From Head to Toe, Across the Pond and Back
posted by: freePOrnaoa in General on June 3rd, 2009
I’ve been thinking a lot about Across-the-Pond differences lately. There’s such a connection between New York and London for business, and yet I was shocked after spending a couple weeks in London to see how different style is there.
On Thursdays, the women wore such tight, short, slitted skirts and clacky heels to work! My friend said they called them “The Clackers” because of the sound their heels make and that Thursday is a big going out night right after work, but I was still American-puritanically-shocked. In New York, midtown business casual means a knee-length pencil skirt and rather staid pumps, perhaps with a bit of Louboutin red peeking out from underneath.
And the women wear such fussy things in their hair! Called fascinators, these fussy objects sometimes struck me as a bit silly, but I loved them and bought them anyways. They are often feathered, sometimes netted accessories for your head that may be attached to headbands or combs.
Women wear them to fancier outings and events such as a fancy night out, black tie event, a kitschy/classy performance (I saw many of them at the fabulous La Clique circus performance at the Hippodrome), a formal party, polo events, race days, church, a funeral or a wedding. Here are a few examples of fascinators, from casual Marks & Spencer ones (somewhat similar to Target) to fancier affairs.
However, for events like polo matches, you don’t want to be wearing the same hat as everyone else, and if you buy yours from a common retailer like Marks & Spencer, you run that risk. Ladies in the know (and the cashflow) turn to the ateliers of Stephen Jones, who recently curated the Hats exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Philip Treacy.
The Brits, as many of you know, specialise in the art of the bespoke, wherein items are tailored exactly to the client and often have small, tasteful details that still somehow flaunt the difference from the norm. For instance, in bespoke tailoring, buttons, seams, pleating or cuffs might be done just a bit off from the expected norm, whether through different colored thread, location off to the side or a irregular style of pleating, etc.
Here is some sample work by the fabulous British shoe designer and creator Carolyn Groves, whose bespoke shoes go for the price of two pairs of Choos. Let’s start with a feathery shoe that would match the fascinators perfectly and has such an intriguing color scheme:
Here is another British bespoke shoe designer.
I’m apprenticing with a milliner to learn how to make hats (and a friend of mine is apprenticing with a cobbler to learn how to make shoes!) and have been thinking about the similarities. Both are very structural, costly, specialised, time-consuming trades that have dwindled away to near-nothingness before experiencing a resurgence. Here’s to hoping bespoke shoes have a long and healthy future!
And a question for you: Would you rather have a couple pairs of very expensive bespoke shoes that fit you like a glove, size- and style-wise, or are you just too shoe-crazy to limit yourself to a few expensive, perfect pairs when you could follow the trends on the cheap?
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September 22, 2009 at 3:55 pm, Napket | Snob food @ Regent Street « everydaylife.style said:
[...] on the back to make them all fit & straight – therefore not for reading), matches the upscale Mayfair area where the cafe is located. With its location, the customers at Napket are mainly [...]
June 03, 2009 at 11:26 pm, Suzanne aka Punk Gla said:
What lovely pics, especially of the bespoke shoes! I'm really loving that last pair with its updated forties feel.
Although as someone who has lived in London and travels there quite frequently, I must beg to differ on your comparison of M & S to Target. M & S is much higher quality goods, not cheap and cheerful like Target. While many things will seem a bit dowdy, and not on the trendy side (like Target) you can't beat their quality when it comes to basics like lingerie or men's and children's underwear — we stock up every year! Their food hall is amazing, with high quality foods. My young daughter is obsessed with the food hall, as am I!
Cheers!
Suzanne
June 03, 2009 at 4:24 pm, trainingheels said:
I think that's a terrific decisions, Ms.R5.
) I am thinking about it myself. I was thinking for my next big decade birthday, I would get Carolyn Grove to make me a pair of bespoke heels I could wear every day, running up and down subway steps, to school, to work, drive with and dance in!
Shoe accessories are quite popular, it seems. Designers are getting more and more ingenious with shoes, realising they are so important to us. If you find any pics of your grandmother's shoecessories, please post them!
June 03, 2009 at 3:49 pm, r5bales said:
There are no pencil stilettos. Is this an English thing? Is this a bespoke thing? Is this a trend you are seeing everywhere? I appreciate the thicker heel because it offers stability where the pencil stilettos don't.
Years ago my grandmother used to make these little fascinator looking thingies for her shoes. They would be about the size of a silver dollar to something about the size of two fingers. She made them of feathers, rinestone buttons, all sorts of things. They then clipped onto her shoe – very much like a pair of clip on earrings. I have wished many times that I had her little stash when looking to dress up a pair of ordinary shoes.
My husband has a couple pair of hand made custom boots. One pair is about 15 years old. They still look and fit perfect. The older I get, the more interested I become in handmade shoes that fit very well. I am thinking about having a pair made for me.
June 03, 2009 at 8:47 am, galligator said:
I love these shoes…and have been known to throw together a fascinator now & again…even though they are only worn by the swing/goth crowd where I come from.
June 03, 2009 at 1:30 am, Maria said:
I spend a lot of time in London and the hair fascinator is definitely on my list! I love the Hepburn feel of them! Btw I love your blog, it has the best coverage on those pieces of heaven: shoes. I’m only thirteen and a complete shoeaholic. I’m am going to buy a pair of stunning Marc Jacobs sandal for my fourteenth birthday! I have a picture of them at the end of each of my posts.
Keep up the fabulous (foot)work!