LADIES
WHO
LUNCH
Rebecca
LADIES WHO LUNCH
Rebecca
Reclaim the Day!
“Ladies who Lunch” can be a derogatory term, aimed at affluent women who have no necessity to work. They are understood to spend extended lunchtimes together – doubtless showing off their latest designer dresses, and complaining about whatever minor inconveniences afflict their otherwise serene and privileged lives.
My intent is to reclaim this term, by placing a more positive spin on it. All of us possess daytime outfits that are – frankly – far too attractive to be seen only in private, or at the office, or worn only at the weekend. Reclaiming a more extravagant mode of daytime dressing is a small but genuinely revolutionary act. Why should evenings be the only time when our unique fashion identities take flight?
Dressing for Impact
Take, for example, my black-and-white military jacket, teamed here with a black miniskirt, polka-dot pantyhose, an outrageous picture hat, and my thigh-high suede boots. The black-and-white jacket/skirt combination signals “Work” and “Daytime”. But the overtly embellished and flirtatious nature of the various elements hints at a secret rendezvous and afternoon adventures! An outfit like this blurs the lines between our daytime dress codes, opening up a more nuanced role for the wearer in the theatre of urban and metropolitan life.
The Country in the Town
“Rus in urbe” (“The country in the town”) is a phrase coined by the Roman poet Martial. It implies another mixing of codes: what is appropriate for the country may play differently in the city. By adding a twist and mingling these codes together, we create the unexpected.
Such is the spirit behind my take on the country ladies’ skirt-suit. I chose an unmatching jacket and skirt in rust and scarlet tweed, teamed with a very sheer blouse that showed off my lacy black longline bra. My sensible tweeds had transmogrified into an urban tease! Is this the look of a country bumpkin out for metropolitan adventure – or the jaded whim of an urban sophisticate? Let’s keep them guessing!!
Playful and Cheeky!
A thoroughly urban mood underlies my white skirt suit, comprising a long jacket and matching mini-skirt. I teamed this ad-hoc suit with my see-though blouse, polka-dot pantyhose, and “mod” ankle boots. I topped off the whole ensemble with a cheeky pork-pie hat. Modelling this playful outfit immediately put me in a mischievous mood, and I began clambering on walls and stationary bikes, and leaping about the benches and seats of the canal-side cafe where we were shooting. You can see the fun I was having in the pictures! This was the perfect outfit to sit outside in the spring sunshine, enjoying a cappuccino and a slice of cake!!
Just a stroll in the park!
Ladies who lunch love a stroll in the park – it’s such a pleasant way to relax after a convivial meal. You see me here posing by the lake in London’s Victoria Park – wearing my favourite OTK boots, a figure-forming white bodycon dress, and a white Panama hat. Adding a white coat to the ensemble makes the overall impression very assured – even assertive. White – like black – can carry many fashion messages. It has obvious associations with weddings and bridal lingerie, but there is also the more imposing and professional whiteness of the crisp office blouse and the chic allure of a white cocktail gown.
Again, we find ourselves in the presence of mixed codes. Presenting those we encounter with mixed signals asks questions about who we might be – and what might have brought us into this situation and environment. And when we pose questions by the mixed languages of our fashion choices, we invite those we encounter to likewise ask questions about themselves, and challenge their assumptions about the world. Which brings us full circle to reclaiming the phrase “Ladies Who Lunch”. What we do – and how we dress to do it – can transmit the same overlapping message. Or we can have fun by mixing up our fashion choices, asking questions of ourselves and others. And – as a trans woman modelling fashion in busy public places – I find myself asking open and visible questions about gender and clothing, and their reception in the broader social realm.
Once again, my thanks go to my amazing stylist and photographer, Josie Hughes at Adam and Eve’s. We organized this shoot in Victoria Park and its adjacent environs, and the varied reactions around us demonstrated the fascination so many have for a confident display of trans fashions in very public spaces.
Love and Kisses to All!
xoxox
Rebecca