Stealing Style...

[timber]

I've never seen an item on someone and then rushed out to buy it, but I am often inspired by the sort of 'personalities' and 'characters' that people portray through their attitude and their wardrobe. I think it's a really good source of ideas -- sort of interpreting the essence of someone through how you dress. I mean, for example you can channel Audrey Hepburn without wearing exactly what she did -have your own twist on it and feel elegant in your choices. It's sort of confidence, I guess and feeling comfortable in what you're wearing that means more.

That being said, I don't shell out a lot of money on signature pieces -- I have a lot of basics-with-twists sort of items, and then get my one-of-a-kind(ish) pieces at vintage and thrift shops.

 

[softgrey]

the Cure may have said it best..

Jumping Someone Else's Train



Don't say what you mean
You might spoil your face
If you walk in the crowd
You won't leave any trace
It's always the same
You're jumping someone else's train

It won't take you long
To learn the new smile
You'll have to adapt
Or you'll be out of style
It's always the same
You're jumping someone else's train

If you pick up on it quick
You can say you were there
Again and again and again
You're jumping someone else's train

It's the latest wave
That you've been craving for
The old ideal
Was getting such a bore
Now you're back in line
Going not quite quite as far
But in half the time

Everyone's happy
They're finally all the same
'cause everyone's jumping
Everyone else's train

Jumping someone else's train
Jumping someone else's train
Jumping someone else's train

 

[ParadEyes]

Copycat

If they are very close to you and you don’t want to hurt their feelings? ​

My case is nearly hopeless with this close friend of mine. ​

Her imitation of me has become frightening to the point that many people are mistaking us for being sisters ( lately twins, and we don't even look alike ). It sounded funny at first, but now i just can't take it anymore.

She not only copies my clothes, my makeup style, MY DESIGNS IN CLASS, my weight ninja ..but she does more unbelievable things that make others laugh

A few examples:

*When we walk together, I intend to carry my purse in a certain way just to see what she'll do,..then.. she carries her purse the same way I do.​

*She changes her cellphone's ringtone so that it is the same as mine.
*When I hum a song while working, she actually starts singing the same song even though she doesn’t even know the song.

And every time I decide to talk to her about it, it makes me sad how she likes me a lot and says things like hi my twin !.. or Isn't it cute how everyone mistakes between us too?

I need help ! ​

 

[Hanne]

I think there is a thread in personal style on this particular issue.. that might give you some advice.. I'll see if I can't locate it..

 

[loonaka]

I had a copycat in high school, she even wanted to buy this green headband I had which I had gotten for free in a crappy teen magazine which I bought because I had a crush on Harry Potter haha, she always wanted to touch all my stuff when she was sitting infront of me, she would turn and ask if she could borrow my lipgloss and stuff..it was weird because she wasn't my friend or anything..

 

[Hanne]

This was the thread I was thinking of.. : http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/f58/price-being-original-46953.html

 

[fashionista-ta]

Actually I think the thread we want is called Stealing Style ... I'll go hunt for it. And ParadEyes, I have no idea how you've stood it as long as you have ... I wouldn't be able to be friends with someone who values herself so little. I would have to sit her down & have a serious chat ...

 

[MulletProof]

this girl at work that I got close with started to do that.. I think it wasn't that she was amazed by my 'style' at all, she was just truly reluctant to accept herself.. she started by asking me, in this bothered tone, why did I wear so much black, or why did I combine that pair trousers with these shoes.. I guess her confusion was so deep that it'd only be understood by trying it out herself , I didn't even notice at the beginning, until one day, she came straight to me and said 'look, I'm dressed just like you' .. as if her childish attitude wasn't enough, I totally got carried away and in a childish mode myself, got very pissed.. I just half smiled but from that day on, I kept noticing how she'd try to wear the same ensembles as me and even her hair... it was so infuriating to the point that I kind of started ignoring her .. after a month of doing that, obviously she didn't know what was going on and came to me and asked me if she had done something wrong.. and I felt so embarrased, I mean, I couldn't tell her something so corny and absurd like, 'you bought the same jacket as me' , so I just told her that I was uncomfortable with some of her behavior, that sometimes I felt like I couldn't trust her because she kept hiding behind the little collage she had made of herself through other people's manners, vocabulary, CLOTHES!.. I said that immitation can be flattering when it's done by strangers but when done by people close to you, it doesn't demonstrate her willingness to share but her willingness to take and compete and as I know she's struggling to keep up with others' mannerism in order to cover her own, and the rest struggle to deny the obvious competence she's dropped on the table and inevitably forces them to join, I told her that I'd rather stay focused on my work and not get involved at all, and if that meant not talking to her, then so be it... I tried to kept it diplomatic but it probably wasn't all that good cause she started crying and apologised.. and I felt like a monster for telling her that..
and then the next day she showed up with another look I had worn like 3 weeks before.

 

[kiddokiddo]

^^ I guess it rolled right off her back, no

I have a co-worker like that too...However, he actually asked me if it's ok for him to go buy the same shirt, jacket or hat that he'd seen me worn. I never thought twice cause for me it's kinda flattering that he actually said " I gotta rip off your style cause I adore it". So we ended up shopping together a lot, but I tried to buy differently from him...
It was all good until I bumped into a good friend of his, and at the time I was wearing a new necklace, so this guy pointed at it and said something like "Oh so you've been stealing (name)'s style, no, cause he told me he wanted that necklace for so long and you went out and bought it and he was mad about it". I was so outraged by that statement because now I realized he's been going around telling his friends that I'm ripping off his "non-existence" style. I'm going to have a serious talk with this guy

 

[gius]

don't feel like a monster, MP so brave of you to tell her your feelings
imitation is so obnoxious...

my case, i ignored her too but my result did not work out.. she did not cry, she did not feel sorry, she got worse and worse like kiddokiddo's case (#_#)

i think some people do it as a social activity?
my impression was that she wanted attention from me.
she would say she liked the same things as me.

 

[Zarina]

Interesting discussion! I seldom experience to be copied since most of my collegues are not that much into fashion, but if it happens I don't care. If I love my belongings and if rest of the world does the same it is fine with me.

 

[dumbfairy]

^not even just your colleagues Zarina,I think a lot of people on here wish to copy your style

They do say imitation is the purest form of flattery but I've don't always buy into that mindset cos sometimes it's just creepy

 

[wkd_]

if i see someone wearing something i like, i might buy the same item or something similar but i wouldn't steal their whole look.

would you find it annoying if a stranger asks you where you got a piece of clothing from? i've had that done to me a few times and i've also done it to others
with strangers i dont mind sharing

 

[luisa]

^^ I guess it rolled right off her back, no

I have a co-worker like that too...However, he actually asked me if it's ok for him to go buy the same shirt, jacket or hat that he'd seen me worn. I never thought twice cause for me it's kinda flattering that he actually said " I gotta rip off your style cause I adore it". So we ended up shopping together a lot, but I tried to buy differently from him...
It was all good until I bumped into a good friend of his, and at the time I was wearing a new necklace, so this guy pointed at it and said something like "Oh so you've been stealing (name)'s style, no, cause he told me he wanted that necklace for so long and you went out and bought it and he was mad about it". I was so outraged by that statement because now I realized he's been going around telling his friends that I'm ripping off his "non-existence" style. I'm going to have a serious talk with this guy

I would be so mad! in general, like you said, it is ok if somebody makes you a compliment for your style and "asks" you to imitate you. although this can be very annoying, too, esp when you bought something you are really proud of.
i'd be furious if somebody did that to me ( i mean talk behind my back like that)

 

[Zarina]

Thank you dumbfairy

The boarder between stealing style and inspiration is vague I think. One of the ideas of a forum like this is that we can inspire each other like we find inspiration in magazines etc.

 

[~LovelyDay~]

^
to be honest, i think its the exactly the samething.
Stealing/copying, you do it without giving credit. Inspiration you do.

 

[Zarina]

On the other hand I don't think one can have a monopoly of a style. There are very few people in the world who have a really unique style.

 

[~LovelyDay~]

ya and even them, though they may have thought of it on their own, has been done by someone back in history.

we, mankind at this stage have too long history of fashion and arts to have anything new to offer that is truely original.

 

[gius]

^or you can say that you can find a connection between everything you see
if that is what you are looking for.
everything seems related in some way

 

[fashionista-ta]

if i see someone wearing something i like, i might buy the same item or something similar but i wouldn't steal their whole look.

would you find it annoying if a stranger asks you where you got a piece of clothing from? i've had that done to me a few times and i've also done it to others
with strangers i dont mind sharing

Exactly ... but you don't want your roommate with gigantic feet buying your same shoes