Dear Fashion People, What Planet Do You Live On?

You know I don't just date Earl because he's handsome (or smart, or caring, or just about the funniest person I've met). 

No, he's also very wise. During a conversation where I was expressing my frustration with the wealthy members of our society and the recent interactions I've had with a few of them, he completely summarized my entire 2 and a half minute rant with one sentence. "Whit, " He says to me in that sweet mix of northern speed and southern twang of a voice, "they live on a completely different planet than we do."

He is so right. 

For example, what is wrong with buying clothes and being seen in them again? I don't get it. It's like we are doomed to have a cycle of one night (or one day) stands with our wardrobe; we fall in love with it, spend the money to get it, wear it once, only to push it to the back of the closet in order to repeat the cycle all over again. 

This is nonsensical. 

Even the fashionably elite experience this. Eva Chen, editor of Lucky Mag, experessed how she felt when spoken to by a photographer about repeating certain items in her closet. In her May editorial letter had this to say: 

"You know, we [all the street style photographers, thereby implying it had been a topic of conversation] think it’s very brave that you have worn some of the same pieces over and over.” That statement triggered a domino effect of emotions: confusion (huh?!) and then simultaneous paroxysms of laughter (I mean … yes, I wore the same Jil Sander skirt in two cities. How absurd that it be something unusual!) and disbelief (“brave,” to me, is being on the front lines of a war or standing up for your beliefs. Not wearing the same thing twice).

She's right. It's brave to risk your life, not risk being seen in an outfit twice. That's called normal. 

To be fair, we all wish that our Pinterest boards and out Polyvore sets were our closets and that we had an endless supply of beautiful clothes that we could wear, never having to repeat a single item. But most of us don't live on that planet. Most of us must repeat things. 

I have to be honest though...I kind of enjoy it. It takes real creativity to create an amazing look on limited resources and with limited items in which to work. It's easy to go buy something new or trendy to wear. It takes actual talent, a good eye, and appreciation for what ou already have to make an ensemble masterpiece.

Eva seems to agree with me. "Real women, you see, earn their style icon status because each day is a new challenge of taking existing pieces, perhaps well-loved/worn...and mixing and matching them in an endless equation of fashion math."

Well said Miss Chen. Glad to know other fashion people are on my same planet.



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