Lying in bed this morning, working on a bit in the novel about defining "shoulder season" for the reader, I realized what my personal aesthetic is currently: Tourist Gothic.
Tourist Gothic as a fashion statement is based on the following precepts.
1. Comfort. Comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing is rarely glamorous, but I'm not here to win Drag Race. I'm on vacation and wearing what best combines 'I like how I look in this so you don't have to' with 'I can wander around a strange place for hours.' If everyone you meet is someone you'll never see again, their opinion of you is irrelevant.
2. Loudness. My traveling companions need to be able to spot me easily. A bright floral print or a weird hat is just the thing. (Protip if you like me are prone to wandering away from the group, a really weird hat is the best way to make sure they can find you. I have a newsboy cap with wings sewn onto it for just such a purpose.)
3. Delight. Where else but on vacation can I wear my Costco Hot Dog t-shirt? On vacation it's appropriate whether I'm at a sausage sizzle, a football match, or an art museum.
4. Utility. If I have to, I can wash my entire wardrobe in a hotel room sink. The socks can be soaked and frozen in a plastic bag to use as an ice pack. Everything has pockets and nothing hurts.
5. Sincerity. Nothing a tourist wears is worn ironically. Commitment to the bit must be total.
The central precept of the look is that one is too concerned with both comfort and adventure to conform to dress code. I don't want to blend in, I want you to take me to the best local cuisine you have and overcharge me for it. I am here to admire your architecture and support your economy. Now just apply all that to everyday life, and boom. Tourist Gothic.
If you're wondering how this differs from everyday Dad Wear, your average Tourist Goth has slightly higher emotional investment in sandals and sunscreen and a lower commitment to belts overall.
Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk, so glad to see so many of you are wearing golf shorts.
630 notes
路
View notes
One thing that we don't talk about enough with fashion trends like dark academia, cottagecore, etc. is that sometimes the pining for those clothes is pining for an era when clothes were sturdy and dependable. The aesthetic aspect of it for me - and the vintage clothing - is in no small part about high quality materials that are fitted to *your* body and will last.
In this essay I will ...
lol but no really!
I bought pants from Torrid that had houndstooth pattern, and I didn't think to check the material (i couldn't see the picture very clearly) and was so disappointed when I got them and the houndstooth wasn't stitches, but just ... a pattern on some ponte. Like. The POINT of houndstooth is that it is a clever way for fabric to be made durably.
I'm really sick of living in an era of expensive look-alikes that don't last over a year. Fast fashion makes up something like 25% of global carbon waste. I just want something that is made out of fabric without any petroleum in it. I know it costs more but that's also why we need to pay people more jfc
605 notes
路
View notes
Finished embellishing the back of this jacket! Just need to do the front, then add some crystals for some extra shimmer 馃馃馃拵
3K notes
路
View notes