Of corsetry and platforms
Oct. 8th, 2003 05:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ambitious_wenchOne of the greatest temptations that I have at renn faire is the many opportunities to spend much too much money on garb. There's Moresca, the clothier that supplied my garb this year. There is Threads of Time, where most of the players ran to when we were inundated with rain, because they had heavy twill capes for a reasonable $65(US). There's Half Moon, who makes beautiful wool capes. Other vendors are simply too numerous to mention.
Quality varies widely. It's distressing to see beautiful fabric ill-treated in poor workmanship; even sadder to see fine workmanship wasted on trashy fabric.
However, I think the very best of them all is "The Other Woman", Corsets and Fine Dressmaking.
I tried one on, and fell in love. I loved the way it held me in place, gave me a beautiful shape.
What struck me is that as I wore it, I didn't see the corset. I saw *me*. And I liked what I saw.
When I took it off, I took the time to look at it closely. It was made of the most beautiful brocades, and in spite of the strain on the seams (don't GO there!) it didn't pull free. The stays were unbent, and the grommets were not mishapen in the least. and I was assured by Dave that *my* corset would be custom fitted, that the fitting model wasn't perfect, that it could be improved by taking my body into consideration, my tastes. It was fully customizable, from adding lace to a lacing cover in the back. That it would be fitted to *me*. However, one corset will set you back between $300-$600 if it's made to measure, and in some cases will cost about $900 if it's custom fitted in person and cut to order. Too rich for my meager purse, but oh, I can see how it would be worth every penny.
Which leads me to a corollary in the computing world.
I've been using this Mac for several months now. I've had my moments of frustration. I've done my share of bitching and kvetching, and probably more. But one thing I've said from the beginning is that I find the system visually stunning. It is truly beautiful. But between my amazement at the visual beauty of the interface, and my frustration at the almost-familiar way of doing familiar tasks, I have been missing small details indicative of great workmanship.
From the choosing of the fabric to the tucking of seams, to customized fittings, Mac OSX is worth the exorbitant price.
While the fabric is sturdy, it is visually stunning. The stays are Unix, stable and supportive. It means that going forward, developers will likely produce outstanding programs for the Mac. But what is truly remarkable are the little finishing details, masterfully executed to make my computing experience smooth and effortless. Like being able to click and drag an entire text field to another program. Like being able to file in a subfolder by clicking and dragging and holding it there until the folder opens, and then to the next subfolder, and the next.
Like a corset, it's not easy to get into. At first, it can be too tight, or it can pinch. For those who are not used to wearing a corset, it takes some adjustment. It may even take someone to help you to fit it properly. But it should NOT be painful, nor should it be restrictive. It should straighten your back, smooth your lines, and shape you gently but firmly without giving way at the seams.
A computer should provide you with unobtrusive assistance, should be comfortable to use without being obstructive. But by and far, a computer should facilitate making you feel good about what you are doing.
My Mac does all of that and more.
Yes, Jazz, OS X is very sexy. Just like a well-made and properly fitted corset.
Quality varies widely. It's distressing to see beautiful fabric ill-treated in poor workmanship; even sadder to see fine workmanship wasted on trashy fabric.
However, I think the very best of them all is "The Other Woman", Corsets and Fine Dressmaking.
I tried one on, and fell in love. I loved the way it held me in place, gave me a beautiful shape.
What struck me is that as I wore it, I didn't see the corset. I saw *me*. And I liked what I saw.
When I took it off, I took the time to look at it closely. It was made of the most beautiful brocades, and in spite of the strain on the seams (don't GO there!) it didn't pull free. The stays were unbent, and the grommets were not mishapen in the least. and I was assured by Dave that *my* corset would be custom fitted, that the fitting model wasn't perfect, that it could be improved by taking my body into consideration, my tastes. It was fully customizable, from adding lace to a lacing cover in the back. That it would be fitted to *me*. However, one corset will set you back between $300-$600 if it's made to measure, and in some cases will cost about $900 if it's custom fitted in person and cut to order. Too rich for my meager purse, but oh, I can see how it would be worth every penny.
Which leads me to a corollary in the computing world.
I've been using this Mac for several months now. I've had my moments of frustration. I've done my share of bitching and kvetching, and probably more. But one thing I've said from the beginning is that I find the system visually stunning. It is truly beautiful. But between my amazement at the visual beauty of the interface, and my frustration at the almost-familiar way of doing familiar tasks, I have been missing small details indicative of great workmanship.
From the choosing of the fabric to the tucking of seams, to customized fittings, Mac OSX is worth the exorbitant price.
While the fabric is sturdy, it is visually stunning. The stays are Unix, stable and supportive. It means that going forward, developers will likely produce outstanding programs for the Mac. But what is truly remarkable are the little finishing details, masterfully executed to make my computing experience smooth and effortless. Like being able to click and drag an entire text field to another program. Like being able to file in a subfolder by clicking and dragging and holding it there until the folder opens, and then to the next subfolder, and the next.
Like a corset, it's not easy to get into. At first, it can be too tight, or it can pinch. For those who are not used to wearing a corset, it takes some adjustment. It may even take someone to help you to fit it properly. But it should NOT be painful, nor should it be restrictive. It should straighten your back, smooth your lines, and shape you gently but firmly without giving way at the seams.
A computer should provide you with unobtrusive assistance, should be comfortable to use without being obstructive. But by and far, a computer should facilitate making you feel good about what you are doing.
My Mac does all of that and more.
Yes, Jazz, OS X is very sexy. Just like a well-made and properly fitted corset.
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no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 03:22 pm (UTC)And you analogy is graceful and I'm sure when Jazz reads this he will find it just as flattering as that corset must have been on you.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 04:27 pm (UTC)You might want to check those links, though, for the sake of those of us who want to covet clothing - they're not getting out of the LJ domain at the moment without help.
*snuggle* It seems to me that it's perfectly natural for you to like what you see, in both instances, too. The thought of your gorgeous curves in a corset is positively swoonworthy...
no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 04:40 pm (UTC)You do flatter me, Shakira!
I've fixed the links--I'd forgotten that fresh links need the http:// in them or they append to the existing URL.
Thanks for pointing it out to me.
*Snuggle back*
no subject
Date: 2003-10-13 05:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-08 07:58 pm (UTC)::blink:: Oh, sorry! Got lost for a moment there.
It never ceases to amaze me when people who are used to working around Windows discover how Mac works with them. They usually spend a couple of weeks anticipating something in the OS fighting against them, only to never have it happen. They're tense, waiting for the ambush that never comes. And when the finally relax and begin to appreciate the GUI for what it is, it's like a revelation to them. The comment I hear most often is, "This is what Windows should be like!" The problem is that Windows can't be like Mac, it can only offer a pale imitation of its functionality.
It sounds like you've made the cross-over, and finally, truly, joined the enlightened few. Welcome to Macintosh. :-)
no subject
Date: 2003-10-09 06:40 am (UTC)No, I wouldn't say that I was working *around* Windows--I was working very well with it. Once you learn the functions, it's not a bad OS, really. It's the company that produces the software that I have issues with, not the OS.
In fact, there are things in Windows XP that I miss on my Mac--I find myself using the mouse far too frequently because there are no keystroke shortcuts. However, from what I understand, keymapping is one of the new features of Panther.
I did my share of fighting with OS X, trust me. And believe it or not, I still get the occasional odd thing happening on my Mac that I have no clue what causes it. Like programs inexplicably closing in the middle of a function, or the odd crash.
No, this is NOT what Windows should be like. It would make Windows too cost prohibitive. There's room on the Information Highway for all sorts of vehicles.
By and large, the corset analogy works. Mac OS X is well made by masters of the trade, is stable, supportive, and looks stunning in use. But not everyone can handle being in a corset, even one as well made and fitted as this one.
AW