Yes, DEFINITELY, I sometimes dress not to rejoice in the unbearable beauty of a blue sky, fluffy clouds, pwitty flowers, blah, blah...drooling now, belch, fart, but merely to piss people off. YES! Shameful. Sinful! How can I write such blasphemy in a forum that CELEBRATES style? Take this example: If I'm forced to go to Banker Town, I'll violently yank my tutu and orange platforms outta' the closet damned quick for a little Piss Off Therapy. The verklemptitude I feel in that environment, I can't help but want to smack everyone I meet with tulle. Of course this is not about them, it's about me, and of course I don't piss anybody off - I give myself too much credit.
So, as weapons go, a tutu carries as much punch as, well, tulle, but being double-bound, double-loud in my style does makes me feel protected. It's my childish scream into the clockwork street - I AM NOT YOU! DON'T MAKE ME!! And ironically, while I may dress in a flurrious grumble, I usually wind up smiling and having as good a time in Banker Town as I do anywhere else, just don't make me hang out there unless I'm meeting my investment adviser over champers to discuss my new billion-dollar contract. That's sure to bring on quadruple tulle action with new triple-high platforms, mm-hmm.
This is not an outfit of anger. This is just an outfit. Full-on regular. But I feel like a rock and roll photographer with my camera and shoulder-slung bag. I wore this on my inspiration walk. Temperatures are dropping so I broke out the muppet roadkill coat, thrifted. My hair is light violet now too, due to the shampoo I'm using.
"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you."
Stuck In the Middle by Stealers Wheel. I'm the guy eating spaghetti. Groovtastic!!! You gotta' watch. (Actually, I'm stuck in the middle with me.) [Edit: The clip I originally posted has be removed, so I put up this one.
Do you ever start to feel an Invasion of the Body Snatchers moment when you're the odd style out? Do you ever dress to piss someone off? It's stupid of me to do it but the childishness pleases me immensely. I don't have to grow up ever anyway. Have a great week, everyone! Keep on freaking out (in a good way, of course).
I missed Patti's Visible Monday this week at Not Dead Yet Style, but I still see you. And if you haven't yet, check out Linda's incredible styling of the Freakish Yellow Skirt and her photo gallery at Op Shop Mama. Can't. Miss. It. That's all.
PS - Okay, I'm linking up to Share-in-Style: Shoes at Mis Papelicos. You can't see my thrifted crackle leather Miu Miu boots very well in that outfit shot but there are some AWESOME shoes in the YouTube clip.
PS - Okay, I'm linking up to Share-in-Style: Shoes at Mis Papelicos. You can't see my thrifted crackle leather Miu Miu boots very well in that outfit shot but there are some AWESOME shoes in the YouTube clip.
Hello my dear friend, do join us at Share-in-Style. It is never the same without you
ReplyDeleteXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"flurrious grumble" is a wonderful phrase that I hope to use. Your muppet coat is always pretty groovy.
ReplyDeleteLoved this Melanie. I can totally get why you want to do that. Love this outfit and it will surely give them a lovely color attack!
ReplyDeleteWell you most certainly could not be missed in this outfit amongst the white collar crowd.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great to add some colour to a world that is mostly black white and grey. A walking rainbow draped in muppet fur is like a slap up side the head. It wakes you up.
bisous
Suzanne
"Banker World" sounds grim, like the afterlife in Doctor Who. I love the creativity and color and happy grumbling in this outfit. xox
ReplyDeleteI love your outfit!!! The pants and jacket are so good!! I don't really dress to piss anybody off. Sometimes I actually wished the way I dress didn't really get so much attention.
ReplyDeleteYour colour choices always make me smile!
ReplyDeleteMan, where do you get off wearing 3 heads like that?! A waste of 2 extra heads is a terrible thing to, er...waste, or something like that. The least you could do is wear one at a time. That really pisses me off. If I see one more 3-headed person, I'm going to blow my top. %#$&@ opps.
ReplyDeleteOh that IS a good video. I could spend all day long watching old music videos. The only thing better than seeing Melanie in a bank is seeing a check for a billion dollars made out to ME. Your hair is bee-yoo-ti-ful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I enjoyed that little singalong to Stealers Wheel!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I dress intentionally to piss anyone off, but if it happens to occur as a by-product, then that's fine by me!
Love the muppet-tastic coat and your rock star pants. You don't make me feel pissed off, just happy to see some creativity and colour out there is a dull grey world. xxxx
I've had Le Freak So Chic in my head since reading Jean's post last night, here's to another 12 hours of disco twerks while I do housework, pump gas, and run errands. :) 'Tis all good, Melanie, all good!
ReplyDeleteAnd now you've got me really pondering...have the Gods at Bentall Towers etal managed to retain the stuffed shirt style de dress only through force? Are the boyz and girlz of Banker Town really busting to get their hip on? Mel, make your mission to break 'em down and cheer 'em up.
No, you don't give yourself too much credit...you seriously rock those pants and muppet coat!
God, well who doesn't want to piss the bankers off? That sea of black and grey disguising blacker and greyer goings on. Big kudos for that. I am of a mind that it's not something you have much control over. I know some people who to me look so glam, but to others look like an awful. I think basically it's a bit threatening to see someone who dresses at all differently, that's if they aren't being paid to.
ReplyDeleteOh, Melanie, what a fabulous and insightful post! I have occasionally been dressing to piss people off for my whole life...as Ladan Ladanu says above, it's threatening for some people to see anyone dress "differently". Of course, for every person you piss off, you delight 10 others....
ReplyDeleteI did wonder what had happened to Big Bird. I love it!
ReplyDeleteYour tinted hair looks fab, and you completely look like a rock star photographer!
Love that track too! :)
OK, so even more fabulous than your épater la bourgeoisie outfits (applause, applause) is the word "verklemptitude" which I am planning to appropriate and throw willy-nilly into as many conversations as possible.
ReplyDeleteGah, I miss all these link-ups - I am too busy to visit all the bloggers I want to, and just so tired. I would love to dress to piss people off but then I would piss myself off because I love to wear pwitty pwitty (hee). Lavender hair, yes, please.
ReplyDeleteDefiance, which is probably a sister to "pissing people off," has been my friend for years. It carries with it huge amounts of energy, and has gotten me through difficult times. Which is why your post resonates with me.
ReplyDeleteYour light violet hair is a special touch and your ensemble divine!
Gah! I was mesmerized by the choker on the singer in that video (and the disturbingly tight shiny pants). I don't think I've ever dressed to deliberately piss people off, but there are some occasions where I go over the top just because I'm feeling kind of badass and want to make sure the "I"M NOT YOU!" feeling is obvious.
ReplyDeleteI like the lavender hair - suits you!
Melanie -Vivienne W. is not so creative like you. Suuuuuuuper ! kisses.
ReplyDeleteWell, what a co-incidence!! today I seemed to wear something that certainly pissed a few people off (doesn't bother me, I glide through it) but I made a dress today that I call 'Happy' and I am going to wear it there, the place needs it - I love your lavender hair! and everything you are wearing! and how amazing you are too x x x
ReplyDeleteYou look fab! I bet you make a lot of people smile in bankertown when you wear your tulle!
ReplyDeleteWait - Cerberus has been recast as a muppet? I can't wait to see the episode highlighted in that first image.
ReplyDeleteYour posts always make me smile; always make me think. Yes - go harass and irritate those bankers.
Mwa ha ha!!! I am amused by this! I commute with city workers and I like dressing differently or just being a bit bizarre on the train or carrying strange items. This morning I was carrying a drum stand. I propped it up on the floor- it sat there looking all metallic and perky and slightly old and everyone looked uneasily at it.
ReplyDeletex
You are so very, very un - and extra - ordinary! An audacious and bodacious dame for sure ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlicia
spashionista.com
fantastic!!!!!
ReplyDeletecan i borrow " verklemptitude" - love this :-)
xxxx
If anyone should be allowed to have three heads, it should be you.
ReplyDeleteI manage to piss people off without dressing for it, sad to say.
But you look very serious 60s photographer, I agree. Covering sit-ins and protests and happenings and concerts. We were all very serious about it all ... except when we were NOT!
Lovely you, anyway.
I hope swimming upstream never loses its fun. I've been in environments aplenty where I dressed to be as me (and therefore as different) as possible, for a gentle counterpush.
ReplyDeleteVery nice. Nice pants.I like you. Http://gray50plus50dresses.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell hello there, individual one! I too shout to the world...you cant make me be like you!
ReplyDeleteMuppet jacket is divine. Do you get extra hugs with it? I do with mine, or just arm strokes. Or should i say, the jacket gets strokes :-)
I love wearing startling stuff, but to be honest, halfway through i start to feel self concious at all the stares.
But i brazen it out! Better being stared at than being a drone.
xo JJ
I do know the feeling. We used to live in a posh neighbourhood for 4 years. The kind of people who rang our doorbell on our first day living there, telling us it was custom to park your car in front of your own house... Pffff I came from a big city where you were glad you found a sport. Where ever.
ReplyDeleteSo if at times it got too bad I used to put on my black leggings, my leather tight jacket and killer heels and walk up and down the street like a common tart hahaha. That pissed them off.
Greetje
I'm real happy to be back, funny how can sleep can change your life!
ReplyDeleteArianexo
I'm real happy to be back, funny how can sleep can change your life!
ReplyDeleteArianexo