Genuinely confused by ironic style-enlighten me - YouLookFab Forum

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Genuinely confused by ironic style-enlighten me

RoseandJoan

Veteran

My poor grammar and atrocious spelling have probably convinced all of you that I never set foot in a learning institute in my life ~ but alas I did. I’m therefore aware of the different types of irony and their usage but I’m completed perplexed by the association of irony with style.

For example many style magazines will refer to a trend as ironic or state X person is wearing Y item with irony. Do you know what this means? It is quite possible I am being a dough ball and the style truth is so obvious that everyone but me can see the irony but hey nothing ventured, nothing gained so I’m throwing this out there.

Do you use the terms irony and style in the same sentence?
Do you understand the notion of irony in style?
Do I need to get myself a life and some real problems to think about?

Over to you and of course thank you for your time.

General

75 replies

Latest reply was from catgirl

Maya

Veteran

I think I understand it but I am hopeless to explain it. Come to Brooklyn sometime and observe the hipster population and you will understand it too.

It would help if you posted an example and then I could see if I can identify why it is ironic.

Boof

I really don't get it either. Referring to style as ironic is like saying math is sexy. My immediate reaction is that it's just silly. Maybe I'm a dough ball too, but I really like dough, so that's ok.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Thanks Maya, actually I can think of no better reason to plan a trip to Brooklyn:0) I love to people watch and if it's educational all the better. I will have a search for an example.

Katja

(website)

It took me three readings to understand the question because I was convinced that the title was "Genuinely confused by iconic style".

So, me three - I don't get the phrase "ironic style" either.

bj1111

Veteran

here's a "critical" treatment of hipster from wikipedia.

here's an article with examples in a slideshow.

i'm not sure i agree with the article's implicit definition of ironic as a synonym for kooky or eccentric for some of the articles.

Jonesy

Veteran

I think of it as a way to describe a look that is simultaneously "winking at" or gently mocking a particular style while also sporting it. So, a 20-something guy wearing suspenders or a bow tie ironically would be a "hipster" guy whose style manages to convey knowing on-trend hipster rather than square older gentleman banker. Don't know if that makes any sense at all, but that's my attempt at explaining!

bj1111

Veteran

boof, math is SOOO sexy.

Steph

Veteran

I like the way Jonesy has described it. There's kind of a "too cool for school" attitude about it. "Look, I am wearing plaid highwater pants and Buddy Holly eyeglasses. You might consider this dorky, but I know that it would be considered dorky and am being ironic in wearing this ensemble, therefore I am cool."

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Oh thanks for links bj, I'm not sure if I found their style ironic but definitely enjoyable.

Thank you Jonesy for the explanation. I also came across this quote

"And that statement is 'Yes, I am fully confident that my inner coolness is enough to counter this hideous ----------, and the visual cacophony that it inflicts upon all who cross my path".

Boof, I generally turn into a dough ball after 10pm every-night!

Katja I'm glad it's not just me.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

Posted at the same time Steph, so as the article bj linked to implied is their an age limit for ironic style? and is there a whole spectrum of ironic style or is it primarily one look?

MNsara

Veteran

Oh my! bj's slideshow link is more evidence for why I worry that when over 50, I am losing touch with what works and what doesn't work on myself! Positively scary. . .(Except Betsey Johnson - I wouldn't expect anything but irony from her!)

If they are stylishly ironic, I hope I am stylishly sincere.

P.S. I disagree with their assessment of whether Vivienne Westwood's ironic style works. . .

bj1111

Veteran

i don't think there is an age limit per se. as with anything, irony is good in small doses. an in-joke works best if it really is an "in" joke.

ps: i admire betsey johnson's loyalty to her style, which i describe as kooky not ironic. i think she is being sincere. BUT, i still think she looks like a deranged 6-year old playing in mommy's closet of best-forgotten fashion.

Frances

This reminds me of one of my favorite moments in Six Feet Under when Claire is sitting on a sofa at a party with her art school friends, complaining about how sick she is of everything. Pointing to different partygoers (with extreme sarcasm), she says something like, "I hate him...I hate her...I hate that guy in the Boy Scout jacket. I mean, what is that supposed to be, ironic?"

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I have neither the confidence nor the finesse to pull off ironic style, so I will wallow in my earnestness and continue to look preppy and classic. Attempting to do anything else would put me squarely in poser territory!
Thanks for asking this, Julie. This thread is fun.

Beth

Veteran

Michelle said it best for me. I'll stay earnest and preppy and classic. Ironic style sounds exhausting to keep up with. :O

Dawn

(website)

The very central element of 'ironic style' is to take something which you know does not go with elements of your style or personality. The best example I can think of this in the film 'Whip It', the main character who is a 17 year old hipster wearing a 1980s Christian Rock tshirt. It is about placing items in juxtaposition to other items. Another example of this would be the return of the huge granny glasses which both runs counter to the trend of smaller and elegant spectacles and often contrasts with the willowy, feminine, youthful frame of the wearer.

However, I also think that ironic style is the worst way ever of describing this, and I think that kooky or eccentric might be better.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

A couple of months ago a friend of mine asked me to take her friend out shopping for some "grown up" clothes, i.e. a suit and/or true business casual. The girl was in her late 20s and proudly owned three pairs of shoes (sneakers, winter boots, and "emergency backup sneakers" imagine my look of horror, please!) and a ratty school backpack as her "purse". I had my work cut out for me!

As we were walking through the store and I was trying to ease her into the concept of a real outfit, she announced that she really wanted to "wear Hello Kitty ironically". I could not stop myself from bursting out, "There is no such thing!"

In the end her determination not to change a thing about her clothes won out over my interest in helping her. I am sure she has a Hello Kitty backpack now and believes she is being ironic. Maybe if she wasn't still wearing sneakers...

elpgal

Veteran

I am somewhat confused by the Wiki article as it mentions Cons as one of the clothing items that are ironic. What do you think?

Sihaya

Veteran

I was just as confused as you and starting to think I was a dough ball (I'm going to use this phrase going forward!) too, which I probably am anyhow Some of the links and explanations are starting to make a bit of sense - maybe it's also a bit of a fad/a cool thing for people to start to try and do?

Vix

Veteran

Elpgal --

I'm thinking that given Converse's strong link to basketball/athletics, it's ironic for any non-fitness-oriented, non-teamcentric hipster to wear them.

But I'm guessing, ha.

elpgal

Veteran

Vix, That is interesting, I was not aware of the link to basketball. I think we can safely blame my non-US upbringing for that. Just goes to show how the successful interpretation of irony requires the appropriate audience.

Vix

Veteran

Elpgal, ha! When it comes to style, I think irony is often lost on me unless it's as subtle as a sledgehammer.

Tricia

Veteran

I think Maya nailed it. I'm from New York and "Brooklyn hipster" was the first thing that popped into my mind when I thought about how I'd explain it.

(I love Buddy Holly glasses on men...suspenders, not so much.)

taylor

Veteran

I have never heard this term, honestly I thought you meant iconic and just spelled it wrong ...a typo error:)
I am now fully educated in ironic fashion.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I'm a dough ball. I have been in the international rag trade for 18 years and have no idea why Brooklyn Hipsters have ironic style.

Most of the slide show outfits look like OTT fashion to me. Or just "bad style".

Maya

Veteran

I think my campus was the hipster capital of Brooklyn. I am very, very accustomed to this style and often forget that it isn't ubiquitous.

Iris

This is hilarious! One of the funniest rules about being a hipster, is that you can't really call yourself a hipster, because if you do that, then you're really not a hipster. If you guys can wrap your mind around this statement, it will provide some huge insight into the whole 'ironic fashion' craze.

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

I think "ironic" as applied to fashion is just a the new hip way of saying unexpected. "Ironic" tattoos are all the rage here in Seattle in the hipster population. People are getting tattoos of hamburgers, bacon, handlebar mustaches, etc. Things that, to me, are nearly visual non sequitors. This was the first venue in which I saw "ironic" applied to style.

In a way, people that wear BC glasses and suspenders are really trying to tell you how cool they are, because those items would not be ironic if those folks were uncool. But then maybe all of us are saying we're kinda cool with our good fashion sense. (Good being entirely subjective!) Sometimes I find unexpected [ironic] fashion statements funny or interesting but often I simply find it contrived.

stringy

Veteran

My own feeling is that fashion writers often don't have as strong a grasp of the English language as they think they do. I often see words used in ways that are nearly-but-not-quite correct. It's the same with home decorating magazines. I assume the writers are chosen for their knowledge of and ability to pick trends. They get the approximate meaning of the word from hearing it in context, then slightly misapply it, then everyone picks up the same usage.

Mind you, that doesn't bug me as much as the fashion/decorating writers who use the phrase "it just screams of elegance'. Screaming is not elegant, no matter how elegant the item is.

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