# Question for the fashion-themed folks: Are they serious?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 20, 2013, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431 "2013-03-20T05:42:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frumpy\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frumpy_Jones)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/1 "2013-03-20T05:42:08Z")
Okay. I am not fashion trendy at all. Not even a little bit, but I came upon [this montage](http://www.dailydawdle.com/2013/03/24-examples-of-fashion-you-shouldnt-try.html) and I just gotta ask:
What the hell are the designers thinking. Is this a joke? DO they make a joke piece and send it out? Or are they coked up a bit during the design phase (Is that a thing they do)? And that’s allowed? “Oh, that must be his coked-up design Wesley… just clap…”…
Please. Someone. help 🙂
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### Author:  [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/2 "2013-03-20T06:42:03Z")
Well, at least two of those were from science fiction convention masquerades, and thus don’t really count as “fashion.” A few others were obviously parodies, and some were pretty likely “experimental” effect pieces.
(And one looked like a photoshop job on Princess Diana.)
But, yeah, given some of the stuff you see on runways in “serious” fashion shows, you can’t be blamed for wondering.
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### Author:  [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GSV_Consolation_of_Dreams)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/3 "2013-03-20T06:53:48Z")
The purpose of catwalk fashion shows is not really to sell clothes. It is to create brand recognition for all the more normal stuff and sell perfume.
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### Author:  [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/4 "2013-03-20T07:03:45Z")
Let’s call it sniggerwear
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### Author:  [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/5 "2013-03-20T11:18:51Z")
> [@GSV\_Consolation\_of\_Dreams](#):
>
> The purpose of catwalk fashion shows is not really to sell clothes. It is to create brand recognition for all the more normal stuff and sell perfume.
Yes. The stuff you see in catwalk shows is an artistic exaggeration of what they are actually going to produce for people to wear. For example: they’ve gone for animal prints? They’re going to have t-shirts with animal prints on. But that would be boring on the catwalk, so they have a woman parade along with a giant puma on her head.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/6 "2013-03-20T14:40:01Z")
In some cases, what’s officially being showcased is not the weird part. I suspect the two gents with the bubble wrap pants and lobster and the bubble wrap shirt, boring grey pants and piece of coral were showcasing the shoes, which are the only thing that’s sellable - but you have to dress up the rest of the models too: the rest of their ensembles leaves the shoes highly visible while providing material which will be shocking enough to make the fashion mags. The shoemakers get to showcase their perfectly sellable shoes while showing off their creativity and all that.
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### Author:  [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/7 "2013-03-21T01:36:54Z")
You really ought to warn us before you post a link to stuff like _ **that** _, **Frumpy**! 😉
And the second ‘link’ in your signature doesn’t ‘work’.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/8 "2013-03-21T03:57:57Z")
This is probably better suited to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/9 "2013-03-21T04:05:05Z")
[Lobster guy -](http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.dailydawdle.com/images.dailydawdle.com/x3-18-13-hilarious-wtf-fashion9.jpg.pagespeed.ic.y2iyP7yIWC.jpg)“I work out five hours a day for some asshole to pin a lobster to my chest?!? I think I need to re-consider my life choices.” 😃
(He is really hot, though!)
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/10 "2013-03-21T04:07:32Z")
[Guy with bra on head -](http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.dailydawdle.com/images.dailydawdle.com/x3-18-13-hilarious-wtf-fashion18.jpg.pagespeed.ic.0lnL_sJAV0.jpg)“Son, you got a bra on yer head.”
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/11 "2013-03-21T04:09:33Z")
[Big grey dress](http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.dailydawdle.com/images.dailydawdle.com/x3-18-13-hilarious-wtf-fashion24.jpg.pagespeed.ic.i8ygod0v4b.jpg)- “These dust bunnies are out of control!”
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### Author:  [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/12 "2013-03-21T05:07:59Z")
Yeah, catwalk fashion is not really meant to be buy off the racks wear in the streets, it’s more like the designer smacking you in the face with their choices and styles for the season. Depending on the designer, the only thing worth noticing might be their color choices or cuts they favor and that’s only if you’re concerned with being the absolute latest in trendy. No one is going out and stapling a lobster to their chest.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/13 "2013-03-21T05:15:57Z")
You want to learn any and everything you’ll ever need to know about the fashion world? Watch the highly underrated Ben Stiller/Will Ferrel film _Zoolander_! Or a ‘Bruno’ skit from Sasha Baron Cohen’s first hilarious HBO _Ali G_ series.
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### Author:  [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/14 "2013-03-21T05:22:32Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> [Big grey dress](http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.dailydawdle.com/images.dailydawdle.com/x3-18-13-hilarious-wtf-fashion24.jpg.pagespeed.ic.i8ygod0v4b.jpg)- “These dust bunnies are out of control!”
da’fuq? 😛
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/15 "2013-03-21T07:21:04Z")
It has to be some kind of alien invasion.
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### Author:  [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/16 "2013-03-21T10:12:05Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#):
>
> [Guy with bra on head -](http://1-ps.googleusercontent.com/x/www.dailydawdle.com/images.dailydawdle.com/x3-18-13-hilarious-wtf-fashion18.jpg.pagespeed.ic.0lnL_sJAV0.jpg)“_ **Son, you got a bra on yer head** _.”
(bolding mine)
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! That is _ **exactly** _ what went thru my mind, when I first looked at that pic! 😃
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/17 "2013-03-21T13:18:08Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#):
>
> (bolding mine)
>
> Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! That is _ **exactly** _ what went thru my mind, when I first looked at that pic! 😃
“Raising Arizona” fans for the win! 😃
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/18 "2013-03-21T13:24:40Z")
When someone told me fashion was art, it all came clear. It’s just another art form. if you don’t like it, that’s fine, but those things are not meant to be worn.
What happens is, dude comes out with a gigantic lobster on his chest. And then the high-level designers and take that and change it to a fancy top with a lobster, or some such. And then the next level people take it and make a smaller lobster. And then the Kmart and walmart designers redo it for another, and eventually we get a very simple, shapeless top that has a small lobster on it. And so we have “lobsters in!” this year.
I mean, I exaggerate obviously. Lobsters are…whatever. But for art to come down to something the masses wear is actually kind of interesting.
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### Author:  [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/19 "2013-03-21T16:59:52Z")
> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> When someone told me fashion was art, it all came clear. It’s just another art form. if you don’t like it, that’s fine, but those things are not meant to be worn.
>
> What happens is, dude comes out with a gigantic lobster on his chest. And then the high-level designers and take that and change it to a fancy top with a lobster, or some such. And then the next level people take it and make a smaller lobster. And then the Kmart and walmart designers redo it for another, and eventually we get a very simple, shapeless top that has a small lobster on it. And so we have “lobsters in!” this year.
>
> I mean, I exaggerate obviously. Lobsters are…whatever. But for art to come down to something the masses wear is actually kind of interesting.
I had the same lightbulb moment a few years ago too. And it’s an interesting art form in that it’s intentionally temporal and it tells you so much about the culture it was produced in.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [March 21, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-the-fashion-themed-folks-are-they-serious/653431/20 "2013-03-21T17:21:24Z")
Oh…my…heavens! I would be kicked out of there SO fast! I can’t stop giggling just looking at the pictures. In person I would be rolling in the aisles!
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