Wednesday, September 14, 2005

BRING BACK THE ISADORA DUNCAN SCARF

Fashions surge, fashions abate. But they seldom vanish forever. What was Now in our youth is now Retro, and will made a return engagement as Vintage in 2011. Dammit. We hadn't planned on Vintage status until at least 2021, but the lull between fads is shorter than ever, like contractions. Good thing we're fully dilated.

We're also ready to welcome back an old fad that deserves new life -- the long, trailing scarf look, made popular by Isadora Duncan, a dancer. She sported the style until the day she died, 78 years ago today.

On Sept. 14, 1927, Duncan was wearing one of her trademark scarves when she stepped into the passenger side of a Bugatti in Nice, France. The dancer waved toodles to several curbside friends. The driver stepped on the gas pedal. The end of Duncan's scarf caught the car's rear, open-spoked wheel.

Just because someone died while styling doesn't mean the whole fad should be abandoned. Fifty years ago this month, James Dean exited in a Porsche Spyder, and sports cars are still popular. Go ahead, wear a long scarf while riding in a Porsche Spyder and congratulate your faddish, bad-ass self. Just watch your neck.

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