I was just in NYC for a quick trip to see my mom and hang out with a friend who really knows clothes. Sarah had written a Master's thesis on women, fashion and modernity, and one of the designers that she analyzed was Rei Kawakubo. So, when we happened to walk by the entrance to the store, "Comme des Garçons," Sarah was very excited to actually see, touch and try on some of the iconic designer's clothes.
Meanwhile, I had actually just watched the episode from "Schitt's Creek" in which David Rose, one of the main characters and writers of the series, had worn the little heart with eyes logo shirt, and there it was, in the "flesh"! I am learning that the series sought clothing from second hand sources because they wanted top designer clothing to flesh out the characters even more. Hence Moira wore Balenciaga and David wore...Comme des Garçons!
There was a sale going on inside that iconic designer's store, and Sarah and I both tried on some skirts and dresses. We each went home with a slightly different red dress. This was a strange purchase for me. I had never purchased a dress just because it was so beautifully made, never mind a new dress. When would I wear it and for what occasion? Why did I spend money on yet another dress, especially a new one?
all three images from "Comme des Garçons" website
To begin to answer the question, I realize that Sarah and I went through a process together, acquiring a piece of clothing that would retain meaning for years to come. More and more people of all gender identifications are living through "ceremonial" moments together, moments that serve as alternative, "outside" rites of passage to the normative sequence of engagement/wedding/marriage. I have been married twice, and have done each in a relatively low-key way. I have never had an engagement party nor a bridal shower nor a baby shower. When I was on the threshold of sixty, I thought of throwing a party that would ironically be called a "shower," showering nothing really, but then COVID happened. I'm not sure that I will ever regain the pre-COVID mindset of wanting to throw a big bash.
Meanwhile, I think about the consequences of my purchase, and what it has to do with used clothing. It doesn't. But, as I do research for the book version of this blog, I reread a passage in a book about sustainable clothing that reminds us of the amount of energy, water and pollution we generate AFTER we acquire a piece of clothing in order to keep it clean. The used silk suit that I just purchased at a local vintage store might have been sustainably sourced, but it won't be sustainably maintained as it will require dry cleaning. The CDG dress, on the other hand, can be machine washed and hung to dry.
Without big crowd occasions at which to wear these expensive, high end clothes, and without a tv series in which to wear them either, I will relegate them to my closet where they will hang for years perhaps, ignored but not forgotten. I listen to Catherine O'Hara, the actress who plays Moira Rose on "Schitt's Creek," explain that the wigs she wore on the series helped her express or hide emotions depending on her mood. I'm not on a big hit series, but I do have moods. And friends with whom to celebrate important stages of life, even if that means that the celebration will only take place inside a fitting room with two people present.
Moira and David from "Schitt's Creek" courtesy The Guardian.
I end on these two photos from the aforementioned show and this article in The Guardian.
No comments:
Post a Comment