Fashion, design, beauty and asethetics

[Dave2002]

I have most of my life tended to dislike obsession with "fashion", particularly when at least in the past it has often seemed to result in products which to some might appear beautiful, but which are completely useless practically or to maintain. Not all design is for artistic purposes though, and again I have been disappointed by designs of machinery which don't take into account possible failures, and the need for maintenance. On occasions this has led to days of frustration, for example trying to extract car parts and refit them, where access to the nuts may be almost impossible, and worse still if a nut or bolt falls into the innards. I haven't often given up though with such problems. One appalling piece of design which I have mentioned before is the earlier design of Apple wireless keyboards, with batteries which slot into a cylinder. They look very good - no problem there - and they do work quite well .... until ... if the batteries are left in and corroded they are almost impossible to extract and the keyboard has to be discarded.

Regarding visual design I thought I was indifferent to this, but a few days ago I looked at our dining table, and noticed some blue and yellow cloth mats which I think are are a traditional design from the Nice area, and I do have to admit I thought that they look nice.

Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder so what seems like a good design to one person may not to another. I am veering towards thinking that visual design has a part to play in our lives, though I still feel that for the most part it is important to have things which work well, rather than some which demonstrate a triumph of visual appeal over reliablity, practicality etc.

[Serial_Apologist]

I have most of my life tended to dislike obsession with "fashion", particularly when at least in the past it has often seemed to result in products which to some might appear beautiful, but which are completely useless practically or to maintain. Not all design is for artistic purposes though, and again I have been disappointed by designs of machinery which don't take into account possible failures, and the need for maintenance. On occasions this has led to days of frustration, for example trying to extract car parts and refit them, where access to the nuts may be almost impossible, and worse still if a nut or bolt falls into the innards. I haven't often given up though with such problems. One appalling piece of design which I have mentioned before is the earlier design of Apple wireless keyboards, with batteries which slot into a cylinder. They look very good - no problem there - and they do work quite well .... until ... if the batteries are left in and corroded they are almost impossible to extract and the keyboard has to be discarded.

Regarding visual design I thought I was indifferent to this, but a few days ago I looked at our dining table, and noticed some blue and yellow cloth mats which I think are are a traditional design from the Nice area, and I do have to admit I thought that they look nice.

Beauty can be in the eye of the beholder so what seems like a good design to one person may not to another. I am veering towards thinking that visual design has a part to play in our lives, though I still feel that for the most part it is important to have things which work well, rather than some which demonstrate a triumph of visual appeal over reliablity, practicality etc.

Having in recent years acquired several DVDs of popular British films of the 1950s and footage of real life events in the "Look at Life" cinema series, I have been struck just how colourfully many men managed to attire themselves at a time of austerity, when Britain was still emerging from the War - of how much variety in terms of cut and style was manifest in menswear at the time - this contrasting with the depressing dearth of such variety over the past, what, 30 years? Go to any menswear department of an affordable mainstream clothes retailier - look at the rows of dark grey or grey-blue two-piece suits literally "uniformally" on display, and then at the dull colours on offer in overcoats, shirts, T-shirts, pullovers etc - and try to recall the range we enjoyed in the 1960s and 1970s, even if the matter of fit was not perhaps always comfortably addressed. And now, take a wander through the ladies' clothing aisles, making sure to have eyes firmly directed at the items on sale - not customers! - and take note of the sheer breadth and range of colours, materials and designs there on offer to the "ladies" - in this, supposedly metrosexual, or at any rate more unisexual age. And now, remember the times when we could make peacocks out of ourselves, without having to think too hard about what needed concealing underneath in our now obligatory jacket-buttoned, six-pack clinging white shirted unimaginativeness.

[jayne lee wilson]

It's style that counts, people, not fashion...!

[Serial_Apologist]

It's style that counts, people, not fashion...!

Yes yes yes YESSS!!!

(But where do we (menfolk) find it on sale nowadays? Amazon?? - everywhere we seem to have been turned into clothes horse functionaries.)

[teamsaint]

The fabrics on display at the Jazz exhibition at Temple were great.

Here you go, S-A......proper choice, and at sensible prices !!

https://www.dresslily.com/men-b-173.html?innerid=664

[oddoneout]

The fabrics on display at the Jazz exhibition at Temple were great.

Here you go, S-A......proper choice, and at sensible prices !!

https://www.dresslily.com/men-b-173.html?innerid=664

The concept of harem pants for men boggles the mind slightly - things is different across the pond evidently. I couldn't help thinking 'shoplifter's dream' when looking at them, although I suppose running away thus loaded might prove a little difficult.....

[Serial_Apologist]

The fabrics on display at the Jazz exhibition at Temple were great.

Here you go, S-A......proper choice, and at sensible prices !!

https://www.dresslily.com/men-b-173.html?innerid=664

I suppose as an alternative to the Bollywood scenery props and the paint spill accidents one could acquire the go-about-as-Death-lookalike Bordure Kangaroo Pocket Slim; but the name itself gives away the largely body-hugging cut of most of the torso adornments on offer there, into which it would be impossible to stuff Yours Truly.

[Serial_Apologist]

The concept of harem pants for men boggles the mind slightly

Not to mention two or three other things!

[oddoneout]

Not to mention two or three other things!

Never mind pocket billiards, you could stage a pool tournament....

[Serial_Apologist]

Never mind pocket billiards, you could stage a pool tournament....

Right on cue!

[Dave2002]

I wasn’t only thinking of clothes in the OP. Wallpaper, cars, furniture, room paints are other possible aspects. Getting a balance between practicality and something one would want to have around.

[teamsaint]

I wasn’t only thinking of clothes in the OP. Wallpaper, cars, furniture, room paints are other possible aspects. Getting a balance between practicality and something one would want to have around.

i have been in sales for 30 years, and design of the things I sell or sold has improved out of all recognition.

Check out your local book store to see how high the bar is on book jacket design.

[oddoneout]

I wasn’t only thinking of clothes in the OP. Wallpaper, cars, furniture, room paints are other possible aspects. Getting a balance between practicality and something one would want to have around.

In many respects I think that design, as in looks, has improved over that period. I'm not convinced that function has always kept up as well as it might. My bugbear is kitchen related items with dirt-traps and fiddly bits for no good reason. In many cases the obvious assumption is that everyone has a dishwasher so manual access to all areas isn't a priority, but things like knobs and dials don't have that excuse. The way things come apart and go back together again is another weak area of the design form over function area, something I am becoming increasingly aware of as arthritis claims more of my digits, but even those fortunate individuals with adequate function can find things fiddly and frustrating. The temptation then is to use brute force, which risks damage. Perhaps that's the intention in some cases - another form of built-in obsolescence?

[Serial_Apologist]

In many respects I think that design, as in looks, has improved over that period. I'm not convinced that function has always kept up as well as it might. My bugbear is kitchen related items with dirt-traps and fiddly bits for no good reason. In many cases the obvious assumption is that everyone has a dishwasher so manual access to all areas isn't a priority, but things like knobs and dials don't have that excuse. The way things come apart and go back together again is another weak area of the design form over function area, something I am becoming increasingly aware of as arthritis claims more of my digits, but even those fortunate individuals with adequate function can find things fiddly and frustrating. The temptation then is to use brute force, which risks damage. Perhaps that's the intention in some cases - another form of built-in obsolescence?

I think the latter is definitely the case and have done for many years. Most recent have been the numbers of brand new fans bought by people living in the flats here during the heatwave that have been discarded in the general disposal wheelie bins. I imagine they fell apart in a short time and the owners decided not to bother claiming anything back, assuming there to have been guarantees. I've tried to repair two of them, but as so often, it's impossible to get at the works.

[Beef Oven!]

I think the latter is definitely the case and have done for many years. Most recent have been the numbers of brand new fans bought by people living in the flats here during the heatwave that have been discarded in the general disposal wheelie bins. I imagine they fell apart in a short time and the owners decided not to bother claiming anything back, assuming there to have been guarantees. I've tried to repair two of them, but as so often, it's impossible to get at the works.

Yes, it's a complete negation of man as an artisan, and replacement as a consumer. It's capitalism at its most cynically rejunative self (bit of Freud thrown in there, just in case).