The cold shoulder was a look perfected by Donna Karan in the late 80s, early 90s; cut to show off the part of a shoulder that is smooth skin over bone. I remember Hillary Clinton and Barbra Steisand wearing it. It has stayed around, because it is a little flirty, without exposing a lot.
The Other Cold Shoulder
I paged through the Holiday catalog from Nordstrom the other day, and ended up closing it in disappointment. Suddenly I realized I was ranting at Mitch about what terrible things are being offered in the guise of fashion. I showed him the examples of the cold shoulder top in the catalog. and of course reminded him of the great examples done by Donna Karan (for the record, I’m not her greatest fan). Just for balance, I also showed the examples to my friend Nancy.
I’ve got pictures of them. The examples I have except the pink one are all $99. The pink one is just a prop and doesn’t give a price. Perhaps that’s the problem. If you go to Donna Karan’s site, the cashmere top is marked down to $570 from $950. The dress, which is a bit more elegant, is also marked down significantly: $1,895 to $758.
I am not saying that you can or should spend the kind of money required by the Donna Karan examples, but is it worth spending $99 to get something that is not well designed, is not flattering, and really doesn’t have any commitment to the style?
Give Bad Fashion the Cold Shoulder
One of the expressions my mother has used throughout my life has been “Every man to his own poor taste.” So I get that my taste is not universal, and that other people should be allowed to follow their own bliss. But I question whether people are paying attention to what looks good and what doesn’t. Do you consider proportion, shape–yours and the garments? Do you look at style and suitability? If you aren’t thinking about those things you may be missing the fashion boat.
Do you know that fashion can be transformative? What you put on on any day can change how you feel out in the world and in turn, how the world feels about you. You can be comfortable, fashionable, and well-dressed at the same time. You can express yourself, and look great doing it!
You can look good at your most casual, or most dressed up, but it does take a small amount of effort. Spend your fashion dollars wisely, and always get the best you can afford–after you have decided it is something you will use and enjoy wearing.
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