z_Naked Lunch

Extreme uniform dressing

Life writer Trish Crawford, who wore the same suit for a month and wrote about the experience in a recent Life section story, discusses her adventure and readers' reactions with fashion editor Bernadette Morra. Post your comments below or send them to nakedlunch@thestar.ca.

Toronto Star Life writer Trish Crawford in the suit she wore for 30 days with no one, except her husband, noticing.

Trish, how did it feel wearing the same non-descript pantsuit for an entire month, even on weekends? On the one hand I imagine it would be liberating, but on the other it could be depressing. Bernadette

It was definitely depressing because I had picked such a drab colour, grey. I was cursing myself by the third or fourth day because it was also a rainy November. What is bizarre about this is that I had recently bought another grey suit, which I did take back. Only when I realized that I was getting ready about 20 minutes faster each morning did I grasp the fact that it was also liberating. No decisions to make! Trish

How much attention do you pay to your dress, normally. How much of a priority is "fashion"? Bernadette

Well, unfortunately, not enough. When I was younger, I spent much more time looking in the stores to see what the new styles were and made sure I had something from the new season. Lately, looking professional and neat seemed to be more important. Also, I almost exclusively buy clothes that I think are "slimming". That's why I picked that suit in the first place, I knew my picture would be taken in it. Trish

So how did Toronto Star readers react? Bernadette

It turns out I really touched a nerve. Lots of people wear the same thing every day out of preference. There are husbands who won't take off their sweat shirts no matter how much their wives plead. There are frugal people who buy cheap dark clothes and let their personalities shine. One young girl got locked out of her apartment by her landlord and didn't want to buy a new wardrobe while the matter got sorted. Most people thought it was very funny. Trish

What surprised you most about reaction to this story? Bernadette

Well, my first surprise was that no one noticed me in the newsroom. I wasn't prepared for that. I thought I'd be fielding zingers from all the wisecrackers in the office. I am close friends with many of my co-workers and I just couldn't get over the fact they didn't see what was right in front of their faces. Their reaction to the story was great hilarity, the joke is on all of us. And that seems to be what the readers feel -- no one really notices day to day things, just unusual or out-of-the-ordinary actions or clothing. Trish

But isn't it somewhat comforting to know that people are not judging you by your appearance? Obviously, there is much more to you than what you wear. Bernadette

People said the nicest things to me afterwards such as how I have an animated face or an outgoing personality. Those are the things people notice. So, in fact, this is a wonderful lesson that we are not just our clothes. People do look beneath the surface. But that doesn't mean clothes don't matter at all. I bought a party outfit during the month that I wore to the symphony and I was happy all night long because I was dressed up. Trish

Yes, but I am not sure that we can generalize from your experience. Some people, unfortunately, do judge others by what they are wearing and not much else. Isn't there a famous story, or perhaps urban myth, of Ronnie Hawkins going into a Rolls Royce dealership and being snubbed? I am sure such things happen all the time. I recall some really shabby profs at university who sure didn't look like they were very on the ball. Bernadette

You are totally right, we do judge others by what they are wearing "in context". For instance, my blah suit fit within the context of a middleaged woman working in a newsroom. A bikini, heaven forbid, would have been very, very wrong. Skateboarders have trouble getting into the country club because they don't fit in. Men in business suits stand out at the baseball game. You can wear ski pants into a bar in the Alps but not on King St. We use clothes to sort people. That way we know who the salesclerks, priests, rappers and movie stars are. Trish

So how has this experienced changed how you dress? Bernadette

I am kind of stuck with my current wardrobe for a while because I can't afford a wholesale revamp. Needless to say, I am not going to wear the grey suit again. But, as well, I am paying more attention to accessories and make-up too. I did pick out a fabulous pair of green skis and bought kooky blue/green eye glasses during the experiment. In the future, I have decided on two rules. I must have more colour and more skirts or dresses. Too many sensible pants suits makes Trish a dull girl. Trish

The ultimate little black dress

Fashion editor Bernadette Morra and stylist Derick Chetty discuss little black dresses, and the iconic image that launched this fashion classic, below. Send your thoughts to nakedlunch@thestar.ca or click on the comments link below.

Derick, earlier this week the little black dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's sold at auction in London for the equivalent of $807,000 U.S. Surely that must make that dress, designed by Hubert de Givenchy, the ultimate fashion classic. Bernadette

The LBD is an enduring classic despite the whims of fashion. It's always a safe choice when uncertain of what to wear, it requires little effort in terms of accessorizing and it transcends age and body size issues. I was recently in The Bay on Queen Street and there was an entire dress department dedicated to black cocktail dresses. Obviously this classic is a bestseller. Derick

But $807,000 U.S.? How could a garment have that much value? Bernadette

It was reported in today's WWD that the house of Givenchy was the bidder that bought the famous Audrey Hepburn dress. Since designer Hubert de Givenchy designed the garment for the iconic scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's, it's no surprise they would want to get their hands on that dress for their archives. But I agree that's an awful lot of money. There must have been a lot of feverish bidding. Derick

Okay, that makes a lot of sense. LVMH, which own Givenchy, has deep pockets. And I'll bet the other bidders included the Metropolitan Museum of New York, which would have wanted the dress for their Costume Institute. And I wonder whether LVMH's rival PPR was bidding too, helping jack up the price.

It's great news for the charity that benefits from the sale of this dress. I also think that because the Breakfast at Tiffany dress was such a statement of elegance and refinement, it added to the value. Ever since that film, women have felt that putting on a LBD guaranteed a certain Audrey Hepburn aura of good taste. Wearing that dress in that film on that character, has made the LBD a foolproof fashion choice. Bernadette

Yes, but it walks the line of boredom - especially when you are in a room and everyone is wearing LBDs - as was the case last week at Bloor Street Entertains. Perhaps one should try to inject a bit of their own personality with the outfit. Grand chandelier earrings, elbow length gloves, killer metallic heels or a really ornate clutch. Derick

So true. I saw a photo of America Ferrera, the actress who plays Ugly Betty, on a red carpet somewhere. She was wearing the LBD and pearls and it didn't work. It looked totally generic and dull. Maybe two fashion classics in one outfit is too much? Bernadette

But they sort of go together - a little black dress and pearls. Maybe not all personalities suit the LBD. Derick

I also think that, unless a face, hair or accessories are really compelling, the LBD can fall completely flat in photos. That is why I loathe seeing black bridesmaid dresses. The wedding pictures always look horrible. Black doesn't convey the joy of a wedding day. And put that dress on a real person and it quickly becomes clear, there was only one Audrey Hepburn! Bernadette