Tired, oh so tired. Miss November is almost done. The big switch dresses date is December 6, 2010. I have had several people ask me why not make it the first of every month? My answer, because that's not when I started it, but the real answer is this: I intentionally started The Dress That Makes The Woman the day after I came up with the concept. I didn't want any reason not to follow through with it and if I waited a day or two I was afraid that I might come to my senses and just allow the project to be a "good idea" with no commitment or follow through. So the last day for every month of this project is the 6th and the first day for the new dress is the 7th. When I think about it, the fact that the dresses don't fit neatly alighned with the calendar acts as a kind of metaphor for life. It also suits my personality and own sensibilities for not liking to pidgin hole my life into too much structure.
So I have a week left. I am kind of fretting with how to resolve Miss November visually. Right now she has these fabric islands kind of floating on her back side and I would love to see them get tied together better. I have to be honest, I have not sewn on her for the last three days. I have been busy with life, motherhood, and the preparation for a big family trip down south. Miss november has shared in my recent panics, anxieties and bouts of over planning and she has been great, but also kind of annoying. There have been moments when I am trying to clean house or get stuffed packed and she has been too much girl for the practicality of simple household chores. I am referring to the fact that she has gotten rather full with the addition of an under layer and although she makes me feel beautiful, full and voluptuous, there are times when I just want to wear black yoga pants and a black t-shirt and get down to the nitty gritty. Maybe I am still to careful with Miss
November? Am I making things harder for myself by not immersing her directly into the daily chores or am I changing the way I hold myself while in a dress?
It has been 24 days since I really last wore jeans. I have been wearing tights almost every day and wow, what an adjustment. I used to Hate tights, now they are tolerable. However, the tight situation is looking up. My great friend Chris, just donated a bonanza of tights, leggings and stockings. ( what are the differences between all of those?) I have some amazing new leg wear and I must say that she may have single handedly made this project way more interesting and exciting. Pictures of the loot are soon to follow.
So now as I have been packing I have of course chosen what dress 2 will start off as. I wish I had more time to write about this, but quite frankly I am exhausted. I will go into more detail about the december dress next post.
Now
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
November 27, 2010
Last night a woman came up to me and said that she has never spent so much time checking out another woman's breasts. That's Miss November for you. Lately she's been getting a lot of attention and in return so have I. Spent yesterday interviewing for an article to come out on Wednesday in the Seven Days. (www.7dvt.com). Today, I was jumping off my bottom step with the hopes of capturing an action shot to accompany the article, there is something about movement that makes my wearable art come alive. The movement some how compliments the stitch work. This is something I need to think about more before I go on writing about it.
Anyways, back to attention. I think I have had the view of myself as a very private person. My art says what I usually do not, which makes this specific project interesting. As more people take notice, I am being forced to own my identity. What I mean by this is that I find myself gaining a confidene that is usually stored in the reserves of my being. A kind of confidence reserved for art openings and public speaking, but now it is coming out every time some one says "what a nice dress you are wearing.". It is the kind of confidence that is making me introduce myself and jump into a spiel about The Dress That Makes The Woman. I even have a business card that directs people to this blog and my website. I find a simple kind of irony in the fact that I am making a person to person connection about something so tactile, ie. the dress, and then offering a very detached way to follow it's / my progress.
Up next : a list of concepts, ideas and philosophical perspectives that this project has started to develop.
Anyways, back to attention. I think I have had the view of myself as a very private person. My art says what I usually do not, which makes this specific project interesting. As more people take notice, I am being forced to own my identity. What I mean by this is that I find myself gaining a confidene that is usually stored in the reserves of my being. A kind of confidence reserved for art openings and public speaking, but now it is coming out every time some one says "what a nice dress you are wearing.". It is the kind of confidence that is making me introduce myself and jump into a spiel about The Dress That Makes The Woman. I even have a business card that directs people to this blog and my website. I find a simple kind of irony in the fact that I am making a person to person connection about something so tactile, ie. the dress, and then offering a very detached way to follow it's / my progress.
Up next : a list of concepts, ideas and philosophical perspectives that this project has started to develop.
November 26, 2010 continued
November 26, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
November 24, 2010
I was wearing my dress last night in my dream. Oh yes, I have arrived. When I see myself wearing the dress in my dreams it means that it is apart of who I am. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it is who I am, but we still have a year to go so we will have to wait and see how I feel then.
I got a new pair of glasses to compliment my chameleon-esque state; they are clear with silver horn rims from 1960s era. For just a moment let's talk glasses. Of all the different types of glasses why do I choose to wear 1960s horn rims? Well, my therapist thought that it had something to do with hiding my face, but I beg to differ. First, I hate contacts so they are not an option. Second, glasses are like the best kind of accessory. I feel like you have to choose a pair that is going to be defining. If people are going to see you day in and day out in the same pair of glasses, then they should say something about you and your personal style. I am thinking back to this fabulous photograph taken by Mark Selliger in the '90's of Kennedy, the Mtv VJay. (I know there of those of you out there who are getting all embarrassed by this reference, but you know who you are, Mtv generation folks) so the photograph doesn't show her face it only shows her glasses, because everyone knew how iconic her glasses made her. Another good example is Peggy Guggenheim and her fabulously quirky sunshades, google some images of her if you don't know what I am talking about.
Do I want to be known as the horn rim glasses girl, no not really, but they just happen to go really well with my "look.". When I use that term "look" what I really mean is when the image of the person who I think I look like matches up with the real Wylie. I think we all experience this kind of disconnect from time to time, otherwise we wouldn't strive for self improvement, right?
So back to the dress.
She has a lot more work on the back now and around the hips. I have added another layer of fabric for some top layer insulation as the weather gets colder. She is feeling flowy and full. I like where she is going because it feels more womanly less girly cute. I don't know if this could possibly translate in a photograph but I will try to capture what I mean.
Miss november is also getting harder to take off. No, I mean this literally. She is so full with so many layers that she is getting stuck around my armpits. Pretty soon, I may need an extra person to help lift her over my head.
I am also starting to play around with wool and the wash. I have added some wool bits to see if they will felt and shrink and distort in hot water. I like that my artist pallet mostly consists of string and thread and bits of old fabrics/ clothes, all things found at home or in the studio. I am starting to see the GREEN environmental possibilities with this whole project, only using what I have and what already exists in my wardrobe. It makes all the things that get added significant. I have little stories about a lot of pieces and garments. For example I just added the cut off part of a strap from a friends wedding gown. I altered it for her days before her wedding. I added this because with the alteration came a sweet thank you note that had little to do with the dress. The letter was about a phrase we were able to exchange. The phrase is "way to be." There is a long winded personal story about this phrase that I will save for another time, but it is significant. Finding that little scrap of fabric was a beautiful reminder of "way to be." Cheesy? Definitly, but the reminder came at a time when I was having some personal doubts about life, art, love etc. So I added it to the dress. I suppose I could have stitched the words on the dress, but now I have something way better- a little visual reminder that says exactly what It needs to say with out saying it.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Miss November, November 21, 2010
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