A Mention for Unmentionables

Brevity is the soul of lingerie -Dorothy Parker

I have received a lot of questions from people since I started this blog. They run the gamut from the obvious..."You mean you can't buy anything?? Not even a purse or a pair of sunglasses?" Not surprisingly, these types of questions come from my female friends. Then there are the less subtle questions such as, "So, um, I mean, are you naked when you are writing the blog or just generally." I think we can all guess which gender has brought up such thought provoking inquiries. But interestingly, one of the more popular questions has been based in true functionality. "What will you do about underwear?" My response - well, I have a lot.

Apparently this response was not sufficient. People wanted proof. So to my unmentionables drawer I sauntered to do a tally. And what did I find? Some 60+ pairs of knickers of varying shapes and sizes. They range from pretty lacy items to functional cotton, barely there anti-VPL numbers to novelty pairs I have received as gifts, comfy boy briefs to overpriced pieces I have purchased to assist in the art of seduction. Some are certainly in higher rotation than others, but when you have such a breadth of repertory to work with, I suppose the casualty rate is somewhat diminished.

It is funny, of the many thoughts that crossed my mind when embarking on this venture, this was certainly not one of them. I thought about the shopping trips with my mother that occur virtually every time I journey home. The lazy weekend afternoons of wandering around the boutiques of Brooklyn or an extended lunch of window shopping in the City. The idea that there might be a special event for which I could not purchase a new knock-em dead dress. Never once did I think...what if I run out of underpants!?!?!

For me, this is where the basis of this personal challenge becomes very clear. Nine times out of ten, when I have purchased clothing in the past, it is not out of necessity but out of pure luxury. Now I am not saying that from time to time a girl doesn't deserve a treat, but my closet is the proof of the virtual candy store I have acquired and felt in some way I deserved. My goal over the next year is to change my thought process and use what extra funds I do have to achieve larger goals. There is a saying that notes the American philosophy of living to work compared to the French philosophy of working to live. I want that joie de vivre that I know can only fully come when I am free of the burden that my debt has inflicted on my life for the past too many years.


In the meantime, don't worry Mom, I will have on clean underwear in case of a plane crash or a sudden paparazzi ambush.

And excuse me, now that I have completed this post, I need to put my clothes back on and start my day.

What Really Makes My Heart Go Pitter-Patter

In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.
-Coco Chanel

First the Barneys Warehouse Sale and now New York Fashion Week...Temptations the likes of which I have only read about in biblical times! Thank heavens the majority of it is still housed a safe distance away in Bryant Park and has yet to enter its new home right outside my office window.

In all seriousness, this challenge would be a lot less interesting and well, challenging if I lived in say Dubuque, Iowa. For instance, my very fashionable friend K, moved out of New York almost a year ago and when she showed up to my house for a visit last summer she was wearing a polo, khaki shorts, and sneakers!?!?! Quelle horreur! Now I am not saying that my dear friend is any less fashionable, quite the contrary. And I know she still totally turns it out, but probably only on special occasions or on trips back to NYC (also a special occasion I might add). And why this change of a-dress? Simply put, it just doesn't matter there like it does here. Fashion in New York is just part of the general zeitgeist whether it is conscious or not.

So now that I have alienated and possibly insulted some of my readers, let me elaborate. I leave my house in Brooklyn promptly at 9:00 am every morning to make my pilgrimage into the City. Obviously most people have to be somewhere at a certain time Monday through Friday, so you tend to ride the subway with the same cast of characters. There are some I am sure I ride with every day and I could literally bump into them on the street and not put together the connection. Then there are the ones that really stand out. There is the tall, lanky, pointy-nosed version of Dita Von Teese with her black Betty Page bangs and ponytail, sky high shoes, and all black ensembles that always have some added funky twist. The gentleman in the fitted blazer, cashmere scarf, skinny jeans and impeccably polished shoes who has obvious similarities to Daniel Day Lewis in either Gangs of New York or There Will Be Blood-yes, mustache and all. Now for my favorite. She is Tilda Swinton-esque with cropped reddish hair and angular strong features. This winter she has been sporting a dark purple velvet coat over some sort of skirt or dress, opaque tights and big chunky shoes. Oh and she tops it all off with a black fur chapeau and a canvas Sotheby's bag which serves as her purse.

From my descriptions, one may come to the conclusion that none of this crew is obviously attractive, but they put it all together in such a unique and thoughtful way that you (or at least I) can't not be drawn to them. And even more importantly, their style works because it is just them. Their fashion is an example of their life, work, and personalities in the most fabulously effortless way. Also, it must be pointed out that none of them are obviously wealthy either as they tend to rotate around the same basic staples that they know work for them and express their sensibilities, and if there are labels anywhere they certainly aren't obvious. At a recent annual luncheon for donors at my work, I saw the age old example of money not being able to buy style. And I have never seen so many women trying so hard in my life!

So in an effort to "shop my closet" as they say and still keep up with my City, what will I be expressing for the next year in my day to day wardrobe? I am really loving the menswear look that was a staple on the runways for spring 2010 and seems to be carrying over onto the Fall runways as well. So limits be damned, I will shop my BF's closet in addition to my own and work an effortlessly chic, tailored yet bohemian, Charlotte Gainsbourg style.

Oh and sorry, Dubuque. It wasn't personal.

The First Week

There was a reason for the cost of those perfectly plain black dresses. -Dorothy Parker

Yes, I realize, this is the easy part. I mean, it has only been a week right?!? But don't speak too quickly, because the skeletons of my previous existence have already begun to rear their ugly heads. For example, I received a notice in yesterday's mail that the annual Barneys Warehouse Sale was about to commence. For New Yorkers, this event is right up there with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Yankees opening day. It is a voracious land of chaos staged in what was once the Barneys Co-op store downtown. Racks and racks of bargains lie before you and if you are lucky enough to get out with a Dries van Noten blouse, Vince trousers, oh, and your life still in tact, then it was a successful venture. But alas, I was a good girl, and the notice of this sale went directly into the trash.

So how shall I resist a constant bevy of temptations?? Step 1, I have removed my evil credit card from my wallet. I haven't done anything extreme like cut it up and I know where it is in case of an ACTUAL emergency, but I also know where it is not when I see a pair of boots that my wardrobe has been lacking for so long, and that's in my wallet. Step 2, I will not torture myself. No going into stores or buying fashion magazines...what is the point really? Also, if I am limited to working with what I have in my closet for the next 11 months, then I cannot be influenced by the current trends and must create my own "looks" for the coming seasons. My BF has recently realized that Step 2 will be affecting him as well. You see, my fondness for the art of purchasing extends beyond my own closet as I often buy clothes for him as well. I feel if you have a talent for something, you should really help those who may lack said talent. It is only right to give back ;)

Oh, and for those of you who had requested a photo of the dress from the previous post, here ya go!

This was sadly taken by yours truly in my bathroom full length mirror after my BF's birthday dinner. Clearly no one at the party got the importance of taking a full length picture of my outfit!