Diana she is not. Fashionable, she is.

Muted colours, splashy accessories, and fashionable cuts, perfect Kate's style.

    

    A lot has been said about Kate Middleton recently. It is hard to say anything about her that hasn't been written before. She's a popular figure, and is constantly in the spotlight. Said to be the most photographed woman in Britain. And propelled into the position of Queen in waiting. She has been endlessly compared to Princess Diana, and harangued by the royal and their courtiers as 'too common'. I want to delve into what makes Kate Middleton's unique fashion, why it will serve Britain well, and what effect it will have on the British fashion industry.

     But first let's look at Kate's life. As a young girl Kate hasn't led as hard a life as most are making it out to be. Before her parents started their mail-order party supply company, her father was a flight dispatcher and her mother was a stewardess for British Airways. Where they met. Like most couples they didn't want their children to miss any opportunities. "The family lives an enviably comfortable and privileged upper-middle-class lifestyle that far predates Prince William's courtship of their daughter"*1.

Marlborough College (Kate's boarding school)

     Her parents Michael and Carole were ready to do anything to give their children any and all opportunities they could afford, including sending Kate and her siblings to an elite public boarding school, with an annual yearly cost of between 25 and 30,000 pounds. Kate also had the freedom and wealth to go on to the prestigious Saint Andrew's University to study Art History. While growing up Kate and her sister were pushed to be part of society circles in their childhood home in the Home Countries. "The two sisters - snootily nicknamed the 'wisteria sisters' in society life because they are 'highly decorative and terribly fragrant with a ferocious ability to climb'- had arrived in the world"*2.



The dress that endeared her to William



     However, according to Claudia Joseph in he book "Kate Middleton - Princess In Waiting" the money was anything but "new" money stemming from Kate's fathers family, and their prominence in wool manufacturing.

   I scrutinized the Middleton family fortunes...and uncovered a tale of hard work, canny investments, setbacks and success that dates back nearly 250 years and demolishes at a stroke the charge that Kate is in any way 'common'.*3



Kate has drawn upon this family success and has used it's resources for her own desire to better her station in life. She has proven that a "family history that incorporates the timeless virtues of initiative, industry, responsibility and patriotic service in time of war" can propel itself forward, yet keep its best attributes intact.  That the wisteria has blossomed and found out it was truly a rose all along.

    And she does smell just as sweet. Her fashion sense is always on the mark. Largely due to her not straying far from her comfort zone. Kate is not a daring fashion icon, but she also rarely makes a fashion misstep. Her choice to stick to a muted, often monochromatic palate is her strength. Kate's ability to wear toned down, simple clothes in a beautiful manner just accentuates her unforced and unpretentious style allowing her to accentuate her natural beauty in a bold and timeless fashion.

    Kate's focus on wearing clothes that are readily accessible to the general population, and her ability to follow very simple self-created fashion rules endear her to both the fashion editors and the public. She is able to make a dressed down sweater and jeans, and a simply elegant evening gown both look like seamlessly flawless fashion wear.



Kate's famous 25th Brirthday Dress



     She wears clothes that make sense to her, and accentuate her natural beauty perfectly. She does not go way out on a limb and experiment with her image very often. Favoring instead to shy away from the 'rich girl' image, and opting to shop and wear clothes from mid-level stores. In fact, "when she was photographed wearing a low-priced dress from Topshop on her 25th birthday, the item became an overnight national sensation, selling out in 24 hours."*4

Kate in her engagement dress



Kate playing with color and print

  Kate isn't and has never been a slave to fashion, which is exactly what makes her perfect as a fashion icon. And yet she does have a knowledge of the fashion industry. She knows what looks good on her body, she has her own sense of style and a desire to express herself. That she achieves it so flawlessly and easily proves her insider fashion IQ is far above average. She knows that "[her] choices will be scrutinized by fashion editors worldwide and copied by retailers in the world's fashion capitals"*5; yet she still always manages to impress. She has befriended designer Isse recently and often don's the designers dresses and accessories for events, including the dress she wore for her engagement press conference. Creating a stir and helping elevate the brand to unparalleled heights. Following the pattern of having everything that she touches turn to fashion gold. She has worked with Jigsaw, a middle to high end fashion chain as an accessories buyer. She also "helped out on a fashion shoot where she ran errants, fetching cups of tea and snacks"*6. And being around the fashion world has really paid of having taught her how to make ordinary outfits pop.

        What sets Kate apart is her sense of responsibility to the people of England. She is the older sister that is trying to set the example for an entire nation. That you have to be yourself, be comfortable and be confident in your own skin. Her look isn't exclusionary. It is simple, elegant, easy to accessorize, and can make an individual expression with very few tweaks.

     She is very conservative both in her finances and her fashion, and that is a perfect example for a United Kingdom that is under the strain of a very difficult recession. Kate seems to have her finger on the nation's pulse, and has given them the perfect fashion idol for the current European economy. Presented the country a renewed hope. That it is possible to look great, spend less, and strive for whatever they want to achieve. Anything, after all, seems is possible.



Kate's collected

Looking cool.





*1Joseph, Claudia. Kate Middleton:Princess in Waiting.

*2ibid

*3ibid

*4Katz, Gregory Classic and coo, the Kate Middleton style emerges. Courier Post.

*5ibid.

*6Anon. Kate Middleton lands job... Daily Mail.

Hemming and Hawing: A History.

 In fashion, there are very few self evident "truths". They are those trends that fashion houses, retailers and media blindly follow. I wish to examine and illuminate one such truth. The fact is, that fashion does reflect the times it emerges from*1. Designs take on certain characteristics of the era they were born out of. And as trends reoccur, as they so often do, some eventually become ingrained in the psyche of the masses. They become a "truth", a concept that is so deeply ingrained in society that it is no longer questioned. A belief that is followed like the morals of Aesop's fables, rather than a newly formed idea which can be questioned and subverted. I wish to give the history and attempt to replace the mislaid notion that in tough recessionary economic times fashion must move towards longer dress hemlines and use brighter colours.

In the past couple of decades the media has in large part focused on the longer hems as an oracle predicting what lies ahead. Claiming that the design teams and industry luminaries use their insider knowledge to predict the economy and to highlight their own cleverness, the press clearly misses the larger issue. The history of the trend is the actual story and what makes it truly magical. And the history is the real reason why people continue to follow the trend of longer hemlines that seems to come from time immemorial, whether they know it or not. But its far more recent than that. And while I am sure the history is interesting enough and will keep you reading, I also wish to state why i cannot accept it as one of fashions unbreakable rules any longer. Until we are forced to wear barrel's for lack of clothing, I for one will continue to wear, what I wear day in and day out- recession or not. -Let us begin.

History




Typical Edwardian Dresses



Before the turn of the 18th Century, the length of a woman's dress was set by standards of morality. Moving into the 1900's long flowing dresses were not only a way to express their wealth- but also their moral standing. To be able to see ankle, let alone a flash of shin or knee was considered scandalous. As the new century dawned and moved forward, the empowerment of women and the force pressure on them to keep their "morals" about them loosened slightly. Hemlines crept up and up, eventually hitting the formally pornographic knee region. This change was due partly by women becoming more autonomous and their movement into the work force, women with shorter skirts became not only fashionable, but also more practically dressed. "By 1910, 7,500,000 women worked outside the home. Social and political unions for women were formed, including the International Ladies' Garment Worker's Union (1911) and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (1914). The suffragette movement continue to grow, particularly in Great Britain and the United States"**. As material became harder to come by throughout the stock market crash and the resultant Depression, hemlines became shorter out of necessity. Hemlines continually soared throughout the Jazz Age, as did short bob hair styles and other functional necessities.

After the 1900's along came an entirely different type of economic struggle to that of the Great Depression. As Europe was unilaterally involved in the First and Second World Wars, things could no longer proceed the way they always had. Huge concessions had to be made in nearly every facet of life. The Europeans faced massive military spending, a war right in their front yards limited what could grow, produce and even where they could go. Obviously any and all limitations and quota's on what they could have was the least of their worries.

Eventually the Americans could no longer wait on the sidelines of the war. After the sinking of the Lusitania that was the catalyst for entry into the First World War and the bombing of Pearl Harbour during the Second World War it was seen as a necessity for the Americans to enter the European and Pacific theatres of war. and the United States were forced to adopt policies similar to those of their European counterparts that severely limited access to products like nylons, cottons and steel. For the Americans, just like with the Europeans losing was not an option. And not involving themselves was no longer palatable for the majority of America's citizens.

The steel that was used in manufacturing of razors and other household goods was very quickly reverted away to weapons factories to be used to make the munitions and planes that were desperately needed to win the war effort. Also, the nylon that was used in stocking and leggings became impossible to obtain overnight. The governments of all the Allied powers immediately took over or pressured existing owners to convert their production sites into parachute or munitions factories.

The problem then became for those dressing the population, what can we do for women's clothing if we no longer have nylon stockings, and the women have declining access to razors? The simplest and most utilitarian solution was to add a few inches to the hemlines. After all, women could still be dressed beautifully with minimal make-up and a stunning dress. Some designer's flourished in between the First and Second World Wars, including the influential Paul Poiret.

Paul Poiret's fashion style post WWI



Paul Poiret

Who made a huge success of himself designing the kimono dress before turning his attention to working alongside the French government to increase output of the military and service uniforms. He made the most of the inter-war years by adding some upbeat colours, using some extra material to cover the problem spots, et voila!






rosie the riveter



Besides, being involved in such a large scale war basically made fashion as a beauty industry a moot point between (1914-1919 and 1939-1945). Instead of creating whimsical and beautiful clothes a common and patriotic interest emerged. The need to win the war, became the predominant focus of every man, woman and child. With the unnerving state of the world at the time, everyone banded together and decided to fight for the "common good" and to do whatever possible to help the war effort, either in the military or at home. "Women's attempts to contribute to the war effort by filling men's jobs were initially rebuffed, but after the United States entered the war, women began to take on munitions and clerical jobs, becoming more economically independent in the process"**. All of the energy of both the Allies and Axis powers were put into the raging war that was tearing up the town and cities of Western Europe.

Most of the industry that was creating clothes, from the designers to the itinerant tailors and seamstresses prior to the war were now focused and organized to make the uniforms for the soldiers heading out for battle. The factory workers and garment workers were put to work, given regular hours and made huge strides in clothing the entire armed forces. Every single person at home became a support staff for the soldiers going to war. The garment workers were quickly adopted into the newly formed unions, and given regular work. The Amalgamated Clothing Worker's Union were soon not only put to work clothing the soldiers, but creating solutions at home as well. As new needs arose, it was the garment workers who would develop and implement solutions. They used their skills, and helped in whatever way possible. Although what they created may not be gorgeous gown and the haute couture of today's standards, what they made with their hands, blood, sweat and tears was essential. And it was functional, strong and reliable. Which was just what was needed and expected for the times.

Women's fashion milirary gear



Not your usual Army/Navy surplus



In fact the designs that were born out of the war years still live on as strong as ever on the runway. The utilitarian and durable nature of the clothes that came out of the first and second World War was not to be surpassed and that made them an instant success with those coming back from the war. I love all of the military inspired lines that have come out recently. Especially Burberry's return to a more formalized Trench coat. The bomber jacket, trench coat, epaulet's, safari vests and cargo pants are still permanent fixtures in closets and collection 60+ years later. And that's not even going into the work on acrylic materials that was initially done during the war to find cheaper and more durable, comfortable clothes...that would later be a large part of fashion to come in the form of leisure suits*2. Shudder.

It is due to the amazing history of this trend and all that i have learned that I think it is disrespectful and debasing to continue the pattern of bad economy, longer dress. It symbolizes one of the largest struggles that Europe and the Western powers have faced, a struggle for survival and overcoming some of the worst atrocities that have been seen on earth. I think that as a global culture we should change our perspective, and discontinue this "truth". We should celebrate that we are no longer in the same situation. And be blessed that we don't have to make the same difficult and life changing sacrifices that our parents and grandparents have had to make. After all, it was the War that made many people believe it would happen...."never again". Let us (please) keep it that way.

*1 Remember the Eighties ?

*2 Remember the Seventies ?

**Ann Beth Presley, "Fifty Years of Change: Societal Attitude and Women's Fashions, 1900-1950

***And a huge thank you to Seana Heighton and Wiki for the additional help. Much love.

+ Please stay tuned...next week for. "The Kate Middleton Effect"

You Aren't Even Safe When You're Dead- Hell's Angel's sue Alexander McQueen.

     The fashion career path of Alexander McQueen has followed a varied and often erratic path from stable and staid working class beginnings to fashion icon super-stardom. His personal struggles with himself, depression and drug addiction are obvious in his design decisions. His reliance in the late part of his career on the bad boy-meets-working class image is born out of these struggles. And while he was taken away subtly and clearly too early from his craft, the harsh bad boy image is his remaining legacy. But no one, not even the icon himself could have predicted what was going to occur after his death.




Alexander McQueen (1969-2010)



     When most people hear of the Hells Angel's Motorcycle Club (HAMC) it is attached to an article highlighting the outlaw motorcycle club's violent and illegal activities. Apparently there is a side to the Hell's Angel's that hasn't been exposed to the public very often, if at all. The often self-isolating and hidden nature of the bikers and their crew goes against their being public in any way. Yet, the HAMC has decided to pursue their legal interests in copyrighted material that they hold. They have filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement against the late Alexander McQueen and retailers Zappo's and Sak's. The Angel's claim that they have held and used the Death Head logo as part of their uniform since the 1940's and that they wish to have all the imitations taken off the market. It seems very surreal and unnerving seeing the HAMC lawyers sitting at the plaintiff seats in a court of law.

      But the larger picture is the lawsuit's effect on the fashion industry. If you take away the ability of the fashion industry to re-configure and reinterpret the reality it sees around it, are you not imposing a limit on the most creative minds within the fashion industry?



McQueen's "Hells Angel" Ring

 McQueen's career revolved around the idea of reconstituting the harsh hirstute and often surreal reality that he observed surrounding himself. He focused largely in his men's collections on his interpretation of the "tough guy" image. Beautifully reimagining the ugly and harsh images of death and violence and splicing them seamlessly into his haute couture collections. Attempting to render them palatable to the mainstream consumer. Creating an edgier and grittier side to his collections made him stand out as a true fashion visionary. By bringing the images associated with death and destruction, especially the winged skull to the forefront Alexander McQueen pushed the boundaries of what is beautiful and the identity of masculinity. He wasn't using the well tailored shirt and suits to make his point, but was creating an alternative style for those males who do not follow the suit and tie parade down Bay St. or Wall St.
    
   And it must be said that most of McQueen's style and fashion iconography was born out of his struggles and his overarching lifestyle. He had the guts and panache to follow through on his visionary fashion sense and the creative and luminary designs, consistently putting out solid and interesting collections on the world's runways and red carpets. As seen below, the iconography of the outlaw bikers can be seen compared to the "knockoff merchandise". But what of it? is it illegal for artists to interpret their surroundings? And what after all was McQueen, but a visionary artist, who just happened to work in the medium of cloth and stitches?


      After all the reclamation of masculine images in fashion is definitely nothing new. The classic Trench coat was born out of the theatre of war. Being brought home by British and American troops after World War One, the Trench became an instant utilitarian staple for men. Now the Trench is a closet essential for any one living in cold and wet clime's. There has also been the trend of bomber jackets fazing in and out of style over the past 50+ years. Originally brought home from the pilots and crews from World War Two, they too have become a classic in the essential American wardrobe. Would the Governments and Military of either country sue for the rights to the clothing? It would be irresponsible and unrealistic. And while McQueen didn't create the hardened image of masculinity, he did perfect the balance and enabled men to look both 'tough' and beautifully dressed. And gave women a chance to explore the darker side of life through really interesting and creative accessories.



Questionable Merchandise?



     McQueen has faced many difficulties throughout his life and has struggled against and beat incredible odds to transcend to a spot as a truly established visionary and artist in the fashion industry. But to be named in a post-mortem lawsuit by an organization who's only design is to put people in their graves, is a truly tragic ending.

  I hope that his legacy can overcome the odds, and that the courts uphold the freedom of artistic expression within the industry.