Partnerlook: Couples Who Dress Alike

English speakers are often impressed/amused/overwhelmed by how the German language may offer one long-ish word (or awkward word combo) to represent what's described with a phrase in English. One such amusement can come from a German term for couples (or any two individuals) who dress alike. That word-combo is 'partnerlook'. 

Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg in matching corduroy suits

The word is silly, but it works. The idea of partnerlook can never seem entirely romantic. It can even be creepy to spot a couple dressed alike. But the term typically describes couples who wear matching rain gear. Or as a German native described it: 'Boring jackets.' 

But on the right couple, partnerlook can be adorable. Even tasteful. Partnerlook can mean the couple feels like a union of equals, that they don't necessarily have traditional roles –– or that they simply like each other so much they want to dress alike. Whatever lies behind partnerlook-ing (if it can be used as a verb), I thought it would be fun to share some great examples of 'partnerlook' for Valentine's Day. 

Behold: the partnerlook.

Sonny and Cher partnerlook-ing

Jean Shrimpton and Terence Stamp

Matching sweaters

The Shrimp and The Stamp in sweaters

Dick is not ashamed of his partnerlook
with Paula. Why should he be?

David Bowie and Angie took parterlook-ing so far 
they came out the other side

The full-on partnerlook

They've perfected their partnerlook

One couple truly mastered the partnerlook: Paul and Linda McCartney. Often times with the same hairdo, which is a far more committed and powerful statement than wearing similar threads. P and L understood PL like nobody's business. Happy Valentine's Day :-)

Orange overalls and tees

Floppy hats

Matching mullets, expressions, coats

There can be exuberance in partnerlooking

Sweaters: entire families can participate in partnerlook

Very clean, streamlined togetherness

Two mullets and a baby

Stage mullets

His and hers

The yellow and the pose makes for the best wedding photo ever.

When Jane Birkin Sang Serge Gainsbourg, via Japan, in San Francisco

The best event of last year, for me, took place on December 2nd, 2011. (It's been a busy year so far, so I'm just posting about it now :)) As a late birthday present from my husband (my birthday is actually Sept. 29) I went to see Jane Birkin performing live & in person in San Francisco. The show was at the Regency Ballroom & it was called 'Serge Gainsbourg and Jane via Japan.' 

Here's the foreword for the show, from her website.

"Why do another tour, another concert? Well, when it was going to be conventional, I too wondered why I was singing Serge again, even if it was celebrating the 20 years after Serge's death, even if it was a very personal 40 years since "Melody Nelson" but what did I have to offer... I'd done it all before, Serge in pop, arabesque, classic quator, 14 musicians, 6 musicians, a harp, a squeeze box, violins... this year others have started, their "Serge" was a new point of view, their interpretations... so I started contemplating, putting it all off...

Then there was the Japanese disaster ... of unbelievable horror, earthquake, tsunami, and then the ghasly news of the nuclear horror...What to do? I have known these people for forty years... "go there" I thought... tell them that back home folk are thinking of them, but get there, "and do what ?" What can I do? ...the only thing I can do... a concert... So this is the immediate result of that concert, Sachiko had fixed up the best Japanese group of musicians in four days! "I'm coming to Tokyo" we were Friday, by Monday I was there... When Gluzman asked if I wanted to do the concerts for Serge in America... I said "yes, BUT with these Japanese musicians. I had found my reason... Here we come... Serge Gainsbourg and Jane via Japan"

I didn't realize how overwhelming it might be for me, seeing Ms. Birkin, (who happens to be the namesake of my cat, Jane, a.k.a. Mary Jane Goodnight -- named for Mary Tyler Moore, Birkin & Bond girl Mary Goodnight) from that close proximity. 

We were lucky enough to be seated in the very front row. The show was beyond anything I could have expected in its tastefulness, simplicity and musicality. The choice of Gainsbourg songs that made the lineup were impeccable. It was a solid and stoic production in every sense. It was easy to feel the profound love and the respect that went into the entire project. Her singing voice has never sounded better. Jane Birkin has aged in a way that one can only aspire to. And she looked natural and gorgeous, a true testament to how a woman can age gracefully and remain true to Her Self. 

It was also a unique experience for me to see one of my personal idols –– in person. And despite the infinite Birkin references in today's media –– her style, the movies, the music, the Hermes bag, her relationship with Gainsbourg –– this was Jane Birkin, a woman who was intriguing long before the general public knew about her. 

Her first marriage was to John Barry, after all, when she was extremely young. I can never understand how that isn't more telling about her natural charms than her relationship and collaborative efforts with Gainsbourg. To be married to (not one, but two of) music's greatest geniuses is a feat not even the most famous women have achieved. Short of seeing someone like Francoise Hardy perform, or to be in the presence of the dearly departed Audrey Hepburn (I've mourned her passing since the day it happened, in 1993), this was the closest I could have been –– or might ever be –– to one of my female idols. I have actually felt this woman's influence on my soul, so I had to hold back tears a great deal throughout the show. 

Prior to the show, I was so excited, anticipating how it would feel to see this living legend, one of my idols, in person.

At the Regency Ballroom, prior to Jane Birkin's performance

When it was over, it took everything I had not to rush over to her so that she could hug me. I felt like she should hug me, not the other way around. Strange but true. And I felt elated.

Then I realized I had developed a headache from the pressure of holding back tears. She was so lovable. The entire room was in love with her. My husband bought tickets for the Jane Birkin show to be nice to me & went along knowing how much it would mean to me... He never expected to enjoy the show as much as he did. I know he didn't expect to feel such adoration for this bubbly, unique woman with her indescribably palpable presence. She still prances and smiles in her special way. She's still the same Jane Birkin she's always been.

I have some great footage from the show and I'll update this post with some clips soon. Meanwhile, here are some photos from the evening –– along with a video I found from a fellow attendee.

Jane Birkin at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco

Jane Birkin performing in San Francisco

How Channeling the Likes Of MTM Hit The Runway

Here's a funny little recollection. Along with the likes of MTM inadvertently, I inspired one very unassuming Helmut Lang runway look for Fall 2003. I worked for Helmut Lang from 2002-2004, right before he left the fashion world (and his label) to work full-time as an artist. My job was easy and low-maintenance, so combined with the minimal aesthetic of the brand, the experience was monastic. This fulfilled my (strange?) childhood dream of becoming a monk...! 

I was working at Helmut Lang's pet project, a perfumerie shop (with incredibly clean fragrances that are still a favorite of mine) in Soho. The shop resembled an apothecary-type lab and it also housed an art installation. It was extremely white and pristine and people seemed generally intimated by the place. Those who dropped in the most seemed to be celebrities who loved his clothes. My job was to stay there all day and represent the brand. So there I would wait, listening to French radio (Radio Nova) or the selection of music that fit the mood of the label. Several times, I helped the PR and marketing departments that lived across the street, but in general, that was it. Overall, I really enjoyed my solitary time there.

I interacted with Helmut Lang several times - which required very few words, as he is indeed a quiet man. I remember the first time he came in when I worked there. This was towards the end of 2002, and he seemed to be intrigued by how I had worn his clothes. He took a very long look at what I was wearing. My work wardrobe at that time consisted of some fitted, dark gray sweaters - one with a v-neck and buttons and one with a round neck - beautifully cut black pants, some white button down shirts and a few other items, including great shoes. 

These items were worn in rotation, but somehow I seemed to be the only female who paired the white button down under the round neck sweater, sometimes with the shirt poking out from the bottom. It was a preppier, even girlier version of how the other people at the company wore the clothes. As it happened, I was just channeling what always personally inspired me, an assortment of looks from Francoise Hardy, "Two For The Road", "Love Story", Jane Birkin and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". These were my daily style inspirations and I wore whatever items of clothing I had in that way. 

Here are the ladies in my frame of reference at the time (and still):

But again, this was 2002. At that time, this rather conservative preppy late-60's/early-70's aesthetic was not the norm. Although with plenty of incarnations since, it does look very normal today. In 2002, the style norm was extremely different... or dare I say it, rather dodgy looking. Women were wearing low-cut jeans and belly-baring tops, and tended to be inspired by the mainstream hip-hop-dancing pop stars of the day (if you don't remember, it's an easy search.) Those were styles I never registered or considered wearing... they even failed to cross my line of sight, since I lived in a fairly tight retro bubble. 

In that context, it isn't surprising that one quiet, minimalistic and forward-thinking designer (and as I noticed, on several occasions, famous high fashion models staring at my version of "street wear" with some level of fascination) should pause and notice how I was wearing his own clothing differently than he'd anticipated. Soon after that first visit, one of his head designers also stopped by at the store, which never happened before or since. We smiled a lot and made chit-chat, but he didn't seem to have much reason to have dropped by. Then, some time later... ta-da! When the photos from the Helmut Lang Fall 2003 runway show were released, my coworker and I were staring at the images and both gasped at what Natalia Vodianova was given to wear on the runway. The look was me, incarnate. 

Given how I was in the designer's line of sight and it was so incredibly easy for them to just pair those pieces together, it made perfect sense. But it managed to look interesting at the time and really stood out from the rest of the show. What's most fitting is that any influence I had was so unintentional. And where else would that sort of simple (but definitive) point of view have been recognized, if not through the eyes of such a quiet and observant designer? 

That is a nice memory I was able to take away with me, along with some fabulous pieces I still wear. For fun, I recently checked Style.com for a review of that particular show. Especially amusing (and so great) is how such a very simple look was singled out in the review... which goes to show how surprising it happened to be in 2002. Little did Helmut Lang himself realize he was inadvertently inspired by the likes of Mary Tyler Moore... ;-) 

Here's the excerpt from the review posted on Style.com for Helmut Lang's Fall 2003 show: "He certainly hasn’t abandoned his minimalism-with-a-gorgeous-kick: when he sent out Natalia Vodianova wearing a men’s shirt, skinny sweater and plain short skirt... his fans all but fainted." (Fainted?!)

Retrospective: How Technology Tore The Roof Off My Cozy 1960's Fort

I just realized this will be my 60th post since starting this blog! Which only means I should be posting more often. But because the 1960's hold such a major significance to me, I'll celebrate this little milestone by bringing that very fascination and immersion of mine into the spotlight. And what better way than by merging together a small history of this passion with how the internet affected or diverted it?

The rise of the internet is responsible for many great

changes. It's difficult to imagine living without limitless possibilities today –– online, that is, and especially in terms of information. If you had been passionate about something pre-internet, when information was far less accessible, however, you might have had to come to terms with the fact that the cozy existence you'd spent a fair amount of time building on your own –– with considerable effort,  or sacrifice –– is now shared by any and all in a mere instant. This can of course be said for many things, even skills and trades that have become computerized to the extent that anyone might do with the click of a button what others had to be trained to do, prior. Namely in music, filmmaking, photography, etc.

I have always led a sort of double life: one right here in our current time and another fantasizing and being lost in all that is the 1960's. My childhood & youth took place in the 80's/90's but my heart and devotion belonged to the 60's as soon as I had my first inkling that a bygone time was so magnificent. My dedication to knowing everything about the era led to a borderline unhealthy pursuit. In another sense, it was as if I was working towards earning a PhD in a course of study I had created for myself. For what purpose? I wondered then, and I still don't know.

I could have been an 'expert' on the subject if it weren't for the abundance of information at everyone's fingertips now via the internet. I hoped the time I spent in that endeavor would someday reveal itself to be worthwhile, back when the 'work' really started... I fancied I could be a 60's-era style expert for any number of magazines. Or that I could be a filmmaker with 60's flair (I've already written a screenplay based on a late 60's spy thriller which came adequately close to being picked up by the largest creative agency in the business many years ago... I knew the aesthetics and was able to apply them to every page effortlessly.)

But alas, any such aspirations were foiled by the internet. Today it's so easy to pull inspiration online and make connections with the past. And anyone who might have dedicated themselves to developing specific knowledge in any given area can be rendered obsolete –– in a sort of 'man replaced by machine' sense –– at least in a culture that works on smaller and smaller time constraints. Knowledge is all about speed. It's another form of consumption and dispensing (not necessarily pertaining to any depth of knowledge.) My own immersion in all that was the 1960's, an appreciation that directed a good portion of my formidable years, can be applied to many other people and any experiences that have been devalued since the development of the internet. Not that this is all a bad thing. It is simply a fact to be observed.

Looking back, I had a feeling as a child that I was reincarnated but had lived in the 60's. This might account for something, but how would anyone really know? I had many odd moments growing up that would point to that as a real possibility –– especially since I didn't even knew what reincarnation meant. Maybe it's not so much that I was drawn to the 60's as much as the era was drawn to me. My first significant relationship was sparked by a mutual and religious love of The Beatles. We met while on a double date (both were with someone else at the time) but when the subject turned to The Beatles, we were goners. I'll never forget the looks on our dates' faces as they inched closer to each other and stared at us in disbelief. One of them actually said, "They found each other." I had found a partner who wouldn't mind joining in a 60's quest.

Biographies helped. By the time I was 19, I had read the biographies of every famous woman who fascinated me who was vital to the era in some way (particularly because of their beauty, style or talent.) Mia Farrow, Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Jean Shrimpton and Ali MacGraw are a few that come to mind. Of course, to Audrey Hepburn I dedicated a whole other part of my existence altogether. I've read bios of the lives of many swinging chicks and fascinating men –– Twiggy Lawson (a.k.a. Leslie Hornby), Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood, Linda Eastman McCartney, Patti Boyd Harrison, Peggy Lipton, Peter Sellers, Roger Vadim, Warren Beatty, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell (oh, I do love the 70's, too!!) And plenty more. I loved spending time in those other lives for the length of a book. It was a great way to travel in time and visit whatever era they roamed.

And I'd spend hours and hours in libraries scouring old fashion magazines. What a thrill to find the right section and start pulling down those plastic covered issues from long ago. I'd marvel at the funny, male-chauvinistic ads and just melt with love while staring at the images of those women, their hair, their clothes, those designs... It was a private, treasured escape into that other world. Wherever I happened to be, I needed to know where the nearest library was. In fact, it may be interesting to map all the libraries that I'd hit in the various cities I lived and visited. This was the most fun I could possibly have, for years, apart from watching classic movies or listening to music that could allow me to reminisce about what had never even been. At least not for me, in my current lifetime.

I was what one would call a lone wolf. The time I dedicated to individuals found through films and books could have been spent instead on cultivating actual friendships. I realize that. Fortunately, I had a like-minded boyfriend for a good part of my early 20's and didn't have to be completely alone in my odd and potentially lonely fantasy.

Back when I was in college, things were just starting to develop in the online world but the internet was still only used as a means of communication. Email was becoming less of a novelty, but all of those wonderful searches that are possible now hadn't infiltrated our lives yet. Facebook, Google and YouTube were still many years away. Despite being a member of a very social organization, a sorority, I would steal away plenty of time for myself and walk through campus alone –– whether I'd go and watch classic or foreign films in the film department, or look up as many old fashion magazines I could make time for at the library. If anyone wondered what I was up to back then, walking alone, here and there –– now you know.

I managed to maintain friendships (being too balanced a person to be anti-social entirely) but I had my own world to resort to if things weren't keeping my interest in this one. After all, I was becoming incredibly versed on all things 60's, whereas the 90's and 2000's I experienced peripherally. Yes, I was 'one of those' –– I didn't own a TV for nearly all of the 2000's and didn't want to. I was satisfied enough with the cultural world I'd created and had plenty of entertainment derived from our collective archives. This involvement with a bygone era was my only source of entertainment. After college, I predominantly lived in NY, despite a short stint in London and some time spent in LA. I found and bought books and old magazines from the 60's. I'd visit bookstores for photography books –– my favorite being David Bailey, but my best find altogether was a rare first edition copy of one of Linda McCartney's books. I'd even cut out photos I liked and make collages out of them. One collage I attached to cardboard and I would take it with me to any location I moved. These (sad to say, really) were my 'friends' and gave me a sense of comfort. This collage of "friends" traveled with me to several cities.

This was true for films, as well. I would rent rare films (on videocassette and later DVD), purchase ones I wanted for my own collection –– and sometimes I'd keep one (after politely paying for it) if I couldn't bring myself to return it to the video store (yes, video!) I also discovered TV shows like 'The Avengers' (with which I developed mad respect for Emma Peel and her kung fu fighting), The Mod Squad, Bewitched, Gidget, etc. I often wondered if all of this would lead to anything or if I was wasting my precious youth. I cannot describe adequately how little I socialized and how very comfortable I was with that fact. At some point I came across the film 'Privilege' and the look I wanted to have for my wedding was thus realized –– several years before I would be married. And when Francoise Hardy made her way into my life, I worked for years to achieve her hairstyle, which I wear today. It took a lot of effort to grow it the right way despite the many bad haircuts I endured at first. It takes a great deal of focus to have one image in mind despite all others that may come to view. And despite incompetent stylists. But again, that was part of my dedication to the 60's I had idealized.

Near the start of the Francoise quest.

My hair now.

All of this holds a very different meaning in today's post-internet culture. A person can be anti-social and still maintain a decent level of social existence by way of social networks. Someone who is as passionate about something –– the way I was about the 1960's for such a significant portion of my life –– will find that any person can access something (that had taken them genuine time and energy to gather and develop over the course of many years) with only a few easy clicks of a search engine. It's instant gratification. The general public can be exposed to what would've taken a great amount of digging, pre-Internet. In a sense, someone like me can feel connected to other like-minded individuals and feel like there is a community for those with similar passions. I refer to it as passion because obsession is much too manic a word for something incorporated so intricately into daily life. A passion that's harmless yet significant enough to be a part of each day is more like a hobby.

In any case, one must indeed have appreciation for how the internet has augmented accessibility to any subject in this universe (and beyond) to anyone and everyone. But to those of us who worked to build a world –– or a cozy, private and fulfilling escape –– that required a lot of commitment, time and effort, all while spending a less than healthy amount time in the company of actual human beings... Well, it can certainly feel a bit like having the roof of your fort lifted right off and your space exposed. Maybe I shouldn't have been hiding in that fort all day long, anyhow. Perhaps I should have just played with everyone in real time. But it was great fun for a cat like me. Of course, the internet allows for finding more 'material' today, with greater ease (wonderful, rare images for example) than when I had searched around in my hard copy days of yore. I appreciate that as much as anyone else. Yet the real gratification is gone to some extent. It is TOO instant. But who has time to go into a library and search old magazines for fun? I've grown up, and technology has changed how things work. I can move on while maintaining the 'happy place' I'd built over the years. (I really have moved on, despite my Francoise Hardy hair.)

Personally, I don't think this is a matter that should concern me –– or anyone, really. Everything has changed so dramatically in the past decade in terms of what people do, and how they do it. So much of what we did a decade ago is now obsolete. People have had to rethink almost everything about how they live their lives. In comparison, my adjustments have been minor. I've always led a fairly simple life and it translates easily to where we are now. I think of this experience as another aspect of that change as we continue to transition into a fully computerized existence.

In fact, at least we're getting somewhat closer to the space-age fantasies of the future that were imagined back in the 60's! 

I'm all for that. And I do still escape to that other great decade of change whenever I need a quick fix.

Classic.Sporty.Chic (Archives)

Here is a video I created featuring some of my favorite looks & moments in film & TV, ones that have resonated with or shaped me.

Film footage (mostly from the late 60's and early 70's) painstakingly gathered from my DVD archives... enjoy! :)

'Classic.Sporty.Chic' (Archives) from Klara Tavakoli on Vimeo.

Retro Active Inspirations: Blondie & Birkin

Video stylings and thought patterns - revealed! I'd intended on dressing up as Blondie, aka Debbie Harry, last Halloween and perused many photos of her to guide me. I bought the wig and had the makeup and dress, but ended up being Mary Richards (MTM) at the last minute instead, with my own hair flipped.

Having spent some time looking at photos of Blondie is what led me to realize, when I saw The Ting Ting's video for "That's Not My Name", that Katie White's look in said video was directly inspired by one specific photo of Ms. Harry that impressed me. Knee pads, dark-bottom rooted hair and all. I quickly understood. And although emulation can occasionally be annoying, hers is so specific and she seems to have so much fun stomping around in this Blondie outfit it makes it fun to watch. Few people will have made the connection, and I can see why she'd choose this look - it's energetic and cool.

Here's another video that has an inspiration I found familiar.

Jane Birkin, back in 1969 in the film "Slogan": stunning and carefree, with a childlike manner. Her breakout film was Antonioni's "Blow Up" and she had her own, very distinctive style at the time. With her breathy voice, beauty and awkward movements or dancing she charmed the Brits and the French alike. I own that rare film in which she first met Gainsbourg, and have seen it countless times - so when I happened to see the video for "Somebody Somewhere" by The Cazals featuring Lou Douillon, I could tell the origin of its concept in the way Douillon is prancing around. Very Birkin in "Slogan". If anyone can legitimately summon the incomparable Jane Birkin in her prime, it would have to be her daughter Lou. Here, Lou does her best impression of her mum. Still, I think I prefer Jane B.'s utter randomness, from back in the day.