studying for finals aka watching Top Model reruns on MTV and musing about London fashion

So today MTV was airing the cycle where Nicole won (she beat out my fave, Nik) and one of the episodes, taking place in London, had the girls being schooled in London fashion by the seemingly lovely, witty, somewhat catty Simon Doonan of Barneys. He explained four major fashion movements that have swept London: preppy, Bollywood, punk, and (of course) mod.



I do enjoy some of Vivienne Westwood's designs, but I have to say I'm not too big a fan of the punk look, especially since it's been so diluted and Hot Topic-ed that I don't think it's subversive at all. (As previous posts attest, I do enjoy the 60s English androgynous tight-pants, colorful, bohemian rock musician look though)



And I guess the Bollywood thing is nice too, but the thing that bothers me about a lot of the Indian/Pakistani/South Asian in general way with textiles is that it can get TOO excessive. I always like incorporating one or two elements--glass bangles of one color, big earrings, shawls or scarves--into an outfit because that's just my sensibility. And in my day I have seen many saris and shalwar kameez that would have been perfect if the designer hadn't OD-ed on color and embroidery and held back a little.



I think the idea of preppy is interesting too. I used to always interpret it as a New England prep school sort of thing, with boy's blazers, , argyle, sweater vests, some tweed, Ralph Lauren Rugby kind of stuff. Sort of how they dress the boys on Gossip Girl. I am really not a fan of the other idea of preppy, the pink and green sometime J. Crew-y sensibility (I did see a girl with a very nice white coat the other day, which was from J. Crew! So I like some of their things)



Basically, one of my favorite fashion eras ever is mod. I think most people assume it's just black and white, shift dresses, long straight hair, false eyelashes but there were lots of variations to that, with crazy colors and patterns. Twiggy, (ANTM judge, coincidentally, replacing the alleged "first supermodel" Crazy Janice Dickinson) had the big doe eyes, short boyish hair, and super skinnyness (not great for a lot of girl's self-esteem, of course).

I don't know. Watching Top Model and seeing the girls have to be educated about Carnaby Street just makes me want to go to England so badly!