The Observations of a Wise Observer

Vanessa Friedman is a keen observer...

 
These days I feel more like a fashion watcher than an active participant. As I wait to see where she will go—and fashion is definitely a "she"—I pay attention to the observers and what they have to say.

One of the best is Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times. There can be no doubt she loves fashion. She is, after all, Fashion Director of the Times, a pretty lofty position. She is also 2021-savvy and acknowledges "the culture of disposability around fashion" that leads to a glut of items in both wardrobes and landfills. She promotes buying better to last (good I think) and thrifting over new (maybe). She has a finger on the pulse of fashion, and I'm always interested how she thinks the patient is doing.

Vanessa reported on Jill Biden in a recent Times' piece. Dr. Jill has made it clear that her time in Washington is not going to be about what she wears. There is too much to do. Nevertheless First Lady fashion-watching is a thing for "reasons national, personal and political" writes Vanessa. 

During her visit to the Tokyo Olympics Jill has worn only one new outfit: a Ralph Lauren navy jacket and white pants in her role as official U.S. Olympic team booster.

Showing her true colors...

The rest of her wardrobe—for events and dinners as well as touch-downs—are all things we have seen before. Unlike days past when the First Lady's closet was more of a revolving rack than an actual wardrobe, the fact that Jill Biden will keeps things she likes to wear in rotation is realistic to the way most of us dress.

I love this next paragraph so much—and it's the gist of what I wanted to say—that I'm quoting it directly from Vanessa Friedman:

"...by rewearing her clothes, she is underscoring their value; the idea that when you find a garment you love, that makes you feel effective and like the best version of you, you keep it. If it made you feel that way once, it will do so again. That such a garment is worthy of investment for the long term. That it’s as much for the woman inside it as for the watching public. That it is not a throwaway. That you could do it too. That this is something to which we can all relate, whether or not we’re aware of the sustainability side of things."

IF IT MADE YOU FEEL THAT WAY ONCE, IT WILL DO SO AGAIN.

This needs to be etched inside my closet door and engraved onto my credit card.

Nuthin' to Say Here

I have nothing to say, which is enough of something to say that it's worth writing about. Just when we thought our lives could start returning—we all know "back to normal" is an oxymoron—along comes the delta variant and out come those masks again. Ugh. 

We are beginning the dog days of summer, as I'm sure are most of you. Vacations are either done or so needed you are about numb with anticipation. The bloom may be off your summer clothes but no way do you want to think about a fall wardrobe. Good thing, too, because the fashion magazines seem to be treating fashion like avant garde performance art. Some stuff may be great to look at, but where/when/why would I ever wear it? The magazines, too, are still playing catch-up with the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements. I get it, I really do, but basta.

However Dr. Jill Biden does look great on the cover of "Vogue".

I just love calling her "Dr."

What will the future hold for fashion? Madame's crystal ball is foggy, very cloudy. I do know many women seem to be cleaning out their closets. If it's true that millennials are way more into thrifting than buying new, I should be seeing some of my donations on the street anytime now. 

Retail, what's left of it, is already retooling. Nordstrom are expanding their idea of a storefront for pick-ups, returns and basic services like alterations. My mall location Nordstrom is stripped bare of any amenities. I swear they even took up the carpet. The Lovely Boutique Where I Work has told us to let customers know they better buy the stock coming in now as reorders will be thin. Companies are ordering less so as not to be stuck with unsold merchandise again. And online shopping is not going away. If anything more is being done to encourage it (look ma! no overhead!). What this will mean for the future of retail is anyone's guess.

No men need apply

 
All is not gloom-and-doom of course. I still dream about putting outfits together and finding the perfect (fill in the blanks). I've been going through my stack of vintage fashion magazines—old Seventeens, Vogues and Glamours from the '50s. I just re-watched "The Women" with its fabulous technicolor fashion show finale. "Funny Face" is always in rotation. Fashion, Paris, Audrey Hepburn, Gershwin—what could be bad? I still enjoy fashion history books. I've just been gifted with a goodie:

Worth-y reading

I also discovered that Trinny Woodall, of the original "What Not to Wear" duo, is alive and well on Instagram, Facebook and You Tube, carrying on just short of over-the-top but so mesmerizing you can't help but watch. And she still has some damn good ideas.

There's no stopping her for sure

 
So while I can't get all excited about the future of fashion, maybe the best way to make it through is by enjoying the past...