Each of us can come to this exercise with a different goal in mind when answering this last question. Around here, we talk a bunch about "less", but that may not be everyone's goal. Maybe you want to be able to fit everything you own into your closet. One person might like to have quite a lot of variety to choose from. Another may want to embrace a specific uniform. Each of our ideas of "enough" is different. Great! Let's just get intentional with defining it a bit.  :)

With those questions answered:

1. Pull everything out onto the bed.                                                                                        It's always a good thing to see just how much clothing we own (perspective).   
2. Select the number of pieces you decided on for each category.                                      (Focus on work/school clothes first. Lounge/pajamas/athletic wear may be able to be selected from what's left over.)
3. Take stock.                                                                                                                            -Don't have as many pieces as you thought you needed?                                                     Maybe live with what you have for a while to learn if more is necessary.                    -Have lots left on your bed?  (We're talking in-season pieces now.)                                     Let them go or box some up + live with what's in your closet in order to see if you        need any of those hard-to-let-go-of pieces. Do set a date to decide, though. 
4. Address out-of-season clothing.                                                                                           -Let go of any pieces that didn't serve you this season or that are worn out.                 -Store the rest away (in your suitcase?).
5. Make a "shopping" list...but only address the major holes right away.                        (You'll refashion/swap/thrift/make/buy better after experiencing the season           a bit first.)

This post will be linked at the bottom of the fairdare page.

​Love,
​Jane

Day 7 :: Wow! Today's high is going to reach only 49°F. I might still venture out to crunch through the leaves + soak up some sunshine. Afterward, this outfit has just the cozy feel I want on a stay-at-home Sunday. 

I feel like I've only scratched the surface when it comes to the ways I could wear these two pieces. I could have styled them up a whole lot more, but these looks are a pretty good representation of how I dress. I like to keep things simple + feel like I can switch things up easily with the switch of a pair of shoes. 

This bonus look is a good example of that. Wearing flats rather than trainers or Birks elevates this look just a bit. I imagine wearing this for a morning of work in a coffee shop...post Covid.

These vintage army pants are just another example of how one item can be super casual when worn with a white muscle tank + sandals...and then about as dressy as I need to be when worn with a white button down (or cashmere pullover) + flats. Our clothing can often serve us in so many more ways than those for which we give them credit. When I talk about wearing my clothing over + over...I mean it.  :)

I can wear this "pajama" top with every one of my fitted pants: jeans, white pants + army pants (not to mention shorts). I can wear it as a layer over a tank, tee or slip dress...or under a cardigan or jacket. Again, the shoes I chose would change the resulting looks as well. The pants are a dreamy summer weight that will get lots of use with tanks, tees + sandals. They will also serve me well as a cozy partner to sweatshirts, sweaters + socks in the cooler months. I might not wear them to work, but I'd wear them to most any other casual setting. It's all in the mindset. I think of these pieces not simply as pajamas, but as a perfectly legitimate top + pants.

Day 6  :: A week of pajamas continues.  :) Today is windy with a forecast high of 71°F. This might just be the perfect day to venture out to the cider mill for some hot apple cider + then to do a little thrifting. Then again, it's the weekend...during Covid times...so we might just avoid people + stay at home...again. Anyway, a girl can dream.  :)

Also...a few things I've enjoyed lately:
​Clothing as a tool of service.
Just in case there is any doubt.
What's at stake.
​Food for thought.
Just to live + enjoy simply...life.

Have a lovely, safe weekend, friends!

This post is part of this series.

Love,
Jane

Day 4 :: It's forecast to be 62°F today. While it may result in a bit more of a "look" than a white or chambray button-up when paired with these pants, I'm going with this supremely versatile $3 thrifted navy pinstripe. We're off to do groceries...the big outing of the week during Covid times...hence shoes!  :)

A few of my zero-waste habits have been altered during Covid times. The bulk bins are off limits, but there are so many other ways to practice zero-waste habits. Some great ways to practice zero-waste thinking in our wardrobes are:

• having less clothing
• recognizing what is enough 
• wearing our clothes often + for a long time 
• choosing pieces carefully + thoughtfully
• mending + repairing what we have
• refashioning + repurposing our clothing
• swapping with friends
• buying secondhand when something new is necessary 
• staying away from synthetic fabrics that shed microfibers
• wash clothing less often

​Have a lovely Friday, friends!

This post is part of this series.

Love, 
Jane

Day 4 :: The temperatures have plunged + the high today is forcast to be 57°F. I'm all set to cozy up in my oversized, cashmere pullover + these printed pants. We went for a brisk walk this morning + maybe now I can just cozy up + appreciate this gorgeous October indoors.  :)

This post is part of this series.

Love,
​Jane

Day 3 :: The high today is going to be 84°F...the warmest day this week. It's a good day for a picnic + a walk around the park. I'm going to layer the top of the pajamas over a tank like a little jacket...just in case I get hot enough to want a little sun on my shoulders. Tomorrow is going to be cooler, so we're going to soak up all the sunshine we can today.

This post is part of this series.

Love,
Jane

Day 2 :: Today is forecast to reach 76° F...open windows + doors- yay! A navy tee + these pants are the perfect comfy outfit for figuring out what to do with some of the last peppers from the garden. This is a favorite type of outfit for me...breezy, cool + supremely comfy. I'll probably be padding around in bare feet for most of today, so no shoes necessary.  :)

The prints that look simplest to my eye are made up of no more than two colors. I really liked the print on these pajamas for that reason. It's navy + white and acts almost as a basic that can mix with so many of the solid pieces in my simple wardrobe. 

This post is part of this series.

Love,
​Jane

It's nice when new additions to a simple wardrobe can be worn in a variety of ways. Pajamas aren't the usual suspects when one thinks of this statement, but when I saw this pair...I could imagine a bunch of ways I'd wear them with the pieces already in my closet. I love the simple shape (3/4 sleeves + slightly cropped lengths of both top + bottom) + print of these organic cotton pj's from Domi. When asked about the garment sewing of her Domi pieces, Ali let me know that they are made in GOTS certified factories.

The weather this week is forecast to range from highs of 50s to 80s, so I thought it might be the perfect opportunity to put together + record a week's worth of outfits featuring these two lovelies. So, here we go...

Day 1 :: The top + bottom worn together are a perfectly rumpled set of comfies that partner well with a good book + maybe a warm cup of chai. They are pajamas after all.  :)

Days 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 + 07.

Love,
​Jane

What are my clothes for?

As we move from hot weather to cold here in the northern hemisphere, it can be useful to revisit this question. Without this foundation, I can lose myself to my wanties when faced with all the "new" that is fall fashion.

Each of us may well answer this question differently. For some, clothes are purely functional. For others they are a playground. On the most base level, my clothes cover my body + protect me from the elements. At the same time, I do like my clothes to be a sort of artistic representation of who I am. I like to play with color, shape + style. I believe that clothes are for wearing. I'd like to chose pieces well the first time + wear them often.

I also find it useful to take note of what I do not need my clothes to be. For example, I don't see endless outfit options as an ultimate goal.  I don't need my clothing to be trendy, and I don't have a desire for my clothing to communicate status. Conspicuously expensive jewelry, watches or bags embarrass me.

In my mind, my clothing represents a love of beautiful shapes + fabrics...a commitment to materials + craft...a love of simple beauty...a recognition of simple pleasure + the abundance of enough.

Clothing connects us to farmers, garment workers + our planet. Pulling thread through fiber naturally brings to mind all that goes into bringing clothing from seed to store shelf. Searching for secondhand treasures encourages me to savor all that has already been created.

As I move into a new season + take stock of my wardrobe, I have found great value in this reorientation.

Love,
​Jane

It's bits of information like this that reveal so much. As a sewist, I can't imagine sewing together 34 pieces in 54 steps in only 43 minutes! Yes, they have equipment that I don't have access to...but that is skilled labor. Many brands would have no idea about any of these numbers. Keeping manufacturing close to home allows them to know for certain. It also allows the miles each garment travels during production to be almost 20 times less than the industry average!

And that only happens due to an all-American supply chain...including American-grown cotton. All of this might sound like obvious choices for American brands, but very few American clothing brands source labor or cotton from the USA.

American Giant makes consciously constructed, durable basics...for women + men...in the USA...many from USA-grown cotton. The rest is up to us...wear it often...shop less.

Love, 
Jane