A shoe label that one would think would be right up my fashion street is Irregular Choice. How many times on this blog have I gone on (and on and on…) about the ugly/pretty balance that I so like to intrepidly flit between. It’s just damn unfortunate that everytime I see Irregular Choice shoes in person, the majority of them always tip the balance of ugly/pretty into just plain ugly for me. THAT is really saying something for someone who crosses over to bad taste ever so frequently. It’s either something about the heel shape, the finish of the shoe or just something niggling at me that I can’t quite pinpoint that means I have never bought anything from Irregular Choice. It’s like I feel the intentions behind them were spot on, but somehow it comes out a little wrong. There’s the odd exception of course like these boots which I’m now hankering for after going through IC’s site with a fine toothed comb just to check that I’m not making a complete poot of a judgement call.
However, Irregular Choice’s new clothing line which isn’t on sale yet but up for preview for a week from now, as we are living in the age of participatory internet behaviour, they want your comments about it, I haven’t yet made that judgement call. I’m torn. Again, it’s dancing between adjectives; this time, tacky and adorable. Motifs, cartoons and whimsical graphics are indulged by myself when I buy Bernhard Willhelm, JCDC, KTZ or Cassette Playa and so I shouldn’t really object against IR’s clothing range on those grounds. Yet something again is holding me back from declaring this as wonderfully cute. I quite like the idea of them using a teddy bear motif as I still have that image of the cute Japanese girl carrying round a teddy bear purse at London Fashion Week in Feb seared onto my brain.
This time, a second opinion really is needed though. Borrowing from Catwalk Queen, their yay or nay idea is really very handy. So push me either way – yay or nay on IC’s clothing range? Seeing as they’re after public opinion, you could really sway their design choices. Smaller teddy bears? Less pink? Hey, it’s the 21st century – the fate of a clothing line is in your hands!
I *think* I like it. The teddy bears are quite cute, and I quite like how large they are as well… I should like the top right dress, but it looks far too much like a nightie. I do, however, quite like the bottom left dress and the long sleeve t-shirt on the bottom right is highly adorable.
thank you for articulating the problem with IC shoes. for me it just ends up looking like an approximation of what they think is in Cutie magazine. for me it lacks conviction and seems fake for a brand that has such a striking and individualistic identity…for some reason it reminds me of what’s wrong with Harajuku Lovers….having said that although i wouldn’t buy the clothes they don’t look bad. i’m seeing a little bit of merci beau coup influence…better than the shoes but…..
I think they’ve forgotten that they’re designing clothes, not posters. Sure, the imagery’s fine (not delightful, but fine) but where is the shape in their clothing? Clothing is meant to be worn on the body, and should presumably do something for the body, not just hang off it like a shapeless sack (i.e. the grey dress).
I used to love IC back when they first started out (i have a pair of the cutest black and white polka dot shoes) but i haven’t seen any pair of shoes that aren’t ridiculously overdone to the point of unwearability for the last few years. And this clothing line is hardly a step in the right direction. I’m always looking for individual clothes but these are way off.
Also, it has one of the worst designed websites I’ve ever seen.
Love your blog btw, I’m a daily reader.
x
yey
You’ve been tagged.
Visit my blog to see what it’s about.
http://www.crrackerboxfashion.blogspot.com
I’m really grateful that you commented me, and there’s really no need to apologise at all. It was tongue in cheek and I have to admit, though I don’t get nearly as many comments as you do I still find it hard to answer all of them, and I don’t even have to work like you do! So thankyou for commenting anyway and I’m sorry to have embarresed you- that definatitely wasn’t my intention.
and as for yay or nay to irregular choice… with this collection, I say yay, and those boots are amazing, it has to be said.
the clothes are definitely interesting – the one on the top right, and bottom left, even bottom right, are all ok. But what makes them so off putting is how they’ve been styled! The model looks like she’d belong more in some spingly-spangly bit of blah from ASOS, or probably a stereotypical emo uniform (that limp half-assed hair! the overdone eyemakeup! guh…) all turning the clothes into some faux-harajuku costume.
so nay overall (unless I saw them hugely discounted on sale…)
I actually really like the look of IR shoes, but every pair I’ve tried on looked and felt cheaply made. The clothing in those photos kinda looks the same to me.
I’m not impressed in the least. Sigh. I wanted to be.
I agree with you about the shoes. Irregular Choice usually gives me the feeling that they’re not trying to make their shoes interesting, but just as weird as they possibly can. It’s all just a tad too much for me.
The clothing, however, looks rather nice in my opinion. Of course not everything appeals to me, but I like the bottom stuff in this post along with some things I’ve seen on the website. I feel like they’ve kept the whimsical theme more balanced with these items. Like the top on the bottom right: the cutesy bear is able to shine, because the design of the t-shirt is rather simple. Yes, I think I would buy that shirt if it wasn’t too expensive.
not really into the hoodie or the striped shirt, but the pictures on the right looks pretty cute…
I really enjoy IC’s shoes (at least most of them) on an aesthetic level, but I have found through trial and error and more error that they do not fit those of us with larger feet! I wear a 41 and on the rare occasions when a store that carries IC has my size, the shoe is ridiculously uncomfortable. The clothing reminds me of the nighties I used to applique when I was 9. They look cheap and Midwestern.
I have those very boots! I ordered them from the Irregular Choice website around 2 months ago and I adore them. I love the whole “tied-up-with-string” feel to them and the bagginess. One thing though (which may be a pro or con depending on your preference) the leather is soft but very thin around the calf.
I am a fan of Irregular Choice in general – I love the idea behind them and the little details, but I do agree that some of it is a bit hit and miss. I’ve bought four pairs online as I’m in Australia, and admit that I have been disappointed once but I’m pretty good at sifting through the good and bad. As for the clothes preview… well the nightie-types wouldn’t suit me at all but I quite like the designs. There’s one jacket on the site that I really like (I’m all about strange sleeves).
I think the clothes are cute. If the shirts are not overpriced, I would think about getting one. But their shoes, albeit nice sometimes, tend to fit so uncomfortably. As if they dont take into consideration width and length when making the freaking shoe.
looks like sleeping gown to me! is that a bad thing?
I was so excited when I heard IC were doing a clothing line but now- I’m just disappointed. The clothing looks like it was done at the last minute and reminds me of a fantastic idea I once had for an essay but I wrote it the day before and it ended up to be an apalling piece of poorly executed rubbish……………
i say nay. it all looks ‘different for the sake of being different’ with grave instances of disrespect to proportion. the teddy bear on the tshirt is much too big, either it needs to be smaller or ditch the tshirt and let the teddy bear engulf the whole body. I rarely ever say this, but it’s just not crazy enough. It’s like a slightly watered down eccentric, and eccentric is not a look you should do without conviction.
I don’t like them I’m afraid – like the Irregular Choice shoe range they are just inelegant – overdesigned for the sake of it, rather than to enhance or explore a particular theme or look. Just a bit clumsy and cheap. Odd for the sake of it, rather than quirky and cool. Sorry!
i just read your comment on lipstick lady and have to say it was one of the nicest comments ive ever read. me and alanna (who writes it) are best friends and we read you blog religiously but have refrained from commenting (much) because we assumed that you just dont have time to comment back.
Now after reading your comment on her blog i realize that all the comments you get are appreciated and so i have decided to comment you much more (i actually dont think i ever have before!)
Hmmm…not a huge fan of the clothing, looks like they spent much more time designing the graphics than the cut or fit. I like to wear clothes that have some volume, but only when they are well-designed.
That said, I just bought my first pair of IC shoes this summer – and I really really love them! People keep staring at my feet, lol
http://www.irregularchoicestore.co.uk/3318-3A-12.html
i like teddy bears in general right now.
as for IC shoes. i am always drawn to them in stores for the clashing colours and fun shapes. but i also find they ring untrue. somehow they come off as trite? something is just wrong. like those boots, overall look great. but the heel and the fabric on the heel, uh….
i think the clothes are ugly. I can see teenagers with no taste wearing them, but that’s all.
I used to be really into IC shoes, but I grew out of them (figuratively, ha). They’re more for a younger, 20-year old me who was all about dressing to shock. During that time I wore plenty of outrageously hideous outfits that I thought showed off my fashion sense. I did like a pair of ankle boots they have on the site, which I just might buy, but only in a sophisticated black.
I just can’t hang with IC – too crafty in a bad way, it looks slapped together in a lazy way. It’s like they’re trying to look spontaneous and fun, but it’s just overdone and not pretty. And I shudder to think what could possibly be worn with the shoes. If the clothing line is supposed to be that outfit, they are WRONG!
I agree with these comments, the clothing are hideous and worst, they look like pyjamas
Yay to the clothes, nay to the shoes