The Closet Kondo-conundrum

Twiggy in my closet would be a keeper

It's an old story. Come Spring every woman's fancy turns to what to fancy. The stores are full of shiny objects for this magpie to covet. The styles may not be so different from seasons past, but all is tweaked a bit and looks desirable.

I want it all, and I want it now.

The past ten years I've honed my wardrobe to reflect who I think I am. I'm not tempted to follow every fad for fad's sake. I've thrown things out that don't work and really gotten better about buying them in the first place. Semi-retired, I now have a bit of expendable income that doesn't have to go for college tuition or heating oil.  I'm not extravagant. My favorite store still starts with a "T" and ends with a "Maxx." I have more time to bargain hunt and comparison shop and do.

Wait a minute, Marie...

There are many nice things in my closet. While I may still enjoy wearing them, they're old. The bloom is off the rose. The dew is off the morning glory. The thrill is gone. Is that a reason to buy more?

I've got to think the answer is yes. And here's why:

> It's important to be relevant. You don't want to be advertising your expiration date like a carton of yogurt. Some things just scream SUMMER 2015!!! Sporting a (flattering) new trend keeps your style up to date.

> New clothes are a blank slate. Old clothes have a history, and not always a good one. There's nothing wrong with the blue and white striped shirt except I was wearing it during a family argument that shouldn't have happened. We made up, but I still see the day on that shirt.

When considering whether it will come home with me, I think about when I will wear it. The more I can justify it, the more likely I am to buy it. I still believe in being prepared.

> Old clothes have earned their keep. I have a silk blouse I've worn for years. That top was expensive. If nothing else it's earned its keep and doesn't have to be the only blouse I love.

Just because it's old doesn't mean you should give it away. And just because you've had it forever doesn't mean you have to keep it. Remember we're talking about clothes here, folks, not relationships. The older those are, the better.

> Who doesn't like something new? There is joy in snipping off the tags before you wear something for the first time, definitely a little feeling of accomplishment. You looked for it. You found it. You bought it. You are happy to welcome it into your life starting today. Chances are you have never thought about this, but isn't it a little bit true?

The key to the puzzle is knowing when to say goodbye. It's always harder to let go than to welcome something new. This is where Marie Kondo could be on to something. 

What's Up With Project Runaway?

 
That's right; you read correctly: Project Runaway. The last incarnation of Project Runway All Stars (Season 7) just ended on Lifetime. There will be no spoiler alerts because I haven't seen the finale yet.

I've been a fervent watcher of Project Runway since Season 1 and was so moved by the first winner, Jay McCarroll, I cried when his collection came down the runway. I was proud as a peacock when hometown favorite, Chloe Dao, won Season 2. As the seasons went on the talent became less spectacular, the personalities more caricatured, and the sponsorship more obvious, but still I watched.

A young Mr. Christian

 
Project Runway has produced only one notable winner, Christian Siriano. He was an unlikely contestant, young and a bit quirky but full of confidence. He proved he knew what he was doing and has gone on to dress red carpet celebrities as well as design shoes for Payless. He believes in inclusivity and was the only designer not to turn down Leslie Jones 's request to make her gown for the "Ghostbusters" premiere.

Red on the red carpet...

The peripheral players on Project Runway were the real winners. Tim Gunn, a well-loved instructor at Parson's School of Design, became the show's mentor and found himself a whole new career as everyone's fashion guru. Heidi Klum, a former Victoria's Secret model, acted as the host and was also a producer. She acquitted herself as a smart woman and no doubt has contributed much to our understanding that supermodels have brains. Nina Garcia, a tough but fair fashion editor, has written three books and is now the editor-in-chief of Elle magazine.

 
Project Runway All Stars seemed like a strange idea from the beginning—losers from past Project Runway seasons returned to try again, sometimes a past winner among them. Season 7 (probably the last) consisted of all winners all the time. Dmitry Sholokhov was back to try for a third win. Enough already!

Does Dmitry win the triple crown?

What prompted today's New York Times to write about these Runways was the reference on air in All Stars Season 7 that "winning looks will be available immediately after the show on JC Penney's website." A sponsor of the "accessories wall" and recipient of many on-air plugs, JC Penney had a deal with Project Runway when it was owned by the Weinstein Company. That imploded with the Weinstein bankruptcy in 2018. All Stars Season 7, recorded in 2017, had not been shown until now, almost two years later. Instead of adding a disclaimer, shows have run as-is. I'm probably not alone in having checked Penney's website only to find there are no Project Runway fashions for sale.

The latest Project Runway—original format but with Karlie Kloss playing Heidi Klum and Christian Siriano playing Tim Gunn—is back on Bravo. They too offer "some of the winning fashions" for sale, but they are sewn to order by an on-demand manufacturer called Nineteenth Ammendment. Delivery time is 4-6 weeks. By that time those fashions will really be "old hat".

Patience needed for Tessa Clark's winning look

AllWays in Fashion Forever!

  
Not everything without a happy ending is a sad story.

About a year ago my friend Durell Godfrey suggested we do a book combining AllWays in Fashion with her illustrations. We were collaborators for many years, putting together Glamour Magazine's How to do Anything Better Guide each month with staff writer Linda Gordon.

Solving problems in the "How to do Anything Better" book

Durell's drawings garnered much praise and quite a fan following. She's also illustrated many books and recently created two of the best grown-up coloring books, "Color Me Cluttered" and "Color Your Happy Home". Eight years ago I began this blog to scratch the writer itch that has been on me since earning that Author girl scout badge.
 
The sash and badges are long gone, but the memory lingers on. Of all the ones I earned, that Author badge meant the most. I worked hard for it, creating my own "magazine", on which I was editor,  writer, illustrator and layout designer. Never was a magazine put together with such a singular vision. 

Durell and I were fortunate to secure a New York book agent who loved the idea and encouraged us in writing the proposal for submission. That included an outline of the book, an expanded table of contents and sample chapter with illustrations. We put together a survey and polled 100 women from ages 55-85 about their relationship to clothes. We secured promise of a foreword by a lovely movie star of a certain age. 

Slowly it became clear no publisher considered us worthy of a book deal. The reasons given ranged from the possible ("Fashion books don't do well for us") to the ridiculous ("Women that age aren't interested in fashion"). The rejection letters themselves were full of praise. There were enough of them to paper a small room. We would join the ranks of the many thousands of the unpublished.

Writing a book would be hard. I had a taste of that preparing the proposal. There were days I stayed in my bathrobe and fairly threw dinner at my husband. I made up a sign that said "Do Not Disturb" and waved it at him if he was talking too much. Durell was halfway across the country; we telecommunicated by trial and error. I learned that perhaps I was not (nor ever would be) ready to write a book.

I now have THE GREATEST RESPECT for any published author. If you've published more than one, you are either a glutton for punishment or super human. When they say "It was a labor of love", I suspect they may be playing down the labor part.

Please don't feel sorry there was no book for us at the end of the rainbow. Durell has plenty on her plate, as do I. You will still get my crotchety views on fashion or my delight in something just too fabulous not to share. All's truly well that ends well. And thanks to Durell, I now have another badge.

  

Now Can We Get Back to Normal?

Sartorially speaking I'm so glad the awards season is over. I enjoy them as much as anyone. Not a dog fancier, I still love the Westminster Kennel Club show. I used to love Miss America, back when we were less enlightened. I've always loved the Academy Awards. Honk if you remember when they were sponsored by Toni Home Permanent. Nowadays I wouldn't miss the trifecta of Golden Globes, BAFTAS and Oscars.

Glenn didn't win an Oscar, but she wore one.

 
What I don't watch is the red carpet. Plenty of people do, and they really care. The red carpet has become its own dog and pony show (two hours long on this year's Oscar telecast). Back in the day the stars tried to look nice. Those who wore crazy get-ups were known for their outlandish attire. Who can forget Cher in 1986? Only Cher should and could have worn this:

Wacky by Mackie

Then came Joan Rivers, who found fault with almost everyone. She was very funny, and I miss her dearly. But if I were a celebrity crossing her path on the red carpet I would have been shaking in my Manolos.

Joan trying to blend in

Now things have gone off the rails. Celebrities (or the stylists who dress them) try to outdo each other with one more bizarre outfit after another. I find myself saying, "What was she thinking?" or more and more frequently, "What was he thinking?"

Fashion and style are not the same thing. They are more like siblings who share some traits but don't always get along. Expressing yourself is one thing. Looking good while doing it is another. So, no, I'm not going to post my faves (there were some) or the horrors that should have stayed on hangers. I'm just breathing a sigh of relief we can finally get back to figuring out what to wear ourselves.

I'm pretty sure it won't be this, but—oh my—if it could!

Melissa McCarthy, presenter extraordinaire