Stealing Style...

[Jadee]

It's a tricky subject because there's stealing a style and copying...and everyone copies ... I quote Vivienne Westwood:

The only place to find ideas is by looking at what people did in the past. It's the only way you can be original. You can't be original by just wanting to do something. Nothing comes from a vacuum. You have to find it from somewhere.

There are all kinds of things you notice and realise that you can translate into something new. I always make my students copy things first because you have to fall in love with things.[...]Usually, you don't see the source of my translation. It has been transformed into something else by the time I present it.

I agree with her. I'm often inspired by books, paintings, movies. I even admit to watching the "Hercule Poirot" series just for the art deco costumes, and architecture. but I don't copy a look head to toe, I mix it with others inspirations, I give my own twist until I find a look that is me. Like Vivienne says I translate it in something else, something closer to my mood, to my personnality.

VampireCa time will tell if your friend is just buying into the victorian trend or if she has found her style. If it's her style she'll stick to it and hopefully will find her own way to wear it.

 

[calexico]

true, jadee...
it seems there is no such thing as a purely original design anymore...
(not that that is a bad thing)
we are constantly inspired by the past and learning from what has been done before...
we are reconstructing, not so much inventing...

 

[softgrey]

great points jadee and calexico....

love the direction this conversation has taken...
so many interesting points of view...

......

*so does anyone else think it is important to credit the source of your inspiration...
or do you think it's pretty much ok to just call it your own ...

cause i always credit the source..
just seems like the 'right thing' to do...(must be the catholic upbringing)
it's only when people claim to be completely original and so obviously are not that i really get perturbed...
i mean...who do they think they are fooling......
oh well....
i guess they are fooling a lot of people who really just wouldn't know the difference...
so maybe it's better not to credit the source and just take all the credit yourself?...


what do you all think..i really want to know...
you all have such interesting views on this topic...

thanks...

 

[Curious]

I think giving credit where credit is due is the ideal and proper thing to do. Knowingly claiming someone's idea as your own is just bad form... in any arena, not just fashion!

However, I think we often don't realize we are being influenced... it's inherent. I love and agree with the Westwood quote that everything comes from something, but I don't think we always take a mental note of what or who that something is in order to credit it properly...

 

[Jadee]

great points jadee and calexico....

love the direction this conversation has taken...
so many interesting points of view...

......

*so does anyone else think it is important to credit the source of your inspiration...
or do you think it's pretty much ok to just call it your own ...

cause i always credit the source..
just seems like the 'right thing' to do...(must be the catholic upbringing)
it's only when people claim to be completely original and so obviously are not that i really get perturbed...
i mean...who do they think they are fooling......
oh well....
i guess they are fooling a lot of people who really just wouldn't know the difference...
so maybe it's better not to credit the source and just take all the credit yourself?...


what do you all think..i really want to know...
you all have such interesting views on this topic...

thanks...

Hmm I think it depends... In some situations it could sound pretensious to name your inspiration ... I've received compliments for my eye make up and I just said "Thank you" I didn't say that I was inspired by Anna Karina because I knew she would've thought that I was bragging.

But most of the time I credit my sources of inspirations... I'm even happy to do so as I like to share my interests.(e.g. "yes I sew this on my shirt because in this movie blah blah blah do you think it would look better if I do this? ect..." )Sometimes I wear my mother's clothes or the jewelry my father's bought during his journey in Africa and I always credit them when I get compliments. I feel proud for them

So generally I think it's cool when people ask you where you bought something. I enjoy speaking of my inspirations .If I can make people discover new things it's all good to me.

I have the feeling that the people who don't credit their inspirations are insecure ... I suppose most frauds are...it's rather sad. They're either insecure or ... incredibly vain ... or both. They don't trust their own taste enough to develop their own style... and yet they aspire to a stylish status... it shows insecurity and vanity... It's the equivalent of people who cites authors and don't credit them or worst namedrop authors but haven't read the books ...Thanks God they're easy to spot .

 

[J.uicy]

I agree with what everyone here is saying.. Individuals always somehow become influenced through the fashion of others, yet I as well feel that even through the inspiration of others, many people always have a way of making fashion their own.

 

[QuirkyCool]

I think giving credit where credit is due is the ideal and proper thing to do. Knowingly claiming someone's idea as your own is just bad form... in any arena, not just fashion!

However, I think we often don't realize we are being influenced... it's inherent. I love and agree with the Westwood quote that everything comes from something, but I don't think we always take a mental note of what or who that something is in order to credit it properly...

I must agree here...a lot of what influences us is unconscious...one often sees something fleeting on the street,or the vibe at a party or in a movie stays with you,and the next day you feel like wearing certain things...but none of it is a conscious decision to "do x because I saw it here or there"...

And most of our inspirations are not tangible...it's not always something or someone we can "thank".

Also,as someone has alluded,it sometimes sounds arrogant to say that this was inspired by someone or something...I always think,what people think it's a pale and uninteresting interpretation of whatever the idea was?

Nope,I don't think that it is mandatory to include sources of inspiration,except as a point of interest to people who may care.because in the end,our experiences of and our interpretations of the inspiring event/person/atmosphere is intensely personal,as is what we make of it.

And I don't think that this falls under the heading of "stealing style".

 

[softgrey]

Hmm I think it depends... In some situations it could sound pretensious to name your inspiration ... I've received compliments for my eye make up and I just said "Thank you" I didn't say that I was inspired by Anna Karina because I knew she would've thought that I was bragging.

woah...
what a concept...
it never ocurred to me that someone might find that pretentious as opposed to 'interesting'...
or possibly humourous and entertaining...

huh.. ...
i guess if someone was insecure they might view it that way...
i would just find it interesting and ...
as you said...might even learn something...

i'll have to think about that one...

 

[jetsetandtrash]

i cannot stand style stealers. i have it done to me all the time and it drives me mad, i dont know why it is i really dont. my friends all do it and they have completely different styles but ill buy something new and then theyll copy me or ill point out or say there's something i want and theyll buy it!
ahhh!

 

[fashionbutterfly]

well

i think also inspiration is fine..to me if i see a nice mixture of clothes together itll inspire me to do my own version of it..or maybe update it..fashion is all about being able to make new materials shine

what yall think?

 

[MissyJG]

i've had people look at me from head to toe. it's funny. some copy me and it's just too obvious! almost identical! haha! when my friends do it it's fun, cool...when people are inspired by me it's cool! but i hate it when people constantly ask where i bought it ending up buying it as well... everybody (we) gets "copied" or is sometimes inspired by others...no? my highschool friends at least also acknowledged me for "starting the trend" or whatever...

 

[blackman]

I know what my values are and how i dress to represent them, that said i also like to be uncomfortable sometimes. And one of the ways I try to expand my fashion vocabulary is to try things that other people wear that i might not understand.

 

[Sonnytsunami]

I feel so miserable here... as i cant really remember having ever noticed anyone copying my style, ha, ha.. not that it is worth copying anyways

i would certainly feel honoured if someone copied it... but i dont think that will ever be the case, ha, ha.

we all certainly get inspired by other ppl's looks and styles... there is no way to fight that when you live in this western global civilization, i suppose...

just my rambling thoughts though...

Sonny xxx

 

[gardenpea]

It seems to be quite a 'teenage' thing (but correct me if I am wrong) more than a grown up thing (though I heard stories which makes me think that if you actually totally copy someone when you're a grown up, there may be a bit of pathology here). In my teenage years (the 80's), I remember juste one girl (she was wealthy though) who amazed us by the way she was putting things together.
But even if we wanted to copy her, it would have been really hard. Everything she wore was too expensive, we couldn't have afforded to do so. And we couldn't have found cheaper either because it simply didn't exist! There were about only 3 brands at the time who targeted the teenagers market.

I know ppl copying you head to toe are annoying but they certainly go through phases when they copy styles and then grow out of it and eventually find their own style. It's part of a natural process I guess. I'm often complimented on my style though I have never come across someone who was obviously copying me. And the reason for that is probably because you'd need a lot of self-confidence to dress the same way. Also I make sure i source most of my stuff off the high street stores. It then becomes pretty hard to buy the same stuff as me!

If I'd notice someone doing it, rather than being annoyed, I'd be really deligthed to drag that person to shops and help her to find HER style (in fact I already have a waiting list of 3 people!).

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

i've never had they style stealing problem all my friends are really diverse or they are in my fashion class at uni so they have their own strong style influences.

the only problem i have is seeing things in shops such as hats, shoes dresses etc. and saying how much i would love them and start saving up but then a friend would get it first. which just proves you shouldnt blab while shopping or be rich and just buy it on the spot to get around the 'someone getting there before you syndrome'

getting round this is to buy off random websites on the net or save up alot and get things people cannot afford or wouldnt spend that much on. my other ploy is 'make your own' that way no one can get the same

i must admit i have been influenced by others styles but its never a perticular garment its the way they wear it. like wearing long leggins slightly over the foot or a belt in an interesting way.

i think everyone is influenced by other to some degree and thats fine but out right stealing isnt the way to go it may not suit you and doesnt show your personality so whats the point!

 

[notmanons]

some people have a very well defined 'personal style'...
some people don't...
and some people steal their style from others...

basically copying a look that they see in a magazine or on a celeb or some other stylish person...
maybe the best dressed girl in the office or in the school...
or on the internet???...

have you ever had your style 'stolen'?...
have you ever stolen someone else's ...
(and are willing to admit it???..)

what do you think about 'stealing style'...???

B)

Bang on thread!
Gahhh I hate it when people steal my style.
My best friend Tushy (yes our names rhyme lol) wears funny hats to school (like berets and cute hats to match her clothes) and she looked so great and she is amazingly bold and no one else can ever pull it off.
But one day, my other best friend brought the most HIDEOUS hat.
and whenever we did Gym/games/PE the spongy material hat would absorb all the grease in her hair and she never took it off and so many people said horrible things about her behind her back. The next day, she went to buy the same shoes.
I told her enough is enough and that shes cloning her style without realising it. She stopped and now is going through the 'gothic stage'.

 

[voodoo_mary]

when i was a teenager,..(i'm really ancient now LOL) me and my cousin were really close. but we almost fell out because she used to copy everything i wore. EVERYTHING. I felt like she was a parasite; the copying became very acute and obvious when we went on shopping trips together- she would just pickup the exact same stuff i bought.. its not even copying or transposing anymore, its simply ape-ing...it was very monkey-see monkey-do.

I feel the same way Sonny does- nobody wants to steal my style gahahaha!
but me; i've stolen plenty from others... (kokopuff for one, susie bubble too-thanks!)
but isnt imitation the sincerest form of flattery? i'm never going to be so hard on myself (or others) if my style is stolen. i'd be really proud of myself

 

[Beautiful Stranger]

mmm, i think it's a very small line between "stylestealer" and to be inspired.

I've been stolen from (IMO), but not too often. I think for many of my friends consider my outfits only to work on me (when i think about it now, that's a real compliment) but i also try to not steal other people's look.

I very often get inspired and take elements from the look into my own.

 

[Mantha]

Well...When i'm out,i always look how other girls are dressed up and it's a good inspiration for me.However,i've never stole someone else style.

 

[ultramarine]

Hum I found inspiration from a pic of the "Rat pack" ... you know.. those singers from the 50s -or was it 60s?- and started wearing neckties as belts ... I *do* acknowledge the inspiration, the problem is that within 3 weeks you started spotting guys at the boy bars wearing them -so Id like to think they copied me, but cant really tell-