Category — Secondhand Wardrobe Style and Fashion

I’ve gone to a few sewing conventions, and have got to say that they were jaw-dropping events. The classes were great, that wasn’t what shocked me. It was the way most of the attendees were dressed. Since these events were about home sewing, I expected to see people decked out in beautiful, flattering things they’d made. Ha! I saw loads of polyester pants with elastic waists. I knew the waists were elastic because oversized tee shirts were tucked into them. As a topper, there were a lot of patchwork vests and jackets that showed off the exquisite needlework skills of the wearer. Even though the toppers would have been beautiful to view on a hanger or a wall, as garments they were unfitted and unbelievably unflattering. 

Lest I sound like a big snoot, let me just say that I have nothing against ugly clothing. In fact, I really like it as long as I’m by myself and in my own house. This morning is cold and rainy and I’m alone, writing and periodically taking breaks to work out. I’ve got on stretchy pants that are in a shade that can only be called baby stool brown, shoes that are comfortable but make my naturally oversized feet look clowny, a tee shirt that appears to have been chewed off at the neckline because I tore into it with a pair of blunt scissors one day when it felt too tight, and a pilled shapeless fleece sweater.  

This outfit is comfortably delightful for my tasks this AM, but I’m meeting some friends for lunch. When I go out of the house, I’ll change my clothes. I’ll do so for one reason—because people judge each other on appearance.  

Since I have some amount of control over how I look, it amuses me to look like something the cat dragged in when I’m here by myself and then to look pretty good when I go out into the world.   

To get back to the sewing convention–as I was wandering around, trying to keep my eyes fixed on something other than the ugly clothing, I kept wondering if all of these people had avoided looking in the mirror before they left home. Which brings me to the first of the style suggestions that I will make here on my blog: Get into the habit of looking in the mirror before you leave home. Check the back view as well to make sure there’s isn’t anything that you’re missing, like a big spot on the seat of your pants. While you’re looking, try to be kind. If you usually don’t have a gander at yourself before leaving home, there might be a reason—like maybe you are overly critical when you look at yourself. Don’t do that now. Just make sure that you look decent. We’ll move on to more challenging assignments later, but for now, get used to your own reflection.

I enjoy subscribing to Bazaar (a women’s fashion magazine) especially since it costs only $10.00 to have twelve issues delivered to my doorstep. All those pretty pictures give me new ideas about what shapes and different combinations of colors and fabrics might be flattering to me.  

When Bazaar arrived last month, my first thought, before cracking it open, was, “I’ll bet they’re going to tell me that the gigantic, trendy, tote-like handbags that they have been pushing for the last few years (the ones that can cost thousands of dollars) are now OUT of fashion and should be replaced by a little clutch purse. My theory was based on the fact that the oversized bags are both unwieldy and extreme in terms of style and that I’ve seen little clutch purses show up whenever I read about fashion lately. I turned to the last page of the magazine, which is where they have a synopsis of what’s IN and what’s OUT, and sure enough, it stated that little embellished clutches are IN and oversize totes are OUT.  

The fashion magazines are constantly trying to dictate what we all should be wearing. Of course they are. They stand to profit if we buy what they tell us to. What confuses me is why anybody listens to them rather than developing his or her own sense of style.  

Fashion is dictated while style has to do with knowing what looks good on you and sticking with it, even if it’s not trendy. Style is much more daring than fashion because it’s about finding your own path instead of listening to what other people tell you to wear. 

Even though the dictatorial trendiness of Bazaar as well as other fashion magazines annoys me, they do provide me with some new ideas about clothing. I then approach yard sales and thrift stores with those ideas, which I translate into my own style.

I’m back to New York City this weekend, and will make a point of visiting a few of the really expensive department stores. I do this once or twice a year. While I’m strolling through Bergdorf’s, I have a peek at the inside of the some of the wonderful designer clothing to see how the seams are finished. I also check out how the fabric feels and I try to pinpoint what little details make the pieces more interesting than what I’d find at the less pricey stores. My purpose in snooping is to educate myself so that when I’m rooting around the piles at my favorite secondhand haunts, I can recognize quality. Even though I started making clothing way back in junior high school, a periodic visit to the high-end stores keeps me up on new fabric, construction technology and styles so that I can examine any potential bargains with a discerning eye.

Continuing the theme of the previous blog, I’ll describe what my daughter wore to a really dressy wedding that we went to last New Year’s Eve. She took all of her skirts out of her closet and eliminated them one by one until she whittled it down to the short black organza. Similar to mine, but the rest of our outfits were different enough so that they didn’t look anything alike. I loaned her a pair of brown tights to wear with her brown ankle boots. We still needed a brown shirt to tie it all together, which we found—an Ann Taylor wrap at a thrift store for $3.50. With some vintage jewelry that she’d gotten herself at a flea market last summer, and a brown 1950’s snakeskin clutch that I’d gotten years before at Salvation Army, we were all set to go. My earrings and her top cost a total of $11.50, and we looked fantastic.

Last fall we received an invitation to a wedding that was on New Year’s Eve, in the suburbs of New York City. “Very dressy” my friends told me, before asking, “What are you going to wear?” The pressure was on. 

I love clothing  in general, but really hate getting dressed up. Too uncomfortable. Plus, since this was the dead of winter, the clothing would have to provide warmth.

I regularly check out the dressy clothes when I’m in a thrift store. My goal in doing so is to have what what I need when an invitation arrives.

Rummaging around in my closet, I hoped to find just the right thing to wear to the New Year’s Eve wedding. My black organza skirt from the 60′s is one of those dressy pieces that cost just a few dollars, but has served as a staple for several fancy parties. I paired it with my silk pink and black flowered sweater. The skirt was long enough and my boots were tall enough to conceal long underwear for an extra layer of warmth. I did an updo with my hair and all I needed was a dressy pair of earrings, which I made out of pink glass and jet beads that set me back $8.00. Adding a silver bracelet that I already owned, I was all set, but what about my teenaged daughter? I’ll describe her outfit in my next blog.