Smoking and Fashion

Rosie

I was driving back from lunch today and started to think about smoking as related to fashion in two different ways.

1. If you see a very stylish person on the street and then see she is smoking, does it change how you see her? Does it change how you view her style?

2. For smokers/former smokers - does interest or increasing interest in fashion affect smoking behaviors? Like if you started to pay more attention to your clothes, buy more quality items, do you worry more about the affect smoking has on them?

I know it is kind of random, but I have a feeling some people have strong opinions about this.

15 years ago

General

22 replies

Latest reply was from Mellllls

Theresa

(website)

Veteran

Interesting Question Rosie!

I come from a family where my Dad & uncles are very heavy smokers, and 1 of my brothers & his girlfriend are regulars, and the other 2 have smoked from time to time, BUT I am asthmatic and cannot be around them if they've been smoking at all.

For me personally, it decreases the style quotient because I think its an icky habit that makes my chest tighten at the thought of it...

So not sure if that's the physical response I get (chest tightening & inability to breath), that taints it for me, or if its psychological, but for me, yes, I do lower my opinion of a stylish smoker.

(And having said that my brothers girlfriend and I get on fab and we are good friends so I know smokers can be fab people and have style still - its just when they are actually smoking that I don't like it).

15 years ago

Rosie

Veteran

Interesting! YES - this is only a question about fashion attitudes, certainly not about quality of person!

15 years ago

taylor

Veteran

I don't even notice people smoking anymore. Smoking used to be associated with glamor ,elegance and sophistication in the 50's and 60's...people puffing away on the big screen, Betty Davis comes to mind. We are all far wiser now. I don't know anyone who smokes.

15 years ago

Kristine

Veteran

I smoked for about 8 years. A year or two after I gave it up I unpacked some clothes from a moving box and couldn't believe how much they still smelled! Oddly enough, I paid a lot of attention to fashion and my appearance at the time I was a smoker (but not to how I smelled I guess)!

I do hate to see people smoking, especially young women. I think it looks gross, but as a former smoker I have no room to criticize. There's something to be said for an occasional smoker who savors and enjoys one once in a while, but seeing people huddled outside of a bar or smoking at the bus stop is just kind of depressing. My mom's still a heavy smoker and the smell is everywhere in her house, I hate it!

15 years ago

Rosie

Veteran

Taylor and Kristine, you bring up really interesting points. There are so many "cool" icons who make smoking look chic and glamorous. Plus, all those European women make it seem like it's part of their effortless style.

15 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Madmen, anyone?

The first thing we always notice when we are back in Europe is how many more men, women and teens smoke. It's just part of the culture on that side of the world. Here in the US, far fewer people smoke, and I personally prefer it because I'm really sensitive to smoke. I get an instant headache when I smell smoke.

I don't judge others who smoke. Their style quotient does not decrease in my book. But I have a strict non-smoking rule in our house and cars!

15 years ago

Maya

Veteran

I think the only way in which smoking influences a person's style quotient is in terms of how it affects one's grooming and appearance. I used to work with someone who would take several cigarette breaks throughout the day and would always come back stinking of smoke and it was really off-putting. Also, the way it affects your skin, hair, and teeth is a major drawback.

I have to admit some people look totally cool doing it, though I have never been naive or impressionable enough to do it for such a dumb reason. But it reminds me of glamor and old Hollywood, as others have mentioned. I always think of Holly Golightly and her cigarette holder when I think of smoking as part of an overall look. It essentially became an accessory.

My reaction to smoke is also hugely negative. It stings my eyes and makes me feel ill so it is probably one of the few things I did not enjoy about living in France.

15 years ago

agrace

Active Member

I usually tend to think on shows like Mad Men and in certain movies, they make smoking look like so much fun. I was a smoker for a short duration in late high school but quit to start running so I can say I am very aware how it looks vs. how it smells (on clothes, hair, etc). Now I detest the way smoke smells. It's funny, I know how it can actually be a pleasant sensation as a smoker to smoke, and I remember that - but the smell is just so not pleasant for me.

Not sure I answered the questions correctly or not!

15 years ago

Rosie

Veteran

There are no incorrect answers! I just wonder how people see things like this - just interesting to me. So, I appreciate everyone's responses!

15 years ago

Beth

Veteran

I don't know anyone who smokes and while certain icons of the past looked glamorous doing it, I haven't seen a contemporary smoker who looked good doing it.

15 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I'm just a big ball of contradictions when it comes to smoking. I'm not a smoker, and have never had so much as a drag off a cigarette. I would never allow smoking in my house or car, even though hubby has been an on again off again smoker since I met him. I hate when he smokes because I worry about his health, but honestly I think it's drop dead sexy and I love the smell of it.

15 years ago

Anonymous

An interesting topic. The biggest reason I've never smoked in my life is that as a child my best friend's mother was a heavy smoker. She was a beautiful woman and very stylish as I remember her. But even while still young, her hands and teeth were yellow. Later her skin seemed yellow too and had a leathery look to it...not to mention how she smelled. I never wanted to have that happen to me.
Now, I get a headache at the least whiff of smoke and can have something like a bad cold for days. I hold my breath when passing a smoker.

15 years ago

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

For me, the way a person smells is a really key part of the way I perceive them. I suspect I pay more attention to this aspect of someone's grooming than others as a way to compensate for not being able to look at them. I notice little things like the type of deodorant or laundry detergent they use, and sometimes those subtle fragrances drive me wild in the best possible way (on the right person). Smoke of any description has just the opposite effect. it's a huge, huge turnoff for me. Like Rosie, I'd like to differentiate between personal habits and personality; smoking in no way detracts from my enjoyment of someone's company, but it does impact my impression of their personal upkeep and probably clouds the mental picture I form. My boyfriend used to smoke, and while I could overlook it most of the time (since he didn't do it too often and always lit up outside), I could enjoy physical aspects more fully once he quit. In an interesting sidenote, he's become much more style-conscious and fond of clothes since he stopped smoking, but I think this has a lot more to do with his evolving career than anything else.

15 years ago

marianna

Veteran

Honestly, I just think it looks silly. Puffing on a little stick? I don't get it.

15 years ago

malcontent

Active Member

I agree with Maya that smoking affects personal appearance. I was out last night and was shocked (though I hid it) when an acquaintance of mine revealed she was twenty-six. She's a smoker and it's already starting to show in coarser skin, darkened teeth, and heavier expression lines. The woman I am thinking of is quite attractive, but she's also beginning to look older than her years. She dresses in a youthful style, but, unfortunately, the aging effects of cigarettes mean that her style is going to seem incongruous sooner than it would have otherwise.

I also feel that having a clean, appealing scent is an important element of style, and smoking almost always interferes with a woman's ability to keep her hair, skin, clothes, and body smelling fresh. I like to wear perfume, but I wouldn't dream of applying it to cover an unappealing odor. That just doesn't work.

15 years ago

Louise

Veteran

I hate the smell of cigarettes (Though don't mind the smell of pipes and cigars) like theresa I'm asthmatic and end up with a tight chest. I dislike the way it makes people's clothes smell and it does awful things to teeth and nails. I don't think it affects a persons style quotient but i can't help thinking it would be healthier to burn £5 notes! I sit there seeing them puffing through a packet and think you could be 1/2 way to a new accessory!!!! I'd much rather have something to show for my money I guess that's why i'm not a big drinker either x

15 years ago

rute

Veteran

Oh Rosie.. here in Europe people there are smoking less also! Some years ago smoken was forbiden in the majority of the closed spaces and many people gave up, but also because people are more conscious about the health issues!

Smoking is by no means associated to fashionable and style, on the contrary!

15 years ago

Sihaya

Veteran

To me it decreases their style quotient because of the smell and the fact that it's very hard for me to be around them when I can barely breathe. Not to mention the harmful effects of second hand smoke.

15 years ago

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I'm so late to this thread, but when I first opened it I thought it would be discussing the high number of models who smoke because they are supposed to suppress their appetite.

Many style icons are smokers Kate Moss, Carrie Bradshaw and Holly Golightly to name a few.

Then there are images like this one in vanity fair
http://radikal.ru/F/s13.radika.....4.jpg.html

I do not think smoking is cool in the slightest think it has little bearings on a persons style quotient.

For some reason though I have always hated the sight of a bride smoking, is that weird?

15 years ago

Anonymous

What really creeps me out is the sight of a grandmother holding a baby grandchild and a lit cigarette at the same time. I have to literally bite my tongue.

15 years ago

Lori

Veteran

I am totally anti-smoking, and barely give anyone who is smoking a second look, so apparently in my book that would decrease their style quotient. I am very intolerant when it comes to smoking, I don't like being around people who smoke, and am not friends with anyone who smokes. OTOH, half my family smokes. . .UGGGHHH, but they do live on the other side of the country, and when they visit they know there is absolutely no smoking around me. The smell alone is enough to make me gag.

15 years ago

Mellllls

Veteran

I don't think it really affects how I view a person's style quotient but to be honest it is so rare that I see smokers. I don't think I have any friends who currently smoke anymore.

15 years ago

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