Monday, November 13, 2006

The Power of Wrinkles

I knew a girl who had an art degree. She worked at the deskjob with me and she didn't know what kind of career to pursue with that glorious piece of paper. I told her she should go to companies like Walmart and Kmart and take better pictures of their sweaters.

I've noticed that when a higher-end company makes a catalog or a website, they layout the clothes with "stylish" wrinkles. Like this sweatshirt from J. Crew:



Doesn't it look ALIVE already? Like you would be doing it a disservice by stuffing your boring, misshapen torso into its fine fabric?

And now look at a similar sweatshirt from Target:



Doesn't it look like the merchants went out and found some gnome or druid with a metal rod for a spine and no elbows and blasted him with a liquid nitrogen canon, later to dip the victim in some kind of special chemical solution that dissolves gnomes and druids while leaving the sweatshirt and its shape intact? And then took a picture of that sweatshirt and put it in the catalog?

I think so, too. But you must also be careful with this concept. It takes a professional to create these stylish wrinkles. I once heard someone say, "This is the 90's, nobody irons anymore."

I've tried to adopt that philosophy, making adjustments to whatever year it is, but it is really just an excuse as to why I never iron, myself. My wife usually let's me get away with it but occassionally she vetos my outfit, saying, "You are not leaving the house in those wrinkly pants. At least, not with me."

1 comment:

Native Minnow said...

My solution to ironing? Just throw it back in the dryer for five minutes with something damp.

If it's really wrinkled? Give to to Goodwill.