Comings and Goings: A Sunday Fashion News Roundup
Comings and Goings: A Sunday Fashion News Roundup
The fashion news that’s been occupying my brain lately.
Today’s newsletter is going to be something a little bit different: a small take on all of the bits and bobs I’ve seen floating around on the internet this week. Please enjoy responsibly.
I spent the entirety of yesterday engrossed in a massive closet clean out, gripped by the worldwide phenomenon known as “Spring Cleaning.” My closet was getting full, so I took a giant bag of unwanted items to sell to my favourite Toronto consignment store, Common Sort. I got $190 in store credit, spent $160 of it, and by the time I got home, I was so energized that I decided to rid my closet of some of the beautiful but unworn items I have acquired over the years. This is always a ruthless task because it means getting rid of some great stuff: Issey Miyake, June Watanabe, Comme des Garcons, Caron Callahan…but I like to imagine that I am sending each item off to an adoptive home where it will be nurtured and loved far more than it was when it sat in my closet, sad and neglected. Here’s a little funeral hymn for some of the pieces I am getting rid of.
The Discourse
The minute I scrolled past this tweet on my timeline I felt an acute pang of recognition. “So true, bestie,” I thought. "What ARE we supposed to do?” Proportions have become fraught and it’s hard to figure out what to wear because everything looks sort of wrong. Even the things that are technically right look wrong, so it’s become even more difficult to discern the difference between ‘good-wrong’ and ‘bad-wrong.’ I think the only thing to embrace here is that change is good. If something doesn’t look quite right, change it up by trying something you never in a million years thought you would ever wear — you might just like it. I’ve been slowly incorporating more and more oversized pieces into my wardrobe because they’re somehow the only things that look right at the moment. The challenge is styling them with the rest of my 34-year-old woman’s wardrobe. Right now the shorthand I’ve come up with is pairing massive Oxford button-downs with inconspicuously-shaped trousers (like the Issey Miyake Pleats Please ones), abbreviated miniskirts, as well as longer, more voluminous skirts. Carefully observing what cool-looking people I passed on the street are wearing has helped too. Yesterday I saw two excellent outfits that I plan to copy: a cropped-yet-baggy button-down shirt worn with trouser-style pants, and a medium-sized t-shirt (not too big or too small) worn with kick flares and mary-jane flats.
EmRata’s Puckered Seams
Poor Emily Ratajkowski. The silky 2002 Dolce and Gabbana gown she wore to the King’s Trust gala in New York City features a plunging neckline that makes Ratajkowski’s bonkers cleavage the main event. But most people couldn’t seem to take their eyes off something else — the dreadful puckered seams at the front of the gown. People on the internet compared the quality to a Shein dress or suggested the seam wouldn’t have been so bad if it was placed in the back instead (unlikely). Frankly, I’m just delighted people are noticing shoddy construction and want to talk about seams in the first place. EmRata will live to fight another day, hopefully in a better dress.
Lastly
In the time since my last newsletter, something very exciting has happened: my story for Toronto Life about the artist lofts at 888 Dupont was nominated for a National Magazine Award in the One-of-a-Kind Storytelling category. This kind of recognition doesn’t come around often, so I’m allowing myself to bask in the warm feelings for a bit. This is something that I’ve always wanted in my career but never seemed like it was going to happen. I write solid, reliable features for magazines, but never anything outstanding or award-winning. This nomination brings a whole new level of validation to my work (and lord knows I require external validation like I need oxygen) so please join me in celebrating a big win for Freak Palace.
Parting Thoughts
