I appreciate and I know Michelle appreciates your perspective. I forwarded her your comment and suggested she write her own response. Here's what she forwarded to me:
This piece is entirely about me and my personal reaction to being called "fashionable". It's not about anyone else, so I regret if anyone takes it personally. You'll notice that the only time I talk about anyone's experience other than my own is when I wonder why it is that the same woman who repeatedly praises my wardrobe choices (my beloved employer, Susan) might not choose a similar wardrobe, or their own, rather than following trends set by profiteers. Susan and I have this conversation often, and she has never taken my perspectives personally.
I do not understand what's "close-minded" about expressing the experiences that compel me to dress as I do. If someone else wrote an essay about what makes them love wearing comfy sweats and baseball caps, how their experience growing up in a family of athletes or any other experience inspired their sense or lack of sense of fashion, I wouldn't find it "close-minded" as that person would simply be sharing their preferences, contextualized by their experiences.
I never referred to myself as "unique". Certainly, in certain communities where I have resided, the wardrobe items I describe are the norm, not the exception. If fair trade textiles that do not contribute to the destruction and poisoning of the Earth, rather than over-priced items produced by underpaid workers were the norm, the world would be a more just place. I don't know where you live, but I am not the only parent who perceives my son's primary school as a Vogue style fashion show. Unisex jeans and no make up are not the norm among women here. Again, you speak from the temple of your spiritual being, your place on Earth, your experiences, and I get to speak from mine.
In my role at 4Women, I have nothing to do with the fashion design or creativity aspects of the business. Susan often laughs at how unaware I have remained. I once took a call from Vera Wang's office for Susan and could not get the name right, leaving Ms. Wang's assistant in apparent bewilderment, I having never heard of her. This aspect of my personality amuses Susan. At the same time, she is always commenting that despite having no awareness of mainstream fashion, I am so "fashionable". She has often followed up such statements with requests for me to write about what inspires my own fashion sense. I resisted for a long time, maybe sensing that I could not be blatantly honest without someone taking it personally. I regret that's how you received my piece.
I assure you, I do not care what you or any other woman is wearing. Fashion - be it mine, your's, her's, simply doesn't make it on the list of what matters to me. We are destroying the planet, so quickly that I have to wonder what will be left for my 5 yr old son, and so frankly, worrying what anyone is wearing would seem a dangerous distraction from what really matters. No planet - no life - no fashion - no fashion blogs. -Michelle
Again, Michelle's words above - not mine (Susan Beausang's). She's right. I do welcome a diversity of perspectives in my life. And Michelle is anything but disrespectful of others.
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Hi Susan,
I appreciate and I know Michelle appreciates your perspective. I forwarded her your comment and suggested she write her own response. Here's what she forwarded to me:
This piece is entirely about me and my personal reaction to being called "fashionable". It's not about anyone else, so I regret if anyone takes it personally. You'll notice that the only time I talk about anyone's experience other than my own is when I wonder why it is that the same woman who repeatedly praises my wardrobe choices (my beloved employer, Susan) might not choose a similar wardrobe, or their own, rather than following trends set by profiteers. Susan and I have this conversation often, and she has never taken my perspectives personally.
I do not understand what's "close-minded" about expressing the experiences that compel me to dress as I do. If someone else wrote an essay about what makes them love wearing comfy sweats and baseball caps, how their experience growing up in a family of athletes or any other experience inspired their sense or lack of sense of fashion, I wouldn't find it "close-minded" as that person would simply be sharing their preferences, contextualized by their experiences.
I never referred to myself as "unique". Certainly, in certain communities where I have resided, the wardrobe items I describe are the norm, not the exception. If fair trade textiles that do not contribute to the destruction and poisoning of the Earth, rather than over-priced items produced by underpaid workers were the norm, the world would be a more just place. I don't know where you live, but I am not the only parent who perceives my son's primary school as a Vogue style fashion show. Unisex jeans and no make up are not the norm among women here. Again, you speak from the temple of your spiritual being, your place on Earth, your experiences, and I get to speak from mine.
In my role at 4Women, I have nothing to do with the fashion design or creativity aspects of the business. Susan often laughs at how unaware I have remained. I once took a call from Vera Wang's office for Susan and could not get the name right, leaving Ms. Wang's assistant in apparent bewilderment, I having never heard of her. This aspect of my personality amuses Susan. At the same time, she is always commenting that despite having no awareness of mainstream fashion, I am so "fashionable". She has often followed up such statements with requests for me to write about what inspires my own fashion sense. I resisted for a long time, maybe sensing that I could not be blatantly honest without someone taking it personally. I regret that's how you received my piece.
I assure you, I do not care what you or any other woman is wearing. Fashion - be it mine, your's, her's, simply doesn't make it on the list of what matters to me. We are destroying the planet, so quickly that I have to wonder what will be left for my 5 yr old son, and so frankly, worrying what anyone is wearing would seem a dangerous distraction from what really matters. No planet - no life - no fashion - no fashion blogs. -Michelle
Again, Michelle's words above - not mine (Susan Beausang's). She's right. I do welcome a diversity of perspectives in my life. And Michelle is anything but disrespectful of others.
Thanks for writing, Susan.
January 20, 2011 - 8:25amThis Comment
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