norwegianne said:
But a comparison with Diana will be wrong at this point. What were Diana's charities and patronages after 1 1/2 years of marriage? The landmines and Aids - didn't they first come until later?
This is a very important point, norwegianne. Not only Diana but Princess Alexandra was given a bit of time to find her role. It was taken for granted that marrying into royal life would be an adjustment that would take time to make. This luxury does not seem to be given to Mary for whatever reason.
Perhaps it was the hype surrounding Mary, who knows, but the present media does tend to peg people into holes that are convenient for them to build a story around. The media aren't the only ones; with the faster and faster pace of modern life and the barrage of media messages we are bombarded with, I think we are more likely than before to size someone up quickly and put a label on them if we can't figure them out.
This brings us to the fashion-obsessed label which makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Mary is an attractive girl that can look spectacular at times but having being raised by a fashionista mother, I can say definitely that Mary is not a fashionista.
Fashionistas consider fashion as high art, in the same class as music, painting, or culinary art and their piece de resistance is the "turnout", putting together a look that is both individual and creates a very consicious presence. Fashion's disciples spend a lifetime learning and enhancing the art of the turnout. They are experts at it and can talk about it forever in the same way that chefs can argue extensively about the best bearnaise sauce (I know having heard enough from my mother-obviously I am not a fashionista
)
They are fanatical about it and they never leave the house without a good turnout. Whether they are wearing jeans and a t-shirt or the latest fashions, every single time they step out, they sweat the details to make sure the whole look is just what they intend. When all the pieces fit together seamless to make a look, that is called the successful turnout.
They follow fashion religiously but adapt it to enhancing their own look. My mother's favorite saying was that when she was turned out correctly, nobody noticed the clothes, they noticed her. Fashionistas treat their bodies and their clothes like a concerto violinist would approach a musical composition, adding a nuance here, taking off something there. While the clothes are certainly part of the turnout, they are only one of the pieces.
Diana became a fashionista after she was married for awhile. At first she just accepted whatever fashion designers threw at her but at some point, she decided that she really wanted to learn how to create a look. I don't know who her first teachers were, but she quickly embraced the principles of high fashion to such an extent as to make my fashionista mother proud. Every time she stepped out, she had a look that was individual and created a strong and distinct statement. Princess Caroline is another fashionista and as with most fashionistas, she spends most of her time shopping.
I think Mary enjoys nice clothes, she likes looking good but she hasn't wholeheartedly embraced fashion's principles and made them her own to create an unmistakeable presence that has her mark on it. Some of her looks are missing key details that no self-respecting fashionista would leave home without. Not being a fashionista, I don't mind; I think she still looks good, but my mother the fashionista would point them out.
An example of inattention to detail was noticed by some Danes with the way Mary held Christian at the christening. The gown is designed so that the mother can hold the baby securely in such a way so as to show off the full extent of the lacework and embroidery. Some people complained to BT that nobody showed Mary how to pull it off but if she had been an expert at the turnout she would have known instinctively that there was a certain way to hold the baby to show off the gown and either figured it out herself or asked. I thought she looked good and still do but when I read details of how the gown was made, I realized that this is a basic detail that a fashionista would be aware of and Mary obviously was not aware.
This brings us to an interesting phenomenon that Mary herself has not given us a strong and unmistakeable identity of who she is. In the absence of a strong identity from Mary herself, I think the press is creating an identity for her and whether its positive or negative, this identity really has nothing to do with Mary herself.
The answer in the longterm is for Mary to fully embrace something that ignites her passion so that she can create an identity for herself. Whether the reaction is positive or negative, we'll get a sense of the real Mary if it is something that she herself has created. I personally don't see a problem if she decides to immerse herself in high fashion. It hasn't hurt other princesses, because they are indulging their passion, we get a sense of the person behind the hype. It doesn't matter that fashion is seen as lightweight by some because the women involved definitely take it seriously and it shows. If Mary wants to stay at home with Fred and become totally domestic, that's fine too as long as she really goes for it.
I think in the present media climate, the worst thing people accuse you of of not making a strong statement not necessarily making a wrong statement.
