who dress to impress and post looks. Viewers can “hype” what they like and create enough buzz to land someone on the front page. From there, I found a new favorite blog to follow by Brazilian beauty Flåvia Desgranges van der Linden, called fashioncoolture.com.
LOCAL
Belle de Couture (belledecouture.com): Perhaps the most prolific outfit poster in Tampa Bay, Jennifer Rand is a self-professed “chameleon of fashion,” which in her case represents a double entendre. She started out picturing herself footloose and fancy-free in styles ranging from “classic prep” to “’70s boho” and “modern edge,” but has evolved to reflect a major change in her own life: She’s now applying that same style sensibility to maternity wear.
Latrenia Bryant Photography (blog.lbryantphotography.com): A photography blogger at heart, Latrenia has mastered the art of the self-portrait, and in the process delivers undeniably cool creativity in the form of outfit posts. I love what she did with her husband's shirt (above and below) in “DaMANShirt,” but from “Ethnic Boho” to “Cinnamon Bun Style,” there’s a lot of taste to consume.
Mag’s Rags to Riches (magsragstoriches.com): Maggie’s a budget-minded Chanel girl whose thrill of the hunt leads to some fabulous finds. Whether she scores something to love (for like $4) or engages her DIY prowess, she shows it off stylishly.
Photographed in their elements, these bloggers are living the Vreeland credo.
So who is this Diana Vreeland character? Beginning in 1937, she spent 25 years as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar before becoming editor-in-chief of Vogue and finally crowning her fashion reign at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. During her career, she launched Twiggy and published the first picture of Mick Jagger. “Those lips!” she exclaimed.
I reflected on Diana after seeing the new documentary on her life, The Eye Has to Travel, when it was shown in a limited run recently at Tampa Theatre. What I found most fascinating is that Diana is credited for being the first to recognize fashion as art. Pause. Let that sink in. She also appreciated fashion photography as an art form before it caught on as such. Had I been there at the start, I would have screamed from the rooftops: She’s on to something!
So in the spirit of living the style you write about, here’s my own outfit post, in honor of Diana Vreeland (and a fabulous evening):
For local fashion brand SoLily’s recent “Glitterama” fashion show featuring the inaugural “Sparkle Hippie” collection, I channeled my inner Jimi Hendrix with a ’70s maxi dress (procured locally at Sherry’s Yesterdaze and pictured at right).
Just as an event invitation sets the tone for the coming party, what you wear to that party affects your experience of the festivities. In the case of SoLily’s “Sparkle Festival,” I got to wear an exciting, theme-appropriate dress (with combat boots underneath), strut around with my face painted (by Tawney’s Artful Bodies) and once seated, I got to shake a tambourine.
I’d say that dress gave me a great night out. Or is it the other way around?
This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2012.