Strategic Style: How the language of our clothing affects people and our culture.

Our clothing speaks volumes about us. Silently communicating our sex, age and class even giving away important clues  – or red herrings – about our occupation, opinions and state of mind. While human beings have communicated with one another in the language of dress for thousands of years, some outfits are figuratively shouting out loud their wearer’s state of mind.

Let’s take Katie Holmes’ recent makeover. Since Holmes filed for divorce in a New York court eleven days ago, her wardrobe choices have been carefully orchestrated to leverage media exposure. From the sweet tops, no-make up and practical ballet flats – suitable for ice-cream outings with Suri – to the glossy and groomed look – a navy silk dress from her own line, Holmes & Yang and bold heels by Roger Vivier –  for a guest appearance on Project Runway, it’s clear she’s well aware of the strategic effect of her image on divorce proceedings and public opinion.

We’re familiar with the idea of statement pieces, usually bold and interesting accessories – rings, sunglasses and purses that connotate a sense of signature style. But what about the outfits documented through history that, upon closer inspection, have consciously been chosen by the wearer to broadcast a signature statement?

Was there ever a dress more aware of its symbolism than Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen wedding dress? A collaboration between the bride and U.K. designer Sarah Burton, the ivory silk tulle dress was notable for its demure long sleves, hand appliquéd with different lace symbols of Great Britain: the rose of England, Scottish thistles, Welsh daffodils and Irish shamrocks. Described by Vogue as a “a feat of appropriateness,” this was a choice that perhaps deliberately evoked Princess Grace’s iconic wedding dress – a fellow “commoner” who also married into royalty with a steadfast intention to never put a foot wrong.

In contrast, a low-cut, short black dress worn by Princess Diana to the Serpentine Gallery in 1994, on the evening Prince Charles admitted adultery with Camilla Parker-Bowles on British television, was designed to raise eyebrows. Designed by Christina Stambolia, the “revenge” dress was thought to convey a clear message of defiance against the royal establishment. Queen Elizabeth was said to have urged the couple to reach a final agreement shortly after, before the couple’s separation and divorce seriously damaged the monarchy.

When Grace Kelly arrived in Monaco on April 12, 1956 for her wedding to Prince Rainier, she choose to wear a stylish navy Ben Zuckerman coat and a large white organdy hat.  The hat’s extra wide brim shielded much of her face, famously dismaying the Monegasques and worlds attending press, who were hoping to get a look at her. Will we ever know if it was a self conscious signal on her part, guarding her last moment of personal freedom before the subsequent unveiling of a very public Princess Grace.

Known to be fully aware of the considerable political capital of her style, Jacqueline Kennedy could’ve never imagined the shocking effect her pink boucle Chanel-style suit would eventually have on that fateful November day in 1962. Despite efforts to get her to change out of her clothes, her decision to keep wearing the blood and gore spattered suit onboard Air Force One for LBJ’s swearing-in was deliberate.  “Let them see what they’ve done, she insisted.”

Want to catch up on some more fashion history?

Now & Then: The History of the “It” Bag

Now & Then: The History of Flared Pants

Now & Then: The History of the Ballet Flat

Now & Then: The History of Shorts

Now & Then: Met Ball’s Most Memorable Dresses

Now & Then: The History of the Breton Shirt

Now & Then: The History of the Platform Shoe

Now & Then: The History of Fitness Wear

Now & Then: The History of the Pencil Skirt

Now & Then: The History of the Cocktail Dress

Now & Then: The History of Skinny Jeans

Read more Now & Then articles here.

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As I flicked through the January edition of Harpers Bazaar, I came across an excerpt from a newly released bio of Jacqueline Kennedy by John Loring, who had worked closely with her during her days as a Doubleday book editor. He described her savvy approach to dressing and wide knowledge of fashion, writing, “Yet Jackie was more interested in how people wore things than in what they wore.”

I imagine in this digital age of fashion voyeurism, the many online style tools available with a click of her mouse would have delighted the high priestess of American chic.

Photographer Scott Schuman, better known as “The Sartorialist” to the rest of the world is one of the industry’s most influential figures, capturing exactly how the stylish are wearing their things from New York to Milan. Together with StreetPeeper, currently documenting the world’s fashion editors as they arrive for the fall shows, the sites make for utterly irresistible daily style inspiration. Another favorite of mine is Vogue’s online feature “Five days, Five looks, One girl” where they break down the looks of glamorous gals about town in their daily ensembles.  Rather than looking at fashion through the abstraction of a magazine layout, it’s useful to see how real people wear the latest designer fashion to work, albeit to a job that accommodates 5-inch ponyskin heels.

Putting together our outfit for work every morning is one of the most creative things modern women do. In our fast-paced, work-heavy lives, few of us engage in other types of creative pastimes. Many of us are waking up to the environmental ramifications of forever buying more while still wanting to revel in the fun and creativity of fashion. Happily there are a number of sites that aim to provide with the grown-up version of playing paper dolls. Vogue’s Light box, Polyvore and Closet Couture allow users to put together an outfit, to see which combinations work – and which don’t – without handing over credit cards or adding to our overstuffed closets.

Perhaps you get your creative kicks from hair and make up. The hundreds and thousands of viewers who enjoy the beauty tutorials on YouTube phenom, Pixiwoo prove you are not alone.  Make up artists, Samantha and Nicola Chapman’s exhaustive resources show you everything from how to wear to Spring’s acid bright color palette to how to skillfully recreate the chiseled cheekbones seen on the runways.

InStyle magazine’s Hollywood Makeover feature allows you to upload a photo of yourself and superimpose a collection of celebrity make up and hairstyles.  Another way to utilize the style know-how of celebrity stylists  (who are largely responsible for enhancing their client’s best features and minimizing their worst), is to take some cues from your celebrity lookalike.  Try uploading a picture of yourself onto My Heritage’s face recognition tool to find out which star you most resemble and pick up some hair and make up tricks from your Hollywood doppelganger. You can spend a frivolous ten minutes, okay, 40 minutes – uploading your photos to produce a range of celebrity faces that are most similar to yours. Consider yourself forewarned and turn the gender function on first.

And if, after all that fun and creativity, you do decide to go ahead and buy something, first visit Made By, a U.K. based non profit that recently launched a set of online tools that allow us to make our fashion purchases as transparently as possible. Features such as Scorecards and Track & Trace, record the eco-developments of the participating brands and allows the consumer to see exactly where and who created a garment.

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