This blog has given me a chance to rethink my approach to clothes.  It’s like my very own “What Not To Wear”, except without the $5000 and embarrassment on national television.  I’ve had some realizations of what I’ve been doing wrong, and what I could do to make things better.  So, if you will, indulge me in my deep thinking about my wardrobe.

Realizations:

1.  As I’ve gotten older (remember?, 28 next month! holy crap!) I’ve transitioned from needing quantity clothes into needing quality clothes.  When I was in high school and college, pre-kids, I could pretty much get away with wearing whatever.  I was really rough on my clothes, and felt like I needed lots of clothes, so my goal was cheap stuff that fit well enough.  Now that I’ve had kids and I no longer have the body I did when I was 20, well enough is not good enough.  I’d rather have 2 pairs of jeans that fit perfectly than 10 pairs that fit kind of okay.  I’ve learned I don’t need to wash my clothes as often and obsessively as I did when I was younger (did you do that, too?  I used to wash jeans every time I wore them, crazy!) and I need clothes that really work for me now.  They don’t have to be expensive, they just need to be quality clothes.  Easy to mix and match, simple, timeless clothing with a handful of trendy pieces to liven things up.

2.  I’ve thought a lot about the responses from the interviews we’ve had on this site.  Here are some comments that have really stuck with me:

from our interview with Reachel of Cardigan Empire, she talked about modesty and said, “Demure dress allows your entire self to shine as one united front.  Overexposure is distracting; you become a collection of disjointed body parts.  It’s all people can see whether they want to or not; they miss the whole of you.” I love that, “the whole of you”…isn’t that what we want our clothing to do?  To work for us, not against us, and to show people who we are?  The whole of us?  I’ve thought about that phrase, “the whole of you” so many times since I read the interview.  Plus, doesn’t it sound like an awesome title for a song?

from our interview with Naomi of Rockstar Diaries, she talked about her wardrobe essentials and said, “It’s rare you’ll find me in something other than a dress or skirt (I don’t own a single pair of jeans) so my essential wardrobe items are pieces that compliment my dresses or skirts. Colorful tights, heels, a few t-shirts or blouses, simple cardigans, a big belt and handbag are my main essentials. I’ve never had a lot of accessories or jewelry so I like to call wearing a little lipstick accessorizing and I’m done.” I remember reading that and thinking, “What!?  Homegirl doesn’t wear jeans!?  What on earth would I wear if I didn’t wear jeans?”  Then I thought about how so much of what I love about her style is that she is so fun and flirty and feminine.  Then it clicked.  Hello?  Maybe wearing more skirts could help bring out the fun/flirty/feminine in me?  I don’t know why it was such a revelation, but believe me…it was.

from our interview with Andrea of DownEast Basics when she said, “I think we can all relate to a time when we try and wear clothing that may not be modest and we end up not even enjoying the event or situation at all because we are constantly tugging at the clothing or looking down to see what others may be able to see.  My goal is to create pieces that will rid women of this worry so they can spend more time enjoying life and those around them.  I want all women that wear DownEast Basics to feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful.” I loved that.  Sometimes the only criteria I have for choosing clothes is, “is it inexpensive and decently cute?”  So lame.  My new criteria is, “when I wear it do I feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful?”  So much better.

from our interview with Elaine of Clothed Much she said, “I usually weed out the clothes I haven’t worn or thought about wearing for a few months and trade them in for store credit at a consignment store so that when I find something I like, I don’t have to spend money out of my pocket. If I’m not wearing it, it’s not staying in the closet because that’s what they’re there for, to be worn.” I know we all know that we should give away the clothes we’re not wearing, but I loved how she just broke it down to the main point, “that’s what they’re there for, to be worn.”  I thought about how much of what’s in my closet is there because I used to really like it, when I used to fit into it, and I keep thinking about how it could be great again.  But all the while it just sits in my closet, unworn, mocking me.  You know what I mean?  Or, I have items that I got on a super sale but never found myself wearing them because the fit is all wrong, and somehow keeping them in my closet is like my penance for buying such a stupid shirt/skirt/or whatever.  So silly.  Elaine has the perfect plan, though.  Take the items you don’t wear to a consignment shop so that you can get a little bit of that money back as you shop for something new!  So simple and so perfect!

What are your fashion revelations?  What are your deep thoughts?  Or even your not-so-deep-thoughts?  Please share!

Related posts:

1. Interview with Elaine of ClothedMuch
2. Color Wednesday: Deep Purple
3. New Years Fashion Resolutions.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 20th, 2009 at 10:33 am and is filed under Editorial, Emily's Favorites. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.