the logo’s the thing in which to catch the money of the mob.

Cassi Creek by S Lenon 29-Oct-09 11:31

Cassi Creek in the style of French impressionism


We used to call this wasted film and might never have selected it for printing. Hang a label from a known painter on it and it somehow gains relative value for a portion of the population. Then it might become possible to print this, number/sign this and sell it to people who think they know about art.

This is sort of like the inanity that happens to a pair of ripped and torn jeans, stained by working in dirty, greasy job sites. They are of no value to anyone but the owner and unacceptable for sale or resale. Change the label from what it was to that of a fashion house, and suddenly those same jeans can be sold for hundreds of dollars to people who think fashion matters.

We all know people who will wear anything with the right label on it regardless of how poorly made the item may be. It matters not that it makes them look ridiculous, or that it appears to have been designed by someone who hates women. Many women actually seem to worry about fashion as if it mattered to anyone beyond the industry. Very little of the women’s clothing products I have ever seen is concerned with function.

Of course, there is an entire segment of women’s clothing that is entirely about function. Function defines form quite nicely in this segment. Perhaps women are designing much of this segment. That brings to mind another topic for another day.Whoever is designing the high end of this segment, please continue. It often proofs out as some of the best clothing ever designed since the dawn of history.

Men are somewhat less guilty of this as men’s fashions rarely change that much. Business wear is decided upon by men who are impressed more by how much something cost than if it is comfortable and well made. Men’s fashions are somewhat more determined by function than are women’s.

Among the worst offenders are the manufacturers of women’s shoes. Women will buy shoes that provide absolutely no protection for their feet. They buy shoes that are going to distort and damage the bones and joints in their feet and ankles. They buy shoes that force them to walk with their foot in an un-natural shape. And to add insult to injury, they will buy them in sizes that they know are too small. Watch any woman who comes to work in high-heeled shoes. The moment she is behind her desk, the shoes come off. Why buy and wear something that is too small, that will hurt every minute it is worn, that is going to damage your feet forever?

Fetishism must play some part in design. Many men seem to have at least a moderate fetish concerning women’s high-heeled shoes. I don’t. That may explain some of the designers and their designs but it doesn’t explain why women are willing to let men dictate that they should wear shoes that are bad for them. Even in situations where power resides with women, such as with dominatrixes, the dominatrix if usually depicted as wearing high heeled shoes or boots. I’m at a loss to explain this.

My clothing is essentially defined by function. I don’t work in the business world so I don’t wear suits and ties. In fact, I don’t own a suit. I do own a few sports jackets and blazers. But I rarely wear them. I own one pair of shoes which could be defined as dress or business style men’s shoes. I bought them to wear when we were married. I bought them with future use for dancing in mind. For other purposes, their soles are too thin to wear out of doors and too slick for any other surface than a dance floor. They’re well made and will last years more. The rest of my shoes are either boot-like in construction or very light with soles designed for protection. Lately, Keen and Merrill are the brands I like for shoes.

As for pants and shirts, I want pockets, comfortable fit, and durability. Canvas, chambray, twill, and denim all reside in my closet. If you look at labels you’ll find no fashion houses. No Hilger, Polo, Armani, no designer’s names will appear on my clothing.
The labels in my closet include L.L. Bean, Orvis,Cabelas Marmot, Ex-Officio, and on an older down jacket, The North Face. My fly rods are TFO’ a moderately priced but excellent line with a few Orvis rods in the mix. Gloria’s are the same. Our waders & wading boots are in the same price range as are our fly reels. These are all labels that purport to value function over form, and generally do so.

If I am honest, I must admit that I would not consider buying a fly rod from K-mart or Wal-Mart. I wouldn’t buy waders or reels from them. There’s a reason. I’ve bought such things from them before and watched it fail due to poor construction and poor design. I’ve also bought clothing from both stores and it often lasts long enough to wash but never long enough to count upon it. So over the years, I’ve found it more cost effective to buy fewer but better items from reputable sellers and manufacturers who don’t import the most cheaply made products they can find. It costs more per item, but I have them long enough to wear them out. I’m glad that is the case. I’d hate to think I might be label conscious.

When I created this blog, I promised random musings. This is about as close as I’ve come to stream of consciousness writing in some time. Perhaps tomorrow’s post will be of better intellectual nature. Perhaps I’ll do an organ recital. Most of you wouldn’t enjoy that as much as I would. So, tune in again tomorrow and maybe we’ll catch up to Moose and Squirrel on the road to Frostbite Falls, where none of the children are above average and no one knows what the women look like under all that down clothing.