Serendipity is…

by The Window Shopper

Spending the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a fashion in art tour, and stumbling upon Fendi’s artistic display.

It can be said that the knife has not changed its design in centuries, and while some may be adorned in silver while others gold, its basic function never changes. The same is true of fashion, and that regardless of the evolving trends between peoples and time periods, certain styles are always recurring. Because, like the knife, fashion’s function of making oneself beautiful never changes!

And I can tell you this, anthropologically speaking, that the clothing & accessories we wear, serve our interests in a lot more ways than just warmth and protection from the elements. Fashion actually suits our innate and primal need for beauty. Don’t believe me? Just look at the birds of the Amazon, who through centuries of evolution are of the most brilliant colors and unique design. Their luster is what attracted their ancestors to each other, is the reason for their continued beauty centuries later, and is why we humans fashion ourselves in flare today, to attract a mate of course! Evolutionarily speaking all any species is designed to do while alive, is procreate and repopulate, thus keeping the species alive. And since we lost our plumage ages ago and do not walk the streets naked (although it would be a more efficient sales pitch), our dress is really the tool we use in carrying out Mother Nature’s master plan.

And although fellow blogger, The Man Repeller, may have you believing that her avant garde style repells the opposite sex, I am not so convinced of this. I am not so sure it has repelled anyone, Leandra, girl you are blowing up and are all over the place! And I have to tell you, I think it is because your amazing sense of style has actually done more in attracting our species, than by way of repelling them.

Nevertheless, here are some timeless fashion highlights from the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

   

Greek statue of woman, 2nd half of 4th century bc

Egyptian gold sandals & finger/ toe coverings

Pope Alexander VII, Italian, 1667

Egyptian Falcon Necklace

Mirror Bearer, Mexico or Guatemala, 6th century