Thread for Thought

New York Magazine brought an annual event to my attention I had no idea existed, but I wish I had in high school: namely, a Duck Tape “Stuck at Prom” contest. Costumes were judged based on workmanship (30%), originality (30%), use of colors (15%, accessories (15%), and quantity of Duck Tape used (10%).

In addition to my well documented love of clothes and the relationship between technology and fashion, it just so happens that I’ve recently become obsessed with duct tape crafty things. My sister recently gave me a duct tape wallet (at my request), and I intend to fashion myself a duct tape DIY dress form in the near future, so I’m all about exploring the wonders of this durable, malleable, industrial material.

The other aspect here is clearly The Prom. As I mentioned in a previous post, proms can seem silly and superficial at best, and an excuse for insecure teens to exclude at worst. However, I believe this much hyped event has the redeeming quality of allowing teenagers about to enter an important new phase of life– adulthood– to explore the implications of this change sartorially.  Somewhat ironically, this contest’s textile restrictions promote more whimsical, thematic, youthful looks rather than grownup ones, but it certainly encourages creativity and stresses fun in dress, and in my estimation, that is equally valuable.

As a side note, I was pleased to see that though contestants must enter as a pair, mixed (i.e. heterosexual) couples were not required for entry. Though I didn’t see any flaming gay couples, I was happy to know they were not explicitly excluded.

Here are some of my favorite contestants:

Hello pimpin’ goth pinstripes! Those must’ve taken forever to apply!

How can you not love the nerdy dapper Duck Tape dandy??

Though I think patriotic clothes are almost always distasteful, I was amused that the center “A” in “Obama” is a tiny White House:

I am so impressed this guy agreed to the bird theme:

Commitment to a weather motif– they were clearly looking to score high on the color segment:

It’s mildly amazing to me that this guy found a girl who was into the sci-fi theme at this tender, unassured age:

On the flip side, I was not such a fan of the beige, brown and turquoise cowboy prom look, for many reasons:

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I am embarrassed to say I failed the Huffington Post test on guessing who Yulia Tymoshenko when presented with a collection of photos of her. For all you fellow dunces, she is the Prime Minister of the Ukraine– and the first female Prime Minister the Ukraine has had.  (My ignorance was especially embarrassing to me because my sister in-law is from neighboring Moldova and I like to pretend that I know what’s going on in that part of the world). She has made the (some say suspect) switch from millionaire oligarch to revolution leader and has ranked as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes twice.

What made the online identification game so challenging is that the accomplished Yulia is an interesting — even daring — dresser. If you scroll through the photo gallery, you’ll see Ms. Tymoshenko accompanying everyone from Vladimir Putin to Viktor Zubkov to a “British heavy metal singer” Sean Carr, and in what clothes! Some choice selections below.

Doesn’t she look like a fierce 16th century warrior princess?? But with sleek 3/4 length skirt (that hugs her curves beautifully, I might add).

Yulia Tymoshenko and Vladimir Putin

Portrait of a Married Woman by Anthonis Mor, 1554

And how sporty is she in her NASCAR-esque turtleneck? The distinctly unsubtle word “revolution” running the length of her arms like DO NOT CROSS police tape is, I assume, reference to her leadership of the Orange Revolution during which, Wikipedia tells me, she was dubbed the “Joan of Arc of the Revolution.” Like a racecar driver, she is advertising her “sponsor” the Orange Revolution in her attire.

Yulia Tomyshenko in Kiev on 12/26/04

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart sporting his (coincidentally orange) sponsor's logo

I love this one — the close fitting beige gives the shocking illusion of nudity, her breasts barely contained by the skimpy bustier portion. And yet in cut it’s quite conservative, with every inch of her covered by the turtleneck and pleated skirt.  As a side note, I favor a similar style in my own life — both the body hugging-but-covering-naughty-bits-drapery… and also bustiers.

Yulia Tymoshenko at EU headquarters, 1/28/07

First, I have to comment on how goddamn adorable Yulia looks here. She smiles with abandon, looking sincere and actually happy, a sentiment that is not always carried off by smiling politicians who may look false, strained, or smarmy. Clearly the woman loves rockin’ the uni-color ensemble, which — again — I’m fond of. The poofy bicep bells offer some frivolity in an otherwise austere white sweater-turtleneck combo. The brooch also reminds me of 16th century jewelry — pearls were a favorite gem of both Elizabeth I and Henry VIII, who had many garments with them sewn in the cloth (and even in Elizabeth’s hair).

Yulia Tymoshenko on 9/26/08

Queen Elizabeth I

The woman knows what she likes — and she likes high collars that are simultaneously severe and decorative. Yulia returns to 16th century fashions, very much in the male “Spanish style” — that is, mostly black — like Philip II of Spain (1527 – 1598).

Yulia Tymoshenko c. 2006

Philip II of Spain

She is unquestionably feminine with her up-do and her penchant for figure hugging clothes, but the embellishments Yulia favors are almost always masculine (if dated ideals of masculinity, such as ruffled shirts), externalizing what must be a daily struggle: being a female politician in the male dominated world of politics. The ruffled shirt has most recently been a Victorian trend (big surprise with Yulia!), but has earlier roots in 18th century menswear.

Yulia Tymoshenko during Orange Revolution corruption scandal

Portrait of a Victorian Woman in White by William de Leftwich Dodge, 1891

"Man Wearing a Green Velvet Jacket and Heavily Embroidered Waistcoat," Alexis N. S. Belle, 18th Century

And here again, Yulia plays with conservative, traditional dress motifs. The lace — a fabric with a strong luxury tradition but a current association perhaps more of old ladies — is here turned from a subtle embellishment to grand statement motif. The rest of the outfit tempers the tattoo-like boldness of the lace with its neutral gray 3/4 length suit-like fit, paired with the familiar high, prim neckline, and feminine bubble sleeves. This outfit was aptly deemed “strict but sexy” by the Komsomolska Pravda newspaper.

Yulia Tymoshenko on 2/4/06, when she received the record number of votes as the prime minister

Ms. Tomyshenko proves that you can be taken seriously as a political figure (I write this without intricate knowledge of her policies, but I’m assuming enough took her seriously to get her elected) in creative dress. I love that she incorporates the traditional folksy milkmaid plaited braid, juxtaposed with her otherwise very modern sartorial sensibility, with nods to history. Supposedly her coiffure was an homage to Lesya Ukrainka, one of the Ukraine’s foremost poets from the late 19th, early 20th centuries.

I enjoy the way she embraces the presentation of her femininity too, with her figure hugging clothes and stylized long hair (a far cry from the chopped Hilary Clintons and Nancy Pelosis); one could argue that Yulia’s interest in fashion in and of itself is an unapologetic display of a passion typically associated with women, which she clearly revels in. I am heartened to have my belief confirmed that having fun with one’s wardrobe does not automatically make a woman frivolous, as many still think (none who read this blog, I trust!).

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Photos of second grader Arlo Weiner have been circulating around the fashion blogosphere. The son of Matt Weiner — creator of the awesomely written, amazingly art directed 1960s period TV series Mad Men – has adopted his very own eclectic, elegant style. Referencing many influences and periods he never experienced personally, this 8-year-old shows a creative flair for dress that is both daring and inspiring.

Some fun facts about Milo:

• He requested a top hat at age 3 (I myself was an ancient 29 when I got my vintage pop-out top hat).
• He loves ascots (who doesn’t?).
• He likes to mix and match patterns and stripes.

Allow me to share some of my favorite Arlo ensembles:

Doesn’t he look like he’s going off to the office in a newsroom?

Cary Grant as a spineless (but hilarious) reporter in His Girl Friday (1940)

This one reminds me of the Mad Hatter costume I wore last Halloween (I wore my own vintage pop-up hat):

the Mad Hatter, Sir John Tenniel's illustration of Alice in Wonderland

I love red on red on red too:

I call this outfit Arlo’s 1890s inspired steampunk look:

Steampunk woman with goggles and cane

Arlo admits most of his ties are clip-ons which I cannot condone, though considering his youth I suppose I’ll let it slide. (Friends know I’m a tie snob all around — I only wear full Windsors myself.) I’ve joked for years about how my children are going to hate me for the suits and sailor outfits I’ll put them in; it’s comforting to know there are actually young people who choose to wear what many adults would consider outlandish. It gives me such joy to know there are parents who don’t shove Baby GAP down their childrens’ throats. Arlo reminded me that children are inherently creative, exploring a world they have not grasped all the rules of yet, perhaps giving them greater breadth of imagination than many adults, as they find what’s pleasing to themselves and not what they’ve been told is cool or fashionable or trendy.

Flashback to my own youth: I was raised on yard sales and hand-me-downs, which, being a child of the opulent, label conscious and snobbish 80’s, I lamented and resented daily. Seriously, I cried almost every morning as my mother forced me into layers of distinctly unattractive turtlenecks, stretched out tights held up by belts, and courderoys that were the antithesis of then-cool shiny spandex leggings (courderoys, that is, only on gym days at school — I was only allowed to wear skirts and dresses the rest of the days. And I attended public school!). But my mom redeemed herself at playtime. In the back hall we had a dress-up box (that grew over the years) filled with random flea market finds like reams of fabric and lace, tutus, hats, and clothes of all sorts that were either not in good enough shape to wear in “real life,” or were too big, or just too crazy. But my friends and I could entertain ourselves for hours with the contents of those boxes, wrapping the cloth around ourselves and assuming exotic identities, exploring the roles we might or might not actually appropriate later in life. And even though I now live in one of the fashion capitals of the world, I’m economically independent and can wear whatever I damn please, I actually choose to shop at secondhand and thrift shops still. And instead of waiting for the weekend to play in my dress-up box, I play dress-up every day, allowing my mood and creativity (not fleeting trends) to dictate what facet of my personality I choose to display. I hope young Arlo’s passion for dress brings him as much pleasure as mine continues to for me.

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Always a fan of reusing / redistributing clothes, I was delighted to read about Project Bridesmaids. Sponsored by Modern Bride Magazine and in conjunction with Project Hope, women were encouraged to donate their lightly worn bridesmaid dresses (jokes of the unwearability of these single serving dresses need not exist!) and formal gowns. Several hundred dresses were collected this year, which were displayed in NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom on March 7 (in addition to a few other U.S. cities), available for redistribution to Harlem girls for their prom nights.

Nikkita McPherson found the ideal dress

Growing up in the astoundingly liberal Cambridge, MA public school system, my own prom was less of a life altering, date stressing fin de siecle and more of an amusing anomaly as a  school-sponsored party in a hotel — an opportunity to hang out with friends in a different location, really. But as someone who likes to dress up, I certainly appreciated the opportunity to flounce around in fancy gear, and I wish every high schooler who wants to participate in prom to be able to prance in something that elevates his/her self esteem, regardless of limited capital. Prom should be an opportunity for teenagers to play a little exploratory dress-up (an important game, I think), donning clothes they imagine adults wear on nights on the town — even if adults who wear prom-like dresses are probably only found in soap operas.

The website DonateMyDress.org helps you find other similar initiatives locally that I encourage you  and your friends to donate your own gowns to.

Related article:

“So Long, Bridesmaid; Hello, Prom Queen,” NYTimes March 7, 2009

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