FASHION AND ARTISTIC DRESSING

C H A P T E R I

Introduction

Dressing properly is one of the most important things we do every day. We go to bed dressed up in fashion clothes, we go to work, we socialize, we prepare for interviews, we conduct businesses, and no matter in what activities we are involved, we have to wear clothes suitable for the occasion. The way we dress reveals our character and our standing in society. Wearing good clothes makes us feel confident and perceived as a person with good taste. We often hear a person being described as “she’s or he’s always well dressed,” though one may wonder how we would be dressed today had it not been for the evolution of the fashion industry that creates so much enthusiasm and fulfillment in our lives.

Sometimes we take for granted the fact that we will find something to wear for whatever occasion, which is true, but it would be a mistake to shrug off the importance of those who make it possible—the designers, manufacturers, stores, and those technicians who give the last finishing touches so you look your best in the garment. For instance, if you are invited to a function, the first thing you think about is what clothes you are going to wear, and if you aren’t sufficiently equipped with fashion knowledge, you will wonder whether you have the right clothes for the occasion. In some cases, some would decline an invitation because they don’t have the right clothes.

 We don’t realize the importance of wearing good clothes in our lives. We tend to treat wearing clothes as a routine matter and don’t always make enough effort to learn how to dress up properly. A nineteen-year-old young woman said to me, “Fashion isn’t important.” When I looked at what she was wearing, it was jeans and a T-shirt. I said to her, “When the time comes, you will be asking questions about what to wear to the wedding of your best friend. So it’s to your advantage to begin to learn about clothes and fashion; then you will find what it does to your overall standing in the society.”

A woman, on her way to pick up her clothes to go to a reception that night, had been to a hairdresser, and the wind had blown her well-groomed hair for the occasion all over her head. She complained, “I just paid forty-five dollars to have my hair done. Look what happened.” But the same woman felt paying twenty dollars to shorten a pair of lined slacks—which she could wear for years, and without which she could not leave home—expensive. Further, she neglected to realize that the services provided by a fashion consultant would last her the life of the slacks, whereas the hairdo didn’t last her one hour, for which she had paid twice the amount. Some ostentatious customers wouldn’t hesitate to leave fifteen dollars as a tip for a simple hair treatment but would balk at paying twenty-five dollars to hem a silk skirt, which she can wear for more than six years.

Fashion plays an important role in our lives. It makes us feel good about ourselves; it defines our demeanor, builds a ring of confidence, and improves our disposition. At a dinner reception at the Library of Congress, the guests dressed up to outdo each other. A woman who was at the same table had difficulty sitting on the chair because her designer dress wasn’t made to sit. I observed another woman at a presidential inauguration gala who wore a dress that her husband had to protect from the back to stop guests from tramping on it. It seemed as if the functions weren’t as important as the kind of dresses these women wore. I personally found them to be fascinating because they displayed high level of good quality and taste.

As a garment technologist, and having a fashion-consulting business, I always observe the way people are dressed, what they wear, and how they carry their clothes. At times, I have drawn unfriendly looks for looking at people who didn’t know that my interest was the clothes rather than the person. Some carry their clothes well even if they are not of a good quality, whereas others don’t look well dressed even when they are wearing expensive clothes. One might ask, what makes one person a better dresser than another? To this I will say, you can buy expensive clothes but fashion knowledge doesn’t come with the purchase; you must acquire it through your own effort.

Writing on fashion can be quite challenging because people who are sufficiently qualified in the trade are either not motivated or unable to put their experience in writing. Those who do write about fashion are good writers but have limited knowledge to write on. To compile a book with full comprehension that can make the reader understand and benefit from it, one has to be a practicing garment technologist, which requires in-depth knowledge in drafting, garment construction technology, fittings, alterations, customers and their peculiarities, and a good command of the English language. Although attempts have been made to ghostwrite books on fashion, it has been less than successful because the materials presented were diluted with abstract facts.