What is Elegance? Elegance. A nebulous term. My desire to become more acquainted with the definitions and connotations of this pesky phrase has led me down some unexpected byways. Nevertheless, my trip commences at a predictable juncture – everyone’s favorite dusty old book: the dictionary. Elegance has two imminent definitions: 1. the quality of being graceful and stylish in appearance or manner; style. 2. the quality of being pleasingly ingenious and simple; neatness. Queue a mild nod of general agreement and perhaps an eye roll at the clichéd tactic of referencing the dictionary. But, my dear reader, forgive my stale style and relinquish your complaisant attitude! Upon second glance, you’ll come to realize that these two characterizations actually differ greatly and that the first definition does not necessarily lead to the second. If this “elegance” is the epicenter of fashion, does that mean that the pinnacle of style is simplicity?
orange ribbon. Tippi Hedren, blonde hair as crisp and neat as her technicolor lime green suit trimmed and tailored to her slim body, finished with nude patent leather heels. And, of course, the immaculate Audrey Hepburn – the picture of grace and equanimity, clad in a long-sleeve black jumpsuit, tied at the waist, accented by delicately patterned black flats and circular earrings – for what is more comprehensible than the very geometry of completion and unification? I refer back to the assumption that beauty is subjective. Yet, the elegance of the 1960s proves strikingly uniform. Every example thus far has been a young, Caucasian female dressed in a minimalistic outfit with simple hair and makeup, garnished (optionally) with a safe piece of jewelry. Quite clearly, this adheres to the second definition to a tee. Perhaps these examples do not point to a universal acceptance of elegance, but instead reflect a small, elevated class, revered and idolized in the golden age of advertisement, propagated by the beginnings of daily bombardment of images meant to prey upon the subconscious. These examples exhibit a pleasing conformity – a demure docility, an “elegantly simple” solution to appease underlying social problems. While the 1960s could be called a summer of elegance, a burgeoning counterculture arose in a winter of discontent, as revolutionaries sought to respond to the façade of perfection.
"Fashion is a field rife with subjectivity, daring to challenge the notions of beauty and conformity, innovation and idolization."
Fashion, however, is not a quantifiable affair; it’s a field rife with subjectivity, daring to challenge the notions of beauty and conformity, innovation and idolization. Is the concept of elegance at war with ideas of counterculture and maximalism, or have we merely come to accept an overtly narrow definition? The question has arisen – what is elegance? – and I plan to traverse the realms of history, lifestyle and sociology to reach a flavorful, enriched, reimagined understanding.
The 1960s were an essential period in establishing pervasive views of elegance. Figures on the silver screen towered above the general populace as gleaming pillars of high fashion and elegance. Movie stars and famous public figures donned expensive, monochromatic garments, defined by brands such as Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel. If I could describe the essence of the era’s fashion in a few words, I would choose “matched,” “comprehensible,” and “sleek.” Jackie O in a tea length, yellow gingham dress, a single gold bracelet encircling her wrist, dark hair perfectly coiffed to frame a wide-brimmed straw hat with a sunset
8 spring 2017 • baremagazine.org
The counterculture rocked the boat of the ever-referenced “Man”: the symbol of power and avarice – an intolerant, buttoned-down oppressor, lounging comfortably on the breaking backs of the hard-working. Free-loving bohemians marched throughout much of the Western world, testing the waters of experimentation. The American Dream became a loud, narcotic hallucination, swirling in fits of color and activism, combatting constriction of gender, sexuality, and mindset. This counterculture embraced an ideal outside of the widespread, advertised norm. They challenged social constructs by promoting individualistic self-expression. This mindset can translate to all aspects of culture, as it parallels the modern unrest, pervasive throughout the entirety of our turbulent, globalized society.