Sunday, May 12, 2013

D&G RTW S/S 2012 Pink Tuxedo Jacket



Want vs. Need.

One of my favor(u)rite lines from any movie, oddly, is from Love Actually, the rom-com even the fellas can admit to liking.  It goes a little something like this:

Professor Snape: So, erm, what do you need? ...
Secretary in the form of lust-interest: No. I don't want something I need. I want something I want.

If one happens to have the means, or the delusional insanity, to spend on frivolous luxuries, I say one only lives one (or twice, according to Nancy Sinatra) so indulge yourself not with something you need, but with something you want.

Where this wants comes from is another issue, but over-simplistically, the brands I tend to frequent, Prada, Lanvin, Hermes, Chanel do an exceptional job of creating and perpetuating "want".  Maybe the want satisfies my original hypothesis for fashion? Let's review:

Who do you want to be?
Where do you want to go?
How do you want to feel?

Perhaps this want fulfills helping me reach who it is that I want to be, helps me get to wear I want to go, and helps me feel how I want to feel.

I recently made a want vs. need purchase. Because, honestly, who needs a blushed baby pink satin and silk D&G tuxedo blazer.  As background, the Spring/Summer 2012 line would be D&G's last, as the brand would be discontinued.  Releasing a statement that read "For the upcoming seasons, D&G will become part of Dolce & Gabbana, giving even more strength and energy to our collections," Domenico and Stefano said "To us, it's like going back to when we began our adventure; full of ideas."

When I saw this piece, I immediately concluded two things: one, I want this, and; second, I know of approximately zero instances in which I would be able to wear it.  Details, details. Slight problem. I have alluded previously that, for high end fashion, I am considered to be a big guy at 6'2" 205lbs. which makes finding pieces I want both troublesome and also very easy, either my size isn't even made, or it's always available. In this case, I lucked out, a 52 and only a 52 was available.  However, I wear a 52 for my shoulders and chest and for my long torso. The arms however were laughably long, but I did not have time for it to be tailored and bought it as was. Now, here is some customer service. I take the jacket to another country, to a newly-opened Dolce & Gabbana store, where to my chagrin, only women's clothing and accessories are sold. I walk up to the counter not optimistic but explain that since I bought the jacket at another location and it's the same brand, could they send it to be tailored..... Answer: Wow, you have one of the last D&G-branded men's runway items, not only can we tailor it for you, we'll do it in the store, today.

Because of the intricacies of the cuff stitching with the satin buttons with functioning button holes, it was decided to to slightly lift the sleeves from the shoulders. How that was accomplished, I will never know, but the result was a perfectly-tailored jacket which I don't anticipate wearing anytime soon. However, I was wearing some old ripped up Diesels and a tshirt to the store when I picked up and tried on the jacket, which according to the sales associates gathered around for my fitting, commented that the look went great as is.  Hmm...