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For those who are NOT urban etc. - join here (no, just kidding)

Astrid

Veteran

So, I have no idea what I should actually call this thread. But after Angie called me a Bohemian Prairie Girl and amiable wanted to look up some of my style posts from the past we started talking about our style. She is still searching for her own style and many others are too, so I thought it might be nice to have a thread to talk about the 'country', 'preppy', 'prairie', 'bohemian', 'organic', 'eco', 'earthy' or whatever. The styles that aren't yet included in the threads already started. I think all these terms can actually translate into totally different looks, but one important thing we both thought was to look at 'country' in contrast to 'urban'.

Want to join me and talk about this? Maybe you have an idea about a category title? Or do you think you can't sum those terms up anyway, so why bother?

Amiable wrote:
Hmm... Angie called you "Bohemian prairie girl", and told me to start with "Country" and "Preppy", right? I think that country and prairie are related (Also in that category: 'woodsy' and 'nature'). They're all near-opposites of "Urban", with their own nuances.

I suspect, with your gorgeous flowing hair that your style is also more feminine than mine. I don't see myself as very bohemian (though maybe in the summer, when I wear more skirts...)

What about the word "Rugged"? I wonder if that's a "Country" version of RATE or "Warrior".

And here's what I answered:
I see country as a part of Prairie. Or maybe they intertwine? I agree about 'woodsy' and 'nature', I think that's what came up a few times in my threads as 'organic'. Although I think it's a bit different for me than the 'eco/earthy' Manidipa is talking about. Mostly I see organic as a counterpart to industrial/artificial. I much prefer greased leather to patent for example. I like cotton, wool and silk and prefer them to any polyester. I'm definitely a tactile person. I agree that 'country' can be seen as the opposite of 'urban'.

Great thought about 'rugged'. I said in Angie's UWP thread that I kind of like RATE, but it's not quite the RATE of the UWP. I guess what I meant was 'rugged'. Although I like that only in small doses. It still needs to be feminine. So I would wear rugged leather boots, but they would need to have a classic shape for example. I don't like it when it gets too sporty either.

I agree that my hair always adds some feminine feel, I like that. As for the bohemian, it's not the same as 'boho' for me. Here's Manidipa's wonderful definition in an old thread of mine (http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....at-is-boho), totally worth the read.

Dressing

43 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

Diana

Veteran

When I think of "country" I think of Americana country which I don't really associate with you, Astrid. I think you're more like "countryside" (as in, British countryside maybe), so a lot more refined but still organic and earthy. (I'm also thinking about how you said my British preppy boyfriend outfit was your dream outfit, hence the British countryside descriptor.)

I'm actually not sure where i fall on the urban vs. country/rugged/earthy continuum. Maybe pre-modern or historical urban? (Like whatever steampunk would be.)

amiable

Veteran

Thanks! Jumping in with you in the 'not urban' group

deb

Veteran

I wore my Old Navy plad shirt with skinnies and my Nine West booties and a friend told me I looked 'lumber jackish'. Does that qualify for this thread?

rachylou

Veteran

One thing about "arty, eco, organic" looks is that they can actually be totally urban, if you know what I mean. Eco/organic principles can come into play but you'd never see a real farmer, say, actually wearing such a garment. What always comes to my mind are the very sophisticated, Japanese-influenced looks that are pretty much avant garde art.

Anyways, so I often shy away from those terms if I really mean "get out in nature" clothing.

Astrid

Veteran

Diana, yes, that makes sense. I agree about the British countryside thing, maybe 'country' is the wrong word for me. Although I guess I do have different associations with the term. For me it's just "das Land", as opposed to the city, I guess.

Thanks Amiable, It's fun talking about it.

Deb, that's too funny.

Rachylou, I understand what you mean. If I say 'organic' in the context of my style I'm talking of the nature of the thing I guess. And I wouldn't term "get out in nature" clothing 'eco' either. Maybe the comparison of 'woodsy' and 'nature' with 'organic' wasn't quite right. Could also be that I'm just misinterpreting terms.

rachylou

Veteran

No, I think you're right. You don't get more organic than nature after all!

Nature is just a difficult term. No, really: When I first met my bf and he told me he liked nature. I was all great! Hiking! Camping! And then I learned what he meant by nature was a manicured lawn and portable chair. Haha! Yeah. Ok. A lawn *is* nature - it's outside and growing and everything - it's just not quite what comes to *my* mind first.

tarzy

Veteran

Great discussion so far! I'm struggling with many of the same issues in my "EUC" thread - Angie dubbed me "Earthy Urban Chic" so I'm exploring that. I think there are many of the same elements, although for me, natural has little to do with actual nature - for me, it's more about the lack of that ultra edgy, modern element. I imagine we will all have slightly different attachments to these words, and ultimately, we just need to find what resonates with each of us!

cobaltblue

Veteran

I think I'm here or at least headed your way!

catgirl

Veteran

I think all of you who fit this rubric should look at the Prairie Underground brand of clothing!

Astrid

Veteran

Yes, that's true, Rachylou. And your story is hilarious!

Tarzy, that's interesting too. I can relate to your definition. And I agree, the interpretation of these terms may vary from one person to the next.

Yay, Becky! Welcome.

Una, I think I have something from them pinned.

amiable

Veteran

Yes, you're right - 'country' is too ambiguous a term here. I too prefer 'countryside' - basically I'm thinking anything that can be thought of as 'not city'.

To me, the Angie's 'Rugged Woodsy Walk' outfit would fit here, as well as 'Prairie' looks and, Deb, 'Lumberjack' looks.

But, like in Astrid's older post, I think that 'simple' also can play a really important role here. Simplicity isn't just for the city folk

Jjsloane

Veteran

I'm joining your group too. I might add the odd "urban" influence, but I'm pretty much straight preppy, classic, with retro girly and magpie tendencies. My casual outfits can be boho-ish preppy.
I like the vision of country manor casual dressing (and this does evoke British royalty at play). Plays into preppy with plaids, wool, etc..

Astrid

Veteran

Yes, Angie's 'Rugged Woodsy Walk' outfit is a good example.

I also agree about 'simple', I like simple outfits. I also like the idea of minimalism (in general and for clothing) and I don't like that minimalist is often put on a level with modern and sleek. A simple outfit doesn't have to be sleek or urban IMO.

Welcome, Jjsloane! I love your style.

ETA
Of course I'm not without urban influence either, I think every person always absorbs everything around and I'm living in a big city, am I not? I guess when we are speaking about these categories we're always talking about preferences, or where we are mostly tending towards. And you can always try something different, I mean we want to have fun, right?

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Jenava

(website)

Veteran

I'm pretty urban in my style, but I'm cheering from the sidelines! (-: I find this discussion interesting. I think we all sort of "know what we mean" and finding the right words to describe this concept that already has a collective understanding is interesting.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Diana, "Countryside" style sounds off - no? I'm not American so I don't think of "Country" as American Country (a la Dolly Parton Country Music Style - or the Sundance Catalogue). Hope that makes sense, Astrid, Amiable and Diana!

Country can be Earthy and Organic - but as Rachy says, that can be very Urban too :). Rural sounds blah.

I like Country best. FWIW

Anonymous

I appreciate seeing urban style, & I'd like to add some of it to my wardrobe for when I visit Seattle or go to lunch or go listen to live music, etc. But the rest of the time I'm in the country--heck, I'm learning how to herd sheep--so I guess I'm non-urban.

Megan

Astrid

Veteran

Jenava, thanks for cheering for us!

Angie, I agree with you. Since I'm European I don't have those associations either. I have a concept when somebody tells me 'British countryside', but 'Countryside' style does sound off. 'Country' seems to be the better term.

Welcome to the group, Megan! (Is herding sheep very difficult?)

Anonymous

Hi Astrid, thanks for the nice welcome! I'm finding learning herding handling difficult because I didn't grow up around livestock & so I'm having to learn how to read the sheep, but my dog has good herding instincts. So, we are working on becoming a team. It's very rewarding & it's strengthening our bond.

Megan

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Great thread. I agree with rachylou that organic doesn't have to be country.
The "arty, eco, organic" a la Japanese designers might just about nail it for the style I aspire to; hope I can still visit because I love your style:)

Sarah A

Veteran

I'll join the non-urban bunch! I live in a very very small town on the outskirts of a small town and I love Jjsloan's preppy incarnations! I'll be watching the refined (?) "country" group...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

For what it's worth Astrid, I see Euro Countryside when I think of "Country" style.

catgirl

Veteran

I like rustic. In fact, my kitchen was meant to be rustic modern organic... talk about confused!

Sara L.

Veteran

Maybe you could add Euro to your Country description? I live in New Mexico and when you say "country", I think cowgirl country - jeans, cowboy boots, western shirts, turquoise, etc. It's not just a style here, it's a way of life. I would find a description of your style as Country very confusing without the background from this thread.

amiable

Veteran

Ooh -- RUSTIC! I like that word!

And, even though I am American, the Dolly Parton version of Country didn't even occur to me.

fern

Veteran

Right with you, Astrid -
I joked on one of my posts about being a "Forest Warrior Princess", because I am 100% more interested in forest colors and natural textures than anything black & studded.

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I have absolutely no idea what group I belong to! If there's a "hot mess" group, I should be their leader!
I think I'm a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll!

ManidipaM

Veteran

I love how we've got this really ORGANIC network of style threads from the one UWP discussion --- and each and every thread so far has been simultaneously hilarious and eye-opening and thought-provoking. We're spinning a web of YLF styles together!

(Angie, I haven't had THIS much fun with fashion in years! Not even when I stopped SYCing and went shopping. Woo-hoo! --- THANK YOU.)

I think Angie's 'Folksy' locates me in here too.

Astrid, your 'organic' may be different from my 'earthy/eco' --- but at the same time, I rather suspect organic may be the better umbrella term for both, as Caro suggested on my thread. I can certainly relate to the same elements and the same meanings you state. I too see 'organic' as the obverse of 'industrial/technological'.

Yes, Rachy has a point that the 'urban' can include 'organic' --- we speak of the organic growth of cities, say --- but I also feel we don't immediately or necessarily encompass 'organic' when we utter 'urban' (or vice versa). There is a tension between them. Their coexistence, even when harmonious, represents an yoking together ('Eclectic'?) Which is to say, the two *can* work together and not be at odds (they seem to for Rachy's own styleboards!); but they aren't necessarily an overlap --- not perhaps opposites, more parallels? Diana's steampunk/Victoriana also represents this tension of the industrial/urban with the organic.

Which is also why it seems to make sense to have the Organic<->Industrial dichotomy model an Urban<->Country dichotomy. But I have to agree with those who note that 'country' is also more problematic than 'urban' as a label that we can use to communicate with others via a *shared vocabulary*.

Where 'urban' is more of a global phenomenon and represents a certain flattening/uniformity (there is a close alliance to Industrial/Tech there), at least throughout the developed world, 'country' tends to beg the question 'which country?'. Das Land? The Wild West? Indian folk? British countryside? Japanese fishing village? Mongolian nomadic? African tribal? Native American reservation? Aztec inspiration? It all ends up here... and it gets confusing to call *yourself* just 'Country'. You need to qualify or explain, or at least substitute a subcategory (Angie did this when she labelled your style 'Prairie') when speaking of each person's style, I suspect.

But the umbrella term for the lot of us, yes, needs to be Country or Natural (reminds me of Kibbe again) or Traditional. (I'm personally having difficulty with 'country', but I suspect it is because of a linguistic issue --- when I read 'country' in English, I usually thing of Anglophone cultures, especially British and American...)

I also suspect that for some of us, depending on where we stand on the spectrum of juxtaposition vs coherence/integrity with regards to the Urban<->Country/Traditional dichotomy, 'Eclectic' or 'Bohemian' (as opposed to hippie/boho) may resonate better than Urban/Country. It takes the description on a tangent to 'Urban/Country', because that is just the more practically useful label for *that* particular style (whatever its affiliations to Urban/Country) --- that's actually why I thought of a web to visualize the styles. Yes, there are these spectrums, but the straight lines of those also intersect...

Um. Am I sounding very off-the-wall at this point...? (I guess it comes down to not knowing where to stand myself :-p)

Astrid

Veteran

Megan, that sounds great! I'd love to have a dog myself someday, when I have more space and money.

Caro, of course you can visit! The more the merrier.

Welcome, Sarah! I love that you put a 'refined' before the descriptor.

Thanks Angie! I think I think of the same, but like Manidipa wrote below, 'country' is different for everyone. I think that's why L'Abeille called my style Euro Prairie.

Una, I love your new kitchen! Don't love the word 'rustic' as much, the German 'rustikal' somehow has a negative connotation for me.

Sarah, yes you're right. Although I don't have 'country' in my descriptor, but I guess 'prairie could be confusing too. Although too many terms might be a bit unwieldy. So that would be Bohemian Euro Prairie Girl? That's a mouthful.

Fern, I love Forest Warrior Princess! Makes me think of Kira Knightley in King Arthur. Although she is probably more warrior than princess. Weapon of choice - bow and arrow.

Karie, that's perfectly alright! Sounds like you get to have all the fun.

Manidipa, thanks for another great contribution. I love how you always put it in a nutshell. I agree that it makes sense to see 'organic' as the term that encompasses the others. Your argument that 'urban' and 'organic' can go together, but then only with a certain kind of tension, makes sense to me. I would also see 'organic'/'industrial' together and agree that 'country' is too ambiguous, at least when we are using a shared vocabulary in a community like this. So that maybe would need to be specified for every person. I guess it can happen like with the subcategory 'prairie', although that doesn't say Euro to me either. I'm not sure how that could be solved. I confess you lost me a bit with that last paragraph, I'm going to read that again, very slowly...

ManidipaM

Veteran

Astrid, I found myself pretty confusing there!

I think I was trying to say (trying again, ha!): For some of us, while we don't subscribe strongly to Urban (speaking to your thread title here), it is possible we don't subscribe strongly to Country either. Or maybe we want elements of both, and it doesn't matter too much which one is more relevant at a given time. For such people, possibly defining themselves per entirely different categories (which may or may not overlap/intersect the Country or Urban) may be more useful --- the same way not everyone has to be royalty or peasant

I thought that could be the case with Diana or Rachy, for example, or even Jeanne, who might take inspiration from either category, but the category itself does not *define* their style... Wonder if they'd agree?

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