Form, Function and Fashion

Form, or the shape of an object is best thought to follow function. If you deal with or are an architect you will often hear the phrase “form follows function.” This is a twist on remarks by the famous architect Louis Sullivan, the inventor of the skyscraper, who noted that “form ever follows function.” To Sullivan, this was part of a natural law. If Sullivan is correct, as part of the natural law, it means that it can be applied to a variety of objects of design. It takes objects to their basic purpose. However, going well back in time humans have had their own ideas, and often attempt to set themselves different from others—tatoos, jewelry, are just two areas of human interaction with ideas that promote fashion over form. For example fashion can dictate many items of clothing. It was a fashion statement with her top that drew the attention of the crowd at Super Bowl XXXVIII when perhaps the most famous of wardrobe malfunctions occurred. Plumbers often see malfunctions of their wardrobe (pants) daily, the ubiquitous plumber crack, but that is more a design problem. Perhaps they need to wear overalls. In some cases fashion overtakes function, and that is the story of this post.

Last week Friday my spouse and I enjoyed a dinner out, and during that cold evening, my wife had worn a scarf. Nothing out of the ordinary in the winter, but the current fashion trend is for women to wear a scarf even when the weather is not cold. I see women wearing scarves in various kinds of weather. In cold weather the scarf has a function, wearing in non-cold weather is purely, in my mind, for fashion. The herd mentality is well at work in fashion, which speaks volumes when one thinks how humans have tried to set themselves apart and use a measure of individuality—think the earlier comment on tattoos and jewelry. What most struck me was not the fact that she had a scarf, heck I wear one in cold weather, but how it was tied or knotted. It was a complicated knot that required varied levels of weaving. I was amazed at her dexterity at moving this part through, in and around another part, and not just once.   One would have thought she was tying a necktie. Scarves, for some, are now more fashion than function—why else wear them during non-cold weather? I had to inquire how she had learned such a complicated maneuver, and she told me “ Emily taught me.” A friend of hers from work in showing her how to tie or knot the scarf was undertaking an aspect of cultural assimilation. Fine fabulous female fashion of wearing a scarf—who would have thought it would be so complicated?  Not only is the scarf itself a statement, but so apparently are they should be tied in a certain way. I asked why she does not just put the scarf on like I do, and cross one side over the other. I don’t recall her words, but I do recall the look. I need not explain the “look.”  Millennial and/or metrasexual males like to wear scarves in the winter, and have the scarf sufficiently long to tie in a big knot.

First Skyscraper

Having known me for over a quarter of a century, my wife well knows I am one of the last people that looks to fashion. When told how outdated my clothes, glasses, or socks are, I prefer to look at it as I am not behind the times, but ahead of the times.  I view fashion as circular and fashion styles will nvariably catch up to me. One might say, in regard to fashion, I am so behind the times, I am ahead of the times.  One example, when I was a teenager I wore then out-of-style black horn rim glasses, those glasses are now in style. I view myself as a trend leader well before the trend. Trendy and Tom, my wife and children would say, are mutually exclusive. But alas, Form over function. Why put on something that takes longer to take off? I guess you could say the same thing about neckties—that de rigueur of male formal fashion.

There are various ideas on the origin of the necktie. One is that it was originally worn to keep the detritus of the everyday life and working off of a shirt. Others, that it was meant to work against a draft on the neck. Today the tie is more to have a closed collar, and hide buttons, and some would say looks better on a closed button shirt than a closed collar alone. Not too long ago, a shirt buttoned to the neck without a tie was considered a fashion not unlike pants pulled high—that is nerdy. Ties are quite expensive, and if you have ever taken a tie apart, you see how much material actually goes into its creation. It certainly is not representative of form over function. A former co-worker often commented that men like ties because they like where it points. That could make for anthropological study. Wearing of a tie, I guess is a lot like a women wearing a scarf, it is an ornamentation and decoration. It is fashion, and while they both may be related to a herd mentality, the style or type can be individualized. It is an accessory item.

Sarcasm?

In the end, form does not always follow function. This inversion of the Louis Sullivan principle can be seen in various areas. It is visible in fashion, and it is visible in what is known as Starchitecture. The wings of the Milwaukee Art Museum have little effect on sun or shadow, and the little effect it does have could have occurred by use of less expensive sun screen. But, the wings make a statement. It is a statement that people like to make with not just tattoos, and jewelry, but also clothing, and clothing accessories like scarves (and ties)—whether in winter, spring, fall, or even summer.

 Images from Google