my closet is a museum

A friend of mine, who is also a stylist and buyer for a local boutique I frequent, commented to me once that my closet is a museum: Full of beautiful things on exhibit, but not often – or ever – worn. Indeed I have an enviable wardrobe, with a fun mix of high, low, and lots of in-between. I love everything I own – but I do look at them, feel them, try them on – more than I actually wear them. I have too many things with price tags still hanging – a grim reminder of my dismal cost-per-wear track record. The same is true for shoes and boots. I take new shoes immediately to the cobbler to have Vibram soles put on them, treat them for weather if necessary, admire them, show my daughter (and let her try them on), place them in the shoe bag with which they came, and then stow them away in my closet. Somehow I feel the need to save them for a special occasion, or at least the “right” occasion.

I’m not at all sure where this behavior comes from. Many people I know wear their new purchases right away – sometimes right out of the store where they got them! This last summer, like every summer in recent memory, my daily uniform has consisted of distressed denim shorts or other slouchy shorts, boyfriend jeans, oversized t-shirts (white, black, or grey), jacket or blazer, short flat boots or sandals, and chunky jewelry. I just hadn’t wanted to wear anything else. This fall and winter, I have tried to be a bit more discriminating with respect to shopping, buying only those things that really caught my eye, were timeless, or could add to a growing and coveted collection of a particular type of thing (fur vests or ankle boots, for examples). And, while I make a good effort to wear what I purchase, I always fall short. Even the Burberry Brit leather jacket I received as a gift from my husband on our wedding day a little over two years ago has only been worn about a dozen times. I bought a YSL bag at a charity auction 4 years ago and it’s seen the light of day twice.

I am getting better, but I have a long way to go. Working from home doesn’t much help – it is all too easy to spend each day in yoga pants, tank top, and oversized grandpa sweater! Now that I have re-started this blog, I am committed to getting dressed more often. In a future post, I’ll share photos of some of my favorite pieces…