Fashion faux pas

I could end this entry right here.

To be fair to Sarah Jessica Parker and everyone who has ever listened to someone tell you how good something looks on you when you're not quite sure, I think the hat merits a brief discussion of whether her choice represents one of daring and cutting edge chic, or one of the emperor's new clothes.

Admittedly, I'm one of the last people who should point a finger at someone for a fashion mistake (remember the purple cape, folks back in Emotional Shopping - Is there any other way?). However, I do have friends who put themselves together very nicely. By osmosis at least, I know something about outfits working, even if I can't actually put one together myself. Not exactly the "I know it when I see it" standard that US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart placed on 'obscenity.' More like the standard of, "those who cannot do, teach, and those who cannot teach, critique."

For real input as to what works and on whom, I rely on my friend K - fashion icon and hero. K wore orange stockings to her wedding, years before they became popular among the trendy eurotrash. She owns a duct tape handbag (one-of-a-kind) and sported it long before the whole duct tape prom thing happened.
http://www.ducktapeclub.com
She mixes stripes with polka dots and plaids and looks phenomenal! Despite not seeing her photographed by the Sartorialist,
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com
I know designers have spotted her on the streets of NYC and copied her. (I'm talking about you, Miuccia!) K can put together trash bags on a rainy day and look like she's going to walk down a runway. She's that good.

And K makes and wears hats, just not ones with bird's stuff and butterflies (unless it's Mardi Gras or Halloween, of course - then anything goes). But she doesn't make or wear hats that require thousands of dollars and a convincing argument to wear. (The one I heard was that the Sex and The City movie premiere justified the wearing of a hat because it was in London. Hmmm. Does that mean that a slash across your throat also makes sense because of Jack the Ripper?)

The real lesson here? Be careful what you wish for starlets and fashionistas - maybe not all press is good press.