Last week I was flipping through Edith Head’s book, The Dress Doctor
“Don’t let your clothes be fitted too tightly. Even a perfect figure looks better if it doesn’t resemble a sausage. Only bathing suits should ‘fit tight’.”
“Don’t be too different. You don’t want to dress like the herd, but you don’t want to look like a peacock in a yard full of ducks. Being too much of an individualist is not being well dressed.”
“Don’t feel that when you are going to a party you must look “dressed up” – a simple dress is safer if there’s a question of what to wear and you will be much more comfortable simply dressed than overdressed.”
“Don’t be afraid to wear a becoming costume many, many times. It’s an old fashioned idea that you must have a new dress for very occasion or party. Even if you have the money to do so, it isn’t necessary. The modern approach is to change accessories.”
photo: Irving Penn for Vogue US, March 1996 | model: Shalom Harlow
Great quotes!
I must get this book 😉 I agree with everything she says here too…especially the last one!
Have a good week.
I’m on board with all of the above (love the peacock thing), and let me just say how beautiful that photo of Shalom is!
I really like the advice of “don’t be too different” — so often (and this is especially true among so-called fashion types) we applaud strange simply for being strange and that is not fashion by any means…
Very true, Alexis.
these are really great quotes. i love the last one, with the changing of accessories. and also i really agree that it’s better to go simple than overdressed.
It’s always fun to look back on quotes from older fashion books – the style ones never go out of style. I agree with all of it except the standing out part, since that’s what makes fashion fun and is so much of what street style (where a lot of high fashion) trickles down from.
xo Mary Jo
I, on the other hand, agree 100% with that part. 🙂 I don’t believe in individuality just for the sake of fashion. Too many dress differently just for showing off and I don’t call that personal style.
I love to embrace the avant-garde, unapologetically glamorous, and even some bad taste. (That said, I don’t aspire to dress like a pop star) But most of the time, I dress neat and normal. But I’ve learned if I’m going to wear something crazy, to keep the rest “normal.”. And more and more, I buy accessories over clothes. As the majority of my clothing are pretty basic, that at times I look at my closet with disdain, that accessories keep me inspired.
I have the same approach. My style is pretty simple, but I do feel the need to change something from time to time, so I use accessories to do that.
Love the ‘sausage’ comment ; I agree; too tight looks just wrong! I agree with changing accessories ; just updates a whole outfit for a different occasion. I wonder who she is referring to with the ‘peacock’ comment? Interesting…
Beautiful Shalom!
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