What does CHIC mean to you?

[Luti21]

who's the most elegent person to you Luti21? x

Dita Von Teese. i love her style and how she looks. and i love her husband's music.but we don't talk about that.

 

[factory girl]

Dita Von Teese. i love her style and how she looks. and i love her husband's music.but we don't talk about that.

what do you think makess dita so chic?x

 

[softgrey]

i don't think it's a subjective thing...
i think it is a clearly defined thing...

it's not a matter of opinion---it's a matter of fact...
things either fit the definition or they don't...
simple as that...


it's like saying what is your definition of black...?
black is the absence of colour...there is nothing subjective about it...


chic is a particular style/look that is clearly defined....

audrey hepburn is the definition of CHIC...
*princessmonkey.com, stanford.edu

 

[Luti21]

what do you think makess dita so chic?x

she just iiis. i mean really. she doesn't even wear jeans. well i don't do so maybe that's why. i admire her because she does her own thing dresses like she likes.and i like vintage.

 

[voodoo_mary]

imho, i dont find dita chic... but that just goes to show how subjective it can be.
i think audrey hepburn was very chic

audrey1.com

ebay.com

and carmen dell orefice
modelling at 70+ years old for Donna Karan

style.com

recently- modelling for target.com
pictures from fashionmodeldirectory.com
[IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k218/p_c_ty/target.jpg

newyorksocialdiary.com

 

[stilettogirl84]

I definitly agree that carmen dell orefice is chic-

to me Carrie Bradshaw was not chic really- her styles were too exuberant and unusual and playful. I don't think chic is really playful. Also she changed so much, as though she did not really know who she was. Chic to me is complete surity of who you are and a solid, unchanging style that is wholly yours.

stong women like Coco chanel

and

Diana Vreeland

www.fashionfinders.co.uk

come to mind

Dita von teese I don't really picture

Chic is dressed up- very very simply, very grown up looking.
Very self confident-

 

[voodoo_mary]

and for some strange reason, annia hall (diane keaton in funny hats and men's tweed jackets) gives me that shes-so-chic/cool-i-want-to dress-in-funny-hats-&-tweed-jackets urge.

gonemovies.com
lindsay lohan's take

from premier magazine

 

[laika]

I think softgrey is right--chic is definitely not subjective. It's very hard to define but completely identifiable. I also think that, unlike "style" in general, chic tends to be an inborn quality--you either have it or you don't. Audrey Hepburn had it; Elizabeth Taylor did not. Chic is very hard to cultivate, imho.

As for the definition--I do think that elegance is important, but ultimately, the element that makes someone or something chic is the very thing that "undoes" that elegance. It might be an accessory or an item of clothing; your hair or your make-up (or lack-of); but I suspect it's usually attitude--as in the case of Audrey.

So, AH is an obvious example from the past, but what do you think "modern chic" looks like? Who is chic now (and who isn't?) I would love to see some pics of this....
To me, there has to be an element of imperfection...something slightly off, or dishevelled.

thoughts?

 

[Tatika]

I think softgrey is right--chic is definitely not subjective. It's very hard to define but completely identifiable. I also think that, unlike "style" in general, chic tends to be an inborn quality--you either have it or you don't. Audrey Hepburn had it; Elizabeth Taylor did not. Chic is very hard to cultivate, imho.

As for the definition--I do think that elegance is important, but ultimately, the element that makes someone or something chic is the very thing that "undoes" that elegance. It might be an accessory or an item of clothing; your hair or your make-up (or lack-of); but I suspect it's usually attitude--as in the case of Audrey.

So, AH is an obvious example from the past, but what do you think "modern chic" looks like? Who is chic now (and who isn't?) I would love to see some pics of this....
To me, there has to be an element of imperfection...something slightly off, or dishevelled.

thoughts?

i agree with you! i believe that chic is almost something that comes from within..and that it should look imperfect because its something that wasnt intentionally done or put together, but that just is...

 

[ewening]

love the annie hall look! audrey hepburn is terribly chic as well.

 

[eternitygoddess]

It's very hard to define 'chic' in words, but let me try the sensations.

Chic is not ostentanious, glitter glitter, sequins, glamour, skin.

Chic is elegance with a snap. Not dead bore old-lady elegance. It's short, quirky, light sophistication. Something fresh.

 

[sanrio]

chic is simplicity...something revolutionary...something in woman's attitude...not in clothes... something simplier than anything else but at the same time so attractive...more than anything else...

you gotta be born chic...i don't think you can become chic...not suddenly...

 

[lata]

I see a woman in a simple black dress, black court shoes, a red/orange Hermes bag and oversized black sunglasses. She also has on a pearl necklace + pearl bracelet, and her hair is pulled back in a bun/chignon. Is she chic, classic or boring?

Also, what do you call a person who does not have an inborn sense of style but copies the look of those that people generally regard as chic?

 

[lata]

I forgot to ask this in my other post. Does chic equal the western style of dressing? For example, can an Indian woman in a beautiful sari be regarded as chic?

 

[ultramarine]

I think YSL understood chic better than most designers

 

[eternitygoddess]

For example, can an Indian woman in a beautiful sari be regarded as chic?

Errr...for me the answer is...no. I think it's more ornate. When I think of chic, I think of Audrey Hepburn in black turtleneck and skinny black pants. More European/Western dressing.

But there's nothing wrong with Indian woman in a sari.

 

[Tatika]

I see a woman in a simple black dress, black court shoes, a red/orange Hermes bag and oversized black sunglasses. She also has on a pearl necklace + pearl bracelet, and her hair is pulled back in a bun/chignon. Is she chic, classic or boring?

Also, what do you call a person who does not have an inborn sense of style but copies the look of those that people generally regard as chic?

someone with a good eye and good taste...

 

[stilettogirl84]

I forgot to ask this in my other post. Does chic equal the western style of dressing? For example, can an Indian woman in a beautiful sari be regarded as chic?

the concept of chic is a western one, so I don't think it can really apply to traditional garb of other cultures.

Now no one jump on me, I'm not saying that the way other cultures dress is bad, or inferior- but I think this concept of "chic" is a very western one

 

[stilettogirl84]

I see a woman in a simple black dress, black court shoes, a red/orange Hermes bag and oversized black sunglasses. She also has on a pearl necklace + pearl bracelet, and her hair is pulled back in a bun/chignon. Is she chic, classic or boring?

depending on how the person wears it, it could look Chic, or it could look like a costume- it depends if that sort of outfit seems to go with the person- fits their personality and they feel natural in it

Also, what do you call a person who does not have an inborn sense of style but copies the look of those that people generally regard as chic?

It could work. If they are aware of what they are doing and add an individual element, they might make it their own. In any case, much of life is a role playing game- no ideas are completely original.

And many people get inspiration from others- they see a person that they feel is glamorous or chic and they want to look glamorous or chic themsleves so naturally they emulate that look.

It's all part of the proscess of finding onesself and deciding who you are and who you want to be and who/ what you want other people to think you are

 

[laika]

On the sari question:

chic is a western concept, so I don't think a woman in India would necessarily describe or see herself as chic.

But, I have seen women in India looking extremely chic in their saris, because they have incorporated a surprising or non-traditional element into the look--i.e., they have short hair, or cool glasses. Or simply an unexpected grace about them.

That, to me, is an example of modern chic, because it transcends the original, french sense of the word; and takes into account the huge variety of influences and traditions that are available in the world.