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Catalogs and Style Personas

Aquamarine

Veteran

At the start of every season, I find myself eagerly anticipating the fashion catalogs that flood my mailbox. I enjoy seeing the trends as they are depicted across various demographics and price points. Oddly enough, I find myself spending the most time with the catalogs that depict a style OPPOSITE of my own. For example, I love the Sundance catalog. My actual life and style choices, however, are very far removed from the aesthetic depicted in Sundance. The soft, dusty colors and the boho/California/desert items would look ridiculous on me. I buy and look best in structured clothes, clear colors. My hair is not long and curly. My climate is the exact opposite. What is this pull I feel? Is it a yearning for what I don't have (abundant sunshine, a ranch, long hair :-)) Is it catalog surfing for a fantasy life? I'm curious if anyone else goes through this.

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from Day Vies

El Cee

Veteran

Oh yes... Sundance used to get me hooked. Never actually ordered anything, but spent all too much time looking through it. I am better about keeping fashion catalogs to a minimum now and have requested to be taken off lists. I still have a problem with home furnishings catalogs like "Frontgate". I can waste a lot of time salivating over pool and patio furnishings -- and I have neither a pool nor a patio. Fantasy life? You bet!!!

gryffin

Veteran

Oh I love this question. Does anyone get the Gorsuch catalog? I don't ski but I want that snowcat zipped parka (in black of course) in the worst way. I love everything in that catalog except the prices. Fortunately that helps me resist temptation. I had the same trouble with the JPeterman catalog (the old catalog) I think it was my steampunk side trying to escape captivity!!

Aquamarine

Veteran

El Cee...I have never ordered anything from Sundance either. Hmm...maybe it's the intro from Robert Redford....still handsome and craggy even though he's what, 85

gryffin...What, there's actually a J. Peterman catalog?? Ha ha I can only think of Elaine from Seinfeld writing for him. Off to Google it.

Anonymous

Oh yes, Sundance. I receive the catalogs but never order from there, either. I enjoy looking at it, though. I think there's a part of me that wants to be Boho. I can't pull off those looks, though.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

I like to peruse catalogs for inspiration - to see the different color combinations, interesting silhouettes and materials, etc. There's always something good even if the catalog is very different from my style. That said, my favorites are the ones that are the closest to my style.

Laurinda

Veteran

I feel that way about the Anthropologie catalog.
With apologies to the Talking Heads: "This is not my beautiful life!"

Duluth Trading Co. is more my style :-/

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is a great question. A while ago we had a discussion about our "shadow style."

There are a couple of fun threads about it. With visuals.

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....adow-style

http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....replies=19

Nebraskim

Veteran

I loved J.Peterman. Yes, it was a real catalog and its schtick was the stories that "sold" the garments. It created a lifestyle for the clothing. I tend to love Duluth Trading, Eddie Bauer, LLBean, Athleta, Title 9. And I actually buy a lot of stuff from Eddie Bauer and Bean because their stuff fits my casual lifestyle and my belief that I'm "outdoorsy" even though I work in an office and my idea of outdoors is to run on a concrete urban trail. My shadow style would be Athleta and Title 9 because I love their gear and look but at size 14, I'm too big for most of their offerings, where a 12 is an XL.

fieldmouse

I love Toast (http://www.toast.co.uk/) catalogs, even though it's not really my style - I love the styling and the scenery in pictures, but when I go to the website, I end up finding that the individual items aren't really for me, most of the time.

kkards

Veteran

it's why i buy vogue....it's a nice place to visit, even if i'm not going to live there.

Greyscale

Veteran

I feel that way about the J Crew catalog. Their look is so much preppier than I am, but I love how they style things.

I got into following fashion around 2008 when the biker/rock trend was at its peak. J Crew, especially, had all sorts of spiked and studded versions of their usual preppy look. I loved it because it was the refined version of my own style, and from there I started following more high-end fashions and streetstyle blogs. I guess I stuck with fashion as a hobby after that trend passed, but it was great to have a few months where I wanted to wear so much of what I saw in photos!

Peri

Veteran

I do the same thing! I think it's like a form of art...they look so pretty. But I never order either. My fantasy catalogs are Sundance and Soft Surroundings. And Saks.

D'Ellen

Veteran

Me too, Aquamarine! My favorite fantasy catalogs are Peruvian Connection and Territory Ahead, especially their Isabella Bird Connection. J Peterman...LOL! I used to read that catalog from cover to cover. Though the ones I've received recently haven't been quite as entertaining to me.

Thistle

Veteran

No one sends me catalogues *cries* Okay, not really, the environment is better for it

Aquamarine

Veteran

Thanks for the links, Suz. Fun to read!

Thistle, wow...no catalogs?? I get SO MANY. I only enjoy the first ones, though. By the time the 10th LL Bean catalog of the season arrives, I've had it

Greyscale

Veteran

Thistle, the internet is almost as good! Some of the stores put their lookbooks or catalogs online, now, so you can see the styling.

I just remembered how excited I was as a kid when the huge JC Penney catalog arrived.

deb

Veteran

I love catalogues. Greyscale, I also loved the Penny's Christmas catalogue. I would spend hours looking through it when I was a kid. Now I love J. Peterman's. Each article of clothing has a story like and I can live vicariously through them. And I spent a good hour last night going through the latest Sundance catalogue. Let me see, Solutions, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Artful Home, Uno Alla Volta, The Horchow Collection, just to name a few are my favorites.

Day Vies

Veteran

My voyeuristic side loves a boho urban look -- what ever that means. I have never been able to do that look from head to toe. A purse here, a shoe there but not all over -- I look and feel out of place. I think maybe you could incorporate the look/colors in small doses.
I love a rocker chic, RATE, UPW look head to toe on other people. However, for my own closet and body, a nod is all I'm going to be able to do authentically. This is all just a long way of saying, while you may have one style that dominates and works best for you, it's OK to appreciate and incorporate elements that are completely different. Incorporating the things that attract you however opposite of your deemed style is what will make your look unique and fresh.