Thursday 19 June 2008

The necessity of shoes?

Today I gave up battling the wind and went back to the conservatory:


Top H&M, vest Topshop, skirt some market stall in Harlow about 10 years ago, boots New Look.

If you look really closely, you can see the 'real leather' tag on one of the boots! I mention this only because it links to a post on Painfully Hip where Amber expressed her dislike of Wardrobe Remix pictures where the remixer is not wearing shoes. I suggested that if your outfit is only intended to be worn around your house, you might not include shoes in the ensemble and that doesn't mean it's not a valid, fully thought-out outfit. So the question is, should you add shoes, bags, jackets etc. to an outfit that you're not going out in, just for the pictures?

I add shoes if I'm taking the photos outside, for obvious reasons, but I also do it for indoor pictures if I think the outfit is improved by them. I don't add a bag if I'm not actually going to carry one, or a jacket/coat, unless I'm taking outdoor pictures and it's cold. Conversely, if I've put on extra, less than stunning, clothes for warmth, I take them off for the photo. So my outfits are the actual ones I wear, but the best possible version, rather than the absolute truth. And one day I might actually make my mind up about those boots and take the tags off!

5 comments:

Andrea Eames said...

I thought that Painfully Hip comment was a little harsh - after all, sometimes you just don't need to wear shoes!

I tend to take w_r pictures in the base outfit that I'm wearing, minus big heavy coat and handbag that I would wear out (unless they're essential), for the same reasons as you do - it presents the best possible version of the outfit, minus the less fabulous but necessary elements. I have posted a couple of pics on w_r minus shoes, in summer, which I don't think makes it an incomplete outfit - I work from home, and don't always need to wear shoes when the weather is hotter.

Wow, apparently I feel more strongly about this than I thought. Sorry for long comment!

Tavi said...

I love the color combination. Nice boots!

Ah, I almost never wear shoes in photos. I'm a size 1, and can never find decent shoes, so usually the shoes I own worsen the outfit. When I wear the outfit in public, I'll wear my sneaks or whatever, because there really is no other option! But I yearn for the day when they make fashionable shoes for people with 9 year old sized feet. Mainly, me.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

I think people want the whole effect--if there are shoes show them, if not what's the big deal? I tend to leave my bag out of the shot and I've had people ask me if I don't carry a bag. Of course, I have a bag, where else would I put my necessities..?

Amber said...

I like those boots! And I adore the oxfords you're wearing in a couple posts down. I wish I lived overseas!

annah said...

oh, this skirt is gorgeous!!