Shock, horror…

In my last post I dared to criticise the high citadel of Celine and shamefully suggested that beauty should come before comfort.

But that’s just spin.  In fact I criticised spending lots of money on orthopedic shoes when they can be bought cheaper elsewhere. Comfort is actually the third word of the holy trinity after beauty and desirability – admittedly, it’s the most neglected of the three…but perhaps it’s strength comes with age…or maybe it is something else. There is a Blog I love to read called The ManRepeller, the basis of this Blog is that the esteemable writer, Leandra Medine, realised the clothes she wore, despite the fact the she loved them, repelled the majority of men.  I thoroughly recommend a good, long trawl through her posts because not only does she write brilliantly, she is a kindred spirit.   I have also taken the liberty of pasting Leandra’s own definition of what Manrepelling is exactly as no-one explains it better than her:

WHAT IS A MAN REPELLER?

man·re·pell·er¹  [mahn-ree-peller]

–noun

outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls (see: human repelling), shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs.

–verb (used without object),-pell·ing, -pell·ed.

to commit the act of repelling men:

Girl 1: What are you wearing tonight?

Girl 2: My sweet lime green drop crotch utility pants, of course.

Girl 1: Oh, so we’re man repelling tonight?

*DISCLAIMER: the above conversation took place in this room 5 minutes ago.

Origin: 
2009-10; < repellius (ptp. of repellia to eliminate male attention), equiv. to L repel– (s. of repellix) unattractive, celibate, paris fashion week, M.C. Hammer + -repel –ler¹

Photo by Bridget Fleming, suit by DVF, Leadra Medine, The Manrepeller.

And she is so right.  But wearing these items can be a joy and you should never bury the way you feel.  Which is what her Blog is all about – if clothes are your expression, feel free to express yourself, regardless of what anyone else thinks. Don’t let who you are become secondary to what everyone else wants you to be. In fact clothes that  fit the Manrepeller category – a) loose b) androgenous are generally the most comfortable to wear …..and also leave the most to the imagination  –  a combination which sums up why so many of them are represented in my own personal ‘hero’ styles.  For instance, take the classic flat, manly, lace-up Brogue:

No! not that one! That’s the female insipid watered down version of the Brogue that shoe designers think they have to offer because of a perceived vision of clownlikeness  clownlyness clownishness (is that really a word?) that exists in their minds only – they too have become obsessed with size zero and forget that chunk can be good.

Be still my beating heart – those are they!..and see how easy they are to wear..

No! No! No! Not like that…not the geeky school girl look – I’m far to old for that..

Or the vintage ration book look with a short skirt…

Katherine Hepburn. That’s more like it.  A winning combination of cut and flow with the whisper of silk and the confidence of a classic.

Twiggy too

Long wide trousers, or loose, casual three quarter lengths

Socks can strangely work

Or not

Layering is great

Smart is good.  And wear them with skirts. Longer skirts.

And dresses..lovely dresses

For me, the longer length is easier the way to go, but if you’re still picking spots then she rocks this.

As does she

Where can I get a manly brogue I hear you say.  Look no further than Grenson – a British brand with quality to match..

And my ultimate favs and firmly on the wish list, The Rose. Sigh:

If the Grenson price is a sticking point (The rose comes in at £265.00)…swallow your pride, embrace your blushes and buy a pair from your nearest, dearest’s  men’s department –  clunky, classic and cool – come take a comfortable walk back to reality.  You’ll thank me.

Laters, Kate x