I had the most interesting experience today. I was walking through the city and there was a girl walking right in front of me who was, as she walked past people, muttering to herself what they were listening to. With their ipods stuck into their ears to drown out the noise of the city (that i actually rather like listening to, it's busy and comforting in a weird way), turned up to full blast no doubt, she could hear what they were listening to, and she was going to herself, perhaps as a little test, "b-52s 'rock lobster'", "britney, 'if you seek amy'", "'karma police' radiohead".... It was the oddest thing, and because i was right behind her all through pitt st mall and along pitt st towards mcdonalds i could hear her the whole time.
It makes me think how many of us do this in real life. Clearly her passion was music, and not just the classic rock she seemed to be into (she was wearing straight leg jeans, doc martens and a loose band tee shirt with a leather jacket), she also knew the names of shameful 80s hit artists, current pop sensations, indie, electro and house, soundtrack music and she picked up my own ipod, which was playing Billie Holiday. It was fascinating.
People watching or listening is such a phenomenon, everyone looks at other people based on their own particular interests. This isn't necessarily nasty, it's more bred out of curiosity than anything mean-spirited, I suppose as humans we are naturally interested in our fellow humans. What drives them, what interests them, what makes them tick. For me that is fashion, i love nothing more than sitting at a cafe with a cup of chai tea and watch the people walk by. There is a certain inspiration to be found in the way trend disseminate through the population, from the shows to the magazines to the designers to the high street to the people. Everyone interprets things differently and wears it all in various, enchanting ways.
But, unlike the music girl, i'm not a person to look at an outfit and go, oh that's X designer from Y collection. I appreciate things for what they are, i hardly even know a Sportsgirl from a Stella Mccartney. When i see something lovely i gush and go all saucer-eyed, regardless of what it is. Do i wish i could be the kind of person who could name names and know it all? Not really, i prefer to know things through images and trends, in my head when i think of a trend (say, 'forever pieces (embellishment, tailoring and interesting detail)' thanks Elle UK June 09) i love to see the images scroll past in my head, an embellished jeweled jackets with scalloped collars, a pair of sandals with mirrored cone heels and sequined toes, a girl who was running down glenmore road on thursday wearing a plain white tee shirt and ripped jeans, the tee shirt had shoulder pads underneath it puffing the silhouette out.
These images, along with countless other ones from blogs, magazines, internet sites and the outfits i see daily run through my head as i dress, or as i write for this blog and think of inspiration. It's weird to turn your thoughts upon your thought process, but the way i suppose it works is through 'trend headings' and 'ideas for outfits', all the images i have ever seen filed under these headings for me to retrieve and look at whenever i turn my thoughts to fashion. Odd isn't it?
So what was the point of all this? I'm not really sure, rambling and nothingness about thinking. But i just wondered what it was that you people watch for. Some for music, others for fashion, others for hair and make up, height, shoes, accessories, grace and movement... I have a friend who likes to note down the way that people walk, hands flailing by the sides, swinging, big strides, small steps. Do you people watch? And why do you do it?
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