Do you feel as if you need to be keep up on the latest fashions? Or are you one of those individualists who wears whatever you please?

-- jo (crazy old lady@crazyoldlady.com), April 18, 2000

Answers

OK, I'm going to answer my own question....hehehe...

When I was young (very young) I used to avidly read Seventeen and all the magazines of that ilk, and I very much wanted to fit in and wear clothes which were in style. This continued throughout most of my early adulthood. Once I became a jewelry designer, and my income depended on what I designed, I really felt that I needed to keep abreast of the latest fashion trends, whether I wore them or not. Rather than making "art" jewelry, I designed jewelry which would be not only interesting, but saleable.

As I have become older, with neither the same youthful figure...hehehe, nor the same disposable income, my interest in fashion has greatly diminished.

I could care less what I wear, and frankly I do most of my shopping in thrift stores. Though I do admit to buying "brand names" over other unknown labels ( they, the advertisers, really do have us coming and going, don't they?). I still want to "match", so to speak, but I would definitely lose any style contest.

-- jo (crazyoldlady@crazyoldlady.com), April 22, 2000.

Same for me. I once loved pretty clothes, but was never really a clothes horse. But now I dress for comfort. I garden a lot so, I wear some pretty ugly duds out there--no point in ruining good clothes. I too buy most of my clothes at thrift shops.

-- gilda (jess@listbot.com), June 30, 2000.

I'm so inconsistent when it comes to buying clothes. I do frequent a really good thrift shop, then turn right around and find myself paying full price for designer labels. The end result of this is a closet uncomfortably stuffed, much like it's owner, and I still never seem to have anything to wear.

I hate to spend a lot of clothes because once I've worn them a few times, I'm totally bored with them.

I recently bought a gorgeous cranberry-colored linen outfit against my better judgment (but it was on sale!) When I put it on, I admired the classy look of the outfit; however, by the time I arrived at church that morning, a ten-minute drive, I was--and I can't describe it any other way--a wrinkled mess. For some reason, I expected a linen blend. That's what I get for not reading the label carefully.

As gauche as this may sound, I returned it. Seems I wasn't the only one who had done so, and they were very gracious. I love linen but what's the point when you can't sit down in it?

-- Geri (lee@hhs.net), July 04, 2000.

Should have read, "I hate to spend a lot ON clothes." Is there any way to edit here, Jo?

-- Geri (lee@hhs.net), July 04, 2000.

Late to the party! But not too late to contribute, I hope. I have decided I hate fashion. I love style, and try to dress in ways which flatter my figure and express what I want to express. But FASHION is about exclusion... "she was wearing _last_ season's Chanel!" (horror) "Only 20-somethings who want to make a statement wear the tatty nasty things they sell at thrift shops!" (I have read these statements, I am not making it up.) It seems like fashion's just like trying to be popular at high school all over again.

-- Varia (varia@chickmail.com), August 26, 2000.

I agree fashion is about exclusion and elitism, really. And style is something which can be had exclusive of what's currently fashionable. I love to see someone who has a clear sense of their own style.

On the other hand, I have to admit that I made my living for most of my life depending on people buying my jewelry which I guess they thought was "fashionable".

But then that's all part of the life dilemma I find myself in now...what's the point of making that stuff anyhow??? How does it help improve the world?

Does that make any sense?

-- jo (jo@interaccess.com), September 12, 2000.