fashion & the definition of luxury

I have been so busy lately!It's been that kind of busy that makes it difficult for me to think of any new designs, because by the end of the day I'm so worn out that I just want to have a glass of wine in the bathtub and go to bed. On Friday, though, I was on one of the machines at the gym and I had a great idea for a fabric cuff. Do I make cuffs? Not yet, but I think I'm about to. I have piles of brocade and velvet fabric cluttering my house. A few buttons and some narrow lace could help turn all that fabric into wonderful things. Yesterday when I was in the garden fighting with my tiller (it was way, way too muddy to be doing what I was trying to do)I had a brilliant idea for a blog entry. I have forgotten most of it, but the high points are as follows:
High fashion is amazing. I love the excess, the frivolity at times, the grave seriousness at others. I adore the international exposure and influence of haute couture. I can say that the Christian Dior Spring 2007 collection has influenced my work.


I believe all women should thank Coco Chanel for making fashion more wearer-friendly, even though she wasn't exactly a fan of ready-to-wear items. All of that being said, however, none of that fits in with my current position in life. Nobody gives a damn if my handbag is out of season, or if my shoes are so-last-decade. The places I usually go, people are pleased as long as I'm relatively clean, and sometimes that's negotiable, too. I'm pretty sure that my well-worn harness boots and NRA coffee mug got me a date last week. No one needs extra adornments, right? It's an expensive luxury during a time of economic hardship.
Well, that's silly. Art is not a luxury, and while we're at it, let's ask Mademoiselle Coco about luxury:
"Some people think luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity." To me, that means this: who cares if you're overdressed? If flowers in your hair make you feel lovely, wear them. If you want to redo your makeup and hair at 10 P.M. (even though you have to be in bed by midnight if you want to make it through the next day), go for it. You don't need a special occasion to wear that fabulous Mod party dress hanging in your closet. Even if your dance card is empty and all you do is go to the grocery store and playdates, wear your five-inch plaid peep-toes whenever you feel like it. Nothing shapes a woman below the waist better than high heels worn confidently anyway.
In the spirit of adding more beauty, fashion, and art to every day, I redesigned my earring display cards and designed cards for my mother's brainchild, Sane Hats (you know, Mad Hatter, insane. . . you get it), over the weekend. It's a small step, and I know my work is becoming more neo-Victorian every day rather than high fashion, but I still think these ideas are valid.