Ever since I read that article (see blog post below) and related articles (see comments links) I've been thinking about this concept, of wearing one dress for a month (or more!).
I want to try this. I want to see what would happen to me. I want to see if I can.
Perhaps it's just clothes. But this I do know: I've never had a comfortable relationship with clothes. (I've never felt comfortable in my own skin, for that matter.) Something is always skewed between me and my wardrobe. I often look at my available choices and wonder what idiot put them in my closet, and why would anyone want to wear that stuff? When it comes to clothes, I definitely suffer somewhat from a "mulitple personality" problem. The fact that I don't "fit" into the clothes in my closet(not talking about size here) is ancient history for me, and I bet you anything has something to do with being a "third culture kid".
What if an experiement in simplicity becomes a journey to acceptance? What if I go through it, and get beyond something in trying this, in doing this?
What if it is good for me????
I've looked at the little brown dress blog. I've looked at the uniform project. I referenced that article this morning. I even read a blog about someone who did it from a Christian perspective and then put up a nice little booth in what looks like an emergent "worship setting". All very interesting.
And I do have plenty of jackets, and cool scarves and such. But I wouldn't want this to be all about accessories.
Instead, I'd like to do this, and reflect on virtues of simplicity, acceptance, finding one's identity in Christ, dealing with the internal restlessness that wearing the same outfit day after day will bring about (I know me, it will).
I have one friend who almost lives this way, anyways. It's just who she is. I'm not like that, though. For me, this would be hard. But perhaps beyond the hard, it would be good for me, and on some level easy.
I want to do this, and blog about it.
But first, I'm going to need to find the right dress. Why not pick something I already own, you ask? Well, for one thing, I don't own a dress, and skirts and tops are invariably less simple and more cluttered.
So, I'd love suggestions on the perfect dress. Wes thinks I should order two...for practical laundry purposes. Seriously, give me suggestions.
Here are my ground rules for style: it has to be long. It has to be one solid color (I'm thinking very dark brown would be appropriate. I'm open to black (a bit too monastic, though) and I'm also open to dark gray. I tend to look best in A-line styles, but everything I've seen is above the knee, which is ugly on fat me. I wear a size 20.
One of these dresses might do, but I wonder if they are "current" enough:
Land's End
Not like anything much is going to look fabulous on me. Acceptance of which is part of the point of the exercise, I think....
I want to try this. I want to see what would happen to me. I want to see if I can.
Perhaps it's just clothes. But this I do know: I've never had a comfortable relationship with clothes. (I've never felt comfortable in my own skin, for that matter.) Something is always skewed between me and my wardrobe. I often look at my available choices and wonder what idiot put them in my closet, and why would anyone want to wear that stuff? When it comes to clothes, I definitely suffer somewhat from a "mulitple personality" problem. The fact that I don't "fit" into the clothes in my closet(not talking about size here) is ancient history for me, and I bet you anything has something to do with being a "third culture kid".
What if an experiement in simplicity becomes a journey to acceptance? What if I go through it, and get beyond something in trying this, in doing this?
What if it is good for me????
I've looked at the little brown dress blog. I've looked at the uniform project. I referenced that article this morning. I even read a blog about someone who did it from a Christian perspective and then put up a nice little booth in what looks like an emergent "worship setting". All very interesting.
And I do have plenty of jackets, and cool scarves and such. But I wouldn't want this to be all about accessories.
Instead, I'd like to do this, and reflect on virtues of simplicity, acceptance, finding one's identity in Christ, dealing with the internal restlessness that wearing the same outfit day after day will bring about (I know me, it will).
I have one friend who almost lives this way, anyways. It's just who she is. I'm not like that, though. For me, this would be hard. But perhaps beyond the hard, it would be good for me, and on some level easy.
I want to do this, and blog about it.
But first, I'm going to need to find the right dress. Why not pick something I already own, you ask? Well, for one thing, I don't own a dress, and skirts and tops are invariably less simple and more cluttered.
So, I'd love suggestions on the perfect dress. Wes thinks I should order two...for practical laundry purposes. Seriously, give me suggestions.
Here are my ground rules for style: it has to be long. It has to be one solid color (I'm thinking very dark brown would be appropriate. I'm open to black (a bit too monastic, though) and I'm also open to dark gray. I tend to look best in A-line styles, but everything I've seen is above the knee, which is ugly on fat me. I wear a size 20.
One of these dresses might do, but I wonder if they are "current" enough:
Land's End
Not like anything much is going to look fabulous on me. Acceptance of which is part of the point of the exercise, I think....
Comments
A jumper would be a little more versatile, though, in terms of customization.
Just pick something you don't hate, okay?
http://www.jjill.com/jjillonline/prodnav/viewall.aspx?pfid=31&BID=S20092890208473459134125F7486D89076B&h=W&sk=W
Wrap dress: The police would come and haul me away if I wore any sort of wrap dress. A mile of cleavage is NOT winsome on an overweight 39 year old. Not the look I want to project.
JJill: Excellent suggestion. Except I'm not thin. At. All. And the lovely black A-line number is DRY CLEAN ONLY.
I wish I could find a dress of good quality and construction that was black or dark brown, with some stretch to it, 3/4 or long sleeves, ballet neckline in a simple A-line that falls just above the ankle, which would be challenging to find since I'm tall.
Perhaps I should be looking at the fabric store.
Best wishes!
I'd rather have blue or even brown than the black, though, but then again that's just me.
How about this, in garnet?
I'm dismayed about limiting the field to brown, black, and gray! You're heading into winter when the *world* will be dark and gray. You would be beautiful in lovely dark crimson. Dignified but vibrant.
The dress you linked to looks warm which is a good start for me! I get cold alot so I often avoid dresses/skirts unless I can wear pants underneath!!!
I personally do not like corduroy in dresses, it doesn't hang right (on me) - too stiff and always winds up catching on the tights and hiking up weird. For every day I would want something I could practically forget I had on. :)
Best of luck with this project! I've always wanted to wear a habit, myself. ;-)
This is not particularly relevant but I grew up in Ireland and we didn't change clothes much - but it was always jeans. After college in America I lived with a girl with an extremely limited wardrobe (the 4 outfit type) - I was so intruiged and impressed but guess what? *I* got really tired of seeing the same thing day in and day out (she was fine). It felt physical. The funny thing is my husband wears one particular turtleneck after work and it has the same effect. By the end of winter my eyes hurt. But it's striped... Breakfast on the other hand... I could eat the same thing day in and day out my entire life. In fact I do. :) Along with my poor kids.