dapper femmes and rockstar philosophers.
dapper femmes and rockstar philosophers.
Sartorially speaking, last night might have been the high point of my fashion life, thus far. I was at the New York Times Talk last night for Russell Brand’s book talk for Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal. I had actually needed to get dressed in a bit of a rush since I’d had a work meeting earlier in the day. I was wearing a dress with a red and gray stripped top and a buttoned, gray pencil skirt bottom, my trusty Top Man straw hat with cranberry ribbon trim, black gray and red plaid tights, and gray and black jazz spats with my gray wool blazer. I will post a picture. I also had some of my favorite accessories on, like my oversize aqua glasses necklace and black anchor earrings. I remember thinking at one point on the train that I might look a little like a crazy dandy lady sailor, but I just went with it, and didn’t really think about the outfit the rest of the night. I did wonder what people would think when I showed up on the live web stream of the event online when I asked a question during the Q and A, but again, not in a “this is my best outfit ever” kind of way, so much as a “I really hope that these colors don’t clash in a video camera”
Anyway, other aspects of the evening are things I would like ot talk about at some point, but the book signing was a moment I want to write down before it fades. He is very warm and generous with the people he meets, from what I saw last night. He hugs everyone, and really stays present to each person for that moment. I imagine that it is hard and requires a lot of energy to maintain that. Anyway, when I got through the line to him, he said he had liked my question, and I said I appreciated his work because I really believe an embrace of the absurdity of life is one of the paths to enlightenment. And that it is fun that he plays with that in his work. He mentioned that this was something espoused in the post-war Surrealists, and I concurred. There was a beat where there was just a bit of smiling, and then he said, “You know, love. You. dress cool.” I was kind of overwhelmed by how emphatically he said this, and I thanked him and started to walk away. But I remembered to get my book, and I said, “You know, you do, too.” And he said thanks, and I left, kind of shocked.
I love Brand’s aesthetic so much, and I think of mine as being very different than his. He has a stretched out, very angular body, and he dresses very angularly. I dress, and very much was dressed last night, in a way that accentuates the curvature of my body. Then again, having read his autobiography, he says over and over again how he likes fuller women’s bodies. It was a cool moment to experience appreciation from someone whose body and style is so exalted and emulated and really rather commodified in his American movies. I don’t dress on trend, although I follow fashion trends to think about where fashion/culture/history is in the moment. But in general, I focus on the colors, fabrics, and accessories that make me feel at home in my body. I like to bring dapper, polished, fitted elements into an overall very feminine, vintage, warm, colorful aesthetic.
It was enormously gratifying to be appreciated for that by someone whose style, intellect, and philosophical stylings I hold in such high esteem. I don’t remember conversations very well, usually. And I am not usually so completely taken aback by a few simple words. But I am also slow to acknowledge that validation can be something I want and appreciate as much as the next person. So, in this spirit, I am letting myself hold onto this brief conversation and acknowledging that it created a very powerful moment of validation. I felt very seen and respected for my femme dapperqueer. By someone who kind of has his own very different take on femme dapperqueer.
Sartorially speaking, last night might have been the high point of my fashion life, thus far. I was at the New York Times Talk last night for Russell Brand’s book talk for Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal. I had actually needed to get dressed in a bit of a rush since I’d had a work meeting earlier in the day. I was wearing a dress with a red and gray stripped top and a buttoned, gray pencil skirt bottom, my trusty Top Man straw hat with cranberry ribbon trim, black gray and red plaid tights, and gray and black jazz spats with my gray wool blazer. I will post a picture. I also had some of my favorite accessories on, like my oversize aqua glasses necklace and black anchor earrings. I remember thinking at one point on the train that I might look a little like a crazy dandy lady sailor, but I just went with it, and didn’t really think about the outfit the rest of the night. I did wonder what people would think when I showed up on the live web stream of the event online when I asked a question during the Q and A, but again, not in a “this is my best outfit ever” kind of way, so much as a “I really hope that these colors don’t clash in a video camera”
Anyway, other aspects of the evening are things I would like ot talk about at some point, but the book signing was a moment I want to write down before it fades. He is very warm and generous with the people he meets, from what I saw last night. He hugs everyone, and really stays present to each person for that moment. I imagine that it is hard and requires a lot of energy to maintain that. Anyway, when I got through the line to him, he said he had liked my question, and I said I appreciated his work because I really believe an embrace of the absurdity of life is one of the paths to enlightenment. And that it is fun that he plays with that in his work. He mentioned that this was something espoused in the post-war Surrealists, and I concurred. There was a beat where there was just a bit of smiling, and then he said, “You know, love. You. dress cool.” I was kind of overwhelmed by how emphatically he said this, and I thanked him and started to walk away. But I remembered to get my book, and I said, “You know, you do, too.” And he said thanks, and I left, kind of shocked.
I love Brand’s aesthetic so much, and I think of mine as being very different than his. He has a stretched out, very angular body, and he dresses very angularly. I dress, and very much was dressed last night, in a way that accentuates the curvature of my body. Then again, having read his autobiography, he says over and over again how he likes fuller women’s bodies. It was a cool moment to experience appreciation from someone whose body and style is so exalted and emulated and really rather commodified in his American movies. I don’t dress on trend, although I follow fashion trends to think about where fashion/culture/history is in the moment. But in general, I focus on the colors, fabrics, and accessories that make me feel at home in my body. I like to bring dapper, polished, fitted elements into an overall very feminine, vintage, warm, colorful aesthetic.
It was enormously gratifying to be appreciated for that by someone whose style, intellect, and philosophical stylings I hold in such high esteem. I don’t remember conversations very well, usually. And I am not usually so completely taken aback by a few simple words. But I am also slow to acknowledge that validation can be something I want and appreciate as much as the next person. So, in this spirit, I am letting myself hold onto this brief conversation and acknowledging that it created a very powerful moment of validation. I felt very seen and respected for my femme dapperqueer. By someone who kind of has his own very different take on femme dapperqueer.