Beatrice Rangel

No one can really pinpoint the time of emergence of the now mandatory sloppy look. Many think the style came with the rise of Silicon Valley whose executives have hold in little regard the sartorial Bond Street board look. For women Chanel; Celine; Hermes and Vuitton bags coupled with Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren was the unacceptable dress for success look. At the corporate world, however the look was mandatory. Uncompliant employees were left in the frozen latitudes of center of room work stations. Complying employees would be taken to board rooms and assigned window offices. Before they could realize they were on the talent protection list that would guarantee a successful corporate life. Nowadays however a sea of change has occurred in corporate life, law firms, financial institutions and corporations pruning jobs and reducing head count to enhance shareholders value as technology continuously eliminates tasks while merging surviving tasks thereby modifying skill sets demand. Under such circumstances, and particularly after the 2008-2011 recession dressing was thought to become less visible and more Silicon Valley attuned. It should reflect working conditions and value chain restitution. T-shirts under and XL shirts over slip dresses; ripped jeans over fishnets and relaxers under colorful skirts and grey ponchos became essential elements of our look. The idea being to resemble 19 century factory workers that built the industrial age. Needless to say, great hairdo’s disappeared as hair needed to look disheveled. And as a decade has passed after this slouchy look took hold in the world one wonders whether the price tag for those outfits has been lower than in the days when the Hermes bags called the shots. The reply is not so sure. To begin with because the undressed look is worn with expensive accessories. The look demands a touch of vintage. Thus, bags have a top tier brand provenance but are “recycled” which the term to use au lieu of the unrefined second hand. Top sellers are Chanel, Hermes and Vuitton. But bags are also regarded as “investment pieces”. Thus, brand new bags are sought after to be sold a few years down the road and get back between 75-85% of original value. These bags run between $3,000 and $20,000. Then come watches, which follow same rules as hand bags except that their price tag is about ten times higher and auctions are beginning to be a bit pricey for average Millennial income. Veterans however do engage in acquiring watches that were possessed by a celebrity thus paying for them as if they were art work. For those that do not enjoy the antique play, modern watches can be quite expensive ranging between $7,000 and $ 27,000 depending on whether you acquire a Patek Phillippe, a Hublot or a Devon Tread G-1. Finally, there are sun glasses. Persol’s mirrored aviators and Oliver Peoples that can sell for between $800 and $1,2000 are essential part of the look. The rise of don’t-care-paraphernalia surely had something to do with the reality of 21 century hectic and trying life. An elegant look conveys the message of someone who is successful and thus can spend time dressing up. Dressing down makes you look like you are working all the time because you need to take care of truly important matters that are not wardrobe and makeup. It also conveys the message that you are just another worker that is ready to accompany fellow employees in the task of creating wealth for the world. Ironically, this look is as expensive as the polished look and does not bring down authoritarian barriers at the work place neither fosters team work.

Beatrice Rangel

The Future of Bel Canto