Are you into the latest fashions--watching trends, updating your wardrobe? Sadly, I am not. A few years ago, I did a big closet clean out. Going through my closet, I was amazed to see that I had a very consistent fashion sense throughout years and years of clothing. I call it “What Was I Thinking?”
Not everyone could rock these striped pants.... 
or this smoking hat
When I shop, and I will tell you that I actually hate shopping, I am torn between the need to buy something that I know I will be able to use vs the desire to try something new. Because of misguided purchases, handfuls of maybe this will work clothes get pushed further and further to the back of my closet. In the back, there are also sets of if I ever clothes: if I ever drop a size, I’ll wear these; if I ever rejoin the corporate world, I’ll wear these; if I ever go to a costume party, I’ll wear these. There’s not much room left in the back of my closet. Realizing what works for me, I tend to wear the same clothes over and over and over again, while other clothes hang untouched. When my favorite boots wore out, I scoured the internet until I finally found the exact same boots, and quickly ordered an identical pair. I’ve learned to buy the exact same pants in multiple colors, because I know they fit right. I don’t get tired of my clothes, so much as wear them out from overuse. This set of clothing right here, that’s what I always wear.
I’ve recently gotten on a kick of thrift shopping. I have this overall sense of our society’s tendency towards wastefulness. Imagine going into your typical clothing store. There are racks and racks of clothes, often skews of sizes for each design. Stores targeted to young adults and teens are often the most crammed with merchandise. There is no way that every item in the store will be sold. My understanding is that, with the change of seasons, many of those clothes will be discarded, or even burned, with a few being donated to some worthy cause. It seems so wasteful to manufacture so much stuff that will head to the landfill without ever being used. Amirite?? This is probably true of many product lines, but to me, it seems especially poignant in clothing. Clothes, which for many of us, are more a desire, than necessity. I know, the industry provides many jobs—cotton farmers, textile workers, fashion designers, manufacturers, transportation workers, buyers, store clerks, and more. But, if all of their hard work is going into something that nobody really needs…….okayyyyyyyy, I get that uneasy feeling that somebody might need to take a hard look at something, to see where we might want to go from here. The fact that the retail industry and malls are slowly slipping away, and online shopping is soaring—that might self-correct some of the wastefulness that we have come to accept. It might tip the scales enough to reset the clothing industry to be a little more balanced in supply and demand. Or, maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about.
Meanwhile, I take my own personal stand by shopping at thrift stores. I will shop at a traditional department store, at times. But, you will often catch me thrifting. I figure that I can find something that someone else is finished using. I have definitely used poor judgement and come home with a flop or two—something that I thought I could rework, but, it wouldn’t come together at all. That’s OK, I only wasted $2, so I didn’t shed a tear. As a preschool teacher, much of my day is spent sitting on the floor, wiping up spills, and pouring paint, so my work clothes must be functional. At thrift stores, I have discovered many clothes suitable for work, and many clothes suitable for dressier occasions. If you haven’t spent much time in thrift stores, I have to warn you that thrifting is not for the faint of heart. You have to realize that you will consider 80% of what you see to be completely unusable. As much as I hate shopping, I do enjoy finding a hidden gem. And, I have found quite a few gems, things that work perfectly for me. Some of my favorite clothes came from the thrift store.
One of my daughters is very keen on fashion. She enjoys buying clothes. She does a good job of blending current trends with her own sense of style. She produces eye-catching ensembles. I know that some of my ensembles are eye-catching, too, but not in a good way. Are you wearing THAT? The height of my daughter’s fashion is like a mountain. The height of my fashion is like a molehill. I’m ok with that. If I look in the mirror and nod approvingly, I’m good.
I can’t say that I’m into fashion, or that I necessarily understand the industry. I’m thankful that I have clothes on my back and options to choose from. I know that fashion influences many things in our society. While the clothes we wear can certainly make a statement, I wonder what statements we really want to make? Can a person be summed up, based on what he or she is wearing? I see how you’re dressed, so, I know what kind of person you are. That’s all too often what happens. Who knew there were so many philosophical questions tied around the fashion industry?
As usual, I don’t have answers to the questions I pose. But, I do like to pose in front of the mirror, and check out my clothes from this angle and that angle. On days where I feel confident in my clothes, I feel confident in my actions. On days where I question what I’m wearing, I often dissolve a little bit throughout the day. I guess that’s why my choice of clothing can be important; it sets the tone for how I feel about myself.
I recently found 2 quotes that I thought were apropos. The first, from fashion icon Iris Apfel, and the second from renowned scientist Albert Einstein.
"Fashion you can buy, but style you possess. The key to style is learning who you are, which takes years. There's no how-to road map to style. It's about self expression and, above all, attitude."
Iris Apfel
"If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies...It would be a sad situation if the wrapper were better than the meat wrapped inside it."
Albert Einstein
I’m not sure what fashions you'll find me wearing. I'm not sure what my style is, but I’m pretty sure its not chic, or elegant, or edgy, or preppy, or sexy. You might see me looking a little shabby in my outfit of the day, but it’s part of my style—that’s who I am. And, you can rest assured that I want to look presentable, but my efforts are focused less on the wrapper, and more on what’s going on inside. Or, at least I hope they are.