Sunday 12 October 2008

The Family

familia

While rummaging through a drawer I found by chance the pic above. It dates from 1919 and the boy (yes you read well, it's a boy) in the center is my grandad. He was two years old and he had just returned from US after her mum died giving birth to her second child.


Mientras rebuscaba en un cajón, me encontré por casualidad la foto que veis arriba. Data de 1919, y el niño (sí, habeis leído bien, es chico) que está en el centro es mi abuelo. Tenía dos años y acababa de volver de Estados Unidos después de que su madre muriese dando a luz a su segundo hijo.


It strikes me to see how elegant they looked despite the sorrow and their difficult economic circumstances. Obviously, the photo was planned and so the clothes. However, looking at them I came to realize that nowadays we talk so much about the democratization of fashion but it doesn't show. It seems to me we are moving backwards in terms of quality and taste.


Me sorprendió mucho ver lo elegantes que eran a pesar del dolor y de las dificultades económicas por las que pasaban. Obviamente, tanto la foto como la ropa eran algo planeado. Pero me ha servido para darme cuenta de que aunque hoy en día se nos llene la boca al hablar de la democratización de la moda al final no se nota. Parece que vamos hacia atrás en lo que a cuestión de gustos y calidades se refiere.


Imagine we proposed the first person we found in the street to put on his/her best clothes and take a picture. What people would think of him/her next century?


Imaginemos por un momento que le proponemos a la primera persona que nos encontramos por la calle que se ponga sus mejores ropas y le hacemos una foto. ¿Qué creéis que pensarían de él o ella dentro de un siglo?



Mother - John Lennon

18 comments:

Pobre chic said...

I think the same about fashion democratisation. It doesn't mean more style and elegance concerned people. Fashion has definetively lost the role that used to play in society before. But it's mainly a positive thing... The pic is amazing.
Virginia

Laia said...

Si fuera directora de cine hacía una película ya mismo a partir de este retrato de familia, me parece una preciosidad de foto, y cuanta historia detrás de unos rsotros y de unas ropas. Hoy el experimemnto sería fallido. un beso!

Anonymous said...

que buen post, allure. Sobretodo porque es algo que he pensado mucho caminando y mirando la gente. Pantalones que se arrastran, chaquetas que no combinan...ya no tiene que ver con estar o no interesado en moda, si no mas bien en desidia.

Es un tema interesante. Creo que los abuelos son los que mejor se visten ahora mismo.

La foto perfecta, guardala con cuidado

besotes

Michelle said...

Amazing picture, I think people tend to be more 'put together' (if that makes sense) before compare to now, where jeans and t shirts have become a staple.

Cupcakes and Cashmere said...

i think this is such a great point...i love getting dressed up even if i know i'll look silly compared to everyone else. it's such a lost art that people should celebrate!

masha said...

looking at old photos with dressed up people almost makes me wanna live in another century :)

Mónica said...

sería lamentable, no me puedo imaginar lo que pensarían...jaja. ahora entiendo lo de tu estilo, en el fondo es heredado:P, así que no tiene tanto mérito :P;P!!!

Juxtaposition Design said...

That must have been so awesome to stumble across something like that, and that's a very interesting perspective on fashion of the past vs. fashion now.

Also, thank you so much for the comment on my chair project! It's funny because I thought my chair was too simplistic next to my fellow students who had a compartment for this, a hook for that, etc.

loveology said...

Just gorgeous!

Thanks so much for posting, dear!
<3
Mila.

Rebecca, A Clothes Horse said...

It's terribly striking how little we wear in comparison too--look at all those layers! I definitely wish people dressed better nowadays--it is frightening to think of how we will be remembered. I'm having flashbacks from junior high yearbooks now...

Juxtaposition Design said...

Thanks for wishing me good luck on my exam! I don't think it went TOO bad

Chloé Van Paris said...

i really like this post.

foolfashion said...

Qué maravilla de foto! El año pasado Caja Madrid organizó un concurso para ilustrar la historia de la moda española a través de las fotos que recopilara la gente. Este año debería ser la exposición, o algo así.

Angel said...

wow your so lucky! I want a photo of my ancestor too from such a long time ago!! the people in the photo looks so prim and proper!! *squeals*

evita nuh said...

woow how amazing is that? you can ound your granddad photos! and the photos is look great too.. and you are absolutely right they all look so elegant.. it so vintage.. if I were you I will framed it :D

ryder said...

i love old photos!

Inspire the Starling said...

I love these sorts of pictures - I bought one a few months ago from a vintage fair. They evoke so many feelings from inside me, but mostly they make me feel sad and slightly on edge!

Lisa said...

Great photo. You raise some interesting points about aesthetics of dress too. I'm not as adventurous a dresser as others, partly because my criteria for a good outfit includes asking myself, "If I were to look back 10-15 years from now would I regret how I looked?"

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