Classic vs Outré
So, which are you? Are you all about class and elegance or are you known for your adventurous, even outrageous style? This isn’t the kind of question that can be answered with, “Sometimes one and sometimes the other.”
You don’t “sometimes” show up with eight ear piercings and purple hair. It takes commitment to pull off that kind of look. Equally, you don’t go from chick with barbed wire necklace to Natalie Portman on a whim.
My purpose in this blog is not to advocate for one or the other. I made my own choice long ago and I came down on the Classic side. That doesn’t mean I condemn or disapprove of the Outré point of view. I fully appreciate the courage and creativity that goes into many of these looks.
What I’d like to do is examine some of the common misconceptions about both personal styles, offer some advice and point out some areas where each can learn from the other.
Classic: What is it?
Classic can be broadly defined as garments with silhouettes and details that have passed the test of time. That is to say that, in one form or another, its type has been embraced by generations of women. It is flattering to most body types. It’s usually clean-lined and it’s easily accessorized to create a personal style.
The upside of the Classic style is that it’s, well, classy. I chose it for myself because some version of it will take you anywhere, people respect the look and in a professional presentation, it commands respect. Most important, my first job as a professional designer was for a label with a Classic position in the market.
Women who adopt this style and the general look that goes with it - sleek, shining hair, “natural” make-up, chic accessories, composed manner - are usually associated in the public mind with success, affluence and the upper class.
The downside is that it is often regarded, particularly by young people, as matronly, dowdy, unimaginative and old-fashioned. Depending on the woman wearing it, there is some justification for this opinion.
Classic dressing depends more than most styles on two things I’ve discussed in earlier blogs: Fit and Accessories.
If a Classic suit or a straight column dress is not beautifully fitted, if it is slightly too big (as is often the case with “older ladies”), the result will be matronly.
And if a Classic garment is not stylishly accessorized, it can be dowdy.
The final rap on Classic is that it’s not sexy. It’s true that Classic is usually not overtly sexy. With a few exceptions, you usually will not find vast expanses of bare skin in Classic dressing, but here are a few of the styles that are considered Classic:
Bias-cut Velvet and Satin
Fitted Sheath Dresses
Open-Backed Sheath Gowns with Trumpet or Pencil Skirts
The Strapless bustier
Mini-Dresses
Jeans.
Outré: What is it?
I’ve chosen the word Outré to describe this style of dressing, but there are too many others to list. Basically, it means dressing in a creative and individualistic style that is, at least in part, intended to distance itself from and elicit the disapproval of the larger culture.
Because of its unrestrained creativity, it is often a laboratory for mainstream fashion.
Hair color “that God never intended,” “Goth” style make-up, shredded jeans and many others, all began as Outré fashion statements. And, while none of these looks has passed into Classic territory, no one gets hysterical when they’re seen on the street.
Virtually all Outré styles began with teens and young adults. No surprise. Since time immemorial, it has been the job, even the obligation of the younger generation to shake up the establishment. They bring to society fresh ideas, new perspectives that are untainted by custom and tradition. They literally bring new blood.
The best of these ideas move into the mainstream and become part of the culture. Others fall away and become historical footnotes, fads of the past. Many of them fail in their time but are recycled down the line.
The relentless black of the “Beat Generation” of the 1950’s was reiterated in the late 1980’s/early 90’s and more recently, as “Goth,” which is already passing, but, in part, has roots in the early 20th Century.
It is impossible to predict what the next phase of Outré is likely to be because that is the nature of it. Even though I never went through that phase myself (because of professional influences), I respect its youth and vigor, its fresh ideas and creativity.
However, because most Outré begins with young people I would like to offer a few words of caution:
Piercing: Put as many piercings as you like on the shell of your ear, so if, as and when you decide you no longer love the look, the holes will be hidden in the rim of the ear. Don’t pierce the soft areas of your face—the scars will look like acne pits when you remove the ornament.
Body Piercing: If you’re a woman, never pierce your nipples or navel. If or when you become pregnant, you’re likely to get stretch marks that look like little red squiggles that turn white and become almost invisible.
But, piercings weaken the skin structure. When the pressure of pregnancy is placed on piercings on your nipples or navel, truly horrible stretch marks can appear, wide enough and deep enough to lay your finger into.
One young woman showed me a stretch mark that reached all the way up to her solar plexus. She asked me if there was anything she could do. Sadly, I had to tell her that I knew of nothing. I suggested she see a plastic surgeon. Perhaps plastic surgery could help because a narrow six inch scar might be preferable to the gash she had on her torso.
Tattoos: As I’ve gotten older, so have my friends. I’ve observed that even beautiful tattoos become nightmarish on the skin of aging women.
My advice is to get your tattoos on the hard parts of your body - on your shoulders, forearms, ankles and the back of your neck. The skin on these areas holds up pretty well, But if you get them on the soft areas—inner arms, thighs, breasts or belly—they will begin to look bad in your late 30’s. By your early 50’s, it will be truly regrettable.
You may think that they can be removed by laser, but the procedure is long, harrowing and expensive. All of those soft areas of your body are particularly sensitive and it will be terribly painful.
So, these are my views on Classic vs Outré. Classic Ladies - keep it classy. Outré Ladies - stay creative.
Next week, notes on matters too small for a whole blog.
- Gabrielle