Owning It—A Fashion Diary
Not everyone likes to shop. In fact, some people (gasp!) hate it. A couple of women I know hit up Nordstrom only twice a year, try on no more than five garments, and stack up color coded variations in the few things they have chosen. They buy a new suit or two and snag a dress near the register like it’s an impulse purchase.
They find no joy in caressing cashmere sweaters or lingering over the selection of colorful chiffon scarves. They wear the same pearl earrings everyday (my Mother would faint!) and have one black puffy winter coat that gets the job done.
“I like my money right where I can see it: hanging in my closet.”
Carrie Bradshaw
Other women I know shop for clothes online. Exclusively! They don’t long to walk amongst the rows of belts, the buckles clanking gently against one another as the leathers sway. They aren’t interested in swiping a hand lovingly across the soft suede jackets with the warm furry collars. They never even think of staring at the shiny, patent leather shoes or admiring the glittering flats.
Shopping is an acquired skill. Yes, anyone can shop. But to truly shop well, with a trained eye for color, style, fabric, fit, length, swing, bling, and fashion, one must be taught. To be taught by a grandmaster like my Mother is quite a life shaping experience. And to pass along this honed skill to my son is certainly an honor. It’s a win, win, win—great finds that build fabulous closets with often hilarious and sometimes touching memories to boot.
Colors of the 80s…
My sister and I are only eleven months apart…to the day. So we had three years of overlap in college. At the time, we both used to have the J.Crew catalog delivered to our respective dorms. I remember when the fall offerings would be released I would scan all the crewnecks and cardigan sweaters. I always got a kick out of the descriptions of the colors.
So I’d call my sister and if I got her answering machine, I’d say, “Bark, Oak, Almond, Buff and Cherry,” crack up and hang up. She would call back, and only if I didn’t answer, she’d leave a message that said, “Melon, Sky, Sage, Peony, Charcoal, Mint and Ivory.”
• Yolk • Sky • Sage • Almond •
When I was picking my after college career and copywriter sprung to mind, one of the jobs I fantasized about was Color Picker at J.Crew. But I’d have gone with Hazelnut, Latte, Cotton Candy, Yolk, Pomegranate, Sunset, Ink and Blossom. (I wonder if they are hiring?) To this day we continue this tradition, but now we text each other.
I Do!
On bended knee, my boyfriend of a year, clad in purple, presented me with a very vertical, more than slightly imperfect pear-shaped diamond flanked with smaller pears set in platinum. My Mother called the ring “interesting.” It was the absolute kiss of death. When I arrived at work with the ring on, my friend Heather announced that pear is known to tear cashmere. Obviously both my clothes and I would be doomed.
Even with the dangerously fruit shaped stone prominently displayed, the engagement stuck, and we planned the wedding.
“Mah colors are blush and bashful!” Steel Magnolias
The most emotional shopping trip with my Mother was the wedding dress quest. Just Mom and me at Kleinfeld. I tried on only a few before I found a white satin square neck, jeweled top beauty with capped sleeves. Mom insisted on a cathedral veil and we both cried. I picked a seeded pearl half-crown for my hair and you could have cued the music right there in Brooklyn. My shoes were Cynthia Rowley in matching white satin with big hearts on the soles so when I was raised on the chair celebrating, everyone saw my fun fashion surprise.
On Second Thought…
A handful of years later I donated the wedding dress and promptly lost 237 pounds. I guess that was because I donated the groom as well. I’m happy to report that they both found new homes. (At least someone else got to enjoy the dress. That’s ok because he called his shoes Kenneth Cole Haan. He also thought seersucker was a color. We were truly an imperfect pair.) I dyed the heart shoes black and they’ve lasted for years. Who knew the shoes would outlast the marriage.
“The only thing that separates us from the other animals is our ability to accessorize.”
Steel Magnolias
Thinking it inappropriate to wear the ring, and out of the question to save it for my son to disappoint the love of his life decades into his bright future, I sold the imperfect pear on Valentine’s Day to some crook of a jeweler on 47th Street in Midtown. Good thing I dumped the troublemaker when I did; I wasn’t about to put my good cashmere at risk one moment longer.
Pear is known to tear cashmere.
Who knew?
jenslittleblackbook.com 