Do you dress eccentrically?

[gius]

I don't think wearing avant-garde designer clothing makes you have avant-garde style. That most often comes off as gratuitous & calculated... the worst of the avant-garde. When I see someone having true avant-garde style it connects me to the emotions of the individual. Things are not always what they seem & there is a wave of emotion that emerges & strikes me with full force. For me an emotional fashion moment is most often created by intelligence & not by piling on clothes and/or accessories. Great fashion edited flawlessly & presented sharply is one way to do it. Wit... charm & a fantastic sense of humor is also most likely a requirement. If you're really avant-garde then you cannot be taken literally... thus creating real change.

definitely.. a personality plays a big part..
slight natural eccentricity..
having very particular tastes in things, ideals
and a bit of introversion
maybe they can even be a bit aloof. and distant




it's almost the same as personal style
only there's a kind of force to make things the way the person wants things to be
everything fits together
the clothes suit the person's the face, the person's demeanor
you see a garment without a person wearing it, and it reminds you of that person...

i think it's a key point when comparing with other people who dress differently. sometimes it's for shock factor or for the sake of fashion, or even simply to create something interesting
but others really dress for themselves and they're very specific about what they wear, how they decorate their homes, what they eat, what they read, everything...

 

[fashionista-ta]

definitely.. a personality plays a big part..
slight natural eccentricity..
having very particular tastes in things, ideals
and a bit of introversion
maybe they can even be a bit aloof. and distant




it's almost the same as personal style
only there's a kind of force to make things the way the person wants things to be
everything fits together
the clothes suit the person's the face, the person's demeanor
you see a garment without a person wearing it, and it reminds you of that person...

i think it's a key point when comparing with other people who dress differently. sometimes it's for shock factor or for the sake of fashion, or even simply to create something interesting
but others really dress for themselves and they're very specific about what they wear, how they decorate their homes, what they eat, what they read, everything...

That is me, but I don't consider myself avant garde ... I don't think anyone does

To me what you're describing in your second section is personal style.

 

[gius]

i just mean if u see someone you might think is or looks avant-garde these would all be a factor
it is avant-garde in the sense that i find this isn't the norm.. at least not the people i'm around 100% of the time
i feel most people, lives do center around other people.
or that they are too busy or have other cares in their life.



and for personal style
i've seen blogs where it's clear people dress for themselves and they wear what they like, but i mean a lot more thinking needs to be involved.. it's hard to describe
it's almost like saying they have an intention in things they do
it's the force i'm was writing about
and also when softgrey was saying different for a reason.. like if you see this type of person once you might see them and think not very much but seeing them again, and their style/demeanor sort of takes a hold on you.. and you may even anticipate the next time you see them, to see what they're wearing or whatever *_*

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Well, I think having personal style at all is not the norm. To me, the force you're talking about is the force of personality, of a personal aesthetic vision.

And you're right, it's not important to a lot of people. Some people are quite literally covering their nakedness, others want to look appropriate, others want to show how much money they spent, others want to signal that they fit in. That's the vast majority of people right there.

To me the bit that goes beyond personal style is eccentricity.

I also think you can be really busy, and aesthetics can still be a priority for you. They are always a priority for me, it doesn't matter what else is going on

 

[gius]

seems like you hit it there

"vision" is the perfect word/s for avant-garde..

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ But I think you can have a vision that isn't avant garde. To me this is a subset of people who have personal style/an aesthetic vision.

 

[gius]

you're right.. i know i have met people who seem like they have stepped out of the 1950s, or entering their apartment and it's like that.

i guess it depends on the vision


maybe a type of vision you can't put your finger on
only the person knows

 

[Meg]

I don't think we will ever agree on a solid definition. I mean, other than the definition of the words, of pushing boundaries. Regardless, what I said earlier and what others have also said, is part of it definitely involves a sense of refinement. It's not just about piling things on without thinking. I think there is sense of editing to achieve a greater idea/look, imo.

 

[fashion.fashoff]

i don't know if my outfits are avant-garde or just slightly "different", however i have noticed that some of my friends are imitating my style

for better or for worse, what gius said is also all true of me...

slight natural eccentricity..
having very particular tastes in things, ideals
and a bit of introversion
maybe they can even be a bit aloof. and distant.

 

[TheElitist]

i don't know if this is avant garde, but i based it on Plavalaguna of The Fifth Element.

someone said it's more about having a VISION, which i completely agree.

despite all my school mates asking their friends to "model" for them and piling on theatrical makeup/hairdo, i simply chose to wear my design and go without make-up and my usual hairstyle.

i see no need for theatrics and would rather allow my work to speak for itself.

for me, sense of proportions and especially the silhouette are the factors that bite me in the *** whenever i look at someone's outfit.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Thanks for posting, fashion.fashoff and TheElitist!!! IMO these are good examples.

If you don't mind my throwing a little astrology into the mix, I have Venus in Virgo, which all the books say is common among fashion designers. Virgo is all about discrimination--hopefully in a positive way, as in, of these 100 or 1000 options, this one is the one I like. It would be interesting to find out how many people with personal style and "particular taste" have a Virgo influence in their charts. (You can run your own chart at astro.com if you're interested. You need your birth time for the most accurate chart.)

 

[666tubeamp]

Cool thread.

I guess it depends on how one interprets the phrase: i.e. literally or as it's more commonly used to indicate different, odd, or even bizarre. Without getting too involved in the literal meaning of the words, I think avant garde is strongly dependant on the general social context [the zeitgeist, I guess] and as well on the baggage of the individual who is seeing the ensemble.

For example, I've had some people tell me that I dress "avant garde" because I'm a married guy who wears leather pants - even to my office. I buy high quality leather pants [Gucci, Dolce Gabanna] and generally dress them up with a solid colored sweater and dress shoes, so the look is nothing like Guns 'n Roses, the Blue Oyster Bar or a biker. Because I objectively think that I look decent in such an outfit, even if I do recognize that it's uncommon, I don't think of it as avant garde. However, in North America, because the aforementioned images of rock bands and bikers are so deeply entrenched in the collective conscience, and because one almost never sees images of men wearing leather pants outside of those stereotypes, it really throws some people a curveball to see someone wearing them as "normal" clothing. In Germany, however, I don't think nearly as many people would see such an outfit as bizarre or even odd.


Interestingly, I find that the 20-40 generation, of which I'm a part, especially reacts to the ensemble. Perhaps it's because we are the demographic who watched Friends with a nearly religious zeal [thinking about Ross' problems], and we are also the demographic who loves our comedy to be peppered with stereotypes [think about how different the Simpson’s would be without its stereotype-based content].

Again, a great thread!

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Interesting point about cultural context ... I would say what counts, though, is doing something different from the majority wherever you are, even if it would be completely 'normal' in a different place.

Just wanted to add a PS to my post above ... forgot to mention that Venus rules beauty, so Venus + Virgo = particular taste. I'm sure there are other ways for it to manifest in a chart, I'm just not sure what they are ...

 

[inferno]

ive never really thought of myself as 'avant garde' or anything, but i know i always dress very over the top and bizarre. i love it!

 

[fashion.fashoff]

^cool look TheElitist

fashionista-ta, i'm a virgo too but i'm not sure what planet...i think mercury but i'm not sure if i read the chart correctly...

 

[gius]

i'm a virgo too
birth certificate's quite lost in storage though..
parents won't let me in.. think i will make a mess or get sick


thanks guys for sharing pictures!
looking at both they seem "timeless" ..
as opposed to some of the looks susie might wear, which could totally fit the now, the zeitgeist. she seems to have quite a lot of styles actually

theElitist i think the clothes suit your own face ..
almost to say they are an exact match
i like thinking of clothes the same way. something i can wear wherever i am, be it at home or doing my groceries. on a bad hair day or a good one. it should suit me in all cases

 

[GasolineRainbow]

i don't know if this is avant garde, but i based it on Plavalaguna of The Fifth Element.

Now this is what I call extreme modesty, and you call yourself an elitist. If that's not avant garde, I don't know what is.

Tata, I'm not a believer at all, but what the heck, astrology is entertaining. I have an abundance of water, air, and a smattering of fire in my chart, but no earth. No Virgo, nada. This doesn't bode well for my style, then? (My astrology-enthusiast aunt says this absence explains all my faults, weaknesses, and problems.) Oh, and she said that your Venus position most influences physical appearance. Personal style most likely fits into this as well, but the ancients were clueless about stuff like fashion victims and style icons. I have Venus in Leo, but I don't think I look (or dress) Leo-esque at all.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^cool look TheElitist

fashionista-ta, i'm a virgo too but i'm not sure what planet...i think mercury but i'm not sure if i read the chart correctly...

If anyone wants help with your chart, you can PM me your info (birth date, time, place) and I'll tell you if you have any Virgo in your chart.

gius, if you don't have your time, you can run the chart for the beginning & end of the day ... any placements common between the two charts are yours. But Sun in Virgo is certainly a strong Virgo influence

 

[fashionista-ta]

Now this is what I call extreme modesty, and you call yourself an elitist. If that's not avant garde, I don't know what is.

Tata, I'm not a believer at all, but what the heck, astrology is entertaining. I have an abundance of water, air, and a smattering of fire in my chart, but no earth. No Virgo, nada. This doesn't bode well for my style, then? (My astrology-enthusiast aunt says this absence explains all my faults, weaknesses, and problems.) Oh, and she said that your Venus position most influences physical appearance. Personal style most likely fits into this as well, but the ancients were clueless about stuff like fashion victims and style icons. I have Venus in Leo, but I don't think I look (or dress) Leo-esque at all.

I am not about believing this or that, I'm about does the model work, and if it does, I'm in I'm really just a dabbler in astrologer, not an expert. So I'm sure there are other ways for style to manifest in a chart. For instance, what's going on in the first house ... I have definitely had a first house transit affect my personal style.

My Sun's in Leo btw ...

 

[fashionista-ta]

Just stopped by to note that fashion.fashoff has Sun and Mercury (communication) in Virgo, and Venus in Leo. We also both have Sagittarius rising (which might lead to forthrightness in communicating who you really are through your personal style).

Does anyone else have pix to post?