2015-08-15

Fashion vs Style


"Fashion" is a tricky thing. I never say I have a fashion blog, but rather a style blog. Fashion is the popular styles and trends of the day. And because of that I have a bit of an issue with "fashion". I claim my personal style to be girly, cute, quirky and vintage-inspired. So by definition my style is the opposite of fashion, because I don't wear what is recognised as the popular styles of the time and season, but rather what may have been fashion some decades ago. It may be a rather controversial subject, but I believe that fashion is the antithesis of individuality and style. Style is a personal thing, and it reflects and individuals originality, whereas fashion is a trend, and intends to polish away quirkiness.

I may be alone in my opinion on fashion, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject? And how do you feel about fashion vs. style?





Befitting to the subject I am wearing a dress from the Book of Deer S/S 2012 collection. The dress is not for this season, but three years old. However Book of Deer is a brand that manages to intertwine fashion and style. The pieces are unique and original, and surpasses trends. This dress caught my eye this year, because I was first introduced to Book of Deer in 2015, and the amazingly talented creator of Book of Deer, Eilidh Ho, gifted me this dress after I told her how much I loved it. I adore the magnificent colour of this dress - it makes me feel like a woodland nymph, which is a feeling I appreciate very much. The fairytale-esque spirit that this dress has makes me want to wear it again and again. And I don't understand why something like fashion should dictate what we wear. I am perfectly happy in my out-of-season dress!






Dress: Book of Deer


17 comments:

  1. Hey you ! I just love the way you see "style" and "fashion".I am a blogger too and I was afraid to publish "fashion post" (or I should say "style post" ahaah").Anyway, I finally found my style and changed my opinion about my own style,I think that each people has his "fashion",fashion is art,everyone can express his vision of life through his outfits and his style ;)

    Love your universe ;)

    My blog : prettymarch.wordpress.com

    Caroline :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bonjour Caroline!
      I agree with you, style is something that is personal and it is a way to express yourself. I'm glad you've found your style and that you express it happily, because that's what it is all about! Don't think too much about others, if you want to publish a style post - do it! Your style is unique to you! Thank you so much for your comment lovely lady.
      Your blog is lovely, and good for someone like me that's trying to learn french :D
      Much love!

      Delete
    2. Yes,it's the truth ! Express his own style,it's the key! Thanks for your comment about my blog :),and sorry for the french I tried so hard to install" Google translate " but unsuccessly...
      Anyway,thanks for this brilliant article .

      Much love and cakes :)

      Delete
  2. i totally agree - style allows people to be themselves and allows their personalities to shine through their choice of clothing, whereas fashion leads to everyone wearing the same designs and lacking individuality. i love your dress, it looks gorgeous on you, and such a great colour :) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! You said it even better! Style is personal, while fashion dilutes everything to one homogeneous mass of the same.
      Thank you so very much, this dress is a favourite of mine!
      Thanks for your smart comment, I should've had you by my side when I wrote this post - you totally got what I was trying to say! ;)
      Much love!

      Delete
  3. Yup, I totally agree! I'm having troube labelling myself as a 'fashion' blogger because of this. I'm perhaps even more militant in my dislike of fashion as it is determined by so few people who corner the market and removes individuality. Every time I collect something from the post office (often ;) ) I look at the magazines on the rack and all I see are white, thin women who are devoid of personality and all wear the same clothes that only looks good if you are tall and thin. I've seen those programmes about becoming a model and it made me sick. Young girls and women who are told they cannot have an opinion and must be meek and easy to be around otherwise they won't get jobs. No, fashion is something straight out of hell to me.
    Also I kinda joke about that saying: You can't buy style. Really? Or perhaps you just don't know where to shop ;)
    I really love the brands who celebrate individuality and quirkiness rather than bow to mainstream fashion. I have to get my paws on some Book of deer soon. I keep seeing it around ;) On you and Trinity especially. It looks so awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When It comes to the fashion industry I'm quite militant in my dislike as well, however as I was mostly discussing the meaning of fashion I decided to be milder, but everything you just said I agree with! The industry of fashion is fundamentally messed up. There is so much that is wrong with it!
      Haha, If you think you can't buy style you obviously haven't discovered internet shopping!
      I agree with you, it is refreshing and uplifting to find brands that are not afraid of being different. Book of Deer has easily become one of my absolute favourite brands ;)
      It's quirky and spun out of fairy tales - I love it!
      Thanks so much for your incredible and intelligent comment. I agree with basically everything you said :D
      Much love!

      Delete
  4. OOooooo I love the purple on you! It's dark, bold, and wonderful!! I might be biased, though, as purple is one of my favorite colors ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, thank you so much darling! It's one of my favourite colours too! So I accept your bias ;)

      Delete
  5. I love that color on you! What a pretty dress! And that Peter Pan color is so you :-)

    I agree with you for the most part on the difference between fashion and style. Like you, I classify my blog as a personal style--not fashion--blog. That being said, I think the origin of fashion is a very creative space--the designers who create the pieces that appear on runways and in shows are truly artists, but I think the point you're making is that wearing the trends you see at the mall, whatever's "in" now, is a bit uninspiring, and I absolutely agree with that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much beautiful! I do love a peter pan collar ;)

      I actually would say I agree with you, I may have been a bit clumsy with my words in the post. Fashion (at least high fashion) is indeed an art form. It is when (high) fashion is boiled down to prêt-à-porter that a lot of the art in it is lost and it mainly becomes trends. And like you said, trends really are rather uninspiring. Klara wrote a comment after you, that was very much in the same spirit, about separating fashion and trends. So I can only say, that you took it a step further and in ways I agree with you. I still think the fashion industry as it is, is very wrong in several ways. But I'll leave that for another day. Thank you so much for your input! I loved to hear your opinion!

      Delete
  6. That's very well written and I agree with you so much! I personally like to make another distinction: one between fashion and trends. I think that what magazines tell us to wear has more to do with trends than with fashion. I view fashion as being somewhere out there, on the runways and in salons, created by people who are educated in the matter and so, fashion is an art in itself and as such, I admire fashion and people who create it. Trends, to me, are that not that same fashion. Rather, they are particles of fashion, washed down and trickling down on the masses in a more accessible form, cheap and often bad. It is sad, though, that most people can't afford that high fashion and go for trends instead. It is very class- and economy-oriented business.

    That said, I personally prefer to go for my own personal style rather than for trends. I like to have some consistency in my life and having to adjust my wardrobe every season with a new trend coming would be very tiring to me :D.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just like you, Devinne also made that distinction between fashion (the art form that it is) and trends. I agree with both of you in that high fashion really is a form of art. However the industry behind fashion is not one that I support, and I feel like there is much that is wrong with the industry. But I agree with you when you say that fashion is boiled down to trends that are made to be more "ready to wear" and that it is often made so in a bad way. The fashion industry has made fashion so inaccessible to people, and you are right in that it has become a very socioeconomic thing, which is part of the reason why I have such a problem with the industry. But I agree that in it's purest form fashion is beautiful, and an art indeed.

      I adore your style, it is much more inspiring than any trends I see. And I agree about it being exhausting changing your wardrobe every season.
      Thank you so much for your comment. I loved reading what you had to say, it is a very intelligent point you make. Thank you!

      Delete
  7. I know what you mean about fashion vs style, I never really know what to call my blog. I do always think that you need style to be able to pull off fashion which I believe you can do very well.
    I love this dress and Book Of Deer. Great post Mona!

    Emma Xx

    www.emmaslookingglass.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your comment Emma. I never thought about it that way, but it definitely makes sense that you need style to pull off fashion. In your way of thinking style is more of an essence, and I like that way of thinking. Thank you. You do so very well yourself, and I think you have a brilliant style. Book of Deer is great :D
      Thank you so much <3

      Delete
  8. You look fantastic doll!! I love this look :)) I don't have a fashion blog, I have a personal style blog. I think fashion is too much about trends and the ins and outs of everything and it's what makes me sometimes not like clothes. But, if you focus more on the style of it all and the art in creation than style and 'fashion' in the right proper way becomes perfect!! Real fashion is art, all the trends and whatevers isn't fashion, it's how to waste money on stuff we don't need and mass produce cheap crap. But, real fashion and style is putting more time into how it's made and where it's made and the art and talent behind the clothes. If more spent time on that, we wouldn't stress out so much on trends, which are pointless!! I just wear what I love and that is all :) xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much darling <3
      I agree with you about fashion and trends and the consumer life style it has all become.
      I love your mentality about style - every one should take a lesson from you "Wear what you love and that is all"! <3
      Thank you so much for commenting, I value your opinion.

      Delete