“Clothes Maketh the (Wo)man”

An air of insouciance, all matte everything and a certain je ne sais quoi; the French femme of the 80’s was a cool contradiction, a carefully coiffed chic that seemed to say ‘I couldn’t care less what you think of me’. Grooming and status symbols reigned supreme; a bold shoulder, bright red lips and pantyhose imparting a sultry femininity that seemed at once sexy and a little insecure. This era of brash flash was all about the prestige of effort, of proving you were ‘doing well’ and arriving to your destination looking like you tried. Fast forward to today and there is no look more universally admired than the effortlessly en pointe, the undone elegance of a rumpled linen shirt and the ‘no makeup’ makeup. While the patina of taste evolve over time, the use of accoutrements as a means of armour and expression between our sense of self and the outside world remains a constant.