Jane Who: Current inspiration

Unisex

Lately I've found myself more and more looking through the menswear departments in thrift stores.

(Estonian) men don't usually get lost in second-hand shops. And that I can state based on my own observations. For every 5 women there's only 1 man. And that on good days. For those who are bothered by my assumptions: yes there are exceptions, you're welcome.

And well, when they do by some chance get lost there they tend to stick to the women's department... so I figured more for me. And less women with nails as long as eagles claws to fight with when diving in. I'm confused too here, people. I don't know how those types of plastic/gel creatures find their way into the small weird used things selling shops.

I've written about this somewhere in the past already, but I just have to repeat it that there's just something so compelling about dressing against the typical gender roles. From a woman's perspective it's in a strange kind of way liberating.

And by the way who ever actually claimed clothes have genders? Indeed, they are actually just a bunch of fibers intertwined. One can look at our culture background to find the answer, but nowadays it's most of all the media that gives those stacks of fibers a deeper meaning and determines how the overall perceives them.

Remember fall last year when Kanye hit the stage at Madison Square Garden in a leather skirt and it hit every major newspaper/magazine stand and online style sites? Suddenly a skirt on a man didn't seem that ridiculous (not talking about kilts here folks) anymore (well for more people than usually) and many were commending on his bold out of the box choice.

Of course there were those who just scratched their heads, but overall it didn't leave the public chilly as he stepped beyond the normal standards the society has created. And when someone defines those standards it becomes something scandalous. Keep in mind here what happened when women demanded the right to wear pants, e.g Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn.

And what is more suitable than to quote the Great Katharine herself: "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun"

That nicely brings me to my latest find.

Hana Pesut is a Canadian photographer, who next to editorials and portraits takes wonderful pictures of good old switcheroos. In the meaning that a couple (or a group of friends) is asked to exchange the current items of clothing they are wearing with each other. And I just found it so refreshing/daring/provocative/funny/inspiring/coolio-cool that I knew I had to share it.

It works perfectly for those dark fall nights with a trusty cup of tea to bring a bit of humor to the end of the day. Also why not stop for a moment to seriously think about this topic.