So I went to London to participate in Marie Kondo consultant seminar…
These are my sartorial experiences, the rest will come later:
A random update 1: The minimalist aspirations are too much at times. I went on a 5 night trip with my everyday backpack and a tote. The tote was mostly food (two big sandwiches, strawberries, an apple, date bars, cherry tomatoes, chocolate and almonds), because hunger always strikes right after the security control. I chose to leave my big camera at home, (correctly) assuming that this trip won’t be spent exploring London for photos (you can see the visuals from my past UK trips here), but did carry a laptop, several notebooks, a Marie Kondo book for her to sign and other life necessities. It worked out well, but was a bit too small… I ended up leaving some stuff (two books and a notebook) with my lovely host for future retrieval.
A random update 2: Given the limited luggage space, I made an exciting wardrobe decision – to take only one (gasp!) proper bottoms: my mom’s hand-me-down bird and flower skirt (+ a pair of leggings but I had no plans to go to the seminar in those) and three tops. So I wore the same bottoms, hence the same silhouette, and repeated two of the tops. And nobody cared! I received three comments about my clothes: two just praising the outfit (they hadn’t noticed that I wore the same skirt the day before) and one remarking on how I was getting the most out of my beautiful skirt. Outfit repetition for the win! Because either it goes unnoticed or you can present it as your personal war against fast fashion.
A random update 3: My effort to look smart and going places had a clear effect – for the first time in my life I was accused (not by a seminar participant but by a friend of a friend of a friend) of dressing conservatively! Not in my face and not as a good thing. It is hilarious, however, and I present all my outfits as an counterargument. I understand how in the age of black skinnies and gray t-shirts uniforms an outfit that looks like I made an effort might be confusing. I didn’t have a bird in my hair or visible radical feminist pins, and apparently the little pale pink sweater was the main culprit:
The perfect blank preppy canvas that it is!
Links for brains!
Talking about outfits as statements, Why Janelle Monáe’s vagina pants make me cheer. And also on feminism and representation, As Vogue Broadens its Gaze, One Might Wonder: What Took So Long?
Why we shouldn’t believe when fashion promises, only when they deliver: Garment Industry Watchdog Calls Foul – Again – on H&M’s Vow to Provide “Fair Living Wage”.
And when spirits falter, A Climate Change Activist on Why Giving Up Isn’t an Option.
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Do people ever misunderstand you through your clothing? Do you ever “deceive” through clothing on purpose? Do you adjust your outfits to the people you are going to meet?
The comment about you dressing too conservatively made me grin as I just recently realised that I completely unintentionally dress like a “modest christian girl”. My aesthetic preferences lead me to Pinterest boards carrying such titles as “modest fashion” or “conservative dresses”. So any analysis made on me and my lifestyle based on the way I dress risks to be quite far-fetched.
Oh, Madame M, you’ve been camouflaging all this time and confusing busy people who are used to figure others out who we are just by what they are wearing (I have to admit that often it is an easy way)! And I find the whole ‘modest fashion’ – when explicitly labelled as such – so fascinating.