August 30, 2010

BlogHer: The 15:30 Challenge

And then a funny thing happened: the more I tried to decide what my 15 pieces would be, the more stressed out I got. I was waking up at night worrying about my closet — about what I was going to wear all month, and about what I would do if the temperature (which is now hovering near 100) dropped to something cooler. I worried about dressing for work and baseball and soccer, and about how I would keep up with the laundry (I hand-wash nearly everything). Instead of feeling freed by the 15:30 Challenge, I was more focused on my closet than I ever am on a typical day.

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August 20, 2010

The Working Closet: minimalism

Calvin Klein, Fall 2010

Minimalism is back for Fall 2010 and I for one couldn’t be happier. The last time we saw clean, minimalist lines on the runway — or in the stores — was in the 90s, as a reaction to the over-the-top 80s. These days, minimalism has more to do with the recession and a sense that less is — well, less, and thus morally superior to more.

But minimalism isn’t just about having — or wearing — less; it’s about choosing carefully, or engaging in what the New York Times recently referred to as “calculated consumption.” In a provocative piece titled “But Will it Make You Happy?” writer Stephanie Rosenbloom dissected the connection between money and happiness, with particular attention to consumer culture.

In other words, she asked if shopping made people happy. The answer? No, not really.

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August 13, 2010

The Working Closet: back to school shopping

My children started school yesterday — can I get a hallelujah? — and now it feels like fall at my house. It’s still hot here, and we’re nowhere near ready to actually bust out the warm clothes, but I’m ready to start thinking about the move from summer to winter.

Back-to-school always gets me thinking about three things: new shoes, new bags, and new sweaters. I wore a uniform to school so that was pretty much my school shopping list for years; now that my sons wear uniforms, their lists are pretty much the same. But while they opt for tennis shoes, backpacks, and school logo sweatshirts, I want something prettier.

Here’s what I’m eying for Fall 2010.

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August 11, 2010

The Working Closet: your personal stylist

I have a dream: Clinton Kelly shows up at my door and goes through my closet, telling me what to wear with what and how to mix and match what I have to make my wardrobe even more efficient and fabulous than it is now.

(In real life he would probably throw half my closet in the trash, but this is a dream, so let’s go with it, ok?)

Having someone else help you make wardrobe choices can be both exhilarating and terrifying. We all get in a rut with our look, because it’s easy and we don’t have time to be constantly reinventing ourselves. But wouldn’t it be great to work with a personal stylist, just for a day?

Well, you can. Even better: you can do it for free.

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