"Wearability"

‘Wearable’ is a word thrown around far too often in the realm of fashion and I just have to say how absolutely ridiculous I think this is and how annoying it’s become. Of course some things actually are unwearable, such as really brittle couture gowns or things equally as perishable, but the majority of things are indeed wearable despite an unusual surface or silhouette. Technically, everything can be worn; the whole point is to look deeper than that.

I guess it breaks my heart a bit when I see someone call a collection as a whole ‘unwearable’ solely based on their impression of the runway presentation and styling being outrageous, without even a deeper look to try to grasp the clothing itself. Is this as deep as we are looking now? I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that something can be outrageous, overly dramatic, overly embellished, ridiculous, whatever… and still wearable. None of the aforementioned adjectives which describe the aesthetic alone should ever be considered synonymous with the actual feel, function and quality of the item itself.

Something can look absolutely uncomfortable or very strange, but for the wearer, is completely comfortable due to the thoughtful construction and materials of the item. If books shouldn’t be judged by their covers, then neither should all clothing. There’s an entire school of designers out there currently who are specializing in modifying the human silhouette but also put an equal amount of thought into what is inside/underneath. I worry sometimes that if this term is too loosely used, that the designers in question could be pigeonholed despite their relevant talents.

Since Gareth Pugh seems to be the designer du jour who’s being widely dubbed as creating unwearable clothing, I’ll use him for my example. When people say his work belongs only on runways and museums, I have more than a sneaking suspicion that these people haven’t actually worn or even handled his clothing. His runway presentations may be very severe – but his clothing is much more impressive technically than his reputation eludes to. I’d like to try to show how disarming the majority of his pieces actually are, off the runway.

I’ve had this jacket since about November, if I remember correctly, and I’ve found that I wear it about once per week on average. As you can see – this unwearable beast is simply just a short, embellished blazer. The embellishments are attached to only the outer (of 3) layers of fabric. These triangles are indeed pointy to the touch – but don’t effect the movement or anything of the piece. They’re solely decorative and don’t interfere a bit with the functionality whatsoever.

^ Here is what I mean about not being able to really judge, based on a quick glance at the exterior. As seen above, the blazer is lined with Gareth’s signature star print. Also, the sleeves have a different lining in them, which is more smooth to the touch, as you slide your arm in. It is a shame that some people are missing the amount of thought and creativity put into these garments.

Here are a couple of the other Gareth things I have got, if you’re wondering about the more basic pieces. I adore them all very much and I wear them very frequently. If you have any questions, please ask, as I have rambled enough, unprovoked. :p

xoxo