Last week I had an animated email exchange with Kathryn about building a work wardrobe. I realized in my response how fully I’ve come to rely on a uniform when dressing for work – really, when dressing, period. It’s one of those things that the women’s magazines (which I read copiously and faithfully, in all their mixed-message glory) talk about that I was startled to realize I had grown into. For better or for worse, I’m a creature of habit and that extends to how I clothe myself, what I eat, etc.
Not sure this is scintillating reading but it’s what I’m thinking about right now.
When I went running today I realized that was another place where I have a uniform. In the summer I wear one of a couple of pairs of black running shorts and an Old Navy tank top (only hot pink, pale blue, or gray). Always. I do not vary.
On days at home I wear Juicy sweat pants and flip flops and a wifebeater tank top (summer), long sleeve tee shirt and sneakers (spring or fall), or cashmere long-sleeved tee shirt and sneakers (winter). If I really feel like dressing up I will put jeans on on the bottom; the tops remain the same. I have a collection of girls tee shirts (XL) from Old Navy that I sometimes wear. If it’s really hot I have a couple of sundresses from the juniors section of Target that I’ll wear, often over a white wifebeater (which I buy in bulk from Old Navy).
For work I wear black pants (Theory Max C, always – I buy these pants over the phone now, and have the store email me photographs of the fabrics) with a cashmere sweater or a jacket. Or a dress (with tights or high boots in winter, with heels in summer). Basically that’s it.
Without realizing it I have converged on some absolute rules. Pants are either straight leg/boot cut and long enough to cover a heeled shoe or cropped slightly above the ankle and pegged, with flats. Not too tight. Mostly they are black with the notable exception of white jeans and my trusty Max C’s in navy, chocolate brown, and charcoal gray. Sweaters are crew neck and snug fitting, always solid colors. Dresses are solid colors, mostly black, with an exception for a patterned DVF wrap dress. Lately I think black is very chic in the summer.
I don’t personally wear a lot of blouses and I am lousy at layering though I admire both on others. I don’t gravitate towards skirts though I do like dresses. My jewelry is similarly very simplistic; I like how necklaces, bracelets, and earrings look on others but find they are fussy on me. J Crew and Theory make up about 90% of what I wear, and jeans are Paige, Joe’s, or Rock & Republic. In summary I like simple lines (straight leg pants, sheath dresses, crewneck sweaters), solid colors, and I get almost everything I own tailored.
For dress up I like knee length cocktail dresses, I like strapless, and I like strappy metallic sandals with a stiletto heel. Other than a couple of floral Tuleh dresses (great ebay finds) I mostly do solid colors there too. I don’t really do mini but think that looks great on people with long, lean legs. My favorite dress of the last 6 months is a navy blue Rebecca Taylor dress that has spaghetti straps and a very loose almost blousy fit.
I haven’t spent much blogtime on my interest in clothing, and even as I write this I’m thinking (a) how boring – both the topic and how you dress, lady! and (b) how superficial to be interested in clothing … but I am, I always have been, and there you go.
Yesterday morning I took Grace and Whit to Buttonwood Zoo in New Bedford. It was a crystalline blue-sky, 82 degree day: perfect. They ran around, looked at the animals, rode the little train, took pony rides (Grace took two because Whit, in a rare fit of anxiety, didn’t want to go), had chicken nuggets and french fries for lunch and huge Spiderman popsicles. Other than a couple of scream-the-rafters-down tantrums by Whit it was a lovely morning.
