What Not to Wear: The Curious Case of the Romper & Me

Part of being fashionable is knowing what does and does not work for your body. If you are flat chested wearing a dress designed for the likes of Christina Hendricks is not going to flatter your figure. The reverse as well is unfortunately true. So, once again just because they make it in your size doesn't mean you should wear it!

In this particular case, it is the romper that should be avoided if you are on the shorter/heavier side. Before you start lobbing rotten fruit at me, take a moment to hear my argument. I love rompers and am estatic that they are in fashion again. Yet, I'm totally gutted by the fact that I know they will not look good on me unless I drop some weight.

- ASOS

Being petite and plus sized creates this certain type of sihoutte where (if you are like me) you look compacted. Boobs and booty jut out at both ends without the height to balance them out. Factor that in with thighs that are a bit rubenesque and the romper just looks over extended.


I know its hot ladies, and one of the reasons the romper is so popular is that it seems "cooler". There are other ways to accomplish this - by lets say pairing this ASOS CURVE Jersey Bandeau Printed Midi Dress (US Sizes 18 - 24; $47.14) with a pair of stretchy shorts and a black bra with thin straps. The same level of freedom as well as breeziness is accomplished. Also, you get to rock a similiar look but one that flatters your frame better!

It is harsh reality to have my dreams of romper romps dashed, but oh well. I can at least admire them from afar.

Nerdgasm: colette x DC Comics

Nothing like writer's block to totally prevent any progress being made in the blog-o-sphere. I think watching Bridezilla has something to do with it. Seriously, that show is where all creative thought goes to die. I mean have you seen some of the weddings that are cranked out?

Luckily, I came across the colette x DC comics collection created to mark DC's 75th anniversary. It was damn near impossible for it not to break me out of my writing funk as it combined 2 of my most favorite things in the world: fashion + scifi. As you can imagine, I had a total nerdgasm!

My favorites were the ones that were inspired by the imagery, but didn't dwell on it or try to shoe horn their re-imagining onto it. They just let it happen and it turned out amazing.

1. Repetto x DC Comics - Ballerina Shoes (US Sizes 6 - 9; $251.14): Taking their inspiration from The Flash these flats are essential for any fashionista trying to make a mad dash across town. These gold lightening accented red flats will be sure to stand out amongst the sea of standard black flats out there. Also, seeing as they are from Repetto you are guaranteed an amazing comfortable fit!


2. Alexis Mabille x DC Comics - Joker Bow Tie ($167.43): The name just about spells out this item's inspiration. Though more menacing than jolly this bow tie is still nothing short of adorable. Or maybe my version of cute is just as warped as that of the Joker?


3. Karl Lagerfeld x DC Comics - Gloves (Sizes 7-7.5; $591.97): Green Lantern does not exactly jump to the forefront of your mind on first glance, but these gloves are amazing. The more you look at it the more it becomes clear that these were inspired by GL iconography. Lagerfeld after all is known for his amazing ability to tap into iconography to create pieces that use the mythos as building blocks for his own amazing ends.
   


4. Lanvin x DC Comics - Tee Shirt (FR Sizes M - XL; $179.98): Combining the seriousness of Batman with the cuteness of a pug is just the type of insanity that always keeps calling me back to Lanvin. No one else could have managed to capture the seriousness of Batman and the absurdity of comics better!

The ones I was not too fond of either lacked the creative spark or just did not understand where to go with the iconography. Interestingly enough, these pieces were those inspired by characters with the most clear cut imagery associated with them - Superman and Wonder Woman.

1. Maison Michel x DC Comics - Headband ($275.06): This piece inspired by Wonder Woman's tiara just falls flat for me. You all know I am obsessed with headpieces so I was excited to hear there was one included in the collection. I am also a huge Wonder Woman fan, so this should have been a slam dunk. Maybe you just need to see it on?


2. Pierre Hardy x DC Comics - Bag ($1793.06): This was the only piece in the collection I absolutely hated. It just seems so unnecessary and poorly designed. It is supposed to show the duality of Clark and Superman personas, but overall it just looks like they slapped the logo on a bag they had in production. I mean it could have been a really interesting piece since you know Clark/Superman had to constantly change clothes!
   


3. Julien David x DC Comics - Scarf ($382.69): Inspired by Superman's logo this item was borderline for me. I just feel like they could have done more with it than make a scarf that looks like I could have bought it at 6 Flags Great Adventure.
   


4. Sonia Rykiel x DC Comics - Dress (US Sizes 6 - 8; $1076.31): This dress seriously is a disappointment. I really do not know where to begin, but it takes all of the awesome out WW and replaces it with twee. Sonia Rykiel is about the softer side of femininity and I get that - but this was just not a good match up. There is just no excuse when the end product looks like a bastardized version of Sailor Moon cosplay design.

This post has brought me to another point. I think there are tons more people out there like me that love sci fi and fashion. I mean love her or hate her Lady Gaga is practically the walking representation of it! So, every once and awhile a scifi post might pop up amongst all the great fashion dish. I hope you don't mind dear readers!

Anything you can do, I can do better: Issues of Copyright in Fashion

Fashion rarely reinvents the wheel. More often than not you can trace the origins of certain sartorial choices to historical periods, cultural overtures, or even a particular designer of the past. It is a bit of an Ouroboros by nature, but lately it has transgressed the boundary of referential good taste.

Fashionista has been keeping tabs on this in their Adventures in Copyright Series. Just take a look below and you will see exactly what I am talking about.


It is not a new phenomena exactly as it has been endemic in some form to fashion retail in America for quite some time.

"Couture houses sold their patterns to American department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue in New York or I. Magnin in San Francisco for one-year reproduction rights...It wouldn't be a a Paris creation per se, but pretty close...Middle market garment manufactures would pay a fee in 1957, it was $2,000--plus royalties to Dior to incorporate elements of Dior's design into dresses and suits that retailed for $50 or $60 in the United States".
-- Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster by Dana Thomas

The only difference between this situation and the current state of affairs in fashion is lack of due credit. I think it evolved as such because consumers simply do not care about the lineage of the products they purchase. Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster examines this disconnect in luxury retail, but I cannot comment definitively on it as I have yet to finish it. From what I have read so far, it seems mass production of luxury is responsible for dulling the senses of consumers to the finer qualities of design. Thus devaluing its importance in the eyes of consumers and creating the widespread belief that superficial similarity is "good enough".

I cannot say that I have not fed into the system myself as I have been known to pour over "get the look" pages in magazines from time to time. There is, however, a big difference from taking inspiration from the runway and blatantly ripping off a designer. Capsule collections are probably the best solution for consumers that are hungry for luxury trends. It creates a market for those more apt to opt for the knockoffs that litter canal street to purchase "true" designer goods at an affordable price. It also ensures that the designers the recognition and control over the final design they deserve. Win - win right?

The other option for consumers who are low on cash is to support indie designers. The goods do not have the price inflation of high end designer garb, the cookie cutter look of luxury brands, nor lapses in production values that occur sometimes in haute products. I mean how can you go wrong?

Thoughts on it? Leave it the comments.

What Not To Wear: Leggings as Standalone Pants

Just because you can fit into something it does not necessarily mean that you should wear it. Discretion is key to being truly fashionable as it gives one the ability to ascertain whether or not a look works for their body type. After all, is not one of the main aims of modern fashion to create an ensemble that flatters the figure?

Why do I bring this up? Today as I was going about my day, I saw two of my chotto brethren wearing leggings as standalone pants. I know I have a whole post about how leggings are godsends, but that was was in regards to when worn as intended: foundation garments! For all of you unfamiliar with foundation garments: they are normally items meant to be worn underneath another item of clothing.

In the case of leggings, especially for larger fashionistas this means that it should be worn underneath a long sweater/shirt or a dress/skirt and not serve as a replacement for pants. Why? It more often than not emphasizes the not so sexy elements of the plus size frame when worn as standalone pants. I personally am part of the majority of people that cannot pull of this look, and that is why I always wear leggings as a foundation garment only.

If your intent is to emphasize the curves of your lower half you would be better served wearing something more akin to a pencil skirt in lieu of leggings as pants. It accentuates plus size curves in all the right places, and also provides the coverage needed to hide any negatives. I mean look at how great Stéphanie of Le Blog de Big Beauty looks to the left. It should be obvious that this is look is a win-win!