I haven’t been thinking about clothes very much lately, which has made brainstorming a topic for this week’s newsletter a little difficult. But then I thought: Well, it’s not like I haven’t thought about clothes at all. I’ve still gotten dressed, though not with much effort or creativity, as I haven't left the house to do much except walk and jog. (I work from home.) You might be wondering if I’m depressed — no. I’m actually enjoying the time off from worrying about my presentation to the world and am experiencing the joys of wearing a uniform. On a related note, I decided to take the month off from drinking, which snowballed into taking the month off from most things, except working, being outside in the snow, and relaxing home activities, such as reading and binging every season of the reality TV show “Traitors” that I can find. It’s how I’m currently defining fun!
Sure, sometimes I get jealous when I see a well-dressed person while I’m out on a walk and I think, “Rats! That should be me!” but then I remember that it’s winter, and the goal is to get out of the house as quickly as possible, while wearing something that will keep me warm, dryish, and won’t cause me to curse if (when) I spill coffee down my front.
So, what sartorial thoughts have permeated my temporarily distracted and slightly indifferent state? What do I wear after I shed the Heattech and puffer jacket? Those damn oversized wool babaà turtlenecks (I say this very lovingly) have taken over my mind’s control center, directing my hands each morning to slip one on over my —gasp! — athleisure.
I bought another one during the current sale, and have obviously worn it every day since it arrived in the mail, folded inside a brown paper bag and packaged with a poem (“Were all stars to disappear or die, I should learn to look at an empty sky” 🥺). I decided on the color “earth,” a saturated dirt brown, because it fits within my self-diagnosed soft autumn color season palette and seems to be the next natural choice after navy, which I already own. My choice also probably definitely has to do with the fact that chocolate brown is everywhere rn, so I let the tide of influence wash over me and swam with it. It’s nice and warm.
My navy babaà turtleneck, purchased at the very beginning of the pandemic, marked a turning point for my wardrobe and my relationship with shopping. With the free time I was no longer spending out in the world, I expanded my knowledge of materials and brands, especially independent and international companies like babaà. I no longer wear most of the pieces I bought that year, but I still wear the navy turtleneck all the time, even in the summer, and bring it on most trips. I don’t keep a spreadsheet of this kind of thing, but if I did, it would surely be my most worn piece of clothing.
I bought the navy turtleneck after watching Olivier Assayas’s “Summer Hours,” because I was inspired by the elegant way in which the matriarch character wore her clothing during a family dinner scene in her garden. She wasn’t even wearing a sweater! But I could imagine that it would be the kind of sweater she would wear, and the kind that I wear for years and years until I’m old and gray and elegant. I throw it on casually for a dinner party in my own verdant backyard in my daydream. It lived up to those expectations better than I did, for I still don’t have a garden, though my landlord does a really nice job with our upstairs porch. I’ve slid into my sweater after sunset during dinner parties up there, feeling satisfied in my second skin… and maybe a little sweaty because I’m wearing wool in July.
Despite, or maybe because of, my navy sweater’s perfection, I still wanted another one. My friend said the other day that she wants to buy one every year until she has every color, and I agree. I’ve collected four of them in four years. I haven’t found the perfect version of most things, but maybe I have in this turtleneck.
I've also been thinking about how freeing it is to not think about what to wear — to just wear the same things over and over and not strive to do something new each day. It leaves some creative energy for other activities. Of course, when my hibernation runs its course and I have a big fun date planned for a Saturday night, I’m sure I’ll be pulling out lots of pieces, tossing them on my bed, and trying to construct some creative outfit that perfectly embodies my inner world. But for now, I’ll continue cosplaying as a sheep.
Thanks for reading xx
Francesca 🐑
The concept of Rule of Five has been revelatory. Generally speaking, I’ve always been a good buyer - but have definitely relied too much on fast fashion. And it’s so true that the stuff that gets tossed at the end of the season or year, is ALWAYS the H&M, Zara, Nordstrom sale, etc. and clearly I’ve wasted a shitload of money! The idea that I can focus my attention on what I have and then have goals for FIVE amazing things is exciting!!! It’s like a contest as to what will make the list. I’m a fall/winter girl, so the next few months should be a breeze til August hits!
I have only you to thank for owning the *dare I say* best sweater of all time ... baba no. 17 in my heart FOREVER ❤️. The brown looks amazing on you and that grey combo. You killed it! Let’s chat about color season diagnosis lol