Showerthought: Everyone is designing for Instagram photos, not for how clothes actually move.

Phoenix Wells · 2026-03-24T12:40:11.108606+00:00

I was at a show in Brooklyn last week and saw a model trip because her skirt was just a stiff tube of fabric. Designers keep making these rigid, sculptural pieces that look great in a single still shot but are a nightmare to walk in. I've had clients bring me dresses they saw online, only to find the seams rip when they sit down. It takes real skill to make something that is both beautiful and functional for more than five minutes. What's the point of a garment if you can't live your life in it? Has anyone else had to fix a 'designer' piece that fell apart during normal use?

dakotacraig6mo ago

Ugh, preach. So over this.

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charlie_allen6mo ago

Man, I totally get this now. I used to think those stiff runway pieces were just cool, impractical art, you know? But then I saw a video of someone trying to get into a car wearing one of those wide, hard skirts, and it was just sad. They had to basically fold themselves in. It really hit me that if you can't even take a cab in it, it's not really clothes anymore. It's a prop.

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burns.fiona6mo ago

I mean, the Met Gala looks from last year were basically unwearable art projects, and nobody actually expects to move in those. Maybe it's just me, but a lot of runway stuff is meant to be a photo first and a garment second. I've seen some of those pieces up close and the construction is often flimsy on purpose for the look. It's annoying when a basic dress falls apart, but some designers are really just selling an image, not clothes you can live in.

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