Is there a connection between wine and fashion and beauty? Absolutely! They are inextricably linked in a myriad of ways. There is a unique lexicon for wine as there is for fashion and some of these terms actually crossover. Wine lovers describe wine with words such as body, texture, style and so too for fashionistas in the way they describe clothing. Fabric has body to it as well as texture and when someone has style, they are expressive and creative in an individual and often artistic way. Accordingly when wine has “style” it means that the wine exhibits the hallmarks of the individual winemaker, who is viewed as an artist who explores various approaches in order to coax the best potential from his grapes.
A winemaker has particular considerations when crafting his wine such as soil, weather conditions, geographic positions, grapes and vinification (the actual process of making wine). These are all integral to the process of producing the final product, especially for fine wines. Of course there is then branding, bottling and label design. In fashion, especially haute couture, there are also key elements that are important factors, which include high-quality, expensive fabrics, extreme attention to detail and finish, and hand sewing. Similarly champagne and haute couture both possess protected status. In France, champagne is under legal protection which states only the sparkling wine produced in the Champange region of France according to strict standards, can be defined as champagne. Also in France, haute couture is under official protection by which the term can can be utilized only by designers which ascribe to certain well-defined standards.
The concept of terroir in wine making and organic fabric in fashion are also relatable. Although they differ in definition, the fundamental idea of traceability and careful attention to the soil and micro-climate in both cases mirror each other. Terroir refers to the theory that the soil and local environment in which the grapes are grown effect its taste, thus the taste of soil is literally inherent in the grapes. As such winemakers must be extremely choosy about the soil and local environment. This is the same for farmers who produce organic cotton, for example. The attention to the soil and local environment is paramount. They won’t use chemical pesticides, bleaches or dyes. Natural fertilizers and soil and compost products are used, so that the soil remains uncontaminated and healthy.![]()
Perhaps one of the most exciting and natural affinities between wine and fashion and beauty is in the striking visual appeal of color. There are an amazingly wide array of wine colors and names to suit. While wine color isn’t a definitive indication of quality it can provide some clues. More distinctly wine color usually connotes other qualities such as type of grape, youth, maturity, sweetness, and viticulture techniques. Fashion and beauty often adopt wine colors to name their pieces. Note the following brands and the names of their products: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in “Bordeaux”, Miu Miu Stiletto Heel “Garnet”, Sephora Lush Flush Wine Lip and Cheek Stain. A product review says, “This is made with crushed grapes, which is precisely what the shade looks like once it’s dries: a beautiful translucent claret”. In fact even as far back as late 17th Century England, when William and Mary reigned, it is evidenced that, in men’s fashion, “claret color was the rage” (Clothing of the Seventeenth Century, http://www.oldandsold.com/articles09/clothes-27.shtml).
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick, Bordeaux
Sephora Lush Flush Wine Lip and Cheek Stain
Another commonality between wine and fashion is about silhouette. When a designer begins to create his or her collection one of their first tasks is to decide on the silhouettes they want to create. The silhouette refers to the basic outline or contour of the garment which can vary from waistless to A-line to low-waisted and blouson. In the world of wine it is common for different shaped glasses to be used for different types of wine and each glass has its own silhouette. A Bordeaux glass has a tall wide silhouette, while a burgundy glass is similar, but slightly larger. White wine glasses tend to have a narrower silhouette, whilst a champagne flute has the narrowest silhouette of all. In contrast sherry and port glasses have a distinctively shorter, more squat silhouette.
Dress Silhouette Examples
Wine Glass ExamplesIn conclusion there is a definite commiseration between the worlds of wine and fashion and beauty. Both delight the senses and have a long history of talented craftsmen at the helm. They confer aesthetic qualities to once-raw materials, require vision and dedication and have mass appeal but also evoke feelings of awe and mystery at the upper echelons.
