For a few years now I have really enjoyed reading fashion blogs for ideas and inspiration for my own personal style - I promise that I do sometimes look stylish if you are one of the few who have yet to witness it. Since I have now moved from the city to the country, from a behind-the-desk job to an out-in-the-field or outdoor job, my wadrobe and fashion preferences have changed. Previously, I really enjoyed delicate fabrics, nicely cut dresses and clothes primarily for their aesthetic value. Now however, clothing is valuable based on its utility. Bonnie likes to call such clothing technical clothing. So what kind of fashion options exist for this kind of lifestyle?
Some people might argue that fashion should not even be a consideration for the travelor, the outdoor enthusiast or the farmer, but I believe that fashion is valuable to any lifestyle. Fashion helps a person better define their character and mood on any given day. In my opinion, the ability to external represent yourself is what makes clothing so much fun! So here are some of the style words that immediately come to my mind for outdoor lifestyles - ski bum, gortex, hippie, tomboy, cowboy, cyclist, the North Face, retro, wool, hunter, safari, boots, hats, work gloves. As you can imagine, though it is quite easy to find a number of blogs related to urban fashion, whether it be street fashion, high fashion, business fashion or party fashion, there is little to my knowledge that is available for people that need both function and fashion together. The hunt is on.
So far I have been impressed with tomboystyle.blogspot.com though it's focus is still quite urban.
Damn, I wrote a wall of text on this post but when I went to submit it, it "couldn't complete my request". Anyway, here's the gist of it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think fashion and (real) farming can ever mix. I'm sure somewhere out there there are some scantily clad women posing on the biggest Massey Ferguson they can find, but I would just assume it to be some kind of fetish porn targeted at the mid-west. and the prairies.
From my time at the farm I can safely conclude that work and fashion don't mix. As soon as you wear clothes based on the emotion your feel they portray, you assign them a sentimental value that makes everything you do a little more complicated. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally worn my favorite plaid shirt out in the morning only to realize that I would be working with paint (I'm pretty much a Parkinson's patient when there is a paint brush in my hand) or driving the tractor that showers you with coolant. Needless to say, both those days were unproductive as I did my best to keep my shirt intact.
Fashion can still exist outside of the work day though and still do a great job at conveying emotion. For example, my PJ bottoms scream "I just dug holes for 9 hours and I'm tired as shit, so no, I don't want to go get some exercise" and when you catch me free balling in my gym shorts, it's because I'm telling the world that I'm out of clean(ish) boxers and am determined to wait it out until someone else does laundry. I also like to mix and match socks since it lets the women know that although I dig holes and shovel shit for a living, I still know how to have a good time. No takers yet, but I think the cotton/poly blend I have this year is gonna make the panties drop...fingers crossed.
Great feedback Matt! You definitely made me chuckle. Thanks.
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