So, I was getting dressed for Day #1 of a big conference today, and, as I often do, contemplated the antiperspirant/deodorant situation in the medicine cabinet. I've had this horrendous "stick" of some vanilla chai scented gel (the kind you turn a little crank to dispense, hence "stick" in quotes) for the last 11 months or so. It will not get used up, as hard as I try. It's kind of gross.
Next to said offending stick, was the faithful Old Spice belonging to spouse. Of course, as those of us who spend a lot of time in the underarm maintenance aisle of CVS know, most men's deodorant is *just* deodorant, and most women's deodorant is *also* antiperspirant, and thus has all the gloppy stuff added that plugs up our pores. (I'm not going to weigh in here about the alleged health risks of this pore-plugging process but you can see what NCI has to say about that here.)
Over the course of my underarm-sweating past, I've tried many different kids of AP/DO. The white chalky stuff that leaves skittery trails on your black sweaters. The little "rocks" that are supposed to work just as well as regular AP/DO (not). The all natural Tom's of Maine kind that smells like lavender, but by the end of the day, just smells like you. Like stinky you. Teen Spirit. Secret ("strong enough for a man but made for a woman"). And yes, the revolting Vanilla Chai Goo That Will Never Get Used Up. Here's what I've decided: the men's stuff is better. I've often used whatever nice men's version my husband has in the medicine cabinet, unless, of course, I *can't sweat* -- like for a job interview, conference, fancy night out, or IRS tax audit. If I can't sweat, I'm back in the Glop-It-Up women's aisle with Vanilla Chai and friends, and hopeless waxy buildup and stains on all my light colored clothes.
Until today. Today, because I am empiricist, I've tried an experiment: Vanilla Chai in one pit, Old Spice in the other. And then off to the conference. As of four o'clock, having just sat through a stifling session in a tiny hotel conference room on sexual lubricant use in older age women (don't ask), I can report that Old Spice is holding its own in both the wetness *and* the odor departments. (For you empiricist sticklers out there -- no, it's not a blinded trial -- I've known all day which pit is which. I'll enlist the kids for a blinded repeat trial tomorrow).
So -- I'm chucking that $5.49 bottomless stick of Vanilla Chai goo. Be gone! I'm shopping the men's aisle from now on. My new motto: "Strong enough for a woman, but made for a man."
Please, *please* let me know how you cope with this under-theorized but clearly crucial aspect of wardrobe maintenance and self presentation.
Today's outfit: An oft-repeated combo: The peacock blue Gap cable knit sweater that make my boobs look too big (QT, c. 2004), and the dark gray petal skirt (QT, c.2005). Black tights. Masai Barefoot Technology super shoes.
I've got drafts of both the undies and the bra posts underway -- coming soon!
Showing posts with label Gap. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gap. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Clothing Swap!
Last Sunday afternoon I hosted the much-anticipated neighborhood clothing swap.
Some history: Right before I came up with the idea of the p&pg blog, I thought about all the 2009 clothes that I was getting rid of that were sitting in the basement. Then I thought about my still-pretty-pathetic wardrobe and how even when 2010 rolled around I wasn't going to be able to afford any new ones. Then I thought that there were probably several women in a similar position right here in my own awesome Philly neighborhood. Thanks to our neighborhood parents listserv, the swap idea was conceived and an invitation issued minutes later. About 15 women responded, but there was great concern about what items in what sizes would be offered -- so another mom (a woman after my own heart - thanks, Jen!) offered to do a Survey Monkey survey to collect and distribute data ahead of time about what people were bringing.
Also, interestingly, I got a lot of questions about the rules of the swap. Was this a one-for-one swap? Would there be a "synchronized start"? Did items need to be dry cleaned and on hangers? Were shoes and accessories also accepted? Gosh - who knew that clothing swaps had gotten so regulated? (Actually, I did -- thanks to Karen's pointing me to this site about big official swaps). I'll admit that the one-for-one rule was intriguing -- does that mean you only get to take something once someone else takes something of yours? Or that you actually have to negotiate a direct trade with someone? It all seemed a little wonky and fussy. I was just imagining hanging out and drinking wine and maybe trying some t-shirts on.
[By the way, for those of you with a horror of used clothing, this would be a good time to opt out.]
I did suggest to everyone that they wear tank tops or camis for easy-quickie-changie [a hard and fast rule for a QT trip, where dressing room trips are limited to 3 items at a time and then you get back in line, so trying things on in the corner by the sleepwear was key]. I also set my bedroom up as a changing room and wrassled up an extra full length mirror. Guests were asked to bring wine or dessert or an appetizer.
Sunday arrived. Paul and the girls kindly banished themselves from the house, just as the first guest arrived. This could have been awkward - she had her bag o'crap and I had my bag o'crap, but it seemed a bit predatory to just jump right in. But, I just poured us each a drink and we made nice chit chat on the couch. Felt a bit like a first date...Then guest # 2 arrived (Jen, the talented survey queen), and very soon we had a full chattering house. Note - I knew *none* of these women ahead of time. Not many of then knew each other, either. Bags were opened, items were laid out on every conceivable piece of furniture, and trying on commenced. Here's what my family room couch looked like:
Some observations:
Most common brands: Gap. Banana Republic, and all those different Target brands.
Most common items: (1) Pants (2) t-shirts/tops (3) dresses. Very few skirts. Do we buy fewer skirts and so have fewer to get rid of? Or do we do a better job of buying skirts and so have fewer to get rid of?
*Lots* of stuff with tags still on. Like, all those Gap chinos on the right arm of the couch in the photo. A teacher who came said she had felt strongly at some point in the past that she needed "Nice Pants To Wear to Work" and had accumulated several pairs in short succession - but she never wears them.
*Lots* of stuff that folks were mildly wistful to see go -- "Oh, I really loved that [silk tunic][denim jacket][pair of hiking shorts][neon green sweatshirt].. but [it's just not me][I never wore it][it never fit right][I have six others at home.]" One woman had recently lost a lot of weight and was ditching her too-big clothes. Several of us (including self) had "skinny" clothes that were just never going to fit again.
Women did seem to get a kick out of seeing other women try their stuff on, and even more of a kick when stuff they brought was scooped up. Is this validating in some way? We quickly realized that items that you found and wanted to keep had to get immediately tucked away safely into your shopping bag, lest someone else scoop it up to try on -- kind of like that pile of books you assemble at the library before you checkout -- you can't leave it carelessly on a table or someone else might grab your copy of Freakonomics or Organizing from the Inside Out.
*Behavior: There was no hair pulling, screeching, tug-of-war, or even nasty looks. Everyone was very well behaved, cheerily supportive of everyone else's choices ("Oh that looks great on you, you should totally take that!"). Maybe we were too supportive? I actually didn't hear anyone say, "You know, I'm not sure that's the best look on you." All seemed very pleased with their finds. Given the three enormous garbage bags of clothes that got left behind for me to take to the goodwill, it was clear that, on average, everyone left with considerably less than they came with. I wish I had collected better data on # of items brought vs. items taken. I would estimate it at 15 vs. 5...
My own experience: I was enormously picky about even trying things on, and ended up with just five selections, all of which reflect persistent biases in my clothing acquisition behaviors:
1. Perfect awesome pair of brown J Jill cropped yoga pants. Ideal loungewear, and also ideal for, say, yoga class. That would require going to yoga class, of course. Far and away the best item. As I've said earlier, I'm a sucker for loungewear.
2. White banana republic long sleeve ribbed sweater/tshirt. Boring. Also might itch. Also a teensy bit big. But snatched up because it's such a nice serviceable basic in a neutral color.
3. Black sleeveless cotton tunic(?)/dress(?)/shift. Not sure I'll ever wear this. Maybe as a beach coverup? This is my classic "bad call", but the bad-call-ness of it was ignored due to price = 0.
4. Narrow teal silky scarf, really long, and with really heavy beading at the ends. Tag still on. Looks cool, but when you put in on, the beads turn out to be so heavy that they weight the ends of the scarf down and choke you. I bought this for the color and the cool beads. However, I ignored, as I often do, the "Beware of items with the tags still on" rule of thrift stores, swaps, and jumble sales. There's a reason those items never got worn.
5. Terrific pair of kick-around-the-house clog/loafer things. [Another good place for people with a particular horror of used shoes within the broader horror category of used clothing to bid farewell]. My error here was the "you can never have too many comfy kick-around-the-house items." Of course you can. I now do.
I put 35 pieces into the swap, almost all acquired at QT or during a particularly long and high-volume spree at a Trenton Goodwill in December 2007. I think about five of my things were scooped up, almost all by the same woman.
After everyone had found their treasures, there was a nice long group gabfest over wine, apples, scones, chips, and other treats. Not sure if everyone was just being polite or not, but everyone said let's do this again, next time my house, etc. etc. So we will!
It will give me great pleasure to take the three garbage bags of rejects to the Goodwill. But only after my mom picks over the bags. And the girls each pick out an item or two for the dress up box -- for which there are some great candidates: silky lingerie, wacky beaded sundresses, fuzzy angora sweaters.
Quite a ramble, sorry! Let me know if this sounds like your dream afternoon or your worst nightmare (the worst nightmare crowd hopefully checked out six paragraphs ago). Which 10 items in your current closet would you bring to such a swap, and how much would you worry/wonder what those 10 items would communicate about you to 12 women you didn't know? Would it be easier to swap with total strangers or good friends? Can you imagine the men in your life ever doing this in a million years? How honest would you be with each group about whether stuff looked good? Would your threshold for grabbing stuff being higher or lower than at a thrift store or purchasing retail? Is free too easy???? Is used too gross? Or just too sad, too worn, too last year, too someone-else's-mistake.
[And to those of you who were actually there -- did it meet expectations?? Be honest!]
Today's outfit: Gap peacock blue cable knit sweater (yes, the one that gives me balloon boobs) and a pair of jeans that are either black or blue, can't tell. I hope blue, because my belt was blue. Changed in the evening to attend Admissions Open House at kids' school - swapped out pants for a cute gray petal skirt and my kick-ass black boots. Based on recent observations on Penn campus, I went with sheer stockings rather than the instinctual opaque black tights. New look! Ack! (Julia said, "you look funny, mom".)
Bra post coming next...
Some history: Right before I came up with the idea of the p&pg blog, I thought about all the 2009 clothes that I was getting rid of that were sitting in the basement. Then I thought about my still-pretty-pathetic wardrobe and how even when 2010 rolled around I wasn't going to be able to afford any new ones. Then I thought that there were probably several women in a similar position right here in my own awesome Philly neighborhood. Thanks to our neighborhood parents listserv, the swap idea was conceived and an invitation issued minutes later. About 15 women responded, but there was great concern about what items in what sizes would be offered -- so another mom (a woman after my own heart - thanks, Jen!) offered to do a Survey Monkey survey to collect and distribute data ahead of time about what people were bringing.
Also, interestingly, I got a lot of questions about the rules of the swap. Was this a one-for-one swap? Would there be a "synchronized start"? Did items need to be dry cleaned and on hangers? Were shoes and accessories also accepted? Gosh - who knew that clothing swaps had gotten so regulated? (Actually, I did -- thanks to Karen's pointing me to this site about big official swaps). I'll admit that the one-for-one rule was intriguing -- does that mean you only get to take something once someone else takes something of yours? Or that you actually have to negotiate a direct trade with someone? It all seemed a little wonky and fussy. I was just imagining hanging out and drinking wine and maybe trying some t-shirts on.
[By the way, for those of you with a horror of used clothing, this would be a good time to opt out.]
I did suggest to everyone that they wear tank tops or camis for easy-quickie-changie [a hard and fast rule for a QT trip, where dressing room trips are limited to 3 items at a time and then you get back in line, so trying things on in the corner by the sleepwear was key]. I also set my bedroom up as a changing room and wrassled up an extra full length mirror. Guests were asked to bring wine or dessert or an appetizer.
Sunday arrived. Paul and the girls kindly banished themselves from the house, just as the first guest arrived. This could have been awkward - she had her bag o'crap and I had my bag o'crap, but it seemed a bit predatory to just jump right in. But, I just poured us each a drink and we made nice chit chat on the couch. Felt a bit like a first date...Then guest # 2 arrived (Jen, the talented survey queen), and very soon we had a full chattering house. Note - I knew *none* of these women ahead of time. Not many of then knew each other, either. Bags were opened, items were laid out on every conceivable piece of furniture, and trying on commenced. Here's what my family room couch looked like:
Some observations:
Most common brands: Gap. Banana Republic, and all those different Target brands.
Most common items: (1) Pants (2) t-shirts/tops (3) dresses. Very few skirts. Do we buy fewer skirts and so have fewer to get rid of? Or do we do a better job of buying skirts and so have fewer to get rid of?
*Lots* of stuff with tags still on. Like, all those Gap chinos on the right arm of the couch in the photo. A teacher who came said she had felt strongly at some point in the past that she needed "Nice Pants To Wear to Work" and had accumulated several pairs in short succession - but she never wears them.
*Lots* of stuff that folks were mildly wistful to see go -- "Oh, I really loved that [silk tunic][denim jacket][pair of hiking shorts][neon green sweatshirt].. but [it's just not me][I never wore it][it never fit right][I have six others at home.]" One woman had recently lost a lot of weight and was ditching her too-big clothes. Several of us (including self) had "skinny" clothes that were just never going to fit again.
Women did seem to get a kick out of seeing other women try their stuff on, and even more of a kick when stuff they brought was scooped up. Is this validating in some way? We quickly realized that items that you found and wanted to keep had to get immediately tucked away safely into your shopping bag, lest someone else scoop it up to try on -- kind of like that pile of books you assemble at the library before you checkout -- you can't leave it carelessly on a table or someone else might grab your copy of Freakonomics or Organizing from the Inside Out.
*Behavior: There was no hair pulling, screeching, tug-of-war, or even nasty looks. Everyone was very well behaved, cheerily supportive of everyone else's choices ("Oh that looks great on you, you should totally take that!"). Maybe we were too supportive? I actually didn't hear anyone say, "You know, I'm not sure that's the best look on you." All seemed very pleased with their finds. Given the three enormous garbage bags of clothes that got left behind for me to take to the goodwill, it was clear that, on average, everyone left with considerably less than they came with. I wish I had collected better data on # of items brought vs. items taken. I would estimate it at 15 vs. 5...
My own experience: I was enormously picky about even trying things on, and ended up with just five selections, all of which reflect persistent biases in my clothing acquisition behaviors:
1. Perfect awesome pair of brown J Jill cropped yoga pants. Ideal loungewear, and also ideal for, say, yoga class. That would require going to yoga class, of course. Far and away the best item. As I've said earlier, I'm a sucker for loungewear.
2. White banana republic long sleeve ribbed sweater/tshirt. Boring. Also might itch. Also a teensy bit big. But snatched up because it's such a nice serviceable basic in a neutral color.
3. Black sleeveless cotton tunic(?)/dress(?)/shift. Not sure I'll ever wear this. Maybe as a beach coverup? This is my classic "bad call", but the bad-call-ness of it was ignored due to price = 0.
4. Narrow teal silky scarf, really long, and with really heavy beading at the ends. Tag still on. Looks cool, but when you put in on, the beads turn out to be so heavy that they weight the ends of the scarf down and choke you. I bought this for the color and the cool beads. However, I ignored, as I often do, the "Beware of items with the tags still on" rule of thrift stores, swaps, and jumble sales. There's a reason those items never got worn.
5. Terrific pair of kick-around-the-house clog/loafer things. [Another good place for people with a particular horror of used shoes within the broader horror category of used clothing to bid farewell]. My error here was the "you can never have too many comfy kick-around-the-house items." Of course you can. I now do.
I put 35 pieces into the swap, almost all acquired at QT or during a particularly long and high-volume spree at a Trenton Goodwill in December 2007. I think about five of my things were scooped up, almost all by the same woman.
After everyone had found their treasures, there was a nice long group gabfest over wine, apples, scones, chips, and other treats. Not sure if everyone was just being polite or not, but everyone said let's do this again, next time my house, etc. etc. So we will!
It will give me great pleasure to take the three garbage bags of rejects to the Goodwill. But only after my mom picks over the bags. And the girls each pick out an item or two for the dress up box -- for which there are some great candidates: silky lingerie, wacky beaded sundresses, fuzzy angora sweaters.
Quite a ramble, sorry! Let me know if this sounds like your dream afternoon or your worst nightmare (the worst nightmare crowd hopefully checked out six paragraphs ago). Which 10 items in your current closet would you bring to such a swap, and how much would you worry/wonder what those 10 items would communicate about you to 12 women you didn't know? Would it be easier to swap with total strangers or good friends? Can you imagine the men in your life ever doing this in a million years? How honest would you be with each group about whether stuff looked good? Would your threshold for grabbing stuff being higher or lower than at a thrift store or purchasing retail? Is free too easy???? Is used too gross? Or just too sad, too worn, too last year, too someone-else's-mistake.
[And to those of you who were actually there -- did it meet expectations?? Be honest!]
Today's outfit: Gap peacock blue cable knit sweater (yes, the one that gives me balloon boobs) and a pair of jeans that are either black or blue, can't tell. I hope blue, because my belt was blue. Changed in the evening to attend Admissions Open House at kids' school - swapped out pants for a cute gray petal skirt and my kick-ass black boots. Based on recent observations on Penn campus, I went with sheer stockings rather than the instinctual opaque black tights. New look! Ack! (Julia said, "you look funny, mom".)
Bra post coming next...
Friday, October 16, 2009
sleep tight...or loose.
Well, my FB post today about getting 11 hours of sleep got a very positive reaction, so I decided to write about sleepwear tonight (before going to bed at a very reasonable hour).
Where to begin? Well, like many of you, my early sleepwear consisted of little polyester sleepy footie jammies. Then there was the long series of scratchy polyester themed nightgowns (Snoopy, Holly Hobbie, Wonder Woman). Luckily, these got replaced in my household c.1981 by "Lanz of Salzburg" flannel nightgowns. We called these "flannie nighties", and I always preferred to wear them backwards (buttons in front). We wore them until they were smooth, pale shadows of their formal selves, and then we used them to polish the silver and got a new one for Christmas. Lovely. (Side note: Maddeningly, you cannot buy the same nightgowns for your daughter because they are now made only in crappy flame retardant blech stuff. If anyone has a source for good old plain unretarded flannel nightgowns for kids, let me know. Until then, they're in equally-flammable but super soft Hanna Andersson long johns.).
At some point, though (Paul reports that it was well after college), I switched to the top-and-bottom form of sleepwear, aka jammies. I think I got tired of battling the leg-wrap-n-trap problem of long nightgowns, and also started enjoying the option of wearing my jammies for most of the day on weekends, which isf frankly just a little harder to pull off in a flowered nightgown. Once I had the babies, nighttime nursing seemed easier in a two-piece rig as well.
While I have owned and still do own some nice matching jammies (similar to this Garnet Hill pair, e.g.)
most of my sleepwear now consists of just really soft old t-shirts (LS in winter, SS or tank in summer) and drawstring cotton pants that, I will admit, mostly came from QT. None of it is remotely stylish, cute, charming, insouciant, alluring, beguiling, or anything else (besides really comfortable) that sleepwear could, in theory, be. Am I missing an opportunity here? How might my life be different if I had some of those awesome bedtime outfits that Betty Draper has? If we believe our clothes "say something" about who we are, what does schlumpy mismatched sleepwear say? I don't think I want to know...
In the meatime, those crafty clothing companies have figured out that we like to wear our jammies all day and also, a la Fred Rogers and Don Draper, we want to shed our work clothes as soon as we get home at the end of the day. So they invented loungewear. Loungewear is so handy! You can sleep in it, of course. You can wear it for what my younger daughter calls a "home potato" day - those rainy cold weekend days where you don't have to leave the house for any reason. You can wear it to yoga class, drive the kids to school in it, walk to the dog, and curl up on the couch with either your morning coffee or you late night martini. Almost all the major clothing companies some kind of loungewear line which is distinct from both their sleepwear and their workout gear. I note, though, that there is a considerable variation in the fanciness of so-called loungewear. The stuff that J. Crew calls "weekend lounge" is dressier than 80% of my wardrobe. I guess they mean "to go out to a cocktail lounge" rather then "lounge around the house on Friday night eating coffee ice cream at catching up on four days' worth of the NYT". Gap loungewear falls under the broader "Gap Body" line, and is more the lightweight hoodies and wide-waistbanded drawstring floppy pants of my loungewear ideal. (Note that Gap even has a maternity loungewear line!) J. Jill has no loungewear that I could find - odd. Target appears to allocate approximately 14% of its floorspace to loungewear. I ducked in to AnnTaylor LOFT today (or do we just call it "LOFT" now?) and investigated their "lounge" line - all stretchy black & white & grey, and frankly a little "gym" for my tastes. I like my lounge more jammies than jumping jacks. Victoria's Secret clearly agrees with me, as they pair the two in sleep + lounge line...
In reviewing my "jammies drawer" (yep, it's actually called that), I see that I've just blended my loungewear and sleepwear. If and when I buy clothes again, I think I'm going to upgrade the loungewear -- I crave those fleecy buttery soft gray pants that pair perfectly with a silky stretch cami and chenille hoody. Ummmm....can't wait. But upgrading the actual sleepwear???? Probably not.
My sleepwear questions for you:
Where to begin? Well, like many of you, my early sleepwear consisted of little polyester sleepy footie jammies. Then there was the long series of scratchy polyester themed nightgowns (Snoopy, Holly Hobbie, Wonder Woman). Luckily, these got replaced in my household c.1981 by "Lanz of Salzburg" flannel nightgowns. We called these "flannie nighties", and I always preferred to wear them backwards (buttons in front). We wore them until they were smooth, pale shadows of their formal selves, and then we used them to polish the silver and got a new one for Christmas. Lovely. (Side note: Maddeningly, you cannot buy the same nightgowns for your daughter because they are now made only in crappy flame retardant blech stuff. If anyone has a source for good old plain unretarded flannel nightgowns for kids, let me know. Until then, they're in equally-flammable but super soft Hanna Andersson long johns.).
At some point, though (Paul reports that it was well after college), I switched to the top-and-bottom form of sleepwear, aka jammies. I think I got tired of battling the leg-wrap-n-trap problem of long nightgowns, and also started enjoying the option of wearing my jammies for most of the day on weekends, which isf frankly just a little harder to pull off in a flowered nightgown. Once I had the babies, nighttime nursing seemed easier in a two-piece rig as well.
While I have owned and still do own some nice matching jammies (similar to this Garnet Hill pair, e.g.)
most of my sleepwear now consists of just really soft old t-shirts (LS in winter, SS or tank in summer) and drawstring cotton pants that, I will admit, mostly came from QT. None of it is remotely stylish, cute, charming, insouciant, alluring, beguiling, or anything else (besides really comfortable) that sleepwear could, in theory, be. Am I missing an opportunity here? How might my life be different if I had some of those awesome bedtime outfits that Betty Draper has? If we believe our clothes "say something" about who we are, what does schlumpy mismatched sleepwear say? I don't think I want to know...
In the meatime, those crafty clothing companies have figured out that we like to wear our jammies all day and also, a la Fred Rogers and Don Draper, we want to shed our work clothes as soon as we get home at the end of the day. So they invented loungewear. Loungewear is so handy! You can sleep in it, of course. You can wear it for what my younger daughter calls a "home potato" day - those rainy cold weekend days where you don't have to leave the house for any reason. You can wear it to yoga class, drive the kids to school in it, walk to the dog, and curl up on the couch with either your morning coffee or you late night martini. Almost all the major clothing companies some kind of loungewear line which is distinct from both their sleepwear and their workout gear. I note, though, that there is a considerable variation in the fanciness of so-called loungewear. The stuff that J. Crew calls "weekend lounge" is dressier than 80% of my wardrobe. I guess they mean "to go out to a cocktail lounge" rather then "lounge around the house on Friday night eating coffee ice cream at catching up on four days' worth of the NYT". Gap loungewear falls under the broader "Gap Body" line, and is more the lightweight hoodies and wide-waistbanded drawstring floppy pants of my loungewear ideal. (Note that Gap even has a maternity loungewear line!) J. Jill has no loungewear that I could find - odd. Target appears to allocate approximately 14% of its floorspace to loungewear. I ducked in to AnnTaylor LOFT today (or do we just call it "LOFT" now?) and investigated their "lounge" line - all stretchy black & white & grey, and frankly a little "gym" for my tastes. I like my lounge more jammies than jumping jacks. Victoria's Secret clearly agrees with me, as they pair the two in sleep + lounge line...
In reviewing my "jammies drawer" (yep, it's actually called that), I see that I've just blended my loungewear and sleepwear. If and when I buy clothes again, I think I'm going to upgrade the loungewear -- I crave those fleecy buttery soft gray pants that pair perfectly with a silky stretch cami and chenille hoody. Ummmm....can't wait. But upgrading the actual sleepwear???? Probably not.
My sleepwear questions for you:
- What do you wear to bed and why?
- If you share a bed, what does your bedmate think of your sleepwear? At the risk of TMI, are there any occasions for alternative forms of sleepwear?
- How far outside of the house (and outside of sleeping hours) will you wear your sleepwear? (Front stoop to pick up a paper? Down the block to mail a letter? In the car to drop your kid off at school?)
- Is there a loungewear/sleepwear distinction in your wardrobe?
- Where do you get your sleepwear? Did some or all of your sleepwear have a former life as regular clothes?
- Are there any must-wear or won't-wear fabrics or formats?
- And...if you're willing to share: undies or no undies with sleepwear? (Did your mom ever tell you that your body has to "breathe" at night?)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
How to blow a G
One myth I cling to is that my wardrobe would be better if I just had a lot more money. I realize that this myth implies that, along with untold riches, I would also have unerring taste and a few fewer pounds & inches. As I am an empiricist, I can relabel this myth a "hypothesis" and subject it to a rigorous test.
So -- I'm giving myself 15 minutes to purchase* $1000 worth of merchandise at Boden and will then evaluate whether this is a wardrobe-transforming event.
Okay, here I go:
First up: p&pg shirt. I will later regret that it has LS instead of 3/4 sleeve, but I guess I could have those altered.
Next: Let's get it in white, too, since my existing white t-shirts failed the RS basics test.
This is the most un-me thing but I kind of love it. Can I wear it over jeans?
Yum. Perfect.
SO Michelle O! (I get the haircut and color, too, right??
Fun! (this item is actually called "fun skirt")
DONE! $1000 exactly. 11 items. I should have been on Price is Right.
So - what have I got? 2 t-shirts, five sweaters, 2 skirts, and some jammie pants. I'm not sure any of the sweaters go with the teal & brass skirt. I think they could all go with the dot skirt. I didn't buy any pants. I couldn't really tell what they looked like from the pictures. I definitely felt the urge to buy multiple versions (colors) of shapes I liked. (Uniform?) Assuming one had a decent existing set of nice jeans & cords, this could certainly spruce things up for fall/winter. But transform? Meh.
Is ample cash either necessary or sufficient for stellar wardrobe? Does it maybe actually get in the way? Would I have done noticeably better at a thift store or even upscale resale/consignment? (Can you imagine the $1,000 thrift store pile?) Does blowing a G on nice stuff take you to a new level, or just reinforce bad habits? Would a $1000 worth of great restaurant meals have provided more pleasure? What about $1000 in the kids' college fund? Give this experiment a try at your favorite website or with your favorite catalog and let me know how it goes. N=1 is too small a sample size.
T.O.: Best of the current five pairs of jeans, peacock Gap ls t-shirt (too small), fave poison green cardigan, poison green fleece vest. (still wearing vest inside - it's cold).
*ok, not purchase. I use "place item in online shopping cart" as a proxy for "purchase." A true field test would provide stronger evidence.
Okay, here I go:
First up: p&pg shirt. I will later regret that it has LS instead of 3/4 sleeve, but I guess I could have those altered.
Next: Let's get it in white, too, since my existing white t-shirts failed the RS basics test.
This is a poor use of my wardrobe-transforming $1000, but I can't resist the loungewear.
Yum. Perfect.
And in this color, too, please.
SO Michelle O! (I get the haircut and color, too, right??
This is black, not grey.
I almost bought this one in the wrong shade of green but saved myself at the last minute. I think this is a spring red -- yes? I like the length.
Cute dots.
So - what have I got? 2 t-shirts, five sweaters, 2 skirts, and some jammie pants. I'm not sure any of the sweaters go with the teal & brass skirt. I think they could all go with the dot skirt. I didn't buy any pants. I couldn't really tell what they looked like from the pictures. I definitely felt the urge to buy multiple versions (colors) of shapes I liked. (Uniform?) Assuming one had a decent existing set of nice jeans & cords, this could certainly spruce things up for fall/winter. But transform? Meh.
Is ample cash either necessary or sufficient for stellar wardrobe? Does it maybe actually get in the way? Would I have done noticeably better at a thift store or even upscale resale/consignment? (Can you imagine the $1,000 thrift store pile?) Does blowing a G on nice stuff take you to a new level, or just reinforce bad habits? Would a $1000 worth of great restaurant meals have provided more pleasure? What about $1000 in the kids' college fund? Give this experiment a try at your favorite website or with your favorite catalog and let me know how it goes. N=1 is too small a sample size.
T.O.: Best of the current five pairs of jeans, peacock Gap ls t-shirt (too small), fave poison green cardigan, poison green fleece vest. (still wearing vest inside - it's cold).
*ok, not purchase. I use "place item in online shopping cart" as a proxy for "purchase." A true field test would provide stronger evidence.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Gleanings
A quick catch up post for yesterday, with a longer one to follow later today on the closet purge.
So, I'm fascinated by everyone's comments (if you haven't read through them, do!) and wanted to note some highlights:
1. Almost everyone loathes shopping, at least in bricks and mortar stores, but is also pretty happy to purge.
2. Melinda and others who could pinpoint your exact clothing purchases last year from Quicken: I'm very impressed. Those of you who track purchases that well -- is there a target clothing budget ( not a Target clothing budget, that's something else entirely) or do you just get what you want/need and see where you are at the end of the year?
3. Strong pro and con feelings about used clothing - see Gay's comment about the dead skin cells. Blech. See Carroll's comments on the pro side. Also on the pro side, my friend confessed offline that she just clipped a coupon for a thrift store. Awesome.
4. Dinner guest #1 last night reported that she had just gone to some very high end stores with a friend, has seen what's available at that price point/quality/style, and she wants in! (DG#1 is also not eating sugar right now and finds this easier than not buying clothes. The causal direction between these preferences and her impressive physique is not clear to me...)
5. Dinner guest #2: Her husband buys a lot of her nice clothes for her. Wow. He knows her sizes, shops at places with excellent salespeople who can help assemble outfits, etc. She does end up returning a lot of it, but still. Wow. DG#2's husband discussed his suit shopping habits a bit: He goes to the same place here in Philly, works with the same salesman each time. This salesman actually contacts him when new designs are available that he might like. DG#2 and I agreed that this kind of "push" sales strategy would not appeal to us. At. all.
6. New J.Jill catalog arrived yesterday. Thanks to Erin for interesting info about J.Jill president supporting W -- I didn't know that. Dinner guest #1 thought J. Jill was or is owned by Talbots? (I'll do some research).
6.Here's a game I play on my way into work, covering most of the length of Locust Walk, the main pedestrian thoroughfare @ Penn: I try to scope out each female walking towards me, and quickly decide if there is anything she is wearing that I would happily trade for something I am wearing. The decision has to be fast enough that I can keep track of the numerator and the denominator, i.e., 6 of the 19 women I just passed were wearing something I liked better than what I had on. Note that this game is best played wearing sunglasses for maximum social acceptability.
Yesterday's outfit: My favorite peacock blue Gap stretch cable knit sweater. (Great sweater, though I recently saw a picture of myself wearing it and frankly my boobs looked like birthday party balloons. Ack). Black velvet jeans by New York & Company -- I'm pretty true to their sizing, so I can usually pick these up on eBay (as I did these), but these don't fit so well. And it was too hot.).
Question for you:
If you were packing tomorrow for a long weekend away (normal weekend - no mountain climbing, pig wrestling, or black tie affairs), which three items in your wardrobe would have 100% probability of getting packed? How quickly could you identify those items just now? Are you wearing them? Are they already dirty because you wore them yesterday?
Thanks for all the enthusiasm -- keep posting and feel free to send the link to friends!
So, I'm fascinated by everyone's comments (if you haven't read through them, do!) and wanted to note some highlights:
1. Almost everyone loathes shopping, at least in bricks and mortar stores, but is also pretty happy to purge.
2. Melinda and others who could pinpoint your exact clothing purchases last year from Quicken: I'm very impressed. Those of you who track purchases that well -- is there a target clothing budget ( not a Target clothing budget, that's something else entirely) or do you just get what you want/need and see where you are at the end of the year?
3. Strong pro and con feelings about used clothing - see Gay's comment about the dead skin cells. Blech. See Carroll's comments on the pro side. Also on the pro side, my friend confessed offline that she just clipped a coupon for a thrift store. Awesome.
4. Dinner guest #1 last night reported that she had just gone to some very high end stores with a friend, has seen what's available at that price point/quality/style, and she wants in! (DG#1 is also not eating sugar right now and finds this easier than not buying clothes. The causal direction between these preferences and her impressive physique is not clear to me...)
5. Dinner guest #2: Her husband buys a lot of her nice clothes for her. Wow. He knows her sizes, shops at places with excellent salespeople who can help assemble outfits, etc. She does end up returning a lot of it, but still. Wow. DG#2's husband discussed his suit shopping habits a bit: He goes to the same place here in Philly, works with the same salesman each time. This salesman actually contacts him when new designs are available that he might like. DG#2 and I agreed that this kind of "push" sales strategy would not appeal to us. At. all.
6. New J.Jill catalog arrived yesterday. Thanks to Erin for interesting info about J.Jill president supporting W -- I didn't know that. Dinner guest #1 thought J. Jill was or is owned by Talbots? (I'll do some research).
6.Here's a game I play on my way into work, covering most of the length of Locust Walk, the main pedestrian thoroughfare @ Penn: I try to scope out each female walking towards me, and quickly decide if there is anything she is wearing that I would happily trade for something I am wearing. The decision has to be fast enough that I can keep track of the numerator and the denominator, i.e., 6 of the 19 women I just passed were wearing something I liked better than what I had on. Note that this game is best played wearing sunglasses for maximum social acceptability.
Yesterday's outfit: My favorite peacock blue Gap stretch cable knit sweater. (Great sweater, though I recently saw a picture of myself wearing it and frankly my boobs looked like birthday party balloons. Ack). Black velvet jeans by New York & Company -- I'm pretty true to their sizing, so I can usually pick these up on eBay (as I did these), but these don't fit so well. And it was too hot.).
Question for you:
If you were packing tomorrow for a long weekend away (normal weekend - no mountain climbing, pig wrestling, or black tie affairs), which three items in your wardrobe would have 100% probability of getting packed? How quickly could you identify those items just now? Are you wearing them? Are they already dirty because you wore them yesterday?
Thanks for all the enthusiasm -- keep posting and feel free to send the link to friends!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
