Yohji on What's Sexy

[matthewhk]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

yes danieldy that is a good quote and pretty much how i would like the rest of the world to be able to view things, particularly those of aesthetics...this forum's a bit more tolerant, but on many other ones i go on like hypebeast, styleforum, superfuture, everyone is so obsessed with things having to align perfectly and having to nail it down to a precisely perfect "fit". Like Yohji's said before, perfection feels artificial and forced...getting the perfect picture, getting the perfect look, getting the perfect anything...it's what this generation's been brought up to appreciate and value. Much more interesting and relaxed to just accept things the way they are sometimes in their natural be it flawed state.

[Faust]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

[quote user="danieldy"]

personally, my favorite quote from the article was:

"Men?s clothing is about tiny details, and I hate that. I am very
small and I look stupid in a perfectly tailored suit. I want to be able
to wear things that don?t fit perfectly, with the sleeves far too long.
I wish clothing came with no sizes at all. It would be much better that
way."

whether in business, the arts, and even dressing, would it be correct to say that most people have been brought up to strive for perfection? the media argues that perfection equals beauty. take for example GQ-- it says that your jacket sleeves only look good when they are at a certain length-- not an inch shorter or longer.. its so refreshing to see someone breaking the mold and advocating that imperfection equals beauty.

[/quote]

I would say yes, and it can be a bit of a problem, resulting in a rigidity of mind. If anything, people should strive for excellence, not perfection. What is perfection anyway? And why do you read GQ? These two questions seem unanswerable.

[matthewhk]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy



haha i read GQ...i will read pretty much anything that is readily available, good or bad, spend a lot of afternoons at bookstores and the magazine selection is quite thin.

As for perfection, it's got a different definition between people but basically i get the idea that perfection nowadays is defined as something that looks symmetrically correct, proper proportions, 'appropriate' for occasion, age, cultural/lifestyle context, just anything that is supposed to look like what it is supposed to look like. I find i am not so much interested in that as i am in dissonance and dysfunction.

[Faust]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

matthew, you make perfection sound boring!

[matthewhk]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

haha i think that's exactly the point I (and Yohji) are trying to drive home. ;)

[mass]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

i kind of agree with matt on what perfection is. i think it should be absolutely generic, and something that doesn't attract attention; but something that when compared to other generic things, stands out and makes them look 'ordinary' (for lack of a better term).

[Pinoy]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy

[quote user="Faust"]

I would say yes, and it can be a bit of a problem, resulting in a rigidity of mind. If anything, people should strive for excellence, not perfection. What is perfection anyway? And why do you read GQ? These two questions seem unanswerable.

[/quote]

Answering your seemingly unanswerable questions (hehe)..

1. Matt and Mass both contributed great definitions of what I think of perfection. "anything that is supposed to look like what it is supposed to look like", and "something that doesn't attract attention; but when
compared to other generic things, stands out"

2. Unfortunately, I used to read (thankfully I never subscribed!) GQ growing up, but stopped reading it about 2 or so years ago. Unfortunately, all those articles and the media in general I feel has brainwashed me some degree, and I inadvertently end up trying to achieve some sort of 'perfection' in my outfits. I guess that's what contributes to the simplistic / boring nature of a lot of my fits. I'm trying to break that habit / way of thinking but its just so hard when seemingly everything around you is striving towards perfection.

[Avantster]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy



Great discussion guys, I initially thought I'd just bump this thread up just for fun - looks like it's been quite fruitful.

[quote user="Faust"]

I would say yes, and it can be a bit of a problem, resulting in a rigidity of mind. If anything, people should strive for excellence, not perfection. What is perfection anyway? And why do you read GQ? These two questions seem unanswerable.

[/quote]

IMO there is no such thing as perfection. To define perfection is to place limiting beliefs upon yourself. Sometimes, the easiest way to grasp something is to let it go.

In retrospect, even those accomplishments

which seemed perfect when accomplished,

may seem imperfect and ill formed,

but this does not mean that such accomplishments

have outlived their usefulness.

That which once seemed full,

may later empty seem,

yet still be unexhausted.

That which once seemed straight

may seem twisted when seen once more;

intelligence can seem stupid,

and eloquence seem awkward;

movement may overcome the cold,

and stillness, heat,

but stillness in movement

is the way of the Tao.

[Heirloom]

Re: Yohji on What's Sexy



This is an interesting subject. I've been defined by alot of people around me as a perfectionist throughout my life, and everytime I've heard it I felt insulted, mostly because of their assumption that my definition of perfect is what everyone elses definition is. I have VERY clear ideas of what I like and don't like, but I don't know it til I see it. If something is so perfect it's boring, it's not perfect. Perfection is a mystery, it's force that has us strive for something, destructive in the way that we aren't satisfied until we reach the goal, even though that the goal itself should be the striving. As Faust says, striving for excellence is a less destructive force, which should be used for your self improvement, as long as it doesn't get in the way of enjoying the present.

I might not make myself clear, my head is a bit messy :)