Taking the Husband to Fashion Week

Jimmy and I last night at the Refinery 29 party. Photo by Zana for Refinery29.

Fashion Week, for my husband, is like a Christopher Guest montage of absurd moments and ridiculous soundbites. Jimmy does not work in the industry, and has little more interest in it than the average consumer. It has no direct impact on his life, except that it means that I will be infinitely busier, and that there will be a preponderance of fashion-related events where he can possibly drink for free. Who cares about the clothes when there is free booze involved? I therefore brought him along for Fashion's Night Out, where he got wasted like a fourteen year old girl, while I was busy DJing. "I had nothing to do! You were busy DJing and I was bored!" was his excuse for downing free cocktail after cocktail while people around him chattered away about biker chic and Balmain. I started to feel a little guilty.

Worrying that he might feel neglected during this week, like Rachel Zoe's somewhat sad husband Rodger, I invited Jimmy to be my date to the Richard Chai show on Saturday afternoon. Richie was presenting his new line of lower priced women's wear, Love, followed by his men's collection. The Love girl is designed to be the counterpart to the Richard Chai man, so it couldn't be a more perfect show to bring a date to, right? But what if your date is only half interested, and really grumpy from lack of sleep and not being able to find matching socks? Although the women's show wasn't my style, I thought the Richard Chai men's show totally fit into my husband's slightly-preppy-with-a-rogueish-twist look. He disagreed mostly, even though I know that there a plenty of pieces from the collection that he would wear in real life, and did his own write-up of it on his non-fashion related blog.

After this, I gave up. I hit the parties with my friends, and let him stay at home, a safe distance away from all the irksome fashion folk, and an even further distance from all the free alcohol. Then last night I was heading out when he inquired where I was off to. I told him I was going to the Refinery 29 party where Of Montreal would be performing, but hadn't bothered to invite him since I was tired of being shot down. "Of Montreal? I love Of Montreal! Why didn't you invite me?" he asked, accusing me of hiding my plans. He ended up coming along, and for the first time all week, actually having a good time as we danced along to the psych-pop veterans. Lesson learned. All you need is some decent music to keep a churlish husband at bay during Fashion Week. I have a few more shows and parties to attend before I call it a week (and then go into market), but I think I'll leave him at home. I'd rather end his NYFW on a high note.

Jimmy during Fashion's Night Out at Otte, wearing his Woolrich Woolen Mills jacket, Kim Jones x Umbro shirt, A.P.C. jeans, and Clarks.

A look from the Richard Chai men's show that I thought was very appropriate for my husband. Photo from Style.com

-Tiffany