The Difference Between an Outfit and a Costume
| Outfit | Costume | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal: | Functionality, Graciousness, Joy, Wit | Projecting competitive image - "Clothes are a contest to win" |
| Clothes, after put on, are: | Forgotten about | Always front and center |
| Movement is: | Enabled by clothes | Restricted by clothes |
| People leave the wearer: | Inspired | Depressed, uneasy |
| Style worn: | Even if alone | Only in public |
| Clothes: | Reveal the wearer | Mislead or overstate information about the wearer |
| Alignment (between other items worn, work clothes, casual clothes, social outfits, private outfits, even house and car): | High | Low |
| Age: | Old and new | Almost all new |
| Clothes: | Improve the entire scene | Highlight the wearer at the expense of the scene |
| Vendor Example: | 1980 L.L. Bean | 2011 L.L. Bean Signature |
"I've always wanted to pretend to be an architect!" - George Costanza
Some people, when wearing well thought-out clothes, look great. Other people look as if they should be carrying a UNICEF box and a plastic pumpkin for candy. The difference can seem subtle, but the change in feeling one gets is incredibly strong.
Graciousness vs. Ostentatious
There is a big difference between being gracious and being ostentatious. Dressing well should be a form of good manners. (One thing I have loved about all of my Volvo wagons over the years is that they don't have the same "look at me"-ness of other flashier brands, while still giving guests a pleasant ride.)
Private vs. Public
My father often wore one of his J. Press bow ties with an Orvis Battenkill tattersall shirt, even if he didn't venture out of the house. So my question is always, would you wear the same thing if no one was going to see you?
Alignment
The countless people I have known who are "the real deal" have an alignment throughout all aspects of their lives. While everyone's passions and interests vary, there is a thread that carries through from clothes, furniture, houses, cars, and hobbies. When this alignment is not there, the effect is similar to reading a misleading resume or hearing an inaccurate story. It is a lot more work because it doesn't add up.
It used to be that the Preppy wardrobe was an indicator of a lifestyle that included social responsibility. Now so many want the image without the work. So instead of canoeing around Squam Lake or Winnipesaukee counting loon chicks, they are jumping on the jet skies (but wanting to wear the old-guard iconic tartans to project gravitas and credibility).
Improve the scene vs. standout
Does a person want to improve the scene of which he or she is part or do they want to stand out in it? This extends beyond clothes. I've known people who move to a lovely street filled with moderate sized wood shingled houses, which they professed to love, and proceed to petition the zoning board to construct a mammoth contemporary house on a tiny lot. If they are successful, both the new house and the old houses look terrible. These are the same people that maneuver to be in the center of any staged group photograph.
It can be a bit murkier
Of course, there are aspiration clothes. A lot of kids wear costumes as part of their "learning to be" and to try on different images. As with so many things, what is charming and appropriate in the below-25 set becomes awkward and embarrassing as people pass that mark. (Meanwhile, I love my rope bracelets and my pearl earrings yet they are completely non-functional. And I have also always had an affinity for the whale motif. )
The Big Rule
My cardinal rule after being with someone, visiting their house, or even now, visiting their blogs or other sites is to ask 'how does it make me feel when I leave?' Do I feel inspired, relaxed, and intellectually satiated, or do I feel stepped on and manipulated? At times it is difficult to pinpoint exactly why I feel this way, but I have learned to let that feeling drive the analysis.
Here is a summary irony. Just as James Bond wouldn't carry a James Bond lunchbox, so too are Preppy costumes the antithesis of preppy.
51 comments:
Very well put! People with no alignment in their lives are inauthentic on a personal level as well, and it's very off-putting. Certainly a red flag when making or evaluating a friendship.
Well said.
Very well said, and I'd encourage further point by point elaboration with examples and anecdotes. You've got a whole series here!
And I remain a big fan of your charts.
Finally, +1 for using "hereustic" and +5 for not using "aesthetic."
Brilliant! The comparison is all together on point. I have learned, through trial and error, that ease of movement and being able to forget about my clothing after dressing tend to precede my feeling joyful and genuine at social events.
This was well done. Brava!
as usual ..spot on!
A brilliant analysis. The last item on the chart is particularly effective. :)
Very well said. I found your blog a few days ago while searching for information on the book True Prep. I bought it anyway - I should have heeded your warnings.
I would like to briefly rant about L.L. Bean Signature. I grew up on the coast of Maine about 15 minutes from L.L. Bean in Freeport. As such, my wardrobe, from a young age, was head-to-toe L.L. Bean. I don't remember this being a conscious decision at any point - it just WAS. Everyone dressed in L.L. bean because it was practical and functional, attractive, and a local store (with, at the time, locally-made items.) I stayed in the area for college (Bowdoin) and continued to wear my L.L. Bean (often purchased on middle-of-the-night runs, a Bowdoin student tradition.)
Throughout the '90s, L.L. Bean expanded. They bought nearby houses and knocked them down to make room for parking lots and speciality stores (L.L. Kids, the Home Store, Hunting, etc.) and they opened retail stores in other locations. All well and good, although my sentimental views made me a bit upset by the changes. But I do not begrudge their success. But L.L. Bean Signature has crossed the line. One either likes L.L. Bean or does not. It either fits one's lifestyle, or it does not. It's not a high fashion brand to be worn as a costume (as so well described by you.) But with the introduction of L.L. Bean Signature, I feel like I barely know L.L. Bean anymore. The Signature line is for people who want to spend more on clothes just for the sake of spending more, and want to achieve a certain look without the alignment you so well describe.
L.L. Bean has sold out. I bought a pair of camp mocs the other day, and they were made in El Salvador! Everything used to be made in the USA, much in Freeport. L.L. Bean has stopped selling some of its classic items, such as the Norwegian sweater (they currently offer it for men, but not in the blue color) and even good old plaid flannel shirts for women. Recently they introduced a more tailored flannel shirt, but it did not come in the classic plaids, and the flannel was extremely thin. I am constantly disappointed when I head to Freeport and see the catalog items in person - quality is way down and the items have been restyled to achieve wider appeal, at the same time annoying long-time customers. Also annoying is that the L.L. Bean Signature line is supposed to be higher quality, and contain some of the "classic" styles. Well, why not just bring back the quality, which I used to consider synonymous with L.L. Bean, and the favorite styles, to the regular Bean line?
Great post (I just love this blog)! One additional quality would be something you mentioned in an earlier post: work-enabling. I absolutely love this term (haven't heard of it before) and take it into consideration every time I make a clothing purchase.
Absolutely one of your best posts yet! Thanks, as always, for such sage advice.
This post is insightful, nailing down the specifics behind something I have sensed but not quite identified. James Bond carrying a James Bond lunch box -- Now I will never see Sean Connery without laughing.
Wonderful post. On point, as always.
Perfect. xoxo
This is one of my favorite columns, maybe because it's exactly how I feel.
I really appreciate this post and believe its message applicable on a number of fronts well beyond the one you chose to hightlight: attire. The key word for me here is "authentic," as in real, honest, genuine, without pretense. I seek it in the voice of a blogger as well as the behavior of those I encounter. When I don't find it, I am disappointed and wary.
As always, your insights on this topic were keen and well articulated; you deftly captured the essence of this critical distinction.
This post is a breath of fresh air. I don't know why so many bloggers who pretend to be Preppy really just look like they are auditioning for a reality television program.
Oh, and you caused me to also ponder this. Your example of James Bond carrying a JB lunchbox was wonderfully humorous in your context of ostentation and costume, but I wonder if it doesn't also bespeak a reliance on accoutrements and cultural souvenirs to communicate self rather than reliance on direct and meaningful contact with others. In any case, I suspect such behaviors signal a measure of discomfort with one's true identity. Thanks for giving my brain a workout this morning!
Priceless! Hazzah!
I can't agree more with what everyone else has said.
For me, this has been one of your best posts. I know you've touched on this topic in the past, but for some reason the approach you took this time expanded my mind more so than previous posts.
Like Chenners suggested, I would love for you to break this down into expanded explanations and examples. The excess of "preppy" blogs proves that somewhere along the way people have lost touch with what is practical and authentic, and have gravitated towards a popular, showy "preppy" style. I think everyone would benefit from an in depth reminder course.
Amen. If something has to be called preppy it probably isn't.
I was not'preppy' growing up. I always wanted to dress that way but we had little money and I could not afford the 'right' brands and I did not want to buy off brands and be called a 'poser' (the worst thing ever in junior high/high school) so I went the other way and started dressing...odd. Flashforward to my thirties and while I had stopped dressing 'odd' a long time ago I was still dressing, I guess trying to dress to impress? Very trendy, etc, wearing what I was 'supposed' to wear. Then I saw a Bean catalogue. I remembered how much I loved that look but was unsure because it is considered 'frumpy'. Eh. I bought a few shirts. A few pairs of pants. Oh my gosh. It was like coming home. Before I always worried when I was out if things were in place and did I look 'right' and 'cute' and now, I put on my 'uniform' (usually a polo and a pair of bermudas since it is summer) and I never think again of what I am wearing. I found your blog and starting reading your tips. I don't know if that makes me a 'poser' but I am at the age that I don't care anymore. I am comfortable.
Yet another excellent post. Perfect ideas perfectly expressed.
Only one more thing occurs to me...appropriateness.
Notwithstanding the humorous comment in the original OPH regarding clothing more suitable for a duck-blind being worn to work, truly preppy clothes are appropriate to their purpose and situation.
Jodhpurs worn while riding make sense. Designer jodhpurs, silk blouses, tweed jackets, handbags, and riding boots worn while shopping (at a mall, no less) are a costume.
raed
One more thing. I have to really thank you for introducing me to Vera Bradley bags. Before (in keeping with the need to be 'cute) I carried a Coach bag (one of those ones with the logo all over it, I know, I know), it was heavy even before I filled it and was really hard to organize (no pockets). I always had neck and shoulder pain. I started using Vera's bags, and they were light and had a lot of pockets and my neck and shoulder do not hurt anymore!
Anon,
From personal experience, I can say that you are not being a "poser". I had a similar story when I first found this blog, and I had wonderful comments from others. You might be able to find my previous comments and read the conversation that we had at that time. As an adult I have had to restart my life and figure out who I am, and discovering what makes one's life authentic is at the core of it. I think that's why so many respond to posts like this because we all want to know, "What makes life authentic, and how does that apply to the life we live and the things we own/use?"
Anon,
I looked back and found my original post in the comment section of the Top Ten Reasons True Prep is Unreadable post. I'm listed simply as "R", and then I am Pink One as I started using my Google account to post.
Muffy, is it possible to have a search put on your blog so we could easily find things from past posts?
One trick for searching this blog is to go to www.google.com and use the "site" feature. For example: site:www.muffyaldrich.com "Wharf Rat".
Pink One - there is a search feature. Go to the little Blogger box on the upper lefthand corner of the screen, and type in your search term(s). It brings up all the posts on this blog in which the terms are mentioned.
Spot on post, Muffy.
Interesting post as usual. I'm curious about your opinion of "old" clothes. If they are "out of style or date" but are of good quality and comfortable, I think they are fine to wear.
However, a (rude) acquaintence recently accused me of dressing like a clown because I wear pants like Kate Hepburn worn - not tight, or slim cut ones which are uncomfortable and very unflattering on me. Everyone at the occasion had on pants so I wasn't dressed appropriately but I wasn't dressed in the current style.
That doesn't bother me a bit but I did wonder if it was like reverse snobbism....
Thanks to both of you for the tips. I thought that search box was for the Blogger website itself, not the blog that one was currently at. That's good to know, thanks.
A very interesting analytic that offers profound insights into a litany of topics that have interested me for a couple of decades.
It would be interesting to extend your model to include a categorization of the tradition directed, inner-directed versus outer-directed types of individual behavior as posited by David Riesman in The Lonely Crowd, an important work about social psychology published in the Dark Ages - early 1950's that you probably mastered as a young sylph.
across the categories presented in the subject posting.
From my perspective, this evolution is the result the rampant allocation of rights and privileges by government, other institutions and even families themselves over the intervening years unmitigated by no corresponding assumption of responsibility or accountability.
Your taxonomy distils these complex theories and related constructs in such a senisble easy to understand manner.
You are an artful practitioner of summarizating the complex into such a simple yet compelling manner.
Was humoured by your statement about about your preference for Volvos. I possess a similar affection for minimalist vintage BMWs only if they are four cylinder coupes with manual transmissions sans cup holders.
Why? No self respecting German would want to drive let alone own a motor car capable of toting around a 64 ounce Big Gulp for fear it would distort the melodius tones of favorite Handel tunes playing in his Blaupunkt CD player
Have a great Summer!
Excellent post! Very well said as usual! You always have great advice.
"Dressing well should be a form of good manners."
I hope you don't mind, that this is the quote of the day on my blog!
Brilliant post. So subtly barbed while eloquently wise.
Well said, Muffy! I agree with the others; this is one of your best posts yet!
I completely identify with the anonymous commenter who described “coming home” to preppy style later in life, and agree with Pink One’s subsequent post. My situation was very similar.
Some might disagree, but I believe it’s impossible to be a “poser” if you are truly sincere, and have the kind of continuity in your life that Muffy describes. If you have a comfort level with that way of being that transcends outward appearances, people will know, even if you weren’t necessarily raised in that environment, or by accident of circumstance have to gradually build a classic wardrobe over time.
When I was getting started in library science, the institution where I worked was still largely staffed with very handsome, proper, blue-blooded older women. Even though I was initially clueless about what I was doing and usually dressed in sweats and jeans, some of those ladies nonetheless took a shine to me and helped me get started. I like to think on some deeper level they perceived that I was raised to have good manners and a good work ethic, even though I wasn’t a household name in the community. That’s the kind of approval a new wardrobe just can’t buy, but I think it helps to explain why I was ready to make a preppy style statement as I got older and settled down. It was there all along, just waiting for the right moment to come out.
To me, a poser is someone who willfully assumes an identity which, although they may very well like it in the short term, they fully intend to discard when it has served its purpose and something new comes along. Hollywood types who would pair up a classic polo with skinny jeans, spike heels, and an impractical handbag with a Chihuahua in it fall into this category. Sadly, so did many of our high school peers in the 80s, although their posing was far less ironic and they stuck with it long enough to make it seem honest. But at no point since then have I ever tired of seeing authentic preppy style, and at no point in the last 10 years have I tired of wearing it. It’s become automatic, and I simply can’t imagine any other way.
There is something I have noticed over the years of observing people, (I am a people watcher) ...people always want to look like they are rich, last year everyone doused themselves in head to toe Louis Vuitton, usually all fake from china town, these said people KILLED the old style tradition that was LV. Now Im noticing a green and pink trend, everyone is bathed in green and pink, from shoes to handbags...green and pink has long been the preppy badge of colors, and preppy has always had that "sitting on my yacht" look. (in the eyes of some...or the some who dont understand it) Also, Ralph Lauren sweaters, horse logo on left breast of course! Or for the super standout, the BIG pony.
Off the topic but this refers to Xtina's comment. I wish SOMEONE could explain the appeal of LV to me. A store opened in my town (a relative backwater) several years ago and even the authentic stuff is ugly. It just looks like expensive plastic and besides, if people in this town buy it, how "exclusive" can it posssibly be?
I absolutely loved this post. You are the real deal. So refreshing.
I have to agree with Anonymous and bemoan the lack of quality of clothing produced today. Yesterday I wore a Brooks Brothers polo shirt that belonged to my mother, made in the U.S. She must have purchased it 25 years ago. Everything about it spoke quality--the cut, the fabric, even the shade of white! I guard it as a talisman. It's sad to me that it is next to impossible to buy anything approaching this today, with no change expected in the future.
Well done, well done Muffy. I applaud your honesty and courageousness especially for including those two words that matter the most within this so-called “Preppy Culture,” graciousness and responsibility. There seems far too many who feel throwing on a pair of this, or wearing that equates “Preppy,” without understanding a thing. I suppose grass looks greener on the other side. To me it is a poignant situation. Nevertheless, you have inspired me to address this on my own, and because of your excellence in this medium, I would love to share it with you when completed.
Continued success to you always.
I think that this doesn't have to apply just to "preppy." Authenticity shows through any time someone dresses in a style that is most true to who they are. In turn, those people are often the best dressed. So if you are very fashiony, dress that way- after all a love of Louboutin isn't necessarily "right" or "wrong," but it does say something about you. If you work in a creative field, dressing to express that is appropriate, even if it is a little outrageous. If you sail and garden and play tennis, your clothes will reflect that. People get in trouble any time they are trying to be something they are not (especially if they blindly follow the masses because they have no sense of self), no matter what that is. This is why well dressed people may have very little in common stylistically.
The problem I have found with "preppy" at this point is that so many of the blogs espousing that "lifestyle" are incredibly silly and simpering, to the point where I was very put off of that style for a while. I just didn't want to be associated with those people. But ultimately I moved out of the city, started sailing and doing other sports more regularly, and it just became...practical...to go back to appropriate clothing for those activities. And I am so glad you are around because you saved me from disdaining the clothes that I actually like. Even if I think a lot of the bloggers doth protest (insist?) too much regarding their darling preppiness. And I still can't stomach pink and green. But I wear a lot of navy : )
Love it. Although I don't mind someone wearing a costume if they are wearing it with humor and self-awareness. What I can't stand are the people playing dress-up who do so in dead earnestness. They truly don't get it and probably never will. They are people who lack content, back-story, or subtext.
What a delightful and perceptive assessment of what makes a preppy outfit vs. a preppy costume. This also applies to, truly, almost any personal style. You also express what it is to be a "true prep" in the sincerest sense of the words.
Those New England clothing styles that emerged as "preppy" originated from a sense of personal values in purchasing clothes for their quality, dignity, and longevity.
Always love your dignified and thoughtful posts!
Linda
Smith College '86
Linda, I think this does apply to any style, if it's an affectation, like a biker jacket if you don't like motorcycles. Things come into fashion and people adopt them for a year and then move on to some other trend.
I like clothes that don't go out of style, and I'm happy that pictures of me from ten years ago or today make it really difficult to place the era since classic clothes are timeless. That goes for little black dresses with pumps to khakis. Not keeping up with trends year on year has saved me a lot of money.
Just of of curiosity - you obviously hate the LL Bean Signature Line by Alex Carleton but how do you feel about his Rogues' Gallery? I think this is a tough one for you. His store is in Maine, his T-shirt line is produced there locally and (aside from Signature) his Rogues line contain clothing that is made to be worn by real people and not for a catalogue layout. You probably disagree with me on this and that is why I would really like your opinion. Thank you.
@lagunie - Good one! I absolutely hate their products. Most are hideous and dated. However, at least it is not "tricking" anyone. (Although as with Signature, it appears that Rogues Gallery spent a huge amount of effort on PR in the Summer of '08.) But if you like it, great, buy it. What really bothers me about Signature is how dishonest it is (in everything from citing Leon Leonwood Bean's philosophy while running absolutely counter to it, to naming the items).
This is so well done. The idea is that clothing should allow you to actually function in your daily life, while looking neat and appropriate. This is true of grooming, (simple hair, minimal make up) and the furniture, rugs and other items in the home (dog and child friendly, easy to keep up, and traditional quality) as well.
In general, we should be able to take off the gardening apron and gloves, change shoes, and entertain an unexpected visitor or go on an errand in comfort.
In regard to the various brands, it is getting very difficult to find great classic clothes, well sewn and good looking, no matter where we look. It is so helpful that you continue to share resources, Muffy!
I'd just like to take a moment here to put in a good word for some real preppy people and this is from someone who at one time lived in a log house (please, it wasn't a cabin) in West Virginia. There is in some quarters an image of people who are genuinely preppy, who went to Sidwell Friends or Episcopal High School, that they are stuffy, pretentious and fake. Not so. They really are that way; they aren't pretending. Provided that you yourself are none of those things and are unassuming, modest and honest, they can be as open and accepting as anyone. Having the right clothes doesn't even enter into the matter, although this assumes you don't wear white socks with your dress shoes. You have to know a little Amy or Emily to get in the door to begin with. After that it's up to you and your charm; the shirt will no longer be noticed.
However, at some point it becomes tricky to be different. That's when you are becoming a little pretentious yourself. So in a way, you are stuck with your first impression, so to say, so make the first one the one that counts. But you probably had that mastered by the time you moved to the big city.
Well put indeed, love the clarity.
Spot on, especially that last point. I have friends at college who have decided to adopt the preppy look and it is very apparent.
Enjoyable blog, thank you.
Out of interest -- how DOES James Bond take his sandwiches to work?
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