I'm housesitting a lovely cottage and farm, post grad-school dress rehearsal, and part of the package involves the care of a herd of sheep, two horses, two dogs, and about 15 chickens. For an urban-dweller reared in the suburbs, taking eggs from laying hens is quite exotic - also strangely guilt-inducing. (Note: Chickens may have tiny brains but they look at you with a knowing resentment and semi-hostile capitulation when you take their eggs.)
Why the strong resurgence in interest in farming, urban agriculture, and living a provincial, organic, back-to-nature lifestyle? Karl Lagerfeld (now famously) affected the 'farm chic' sensibility with his 2010 spring show, staged in a faux barn. Models in deconstructed 'rustic' Chanel tweeds and (horrible) heeled clogs is quasi-parodic, which I guess could be the point:
Very Petite Trianon. Of course, M. Antoinette was the original city-girl-gone-country:
I suppose the fetishization of all that is natural could be evidence of a larger societal move back to the essentials. With our bubbles burst, recession un-surmounted and finally coming to terms with the consequences of decades of excess, city dwellers are finding solace in the trappings of simpler times. This trend has had sartorial reverberations too:
Trendy, yes -- especially if you are a British model attending the Glastonbury music festival ('wellies' tag). But mostly practical.
The boyfriend jean makes great work-wear.
And who knew that 'plaid button-down' is its own category on ShopBop?
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