A Suggestive Blazer

In my opinion, clothes can be like art. As any casual viewer of Project Runway can attest, clothing creators are certainly artists, and often tortured at that. And just like a painting, clothing can be loaded with symbolism.

Let’s take my jacket for example.

Tweed Jacket: Vivienne Westwood (Consignment) | Scarf: Valentino | Sweater: Trademark | Hat: Wildfox | Jeans: Madewell | Boots: Frey | Tote: AllSaints | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban
Tweed Jacket: Vivienne Westwood (Consignment) | Scarf: Valentino | Sweater: Trademark | Hat: Wildfox | Jeans: Madewell | Boots: Frey | Tote: AllSaints | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Note the ruching and puffy ruffles running down either side of the tweed blazer. I believe these, er, flaps, are a not-so-subtle symbol of female fertility. This type of shape reminds me of Elizabethan dress — particularly the neck ruff and the exaggerated shape pockets, which stand straight away from the body like a farthingale.

When you button the jacket, your bodice is cinched to look like a wine goblet. In the 1500s, women’s skirts had a similar shape, exaggerating the hips and — dare I say it? — ovary area.

This type of vaguely reproductive reference was right at home when I visited the Whitney, a home for plenty of suggestive artwork. (If you saw the Koons exhibit in 2014, you know what I mean. By the way, here’s what I wore the last time I went to the Whitney.)

The original idea for this outfit came from this photograph:

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This style maven is rocking a literal Faye Dunaway circa Bonnie and Clyde look. While I loved this look, I didn’t want my homage to be quite so costume-y. The color palette, however, was mine for the taking.

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You’ve actually seen this entire outfit in different ways throughout the blog. Like the jacket here. And the sweater here. And the scarf here and here. And the hat here!

This kind of outfit reminds me that the greatest pleasure in getting dressed is shopping your own closet with nothing but a little outside inspiration.

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