A Little Sole-Searching? The Story of a Pair of Boots

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I recently had these boots resoled and reheeled (a dying art in a world of fast fashion), and as part of my commitment to make/mend/thrift, I felt these boots encapsulated a lot of those values as well as some other, nonsartorial, things.

I’m pretty sure my mother bought these Robert Clergerie boots for me at Bergdorf Goodman in 1995/1996.  I remember that the ladyfriend and I were still maintaining separate apartments and more importantly, separate finances.

For years my mother and I have had a semi-annual date to go shopping in New York, a tradition that has lasted into the almost 11 years I’ve been in Hamilton.  On each of these trips, my mother buys something for me.  My receptivity to this has varied over the years.  There was a time when I didn’t want her to buy me anything because I thought it undermined my independence and sense of adulthood; there was a time when it made me anxious because I knew she’d feel the day was a failure if I didn’t have something to show for it; there was the passive-aggressive phase when I tried to maximize my haul.  Over the past twenty or so years, I’ve come to a more nuanced understanding of this dynamic.

--> But in ‘95/’96 I was in the early years of my relationship both with my ladyfriend and living in NYC.  Shopping with my mother let me feel, for an afternoon at least, that I was not struggling financially in a demanding city (my mother had initially been against my move) and that I was really the woman I presented to the world i.e. able to afford her well-appointed life.  It was important that I had a moment where I felt like the concept I had of myself (yes, fostered at that time by my mother) was authentic to me. 

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Pleased as Punch

Sweater: Sophia Loren pattern, knit by yours truly in LettLopi (brought from Iceland by the ladyfriend)
Skirt:  Casual Connection (thrifted)
Boots:  La Canadienne
Tights:  Hue

What I'm Wearing to Teach Today: Details, Details, Details

Turtleneck:  Three Dots
Vest:  Noro pattern & yarn, knit by yours truly
Skirt:  Yohji Yamamoto
Shoes:  Blundstones

Freakin' Adorable Dress (That I Will Not Be Buying)

Kate Davies was wearing this dress (without it's matching jacket) while modeling her new cardigan pattern, and it's freakin' adorable.  Yes, I would wear this.  The cardigan she designed is great with it.  She always does such a great job of styling her shoots, and I often find myself loving things she's wearing.   What a swell dress!

Clothes I Thought About Buying: Blackbird Studio Dress

Last night was really the first time I had to remind myself that I'm on a make/mend/thrift journey (I like the idea of journeys).  The ladyfriend and I were walking to Mesa for dinner (yum yum yum) and talking about my decision to take the Brompton off the London roads (where I use it to get to and from work during the school year) until the thaw.  This decision will save me close to $200 because I won't be buying studded tires for it (a little sad).  So as we came upon Blackbird Studios, I saw this dress in the window and without thinking said, "Well, I could buy this now."  A split second later, I said, "Oh yeah, I can't."  And that was that.

Wardrobe Thoughts & Plans

So for 2016, I've taken the make/mend/thrift pledge, which means no buying new clothes.  I don't really feel like I purchase a lot of new clothing each year, but I probably buy more than I'm aware of, and my mother likes to buy me clothes (this may be harder for her than it will be for me).

I've been inspired by my own desire to make more of my clothing, the purge (as it has now come to be known in my mind - kinda biblical and still ongoing), things like Slow Fashion October and MeMadeMay, as well as Karen Templar of Fringe Association who has been blogging about crafting her own wardrobe and encouraging participation in slow fashion.

I wish I could sketch like Karen, but that is not part of my skillset at the moment.  So I've got some images and ideas to share here and will endeavour to continue to do so during this process (and forever - I'm nothing if not ambitious).

I tried to take a good look at my closet.  It really is an eclectic mix of styles and functions, but it suits me.  It also makes it hard to think in terms of key pieces, since I don't expect everything to be able to go together.  However, I have come up with some items that I think will pull a lot together.