Crime of Fashion

I think it’s fair to say that my name and the word “fashion” have never been used in the same sentence (unless it was something like “One of Josh’s rare artistic talents is his ability to fashion a tiny café chair from just the wire and metal cap that goes over a champagne cork.”) I’m not caught up in Fashion Week, I’m caught up in fashion weak. I’m not what acclaimed French rapper MC Solaar calls a “Victime de la Mode,” or a “Fashion Victim,” I’m a victim of the absence of fashion.

So, you can imagine how excited I’d be if, by pure dumb luck, I ended up accidentally and temporarily being in style. I had to contemplate this very real possibility the other day.

I was minding my own business, listening to local news radio, when a story on summer fashion came on. I mostly ignored it, hearing only snippets, but then at the very end, I hear (in French) " [inaudible] are floral shorts and shirts, like Hawaiian shirts." Now I love Hawaiian shirts, and I’ve been wearing them all summer--slightly to Sara’s chagrin--so this was key information. (Hawaiian shirt pictures are intermingled with this blog. Kids: how many can you find?) But I missed the first part of the relevant sentence—what if any initial adjective was involved in their statement? Did they say these shirts were in, out, or indifferent? Should I not be caught dead in one, or without one? Inquiring minds want to know!

I couldn't find the story on the radio station’s website, so I was half-listening to the radio the whole rest of the day, hoping it would be repeated that night. Sure enough, a few hours later, it was.

What I found out was this: apparently, in France, on the beach as well as in the clubs, surf clothes are in. Stripes for everyone, pink and khaki for women, open pink T-shirts (whatever that is) for men, surf shorts (with belts, not elastic) are in for everyone, clothes with small bits of 70s/80s-style fluorescent...all are in.

Then came the final sentence that I'd been waiting for. [In French] "Completely out, on the other hand....are floral shorts and shirts, like Hawaiian shirts." They actually said, in French, "completement 'out' " !!! Well, as we fashion mavens know, "completement 'out' " just means "on its way back in"! So, while I may not be fashionable, I’m really more “pre-fashionable.” It’s just a matter of time.

While summer may not have been my season, there is hope for the fall and winter. I’ve always loved the black velvet/velour sports coats that all 20/30-something French men seem to have been issued at birth. They’re somehow snazzy, casual, and “cool kid,” all at the same time. I finally broke down and bought one a few weeks back, for a great price at one of Paris’ excellent vintage stores, and I officially love it.

So, imagine my “even a broken clock is right twice a day” joy when I was reading “A Nous Paris,” the free newspaper published by the Paris Metro system, and read the following [translated]: “Last year was that of the velours/velvet sportscoat, rolled out in every color. This winter, it’s still present (on the scene), so you can take it back out of the closet without any problem.” So, maybe I’m a year late, but I’m still going to ride this unintentional fashion wave as far as I can!

Hopefully, another positive step in my fashion rehabilitation also took place this week, when my mom made a welcome visit and treated Sara and I to some nice additions to our fall wardrobe. My mom, Sara, and I also hit the Opera, conducted a failed experiment in cooking cow tongue, and Sara made a fantastic dinner under much self-imposed stress for her mother-in-law and Iris, (my junior year abroad host mother and Sara’s French cooking guru). I guess the good news is that even if my clothes are "completement out," we're all still "completement in"...love with Paris!

Josh

PS: Enjoy the photos, each featuring my mom and/or some of my dubious garb. Find these photos, plus the highlights of the others I've taken all year long, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/7531775@N04/ Let me know if you have any trouble.