Remember when street style felt new and fresh? Or remember how Bill Cunningham used to capture New Yorkers in their natural habitat just being themselves? It's ceased to be and it makes me terribly sad. Everyone and their mother are covering the looks on the street, and none of it feels cool or spontaneous. Because people are now dressing with the sole intention of being photographed, and it's so carefully measured and curated it feels terribly fake and ultimately lacking when it comes to true style. The kind that Iris Apfel has in spades. It's not surprising that so many people are in love with older lady style a la Iris or Linda Rodin or Sophie Fontanel (a recent obsession thanks to a like minded pal) because they are real- they were stylish before Instagram and they'll be stylish no matter what. I am so tired of the trickery and "look at me" culture that Instafame has crafted- in fact, I find it all terribly vulgar and the very opposite of real style. I love social media and am a huge Instagram fan myself incidentally, but must everything just be so "so" all the time? Ugh.
As I mentioned, what made street style great is that it captured a very real moment- now the curation of fashion has reached a fever pitch with a one up mentality that feels so surface. I love that fashion is more democratic, and that so many are interested and in love with fashion and self expression. But it's ceased to be interesting- I used to love the whole off duty model style that would be caught on the streets of Soho or the Marais between fittings- it was real, and raw, and just so cool to look at. Now everyone looks like a cartoon, and not in a good way. It's so gimmicky, so forced, so insanely self conscious it ceases to be vital or interesting or inspiring. What I always loved about walking down the streets of this beautiful city was the serendipitous walk by somebody fabulous- it still happens but those people rarely get photographed, because they're not teetering around in the latest and greatest and they may not have a million followers on social media. I'm not sure this will ever correct itself but I long for the days when street style was so much more authentic. Think of all your favorite fashion icons of yesteryear, even the ones who were over the top- they never cared who was photographing them- they were just expressing themselves and though often they would inevitably be shot by the paparazzi or Bill Cunningham or even the Sartorialist, they had real style that we could all get down with. Now? No thanks. What a bunch of posers.
I am not someone who's an exhibitionist, but I am someone who loves clothes. And I have my own take on trends and enjoy discovering what's in the stores and what's on the runway. I'm not in any way nostalgic for the old days, mind you. But I feel sad for the young ones who think heaping on a million trends at once and swimming in a sea of designer labels is stylish. It's not. And no, I don't want to look at you. I'm not on the front row, heck I'm not even on the back row, but I still admire fashion and style and true self expression. And I have never, ever dressed with the hopes of being photographed, because I squarely dress just for little old me.
But with that I give you a new favorite muse, Veronique Tristam, the fashion director of German Glamour. I find her style fabulous and cool and confident- sure it's high end and sure she's a rail but I love her. She's eccentric in all the right ways and has this grave/chic thing I adore. And yea, she gets photographed an awful lot for her "street" game, but that game is tight. Love. And love her signature specs so much- word is the sunglasses are Victoria Beckham but love that she has one accessory that stands out and makes her unique.
So where does one go when seeking inspiration? I think one goes inside and searches for what makes us tick when it comes to style. Or we simply call it a day and wear the same jumpsuit every day. Either way. I'm not sure which way I'm headed yet, but I know it's going to be far, far away from what we know as street style right here and now. It's a sad state of affairs for those that can spot true style on the street, not this constructed version of it. Rant over.
Cause that's what's up this staying off the streets kind of Tuesday in the 212. Yours, in true style. XO