Let Me See That Sarong

"Ooh dat skirt so scandalous...." Well, not really. Sarongs are worn by both men and women in many other parts of the world (and have been for centuries). Only in the western world do we think of sarongs as those 'exotic' candy-colored, sheer things women tie on to get from their hotel room to the pool without flashing their 'problem areas.' On a side note, it's no wonder the female lower body is referred to in hushed terms like 'my problem area' when there are songs out there with brilliant lyrics like,"she had dumps like a truck, truck, truck and thighs like what, what, what..." (Sisquo, you are the musician of my dystopian feminist hell). Anyway, from a mail-order lingerie and swimsuit catalog's point-of-view, the sarong's versatile ability to reveal, yet conceal makes it quite the alluring swimsuit accessory indeed. Wait. Swimsuit, accessory? This is getting much too complicated. I think I'll just wear the hotel towel to cover up my dump truck butt in the elevator....and buy a sarong-inspired skirt because it looks cool. Sigh....Do you ever long for a simpler way?

 Sir Thomas More wrote his novel, Utopia in 1516. It was about More's vision of an ideal society. Just about every writer since, from the Marquis de Sade to Lois Lowry has tried their version of Utopia on for size. Law, religion and women's roles vary drastically, but only one thing is universal. One man's utopia is another's dystopia. I'm not going to get all political because this is neither the time nor the place, but what about fashion? Have you ever considered what your fashion utopia looks like? Probably not, but I have. My fashion utopia lies in the costumes portrayed in dystopian society films. The dystopian society in Mad Max for instance; I can't get enough of the gritty, post-apocalyptic look. I think what truly appeals to me about dystopian fashion is how functional and secondary it is to the main goal, survival. But, that is not say that each article of clothing wasn't carefully chosen, because it was. Dystopian clothing is clothing with a purpose, like the color palette is designed to blend with the natural habitat...or to reflect the heat of the sun away, minimize dirt in a landscape prone to dust storms, protect the wearer from road rash or zombie bites...You know, useful stuff, but through a film production designer's lens so it also looks cool. Utopias are important to help clarify what is important to us. I think what my fashion utopia tells me is that clothing should enhance our experience and our ability to perform our jobs and hobbies so that we can truly live. That's all I really want from fashion...to look cool AND go on all kinds of scouting adventures with my photographer/cinematographer husband. 

I'm wearing a sarong-inspired skirt by Free People in a dour-colored jersey fabric. I paired it with my favorite slubby linen t-shirt from J.Crew, some studded sandals and my favorite pair of Chanel sunnies that Mr. Franzos gave me when we were dating. The look is perfect for the Utopia of summer vacation living, and also perfect for the office (Just switch out the sandals for some ankle boots and a moto jacket to amp up the Mad Max/Road Warrior vibe). I topped this look off with a mid-century copper bracelet and my favorite NSFW necklace made from a salvaged old nudie pen (you know, where the bathing suit disappears and reveals a nude female body). I also have male nudie pen that I will use to make cheeky jewelry in a later DIY post. (I'm all about equal sexual objectification).

Speaking of cheeks, this skirt is jersey and machine washable and fabulous, but it is wont to show panty lines.... Soooo, I recommend wearing a............ummm.............. crap......
I just totally blanked. What are those called? I can't believe I can't think of it....damn. What a time to forget a word! this is so embarrassing....I mean, Sisquo wrote a grammy nominated song about it in 1999 and I can't think of it.....This is going to drive me insane!...I'm so sorry. Dear reader, if you can think of this essential undergarment that discourages panty lines, make sure you repeat it four and half times in the comments below. 

Your Bosom Friend From Pittsburgh,

What I wore: Linen T-shirt: J.Crew, Similar. Sarong: Free People, $ similar here and $$ here. Studded sandals: DSW, similar here. Sunnies: Chanel. Necklace: homemade NSFW necklace...(a DIY blog post coming soon!) Bracelet: Mid-century copper bracelet, search etsy here.

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