Over-thought fashion

I like complicated – in everything, fashion included. And I like structural, architectural clothing, design that doesn’t necessarily obey the laws of anatomy blindly. I like, in short, cerebral and avant-garde fashion, that is often darker, not merely pretty.

Case in point: when doing the promotional tour for that “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” movie, Roonie Mara had herself the most terrific stylist. Pretty much everything she wore was on point, not only for the clothes in themselves, but also how these sartorial choices were in direct dialog with the movie, and the role that the actress portrayed. Almost nothing you would wear, but almost everything looked great. Bloggers I love, TomandLorenzo, called her style AudreyBot, a kind of futurist Audrey Hepburn, and I think their definition was spot on.

See for yourselves:

A Prabal Gurung dress:

A Givenchy dress, from a most divine collection:

Another Givenchy (she wore a few): 

 A Vuitton:

Miu Miu:

Nina Ricci, when designed by Thyskens:

After the promo tour was over Mara wisely continued with these styling choices and did well. One of the bigger misstepts, however, was this, by Balenciaga:

Sometimes, it seems, too many design elements in one garment can be too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good cape. But this is not a good cape. And if there is anything I absolutely HATE, it is half see-through skirts. GRRRR. And half see-through skirts done in white are even worse.

Similarly, Emma Stone, she of the hilarious scene in “Crazy, Stupid, Love” (watch if you haven’t seen, if only for Ryan Gosling’s perfectly manscaped chest):

So anyway, Emma Stone, another actress with a really great stylist (and a much better off-stage personality than that the famously aloof Mara), wore  this just recently, again by Balenciaga:

Oyi. The awkward shape of the capelet jacket makes her look like humpty dumpty’s long lost sister, with oddly re-attached arms. And this despite the fact that gray - black - white is my favorite color scheme. And my love for the complicated. 

I guess there is such a thing as overwrought.