From misstep to muse
There was a small conniption thrown about the wardrobe of the character, Portia in Season 2 of "The White Lotus". In case you were cryogenically frozen during the miniseries, here is an unsparing takedown of some of the standout costumes.
In a New York Times article, Callie Holtermann interviews the costume designer, Alex Bovaird, who wanted an off-kilter, "'not that cool' but not completely clueless look" for Portia. The headline says it all: "The Misfires Are the Point: Dressing Gen Z for 'The White Lotus' ".
I let that word, "misfires" bounce in my head. What, I wondered, are the misfires for my generation? Aggressive highlights? A fondness for "wearable art"? That suit-and-sneaker period?
But why approach from the negative? Though missteps are inevitable (unless one takes no steps at all), why not learn from someone we admire? These three artists and activists, are several of mine:
Frances McDormand: For her natural-looking hair, her un-surgically touched (she says not and I believe her) and minimally made-up face, and for wearing flats with evening wear. And look at her pearls!
Emma Thompson: Just keeps looking more interesting as she ages, and does not (in public anyway) resort to the 'pop of colour' or 'statement' accessory.
Arundathi Roy: I have never seen a photo in which she has straightened her curly hair. She chooses and wears beautiful scarves or shawls. Women who say they do not know what to do with a swath of fabric might study her.
Love always, Jane
If you have hung out in the Passage for a while, you know of my deep appreciation for Jane Birkin. When I shop, I still think, WWJD? If I cannot imagine Jane at least looking at it, I put it back. Alyson Walsh has written a perfect tribute on her blog "That's Not My Age".
It's good to have a younger exemplar; the Danish eyewear designer Linda Tol embodies an elegant but accessible chic. Her clothes cost many multiples of mine, but she is inspiring, as is Sophia Coppola.
The Portia Experiment
Portia's costumes were chosen to reinforce her searching, anxious but good-natured persona.
If you have time, and this sort of experiment appeals to you, lay out at least two of your outfits including accessories on a bed and ask someone who does not live with you, "Who is this person? What is she like?" (The furnace repairman will not do it even for a tip.)
Comments
I, too, think Arundhati Roy has wonderful style. She creates the perfect East/West vibe in her choice of clothing and always draws the eye for all the right reasons.
My personal style heroine is Francesca Annis. At 77, she always achieves an effortless, casual glamour, even when papped in jeans and sweatshirt going out to buy milk. Both Annis and Roy seem to have mastered the art of being low-key yet also very distinctive in their appearance. Dame Judi is the same, in her late 80s.
The mis-step I often see in women of my cohort is a the "amusing" accessory. Having reached the age of discretion, we should surely know that we are capable of being amusing (to those whom we want to amuse) without wearing earrings that look like fruit, of carrying a handbag made to look like a bucket of flowers - both recent examples I have observed.
Is trying to achieve a preconceived idea of a ‘look’ in this case ‘unexpected and modern’ considered a miss step? Bless her, she put herself out there and in her mind had achieved the look she was after.
Is one person’s miss step another’s ‘unexpected and modern’? I thought the leather trousers looked great, another opined ‘trying too hard’. Many thought the sneakers were a step too far but the blogger had her own theory.
Its all very subjective but a good topic of discussion
https://passagedesperles.blogspot.com/2012/01/pondering-what-i-wore-wiw-posts.html
My take is, wear what you dig and if you show that to the online masses, be prepared for whatever comes back. Few words wound the grown woman hoping to look stylish and current than the phrase "trying too hard."
My favourite WIW post (which I regret not bookmarking) was a women who showed herself in several of her outfits that she judged mistakes; she was a hilarious writer, and who has not been there?
Jane in London: Thank you for these nominations. Have you seen this portrait of Judy Dench? I could not stop looking at it.
https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/judi-dench-in-my-mind-s-eye-i-m-six-foot-and-willowy-and-about-39-1.4467170
Gosh I love Jane Birkin. I saw an interview with her on CBS Sunday Morning, so charming and down to earth.I downloaded her equally charming albums on Spotify. The music, much written by Gainsbourg, is sad, funny, thoughtful. Very Jane.
Women distressed about wrinkles might print the portrait and stick it to the corner of the mirror.