Friday, March 23, 2007

Because pictures are nice. Sometimes. Sometimes they burn your eyeballs.

Because I have no high horse to get up on today, it's picture time!

First off, this picture of two tango dancers who are both girls (say it ain't so!):



I don't know how you're supposed to walk, much less dance in those dresses, frankly. I especially love the grumpy girl on the left. She needs to breathe, people! She probably hasn't eaten in a year! Let her out!

But for every soft-focus beauty shot of Belle Epoque dresswear, we have a photo shoot for modern tango wear that looks like it was shot at the Winter Formal or something:



1. Love that picture-in-picture! If only it had that oval frame action from my junior prom days, where you got TWO shots of you and your date looking uncomfortable, instead of just one. (Tradition in my school was to take one serious one and one "wacky" one, which usually involved the girl looking like the beginning of a Mentos commercial, fake-baffled and -dismayed, while the guy grabbed some ass. Classy, classy establishment.)

2. Speaking of grab-ass, how about we maybe add a skirt to that dress?


There is nothing wrong with this next dress. It's a little tight for tango, maybe, but there's nothing at all wrong with it - it's something I'd wear to a wedding. I just love the story created by this unintentionally hilarious picture editing :


"Sally couldn't stand how Sadie was so blissfully happy to steal Sally's every move, her every thought, her every outfit - but all that would soon change. Oh, yes, it would. Sadie would be very, very sorry."



And some more shoes:


I can't tell if these are interesting or appalling, and I absolutely cannot fathom what they look like on someone's foot. My brain loses today. I do appreciate them taking a stab at a new look, but is it like a straightjacket for your foot? I think these might be like a pair of Comme il Fauts I saw someone wearing once, open-toe slingbacks in white satin with a black toile print and a big velvet cord tied around the ankle. I didn't like the shape of the shoe, but I totally admired the idea behind it, and the fact that this girl could keep a shoe on her foot with something flimsier than ribbon.

It was like a gossamer, marshmallow fairy-kiss of a shoe tie, you guys, seriously.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Been sitting here for a few minutes wondering how did they dance in those dresses? It's almost akin to having one's feet bound.

La Planchadora said...

I have absolutely no answer, since it's steel or whalebone in there, and then the skirt circumference is about 16 inches.

I DO know that their ankles are TOGETHER, dammit! It's genius!

miss tango said...

I don´t think they would actually dance in those dresses, it was probably for artistic purposes only.

The red dress has a very pretty neckine back, but the way it hangs just makes her look like a rectangle.

miss tango said...

Oh yay, the shoes. Geraldine Rojas-Paludi was wearing that style, when she was teaching the group class, only they were solid black. Very lovely on actually.

Debbi said...

hmmmmm.... corseted in a Morticia Adams gown and dancing tango by gunpoint (you can't see it, but I am POSITIVE that someone is holding a gun to their heads just off camera). No wonder women tossed their corsets and crinolines a couple of years after this shot was taken and started drinking and smoking in public! And those shoes.... well, as much as I am a fan of asymmetry in design, those are just wacky to be wacky...

Anonymous said...

For more leading ladies inspiration, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XvUEa2A1hQ

All the ladies of Tango Mujer are great dancers and teachers, so seek them out if they're ever in your area.

As they say, we've come a long way, baby! Enjoy!