We’re not? Shit, I’m gonna have to do a lot of fast alterations.Seriously, friend-of-anonymous, this is something I’ve thought a lot about, because science, and space, and space travel, and fashion, and particularly fashion involving reflective fabric are all fucking fascinating; and because if I have a single ongoing motif in my brain-life, it’s the points of intersection of my diffuse-as-hell passions; and because I am of the staunch opinion that everything is better with reflective fabric.So, here are my thoughts on why 2011 is not nearly as mod and shiny as it was supposed to be.First of all: That shiny silver space-age fashion is, by and large, a byproduct of eras in which our attitude toward space--and the future--was defined by a collective sense of hope and discovery. Not only was the future a palpable force, but we--as individuals and as a society--were empowered and encouraged to define it. We looked toward a future of clean lines, brushed steel and plexiglass; where technology would erase social inequality and political borders; where science was seen as a primarily positive force. The lines between potential and reality, science fact and science fiction, grew blurrier by the day, and fashion reflected that, dancing on the line between the impractical and the prophetic.These days, the collective mindset is a hell of a lot more bleak, and our vision of the future has gotten grimmer along with it: instead of that shiny-clean streamlined chrome future, we look forward to the gritty paranoia of post-apocalyptic wastelands or Blade Runner-style dystopian megalopolises, choked with smog, crippled by massive social inequality. In the 1960s, embracing and encouraging science and exploration was seen as inseparable from patriotism; now, the relationship of our nation to science has become bitterly partisan, and the value of theoretical--and even practical--discovery gets sneered off the floor of Congress as scientific discourse is tainted by religious dogma spin-doctored and dressed up to sound like scholarship. We are a population that no longer sees science as relevant, nor even knows what the word properly means.In short: We don’t have silver togas and space suits because we, as a nation, no longer deserve them; or, alternately, because of the batshit-crazy right. Scandinavia is probably as shimmery and mod as all get-out.But! Even if futurist fashion isn’t in the mainstream, it’s far from dead. In fact, it’s evolved, and now it's furiously colonizing the crevices between science and art. See, here’s the thing: most of that mad mod space-age fashion futurism involved garments whose form predicted potential function, possible with far-future technology, which now, fifty years later, we’re starting to realize. Enter the field of wearable technology, which is all about doing EXACTLY what those silver togas and space suits predicted: integrating technological advances into the design, construction, structure, and function of garments. In the ‘60s, we had mylar. What do we have now? 3D printers. Conductive thread. Fashion that monitors and reacts to your mood, your heartbeat. A dress that mixes drinks AND fucks with your head.
My favorite, though, are these mad math-based modular dresses, all of which were designed with the aid of emerging technologies. In addition to looking fucking amazing, they bridge the shiny retro future and the gritty modern one: they're equally appropriate for translucent cocktails on the moon and fighting a malevolent AI in a decaying virtual dystopia. Plus, while most of the designs are nominally for the ladies, there's an androgynous angularity to them that I really, really dig. Check this shit out:
If, however, you're a retro-future purist, you can always take the future into your own hands. The great thing about mod fashion is that it tends to be pretty simple--straight lines, very few seams, straightforward construction--which in turn makes it very possible to make from scratch or hack from existing garments. Or you could follow the patented Scrapscallion plan of covering everything you own with reflective tape.
Also: Congratulations on having the huevos to examine and question your sexuality. That is tricky stuff, and I think it may be doubly so for dudes. It is okay with me if you are gay, or straight, or mostly-gay, or probably-gay, or mostly-straight, or probably-straight, or bi, or nondenominationally queer, or asexual, or pansexual, or pretty much anything as long as you are good to yourself and others. And no matter what your sexual orientation is, you can wear whatever you want. If anyone says otherwise, you should tell them to go fuck themself, and that I said so.
