"There's a woman that you ought to know
And she's coming, singing soft and low
Singing rock and roll, she's a joy to know"
- Buffalo Springfield
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Balmain's Creation of the New Women
"There's a woman that you ought to know
And she's coming, singing soft and low
Singing rock and roll, she's a joy to know"
- Buffalo Springfield
Shaping Memories with Clothes
Re-reading the following passage by J. D. Salinger never fails to remind me of the first time I fell in love with clothes. We often remember people by the music they like, food they crave, perfume they spritz, and clothes they wear. Fashion for the mass or "fast-fashion" as the industry appropriately coined the term has distorted much of this medium of remembrance, but some of us seldom carry memories of people through their favorite articles of clothing or pieces of accessories. For my mom, it's her Hermès silk scarves and signature drop diamond earrings. For my sister, it's her perennial cashmere cardigans and fun headbands from Bendels. For me, it's my collection of colorful minidresses, Pucci silk scarves, and cocktail hats.
Clothes do so much more than functioning as a form of expression. They have the power to create emotions and to shape people's memories. I thank J. D. Salinger for having described this process in such a beautifully delicate manner.
" If or when I do start going to an analyst, I hope to God he has the foresight to let a dermatologist sit in on consultation. A hand specialist. I have scars on my hands from touching certain people. Once, in the park, when Franny was still in the carriage, I put my hand on the downy pate of her head and left it there too long. Another time, at Loew's Seventy-second street, with Zooey during a spooky movie. He was about six or seven, and he went under the seat to avoid watching a scary scene. I put my hand on his head. Certain heads, certain colors and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me. Other things, too. Charolette once ran away from me, outside the studio, and I grabbed her dress to stop her, to keep her near me. A yellow cotton dress I loved because it was too long for her. I still have a lemon-yellow mark on the palm of my right hand. Oh, God, if I am anything by a clinical name, I'm kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy."
Raise high the roofbeam, carpenters, and Seymour An introduction
J. D. Salinger
Clothes do so much more than functioning as a form of expression. They have the power to create emotions and to shape people's memories. I thank J. D. Salinger for having described this process in such a beautifully delicate manner.
" If or when I do start going to an analyst, I hope to God he has the foresight to let a dermatologist sit in on consultation. A hand specialist. I have scars on my hands from touching certain people. Once, in the park, when Franny was still in the carriage, I put my hand on the downy pate of her head and left it there too long. Another time, at Loew's Seventy-second street, with Zooey during a spooky movie. He was about six or seven, and he went under the seat to avoid watching a scary scene. I put my hand on his head. Certain heads, certain colors and textures of human hair leave permanent marks on me. Other things, too. Charolette once ran away from me, outside the studio, and I grabbed her dress to stop her, to keep her near me. A yellow cotton dress I loved because it was too long for her. I still have a lemon-yellow mark on the palm of my right hand. Oh, God, if I am anything by a clinical name, I'm kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy."
Raise high the roofbeam, carpenters, and Seymour An introduction
J. D. Salinger
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