After the dragons cleared the stage at the Chinese Cultural Festival. The next bit was what was described as a display of fashion popular among (obviously rich) women in Shanghai in the 1920s. My only visit to that city was 80-something years later and there weren't nobody looking like this. The discs or fans were gauzy and the women were doing a peek-a-boo thing with them. Strange.
We have all met people who want to draw attention to themselves. Dress and style is a traditional way to do it and these ladies may be good examples. Looking at the picture again made me think of some of the lyrics from Laurie Anderson's Language Is A Virus:
Well I dreamed there was an island that rose up from the sea. And everybody on the island was somebody from TV. And there was a beautiful view but nobody could see. Cause everybody on the island was saying: Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!
As a photographer, I dress to avoid attention. I don't want people to notice me. Wear a lot of black, blue and gray.
One more shot from Earth Day last weekend. As we used to say in the 60s (which I actually remember, sort of), whatever turns you on. If the young ladies wished to draw attention to themselves they were successful. This makes me wonder whether the epithet "your mother wears combat boots" might have originated in St. Louis.
