Flashdance: Fashion's Full Circle
I've got this mission for myself to finally watch all the movies that I've placed in my Netflix Instant Queue. It is quite the task. I began my mission with "Flashdance," an 80's film about a dancer, played by Jennifer Beals, who works in a steel mill and has dreams of dancing fame. Though the film is basically a sequence of music videos strung together with an A-typical plot line, I found myself inspired through her sense of style.
The gray raglan sweater worn salaciously off one shoulder, used as both the film poster and in the "first date" scene, has all the appeal of the 80's fashions. It allowed for character definition, which any good fashion in movies I find always does. Would I rock it?....possibly, yes.
However, I was more excited about her masculine choices in casual wear. The over-sized knitwear paired with, what is that like, 5 scarves? Okay, not the 5 scarves but the sweater is definitely Haley-approved.
The red band jacket? Seriously, where do I get one!? The gold buttons and the black detailing on the sleeve are practically as lust worthy as the dancers of Mawby's Bar.
Finally, the military surplus jacket with the patches is an excellent way of defining a female character in a male dominated world, as well as the 80's obsession with combat appliques, also introduced in the red jacket.
In the end, the movie was given a 3-star "Liked it" approve rating on the Netflix scale. But the fashion inspiration from "Flashdance" was greater, much greater, and obviously, not just another fad as most of fashions are still relevant today. My, my, how fashion becomes full circle. Fashion as armor is more than relevant with our girl here. Her character has armed herself with fashion in a world dominated by men, and yet, tearing those men to pieces at the same time. Fashion is power, and, my dearest readers, wield that power to your advantage.
Yours x
Haley
