Subtly-Slutty, Demure, and Deluded: Fashion as a Preemptive Strike Against First Impressions
Nicole: Subtly. Slutty.
Those two words capture 90% of my outfits. What is subtly slutty? It’s exactly what it sounds like. It’s when someone looks at your ensemble and thinks, “Man, there is something slutty about that outfit, but I can’t quite put my finger on it…” It’s a flash of skin or a peak of lingerie, but in a way that is unexpected. It is not this. Or this.
The outfit I wore to my work holiday party last week is one of my best subtly slutty looks to date.
Sheer maroon lace shirt and sheer blue velvet blouse as skirt.
N: Wait, did I say blue velvet blouse as skirt? That’s right mo-fo’s I did.
Kelly: I love how this is a conservative silhouette (crew-necked shirt, mid-length “skirt”, tights, pumps) and the sheerness is really the only slutty element. That’s why the subtle-slutty works here. You want a look that says, “I am not a pretty-girl stereotype”, but also “I have condoms”
N: The lace shirt is thrifted and originally from Victoria’s Secret, of all places. The blue blouse I picked up the day of the party from A Little Wicked on Houston. To tuck the blouse into high-waisted pants or a skirt would’ve been far too obvious, especially after last week’s post. Enter fashion inspiration from Anne-Catherine Frey and google video chat so the Boos can still make outfits together and you get this: Shirt as Skirt.
K: When we saw the picture of Anne-Catherine, we thought it would be easy to imitate, but it took us over an hour to find a combo that worked. We wanted an interesting color palette but a clean silhouette, which was surprisingly difficult with the shirt’s sleeves tied in a big knot on the front.
N : After you get over the excitement that is me wearing a top as a bottom, you’ll notice that you can entirely see my bra. Wearing a simple, triangle cut bra that gives me no cleavage makes the full-bra-expose subtly slutty.
N: Keep the color story going with purple tights and emerald croc-skin pumps with purple sequins.
N: Final touch: antique Armor Bijoux earrings from Turkmenistan.
K: Love these accessories. This outfit looks lavish and sumptuous (lace, sequins, velvet) without sacrificing simplicity.
N: Special appearance by Mona the cat.
K: I must mention the importance of the hairstyle in making a look like this work. The top-knot is minimalistic, elegant, and makes you look tall tall tall. It’s our go-to hairstyle to offset an out-there outfit.
K: My New Year’s party was the same one everyone went to at the VAC. When I’m going to be seen in public with the Frivolous ladies, I take special care in selecting my outfit. It’s not easy to live up to such fabulous friends. This vintage Junior Time 50s floral cocktail dress with matching belt cost five bucks at the Salvation Army.
N: Winter is such a great time to wear good jewel tones and florals. They really help to liven up the short, grey days.
K: I generally resent the 50s fashion aesthetic that squeezes my waist, restricts my diaphragm, and turns me into a caricature of a woman. But every now and then, I immerse myself into the deluded fantasy of the 50s and embody that pretend woman of infinite poise and grace who takes seemingly endless pleasure in polishing her kitchen appliances.
To take the edge off, I wore sheer knee-high floral stockings with vintage purple Italian suede pumps, and, by the end of a night of dancing, they were around my ankles. Keeping with the jewel tones: vintage 70s Etra suede purse.
K: Having no costume jewelry (How can this be?!), I borrowed these vintage clip-ons from Bethany (who also took these photos). This Banana Republic flower ring was a gift from my friend Tina seven years ago.
N: You mean you didn’t just want to wear a string of pearls? What kind of lady are you?!
K: This is as close as I can get my hair to look like Laura Dern’s hair in David Lynch‘s Blue Velvet. I love the mix of 50s and 80s aesthetics in this film, beautifully reflected in Laura’s hairstyles.
N: I fully support your decision to channel your inner Laura Dern. Love the little wave you have going on to keep the look from being too polished.
K: Plus, David Lynch is a freak, in the most wonderful way possible. Every frame is a work of art.
K: I feel like a walking work of art in this print. (Sequitur? Anyone?) The colors are so vibrant.
K: I looked up Junior Time and found two long-sold dresses on Etsy, but no brand info. They’re both gorgeous. Obvs prints were their specialty.
K: Even though I love a good vintage dress, I still have to wear it in a way that feels like me, not Donna Reed. The stockings, tattoos, and glasses are my way of knocking down the demure a notch or two. I choose jewel tones for the shoes and bag instead of a more formal black or metallic
K: I don’t care about chasing a trend or following hot new designers. I want to wear colors, prints, fabrics, shapes, and textures that I love in a way that only I would wear them. I want to make someone stop and think before they write me off. I would like to give the real me a fighting chance to get through.
Forget “dress to impress”, I want to dress to confuse. I’ll drink to that.
N: Couldn’t have said it better myself. Isn’t fashion much more fun this way?
We want our clothes to say, “I am not a stereotype. You have to get to know me.”
