Savin’ It.

voltee ♦ January 23, 2012 ♦ 1 Comment

Item: Blouse Color/Fabric: Multiple purples, grey/silk Designer: Rebecca Taylor Where Purchased: Barney’s Co-op Outlet Years Owned: 2
Here I sit, in a dark room, with an empty screen and a full glass of wine, creatively inspirational music playing (tonight, the Decemberists), feeling strangely…content. Until a few short moments ago, I had not dressed my Trixie in ages. I tried my best to ignore her pleading eyeless stare as I passed her, forgotten, every day.
But today, reunion! And happiness.
Up first tonight, one quick business matter. You can now reach my blog by iamwhatiwore.com, in case that’s easier for you, or you want to tell someone about it, or if you just have an inquiring mind that needs to know. Also, a new look and some new features coming soon. Something to look forward to!
And now, this lovely blouse. This came to mind tonight for two reasons. The first being that I bought it at Barney’s in Woodbury Common, at my most favorite shopping event, their winter clearance. I either have called in sick, driven through a snowstorm, or awoken at the crack of dawn three of the last four years for this event, only missing the year that I worked backstage for Gypsy.
This year, I will purposefully be abstaining.
Which brings me to the second reason I thought of this blouse. I am bravely facing this Barney’s boycott as part of my multi-faceted New Year’s resolution. One part is that I want to be more creative and brave with my fashion decisions. The second is that I will really, really let go of what I don’t need. The third is that I want to use and appreciate my wardrobe.
That last part is the focus of this post.
I really have been thinking about this part, a lot.
Like, tossing and turning at night, a lot.
And I decided that I can’t really use and appreciate what I already own if I’m constantly adding new pieces.
Which is what I do, relentlessly. I’m like the curator of an enormous museum, on an endless quest for more rare acquisitions. Except that I don’t have a vast, museum-like amount of space on my closet. It is booked. There is no room at the inn…
But it’s not just a matter of space. There’s also the weird, unnamed disorder that has plagued me my entire life- the one that makes me like a piece of clothing at least 50% less after wearing it a single time. It gives me an irrepressible urge to continually buy clothing!
Then there’s the third thing- the Savin’ It clause. This is the one where you buy something, maybe a little bit fancier than the clothes you usually wear, maybe a little bit more expensive than what you usually buy. But you love it. So much that you tell yourself that you’re “Savin’ It,” for that exact, picture perfect occasion. You know, the one that never comes.
So the piece sits in your closet year after year, and sometimes you pick it up, or even try it on, telling yourself how much you love it. Yet it never sees the light of day.
My husband is a great champion of the Savin’ It clause. One night, when we decided on a whim to go out for dinner, I put this on with a pair of jeans and tall grey boots. I felt great. However, Nate said, “Isn’t that Rebecca Taylor? Don’t wear that. You’ll ruin it!”
I felt a brief flash of guilt, then slyly asked if he wanted to wait while I picked out an entirely new outfit. He didn’t, of course, and the blouse ended up surviving three kinds of salsa, tortilla soup, and a coconut margarita.
But even if it had met its demise at the Mexican restaurant, it would have been worth it to me. Because if it got ruined, I wouldn’t wear it anymore. And if I saved it only for occasions where I knew with absolute certainty that there was no chance whatsoever of spills, tears, snags, or acid rain, I would never wear it at all. Both situations have the same outcome; me not wearing the blouse.
Therefore, I’m always going to decide to wear the blouse.
There is no reason to save anything you own for a better day, a different day, the right occasion. We can’t ever know what tomorrow will hold. Or if there really will be a tomorrow, for that matter. There are no guarantees, after all.
I do have a nagging fear of leaving behind a closet full of clothes with the tags still on, representing opportunities not taken, a life not lived to its fullest capacity.
I will live, and love and appreciate what I own!
If that means sometimes watching American Idol in an evening gown, then I have no choice! If I must, I must…
So, what of this blouse? I do love it so! I love it’s refined animal print, its slinky feel, its sweet neckline and gracefully fluttering sleeves. I love it so much that I’ve worn it at least four times! Now that is true love.