Accidental Icon: Details National Guard and/or Avant-Garde?

Feb 4, 2015

“It meant something to me – the idea of a coat guarding and hiding a woman’s body. For me, a woman who is absorbed in her work, who does not care about gaining one’s favor, strong yet subtle at the same time, is essentially more seductive. The more she hides and abandons her femininity, the more it emerges from the very heart of her existence.” Yohji Yamamoto

When I am in need of protection I feel both vulnerable and aggressive. I started constructing this outfit with a long black wool Yohji Yamamoto skirt providing the first layer of protection. Rather than a shirt, I added a grey wool dress by Andre Walker as the second layer. The dress, an unstructured cut, offers the possibility of emphasizing the waist by tying it in the front or the back. I love the effect of the double ties and the impact it has on the way the shoulders and the top of the dress drapes. But the dress also made me feel vulnerable because it left my neck and arms exposed. I needed to counter with some aggression and leather is one of my favorite materials to convey this. Adding elbow length gloves, lace up boots and vintage bone earrings that hint at spears or weapons helped me to feel more protected. Adding a final layer of a Yamamoto black wool jacket allows me to transition from warrior princess to quirky academic and head off to teach a class and meet with students. My untied boot makes me a little unfinished.

31 Comments

Jane on February 4, 2015 at 3:26 pm

Loving your large earrings, they really make the look for me.
- Lyn on February 5, 2015 at 11:55 am
  
  Thanks Jane. I love to wear big earrings with my short hair. Most of them are vintage so I can wear heavier ones too.
- [email protected] on February 5, 2015 at 11:57 am
  
  Thanks you! I hope younger people can see it can actually be exciting to get older and you can still have new adventures!
Dylana on February 4, 2015 at 7:26 pm

Super lovely blog!

http://www.dylanasuarez.com
- Lyn on February 5, 2015 at 11:56 am
  
  Thanks for letting me know, it inspires me to keep up what I am doing.
[email protected] on February 4, 2015 at 7:26 pm

Super lovely blog!

http://www.dylanasuarez.com
- [email protected] on February 5, 2015 at 11:56 am
  
  Thanks for letting me know, it inspires me to keep up what I am doing.
Zarrah on February 5, 2015 at 7:29 am

Your amazing.
How I wish I can be like you in the future.
Very inspiring.

http://thebandwagonchic.blogspot.ae/2015/02/suit-up.html
- Lyn on February 5, 2015 at 11:57 am
  
  Thanks you! I hope younger people can see it can actually be exciting to get older and you can still have new adventures!
- [email protected] on February 5, 2015 at 12:02 pm
  
  Thanks, I never thought of that. I think I have internalized some of the Japanese genetics that are in my clothing!
Jessica on February 5, 2015 at 8:13 am

Absolutely gorgeous! This outfit gives the barest reference to the silhouette of a samurai, but without any costume-i-ness at all. Very sharp.
- Lyn on February 5, 2015 at 12:02 pm
  
  Thanks, I never thought of that. I think I have internalized some of the Japanese genetics that are in my clothing!
elizabeth on February 5, 2015 at 6:52 pm

The colors of the entire outfit you are wearing ,to me ,
emphasize a latent "fierceness"–grey and black–with your
eyes "protected"by your dark sunglasses. It is really very
""samurai warrior" in feeling to me–as many images on the
internet show that these soldiers protected their faces with
stiff looking armor. It appears to me that the history of various Japanese
clothing styles may have had an impact on some of the details and
silhouettes of Yohji Yamamoto’s clothes. Thank you for encouraging
me to seek out and study the rich history of Japan expressed thorough
its clothing!
- Lyn on February 8, 2015 at 7:05 pm
  
  Thank you for such a thoughtful and informative response. It gives me and other readers a whole new way to view the outfit. I also love it when something I post stimulates a reader like you to find out more and reflect on clothes. I hope that this kind of reflection will make us think more about sustainability and appreciate the beauty of a well crafted pice of clothing.
[email protected] on February 5, 2015 at 6:52 pm

The colors of the entire outfit you are wearing ,to me ,
emphasize a latent "fierceness"–grey and black–with your
eyes "protected"by your dark sunglasses. It is really very
""samurai warrior" in feeling to me–as many images on the
internet show that these soldiers protected their faces with
stiff looking armor. It appears to me that the history of various Japanese
clothing styles may have had an impact on some of the details and
silhouettes of Yohji Yamamoto’s clothes. Thank you for encouraging
me to seek out and study the rich history of Japan expressed thorough
its clothing!
- [email protected] on February 8, 2015 at 7:05 pm
  
  Thank you for such a thoughtful and informative response. It gives me and other readers a whole new way to view the outfit. I also love it when something I post stimulates a reader like you to find out more and reflect on clothes. I hope that this kind of reflection will make us think more about sustainability and appreciate the beauty of a well crafted pice of clothing.
Hayley Larue on February 6, 2015 at 11:24 am

You are so stylish! Also love when bloggers lt it out and just write. I like to do the same sometimes. 🙂

<a href="http://www.styledbyblondie.com">StyledByBlondie.com</a>
- Lyn on February 8, 2015 at 7:06 pm
  
  Thanks Hayley, I like the writing as much as the outfit post! I will check your blog out!
[email protected] on February 6, 2015 at 11:24 am

You are so stylish! Also love when bloggers lt it out and just write. I like to do the same sometimes. 🙂

<a href="http://www.styledbyblondie.com">StyledByBlondie.com</a>
- [email protected] on February 8, 2015 at 7:06 pm
  
  Thanks Hayley, I like the writing as much as the outfit post! I will check your blog out!
The Style Crone on February 6, 2015 at 3:07 pm

You continually amaze me with your prose, your self expression through your clothing and your ability to share vulnerability. I have been influenced!
- Lyn on February 8, 2015 at 7:08 pm
  
  Thanks so much, I feel so much vulnerability in this entire process and clothing certainly feels protective. The outfit in some way is the easier part, the writing is harder.
[email protected] on February 6, 2015 at 3:07 pm

You continually amaze me with your prose, your self expression through your clothing and your ability to share vulnerability. I have been influenced!
- [email protected] on February 8, 2015 at 7:08 pm
  
  Thanks so much, I feel so much vulnerability in this entire process and clothing certainly feels protective. The outfit in some way is the easier part, the writing is harder.
AK on February 9, 2015 at 8:06 pm

Fascinating to be taken through your thought process as you built the outfit — there’s even more here than meets the eye. Thanks!
- Lyn on February 12, 2015 at 11:47 am
  
  Thanks for the feedback, I will try to do that more often.
[email protected] on February 9, 2015 at 8:06 pm

Fascinating to be taken through your thought process as you built the outfit — there’s even more here than meets the eye. Thanks!
- [email protected] on February 12, 2015 at 11:47 am
  
  Thanks for the feedback, I will try to do that more often.
Suzanne on February 13, 2015 at 5:38 pm

When I read how you chose to construct this outfit I find it very interesting. It seems like you are choosing body armour.

bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
- [email protected] on February 5, 2015 at 11:55 am
  
  Thanks Jane. I love to wear big earrings with my short hair. Most of them are vintage so I can wear heavier ones too.
[email protected] on February 13, 2015 at 5:38 pm

When I read how you chose to construct this outfit I find it very interesting. It seems like you are choosing body armour.

bisous
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com