Hiding and Revealing The Body

Inspiration

Jil Sander Spring Summer 2011

Result

Recently I found this billowy maxi dress from [Aqua][1] which I was immediately drawn to because it reminded me of Jil Sander’s SS09 collection. It’s the same dress which I wore in my beach holiday in my previous post. While I do realise that a long dress isn’t quite de rigueur of beachwear, I can hardly think of a more comfortable option for several reasons. Not only am I shielding my skin from potential risk of skin cancer, I can avoid putting my body up to the scrutiny of others while at the same time not having to squeeze into skin tight lycra that refuses to breathe, that is until I have to change into my bathing suit for a swim.

There is also something appealing and liberating with the idea of hiding one’s physical body, which is almost the anti-thesis of Western (and some Eastern) aesthetics that constantly emphasises the waist. It made me wonder why one’s attractiveness is so highly dependent on how much one’s figure is revealed. One would think that at this day and age where rational thinking is highly prized, we would enjoy a little bit of mystery that challenges our imagination rather than being shoved with obvious visual cues that denotes one’s suitability in procreation (ie. hourglass figures = fertile). It doesn’t help that most major fashion publications equate ‘flattering’ with the hourglass shape to pander to the male fantasies, disregarding the fact that a pear or apple or even trapezoid silhouettes can be as equally, if not more, fascinating. 

To end this post, I’d like to share an anecdote that inspired this commentary. When I posted one of the pictures above to a female fashion forum, one of the feedbacks I received was that I looked like a tent, to which I replied: “I like looking like a tent, thank you very much. Not everyone wants to look like an hourglass. Be careful when you see me walking down the street though, I can’t guarantee my kimono will not hit you in the face.”