She was a beautiful woman. She could wear the simplest clothing and she always looked classic and well put together. It is style, and what is missing from a lot of lives.
Completely. I gotta say -- it was jarring to go from putting this story together yesterday, selecting the photos, etc, and then opening Instagram and seeing, like, Taylor Swift at the Renaissance premiere. This is not to say Taylor didn't look beautiful, but CBK is the total antithesis of that. I think it's no wonder minimalism is trendy now and she's still the poster girl for it -- people long for a less fussy time.
Another thing I have noticed about the time place and people, they did not overshare. She was a quiet stylish woman. No one commented on which designer she was wearing, they just said look at what she is wearing. Classic styles. To be honest, yes the human body is a wonderful thing, but by not exposing every bit if flesh you have, leaves a bit of mystery. We all like a mystery or like to be a little mysterious. That quiet beauty that stands the test of time.
So true. I feel like one of the most stylish, subversive things someone could do today is to not have an Instagram account. I’m more and more intrigued by people who don’t share the minutiae of their lives with everyone.
I use instagram to find artists, get leads on new music, follow authors, writers, and keep track of textile artists. Oh I do follow a particular model, and actually got to meet her! That wouldn’t have happened without instagram. But sharing my life, no. I am boring, trying to keep up with cleaning the dog fur, knitting, reading, and that is for me, I am content not being a voracious consumer of wants. It just takes a while.
The commentary on CBK sits in stark contrast to the wave of Black Friday buy-this-now coverage and chatter, which seems particularly loud this year, and focused on the (sigh) “quiet luxury” trend which explicitly references her style. CBK looked great, she enjoyed clothes, and her clothing vocabulary was very much focused on interchangeable high-quality pieces. Even if in reality she had a huge closet (which she definitely did), it’s highly ironic to me that we lionize her low-key, classic, and very achievable style on the one hand, while excitedly promoting ever-more consumption with the other. It’s unnecessary.
Exactly! And then there’s the sparkle undies from Philo. It feels like a stand-in for market research. (“Maybe -this- novelty add-on will work? Remember Gucci’s furry slides?”)
So for that, I blame the hot pants styling during the recent runway shows...which was only done to “edge up” the rest of what the models wore. But I think a few people took it seriously as a trend.
One of the things I appreciated about the book is how we also come to understand that Carolyn was not a happy beneficiary of "is it fashion or is it just thin person?" aesthetics. She was someone who had an educated eye and a real appreciation for modern, original style. The Yohji Yamamoto pieces she had ... chef's kiss. One always had the sense that the only icon she ever channeled was herself -- love to see it.
I admired her style then in real time and her beauty, as I do now. I have the book and can’t wait to dig into it. It sounds like there are tidbits of information that might be new. But I keep wondering what she might look like today, had she lived. Would she have gone in for all the cosmetic derm & even plastic surgery to keep her youthful look? Would she have gone grey naturally like her mother, as photos of her mother have shown? I guess we will have to rely on AI to see those kinds of things. She died at just the time when our looks start to change due to aging, (i know that’s how it was for me) so she was probably at her peak youthful beauty. And that’s how she will remain in our minds, always. Her style is having an influence on me again, as I am once again drawn to minimalism in form and color.
She was a beautiful woman. She could wear the simplest clothing and she always looked classic and well put together. It is style, and what is missing from a lot of lives.
Completely. I gotta say -- it was jarring to go from putting this story together yesterday, selecting the photos, etc, and then opening Instagram and seeing, like, Taylor Swift at the Renaissance premiere. This is not to say Taylor didn't look beautiful, but CBK is the total antithesis of that. I think it's no wonder minimalism is trendy now and she's still the poster girl for it -- people long for a less fussy time.
Another thing I have noticed about the time place and people, they did not overshare. She was a quiet stylish woman. No one commented on which designer she was wearing, they just said look at what she is wearing. Classic styles. To be honest, yes the human body is a wonderful thing, but by not exposing every bit if flesh you have, leaves a bit of mystery. We all like a mystery or like to be a little mysterious. That quiet beauty that stands the test of time.
So true. I feel like one of the most stylish, subversive things someone could do today is to not have an Instagram account. I’m more and more intrigued by people who don’t share the minutiae of their lives with everyone.
I use instagram to find artists, get leads on new music, follow authors, writers, and keep track of textile artists. Oh I do follow a particular model, and actually got to meet her! That wouldn’t have happened without instagram. But sharing my life, no. I am boring, trying to keep up with cleaning the dog fur, knitting, reading, and that is for me, I am content not being a voracious consumer of wants. It just takes a while.
The commentary on CBK sits in stark contrast to the wave of Black Friday buy-this-now coverage and chatter, which seems particularly loud this year, and focused on the (sigh) “quiet luxury” trend which explicitly references her style. CBK looked great, she enjoyed clothes, and her clothing vocabulary was very much focused on interchangeable high-quality pieces. Even if in reality she had a huge closet (which she definitely did), it’s highly ironic to me that we lionize her low-key, classic, and very achievable style on the one hand, while excitedly promoting ever-more consumption with the other. It’s unnecessary.
I know -- I was looking at Khaite recently and while it's heralded as minimal it's also not? Like what is this?? https://khaite.com/products/davis-knee-high-boot-in-crystals
Exactly! And then there’s the sparkle undies from Philo. It feels like a stand-in for market research. (“Maybe -this- novelty add-on will work? Remember Gucci’s furry slides?”)
I really wonder who buys designer underwear-as-clothing
So for that, I blame the hot pants styling during the recent runway shows...which was only done to “edge up” the rest of what the models wore. But I think a few people took it seriously as a trend.
Haha they were AT LEAsT humorous & wearable
Hahaha omg. The most confused over-priced brand in the universe. Prada priced & mass-produced. I am SO bewildered.
One of the things I appreciated about the book is how we also come to understand that Carolyn was not a happy beneficiary of "is it fashion or is it just thin person?" aesthetics. She was someone who had an educated eye and a real appreciation for modern, original style. The Yohji Yamamoto pieces she had ... chef's kiss. One always had the sense that the only icon she ever channeled was herself -- love to see it.
I admired her style then in real time and her beauty, as I do now. I have the book and can’t wait to dig into it. It sounds like there are tidbits of information that might be new. But I keep wondering what she might look like today, had she lived. Would she have gone in for all the cosmetic derm & even plastic surgery to keep her youthful look? Would she have gone grey naturally like her mother, as photos of her mother have shown? I guess we will have to rely on AI to see those kinds of things. She died at just the time when our looks start to change due to aging, (i know that’s how it was for me) so she was probably at her peak youthful beauty. And that’s how she will remain in our minds, always. Her style is having an influence on me again, as I am once again drawn to minimalism in form and color.
Let’s let them Rest In Peace. They were hounded when they were alive, let them go