After spending the week attending runway shows, I stumbled upon the film, The Tents (it’s available to watch instantly on Netflix for anyone interested). It’s a fascinating history of the tents at Bryant Park and the evolution of NY Fashion Week from a disorganized trade show into the profitable powerhouse it is today.
While the primary aim of runway shows today seems to be selling a fantasy/product rather than simply previewing the upcoming season’s clothing, I believe the catwalk is still an integral component of dressing, even if one never wears a stitch of designer clothing. The models who strut down the runway allow the viewers to understand the movement of clothing, and it’s movement I’ve had on my mind this week. Clothes may be solid, physical objects, but they are not static. They envelope our bodies and move with us; they create visual tableaus that can impart any number of effects. Whether it’s the perfect drape of a cotton tee or the easy swish of a gown, clothes should move beautifully. For a clothing buyer, seeing how clothes move on a runway is obviously important, but even the most basic of dressers can learn about quality cut and design from watching a show.
This dress by Prophetik mesmerized me the entire way down the runway. The movement of the dress somehow married drama and quiet elegance.
theory jacket, wyeth by todd magill skirt*, brian atwood for target+nm gloves, ann taylor clutch*, tara subkoff for easy spirit boots*
What isn’t evident in this photo is the beautiful movement the drape of this skirt provides. It moves seamlessly with my body when I walk and swishes perfectly around me. That effect is never going to be fully realized until I am moving and walking in that skirt.
And at the end of the day, our clothes are meant to be lived in, to be worn, to move.
You’re so right – love this post. I think we often forget about why some clothes work better than others for us and for me it’s mostly to do with if I can easily go about my daily errands indoors or out. I adore your look! It’s a great mix of hard and soft and I’m sure your skirt moves beautifully!
“…for me it’s mostly to do with if I can easily go about my daily errands indoors or out.”
That’s an excellent point! The busier and more complicated my life becomes, the more I need form to follow function. While the *style* of the clothing might stay the same, the actual pieces I currently utilize every day must allow ease of movement.