Pushing the Envelope

I know that this dress is going to upset some folks:



As a matter of fact, I predict some people will be downright pissed off by this dress. And I'll also bet you cold hard cash there are several of Style Spy's friends who are right now uttering a silent prayer of supplication: "Please, oh please don't let her wear it when she's with me!"

Ohhhhhh, they so should know better by now...

I love this dress. It's McQ by Alexander McQueen, and it's the lightest possible cotton voile -- it's like wearing a whisper. The asymmetry of the skirt is caused by clever little tucks and gathers, and the drawstring waist is adjustable. It is soft and light and amazingly comfy. It's also pretty hard to miss. It's a lot of dress -- this is not a good dress if you're petite, and it requires a pretty substantial shoe to balance it out. I know there will be comparisons to circus tents and allusions to Renaissance Faire wenches, but I don't mind. I really, really love this dress. Of course, as I told adorable Daniel, one of the delightful SAs at St. Thomas Boutique here in Austin (he and the lovely Andrea really did me a solid this weekend -- you should go and meet these swell people), I would wear toilet paper if Alexander McQueen wrapped it around me. I lurrrrrrve his work. There's really no one else like him. Sometimes his clothes are highly... theoretical:

and sometimes they're hallucinogenically beautiful:

but they are always, always interesting. Here, watch this:

Alexander McQueen pushes the envelope and for that I really love him. Sure, sometimes we all just want a pretty dress. But even pretty dresses get a bit boring after a while, and McQueen always brings something unexpected to the table. I'm going to wear the striped dress. It's pushing the envelope, all right, especially for a town like Austin where Juicy Couture is actually considered couture, but that's okay with me. I wear my clothes because I love them and they make me happy. I am going to flounce around in that dress with a big ol' grin on my face, regardless of whether anyone else gets it. Anyone who doesn't like it had best just stay out of my Flouncing Zone.

I love fashion. I love the fantasy and fun of it. I love that I can stand in my closet and decide who I want to be every day. Nothing makes me more blue than to find a gorgeous item of clothing and hesitate over wearing it because of What People Might Think. It's not that I want to run around with people pointing and laughing or chasing me with torches, but I'm unwilling to sacrifice the joyful bounding of my heart when I wear something really fantastic to the "comfort" of knowing I blend in to my surroundings. And designers like Alexander McQueen, who is such a master at finding Beauty in the Strange

fascinate and excite me. It's about the fearlessness, I think, the dedication to following through on a personal vision whether or not others share it or like it or even understand it.

I vote for fearless. Be fearless. Be brave, every day. Be who you are. Be what you think is beautiful, and you will be.

Photos: Style Spy, Style.com, Elle.com