Thought I'd follow up my style exploration with a little progress report. I've been thinking about how I want to show up at work...and in regards to clothing, that involves things like appropriate weight of clothing + appropriate for the work clothing. I'd tried wearing sweaters to work + found that they were often too hot + too delicate. I think that sweatshirts are great, but hadn't found any that I liked enough to embrace wearing them on repeat. I'd like to look put together + nice, while still being comfortable doing some physical work + being on my feet all day.

I find that embracing a style helps me focus the pieces I own in a certain direction + allows me to have less in the end. Less is great for the planet, farmers, garment workers, upkeep + my wallet. So here's where my thinking went next:

• I already have a couple pairs of jeans + some thrifted olive pants. That gives me some direction style-wise + is enough too. 
• A pair of mary janes could elevate casual outfits a bit...as long as I could find some that are comfy enough to walk in all day.
• A couple of blouses would serve that dreamy, romantic style, are comfy to wear + the appropriate weight for warmth.

My choice additions include:

• Exactly the Auntie Oti shirt I wanted + found second hand. I can roll up the sleeves or not...tuck it in or not...and layer it under a sweater or sweatshirt or not. I've worn it three times already + I love it so much! 
• A Doen blouse on deep, Black Friday discount. I just received this yesterday + it made me smile so big when I tried it on. It's going to get worn a ton!
• A pair of mary janes that are made of natural materials + feel really comfy on. I knew these were going to need to get worn in, so I've endured one blister...but know I'm going to get so much wear out of these with jeans, pants + dresses.

This brings me a few steps closer to feeling like my work wardrobe is appropriate, comfortable + enough! Progress for sure!

Love,
Jane

I have to admit that hope has been harder + harder to find in myself during the past few years. Like many, I have had to come to terms with the recognition that things are not just getting better + better by themselves...that humanity is not on an inevitable, upward trajectory toward equity, love and "good". Climate change, racism, refugees, sexism, alternative facts, capitalistic greed, pandemics, identity discrimination, mass shootings and gun violence all point toward movement away from equity, love and "good". It all feels so extraordinarily heavy. Hope can just feel lost...trampled...decimated...in the weight of it all.

I was naive enough to be surprised by the "All Lives Matter" reaction to "Black Lives Matter". I believed that people would notice that racism is passé as they live further + further outside of it...that we will all come to recognize that love feels better than hate. Embarrassingly naive + privileged, I know.

When a local DJ made the comparison of BLM/ALM to when people say, "save the whales". He said that no one reacts by saying: but what about the sharks. Shark lives matter. I think this comparison breaks down quickly when we realize that sharks can't make signs. It is when people feel that they themselves will feel the effects of "acceptance" of the "other" or "progress"...that the call to love becomes colored by fear...and love becomes negotiable. Fear not only throws a wrench in the upward trajectory, but the weight of it throws the whole thing into reverse.

And yet, when I go searching with all my might for hope, I still believe it can be found in the realization that we are  not  naturally  moving toward better...that we cannot just depend on love always winning in the end...that our better angels won't just naturally prevail.

It is precisely because of this that we can recognize that individuals have to choose love...that they often do choose love...and that a sort of general consensus can follow. The civil rights movement did happen. An elected black man is now an elected party leader in the House of Representatives in this country built by enslaved people. 

And maybe this is an even greater hope. A hope that makes effort not only necessary, but fruitful. A hope that has the power to break the chains of fear + bring waves of freedom to love. 

Hope may be an inconstant companion...but a visitor worth the effort of inviting again + again.

Love,
Jane

Like I said yesterday, I'm exploring a few of my favorite styles as I think through how I want to show up these days (especially at work). My days look a bit different lately, and this exercise is helping me process this shift in a visual way.  :) 

I'm calling this style dreamy romantic. My version is kinda dreamy on top + grounded on the bottom, since I still need it to perform some physical tasks. Doen is the brand that most inspires me in this direction. They are making some exciting changes by offering more pieces made with GOTS certified organic cotton, looking into regenerative cotton sourcing + offering onsite resale. 

What I'm focusing on with this style is the way a few beautiful tops can elevate blue, black or natural jeans while still giving an air of casual effortlessness. In terms of footwear, I'd add birks, blundstones, clogs or flats to these pairings. The only issue I have with this is style is that it might require the addition of just-the-right cardigan these days...not impossible...just something to consider (bunching sleeves + all). 

While Doen pieces are not inexpensive, it is possible to find them secondhand. They are also good inspiration for sewing tops like Roscoe or a vintage 70's sewing pattern. 

Top + jeans + footwear = simple (+ pretty). Nice.

All lovely photos via Doen.

Love,
Jane

Most of our childhood is stored not in photos,
but in certain biscuits,
lights of day,
smells,
textures of carpet.
~School of Life

I've been thinking through how I want to show up in my life...for people...and at work lately. There is so much to sort out in my mind, but one of the most enjoyable places to explore some of this is with clothing. Silly as that sounds, I feel that it's part of feeling settled in how I show up + the ease with which I can do so.

I've been able to focus in on my personal basics over the years...and with those pieces in place, it is relatively simple to make subtle shifts that feel significant. They might be shifts that no one but me notices...and maybe I like it that way.  :)

The shift from wearing a lightweight button down under a pullover rather than a tee...or wearing mary janes instead of boots with my jeans can change the whole feel of an outfit. It can change my outlook, my posture + my gait. It might provide a more polished option when I take off the sweater, because I'm heating up too.

I'm attracted to a few different styles that can come from some of the same basics. This first one I'm exploring is what I'm calling artistic minimalism. Some of my favorite inspiration in this style comes from Bon. They create the most artistic images...always with a touch of whimsy...out of the most basic shapes.

I think one of the secrets of this style is keeping it very simple. It's not really about layering or accessorizing. Solid colors sing + prints shine because of their rare appearances. An exquisitely cut white button up pairs beautifully with straight jeans and a pair of leather oxfords.  A shapely dress needs nothing more than a pair of simple flats or a red beret. Rennes also does this style particularly well.

The pieces on offer are artistically + fairly made, and the prices are not inexpensive. Often we have similar basics already in our wardrobes + it's more about wearing them with renewed vision + appreciation. Maybe we get the idea that one or two additions might elevate everything + search for a secondhand button up or a new pair of mary janes. (I think that idea is sticking with me.)  :) The lovely shapes can be great inspiration for sewing pieces like Bob pants, Heroine jeans or an Olya shirt too.

Simple always works for me! (It's fair too!)

​All beautiful images via Bon.

Love,
Jane

It's been six weeks since we cleared everything out of our main living spaces. We are (finally) reaching a time when we can consider bringing things back into our "new" space. I feel the inner dialogue between wanting a cozy place to envelope me + those I love...and preserving the room to move + feeling the vastness of unencumbered spaciousness.

I wonder whether to conceal the scars of the this stage of the work done...or let the patchwork be unapologetically as it is. I am hesitant to fill the space with personality by way of stuff + things...feeling the beauty of the personality of s p a c e . 

It's a quiet dance in my mind...feels like sun sparkling on + then off waves...a question that resists the question mark. I look forward to playing with the possibility.

Love,
Jane

There is no courage in the absence of fear.
~Luvvie Ajayi Jones
​(via this lovely listen)

Beaumont Organics designs beautiful clothing in the UK. Their organic cotton pieces are made in Portugal, while their knitwear is made from lambswool in the UK. Looking at these pieces makes me a little more ready to embrace all of the crisp autumn days to come.

All lovely photos via Beaumont Organics.