I remember moments by the clothes that I was wearing. The story of my life is woven into the fibers of my garments. I recall vividly the dark blue dress with a black silk rose that made me feel beautiful at the 6th grade dance. The lightweight linen dress custom-made for me that I wore to my college graduation. The heavy cashmere of the Loro Piana checked coat I bought to mark my transition into “adult life” in New York. The heavy satin cream of my mom’s wedding dress that I wore to my own wedding twenty-five years after her.
Clothes are so much more than their physical qualities, and I think that’s where non-fashionistas often get tripped up. Clothes carry the histories of the people, cultures, and time periods that wear them. People who don’t like or “get” fashion don’t see past the physical garments.
But to love fashion is to love the experience of wearing clothes. And the best clothes aren’t the trendy fashion pieces that are in one season and out the next. They are the pieces that have unique stories sewn into them. When you care about fashion and clothes, you choose pieces with meaning, and you imbue meaning into your clothes.
I’m fortunate in my life to have the opportunity to travel extensively. Whenever I travel, instead of buying tchotchkes and knicknacks, I love to buy an item of clothing. When I wear that piece, it reminds me of the experience I had finding it. The clothes I find are often second-hand or vintage, and I love to think about the lives the people in each city or country lived before I found this item of theirs. In Amsterdam, I discovered a paint-splattered suede skirt I later wore on my first day of college. In Mexico, I spent the whole trip in a maxi dress that will forever remind me of getting engaged. Every time I wear these pieces, I remember the moment I found them and the happy moments I’ve lived in them. This, to me, is the power of clothing: to intentionally live in and live out happy moments.
A version of this essay was originally included in the Cool and Thoughtful magazine.
Updates on the bag project—flash sale!
To make room for spring inventory (yay!), I am doing a flash sale of remaining inventory. Here’s how it will work: each week, I’ll share the remaining inventory here to give newsletter subscribers first pick. The sale will increase each week, but, if you wait, your favorite bag may sell out! I will ship the bags out right away.
Week 1: 20% off
Week 2: 30% off
Week 3: 40% off
Week 4: 50% off
This week’s code for 20% off is CAPTHOUGHTS.
You can see full product descriptions with more photos on the website here.
Look of the week
Spotted at the Ruth Asawa exhibit at the Whitney. I walked into my office the other day and the entire vibe was drab shades of gray and black (mine included!). I love some bright colors on cold winter days. This woman just looks like she’s having fun in an orange puffer coat and magenta hat, paired with cowprint boots. No need for your clothes to match this dreary winter weather!
What’s on the bedside table
I devoured (pun intended) Lunch Poems by Frank O’Hara. I picked up a copy at City Lights in San Francisco, where it is published. My friend asked me who actually reads a book of poetry cover to cover and the answer is me. These short poems do feel like bites of lunch. They’re snippets of O’Hara’s thoughts as he walks around New York. Taken together, they feel like a conversation with your wittiest and most observant friend. Some of his lines feel like the first cold breeze of winter that hits your face—clarifying, exhilarating, and like something finally arrived after much anticipation. If you’re in a reading rut, I prescribe a book of poetry, which is a bite-size way to ease back into reading.
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This week I will be dancing my feet off at ballet class and staying bundled from the cold.