Could we pretend for a bit that this is (still) Monday? Because yesterday morning, I wrote this, fully intending to click “Publish” by noon. . . .
This Monday morning, I have
— made a big batch of muesli and eaten a bowl, with yoghurt and blueberries. Wondered how My Fellow had managed a breakfast of it (with milk and sliced banana) before it had even cooled, never mind been poured into its big glass jar. Readers, he’d helped himself while it was still cooling, not even properly mixed yet. The cheek!
— made a batch of kimchi (because last week’s batch didn’t use up all the Napa cabbage and daikon and scallions . . . ) Highlights: Bright fragrance of grated ginger on my fingers; the pungent mixture of grated garlic, ginger, fish sauce and gochugaru!
— figured out how to make a reel from still photos, and I posted it on Instagram (pretty easy, but I hadn’t done it before)
— caught up a bit in my Reading Journal; but then did some reading, so . . . . Half a step forward; how many back . . . (except how can you ever be going backwards when you’re reading, right?)
— folded the laundry I washed and dried yesterday but then dumped (almost neatly) on the dining table
— and decided to post a few Early Fall #OOTDs, because many of you seem to like posts that include these. And I know you know, but perhaps it bears repeating: I present these What I Wore photos in the interest of broadening representation and also because I recognize that we are, to a large extent, visual social beings. . . and curious ones, as well.
Because I enjoy the creative act of dressing myself and although I feel somewhat awkward about sharing such images, I believe that doing so rounds out the representation of myself here as a person with numerous interests. For too long, working in academe, I felt constrained by an inherited sense of the superiority of “the life of the mind” (generally read as masculine) over that which concerned the body and the domestic pursuits (supposedly female concerns) associated with it. I’ve gone on about this before, so I’ll curtail myself here.
What I’m absolutely not trying to do here is anything at all prescriptive about What to Wear. . . or When or Where or How. Nor looking for advice. Just saying, “This is what I wore one day recently. Enough about it made me feel good enough — Me enough! — to snap a photo and share it.”
And I even managed to upload photos into the post, planning to come back later and add a few words about each outfit. But then we had a late lunch (Paul brought home take-out Poké bowls from a new-to-us place that lets us bring our own bowls to cut down on disposables and/or recyclables — an approach we want to support). And after lunch, a short nap (because five hours’ sleep is not a good night!). . . and after that, a long walk in gorgeous fall sunshine to pick up an order at a shop 3 kilometres from here. So you know there was no chance I was going to do anything more with this blog post after that, although I held out hope for a bit after dinner. . .
But if we could simply extend Monday for a dozen hours . . . .
I will tell you quickly that the outfit below was perfect for a recent long walk and that it came together when I was swapping out Fall for Summer clothes and realized that I hadn’t worn this T-shirt since last year.
The summer before that (2020), it got a post of its own after Anonymous left a rather passive-aggressive comment (luckily, these have been very rare here). . . and I shared the T-shirt’s amusing and sweet provenance, while also using the opportunity to reiterate why I post outfits I’ve worn (an expanded version of what I wrote in the paragraph above).
I wouldn’t have chosen it myself, but I am fond enough of it to find it suitable companions. Here, those are a favourite cotton-linen skirt I bought in Bordeaux a few years ago; a cardigan about the same age (cashmere- linen, a blend I don’t find particularly convincing, but it’s a nice transitional weight, and it gives great swing!); and those OC sneakers I may have to replace soon. . . .
And maybe it’s because it’s September, with back-to-school memories in the air, but here I was again in skirt, shirt, and cardi, that school-uniform vibe still influencing me 50+ years later.
The lined black linen skirt (and yes, it has pockets!) is new; it was an end-of-summer sale purchase at my favourite local shop
but the T-shirt (by a Japanese company, Homspun, carried by a shop in my neighbourhood) is two years old and holding up very well, especially considering its dangerously pale colour.
And the black cashmere cardigan is at least six years old (I know I had it before we moved here) and has been well loved, by me for its pockets and comfort, and by the moths as all-you-can-eat buffet. . . The weird contortion in the photo below is so that you can see the circles I’ve felted to cover the moth holes. There’s another on the back I didn’t try to capture for you — would have been a contortion too far!
I suspect there will be more felted circles required in the future. . . . Hashtag Mending, Hashtag SlowFashion
Below, the same black linen skirt with a light merino wide boatneck sweater (bought last winter) with the loafers I bought in June.
Soon I will be wearing this outfit, or similar ones, with tights instead of bare legs. I’m gradually warming to the idea and will probably have embraced it by mid October.
And let me close with an outfit that hasn’t actually made it outside yet, but which clearly signals that I’m moving happily into full-on Fall dressing. . .
A new pair of wide-wale cords (bottoms shown two ways: rolled and not-rolled). Feel like pyjamas, lots of attitude but not too noisy about it, gorgeous pockets. And the elasticated waistband as executed by this Danish mother-daughter company* is fun, not frumpy. Toddler Chic, I’ve heard it called! You needn’t agree; that’s okay 😉
I’ve tried it out here with those ochre loafers and a much-mended, years-old sweater, an ongoing project that I think I might love even more, mended, than I did when it was still pristine. . . .
There! I’ve managed to beat the clock and finish this post before the second noon of my extended Monday. Just time to edit and click Publish before I take my lunch and a book out onto our terrace where the blossoms on a seasonally confused apple tree will remind me of warmer seasons as I prepare for the cooler ones. Wearing an old corduroy dress and snuggled under a wool blanket. . . .
And waiting for your comments. Have you adjusted (or are you adjusting) to Fall (or Spring) as it shows up where you are? (If you’re on the Atlantic Coast, I hope you’ve survived that horrifying hurricane — wardrobe adjustments will be the least of your concerns!) Finding new ways to wear favourite old clothes? Extending their use and slowing the fashion wheel a bit. . . Also, anyone else go through those energy bursts and crashes such as my Monday’s, as described in this post? Perhaps I’m not the only one who finds the crashes come more regularly these days, but who persists in stubborn disbelief that I can’t do everything on my list. . . . Hmmmm.
Anyway, the mic’s open now. Step right up.
xo,
f
*Not an ad; I just appreciate the company’s ethos.
That new black skirt is a find, Frances. Love its proportions and the pockets too. And those cords are so on-trend. Have you ever seen Brittany Bathgate’s YouTube channel? She’s a British “influencer” who is bookish, and arty, and interesting, I think. She really does the oversized, baggy-on-purpose thing so well. She’d be all over those corduroy trousers.
Enjoy your reading. I am currently trying to get a handle on my back issues and as a result am limiting my sitting, and thus my reading time. I can’t read lying down. So am trying to be content with listening while doing other things when I’d much prefer to be sitting with my feet up. 🙁
Author
Thanks, Sue! I hadn’t known of Brittany Bathgate, but now I’ll “follow” her on Instagram and maybe peek in on YouTube occasionally (I don’t do much YouTube, although you’ve got us hooked on Martjin Doolaard now!).
I’m so sorry about your back, especially that it’s limiting your reading. Somehow I’d thought that at least while you were rehabilitating, you could do a bit of lolling. But no camping trip topped by limited reading — hard to see the bright side here. Hugs of sympathy!
You have been a busy bee,Frances! Brava!
Reading is always going forward!
Bare legs? Brrr! I was wearing panthose,trousers,sweater (ok,a thick cotton one) and wool- lined trench coat yesterday and today morning. And brogues…..and I’m not in a fall mood yet!
It is such a lovely colour,the tea shirt…. and I love your wabi-sabi sashiko colourful dots. And new sweater, as well as loafers.
The cords seem so cosy and soft….you seem to be completely equipped for fall 🙂
Dottoressa
Author
Thanks Dottoressa!
I just checked the weather in Zagreb, and our temperatures are not so different right now, but we’ve been having sunshine and you’re having some rainy days. Once our skies cloud over, I’ll be reaching for my tights as well! This transition must be especially hard for someone who loves beach days as much as you do!
Absolutely off topic, but your first two notes of what you had made yesterday morning reminded me. Four years ago (September 14, 2018, I just looked it up), you pointed it to a recipe for Glory Bowl Dressing. I liked the sound of it, I made it (with tweaks, I use half the oil and think I reduced it from the beginning)…and have been making it and gobbling it up ever since. Not a week has gone by without this staple in the fridge. I eat a lot of rice bowls…the best way to consume the quantities of veg that knock at my door every week. A very conservative estimate I have made that dressing 200 times. So thank you! 🙂
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Oh, this comment really pleases me! I don’t make up Glory/Buddha/Power bowls as often as you, but they are a staple around here, and I always have a jar of the dressing made up (I reduce the oil as well, although not by half).
I love your mended sweater! It turns a classic into a custom piece. I recently mended the knees of my granddaughter’s red leggings with large yellow daisy-like flowers with blue checked centers and the results delighted the both of us! I’m beginning to see the possibilities of patching as decorative instead of utilitarian. I guess that’s no different from embroidery, but I find embroidery a bit intimidating. I’m thinking of adding some colorful bits to an unloved but undamaged t-shirt of mine in hopes of giving it new life. Mending with knits (though I’ve only used cotton) seems very freeing because I can just whack out whatever shape I like and without worry about hemming edges or fraying.
In the foothills of Northern California we’re still searching for first signs of fall, though a recent rain was quite thrilling. The rain dampened the enormous Mosquito fire that forced our evacuation for ten days. I do look forward to fall, but not winter.
Author
Isn’t it gratifying (and fun!) to mend when you can keep it freestyle and fun? Kids’ clothes are a great place to start, and your granddaughter will be learning all kinds of lessons from those leggings.
I’m glad that fire near you was discouraged by a rainfall. Hope you get enough more rain soon to feel safe. Evacuation must have been tough. Glad you got through it.
Lovely post and great photos – so nice to see you! I think you’re onto a winner with those items in a pale gold hue. It works so well with your colouring and is a great autumnal shade.
It’s a little warmer here but too wet for my liking. I’m having trouble accepting that we’re in for another cooler and wetter spring and summer – the pigheadedness of the human spirit never ceases to amaze me, or perhaps it’s just a personal failing?
Our family is heading into birthday season, starting with my daughter, then husband, nephew, assorted cousins, then mine near the end of January. This is a time when the weeks fly by, added and abetted by Christmas. I’ve been busy choosing birthday gifts, but that’s mostly done now. I attended a small-scale readers’ festival at a beach-side suburb not too far from home last Sunday. It was lovely to be able to drive and park easily in a gorgeous setting and not have to battle crowds. Of course, some of the writers weren’t as well known as the ones at our city’s major writers’ festival, but the discussions were good and my reading list has grown. All in all, September has been pretty satisfactory.
Author
Thanks, Maria!
That “pigheadedness” is a double-sided coin, isn’t it? Our biggest strength sometimes, but it can really get in the way!
We have a cluster of birthdays coming up now as well — I must emulate you and get busy planning for those.
And I like the sound of that readers’ festival!
It seems that these days I need to dress in layers. I put on a light sweater or cardigan in the morning and by noon I’m in sleeveless tops and barefoot. This unseasonable heat is lingering so long.
I always enjoy seeing what others are wearing, even if I don’t post my own OOTD. Love the black skirt with the pockets – I think everything should have pockets. And your visible mending is gorgeous!
Author
Yes! The dressing in layers! Did your kids used to lose new jackets and sweaters in September? Mine would be keen to wear theirs on a chilly September morning, than leave them on the playground at school when the noon sun coaxed them off their shoulders.
I admire your mended/ customized sweater and was inspired enough when you first wrote about it to try a few projects myself. But, alas, I guess I’m not cut out for this craft and I finally admitted to myself that mending is as appealing (to me) as ironing. In any case, I couldn’t keep up with all the moth-eaten holes in our sweaters.
Your new skirt has a modern, minimalist edge to it and looks great on you. Enjoy!
Author
Ha! We all have our preferences and ironing is a ways down my list 😉
I currently have a mending basket that needs attention and I’ve been procrastinating, waiting for a few rainy days in a row.
Thanks re the skirt! I was glad to nab it as soon as I spotted it in the sale.
I love how when I see your outfits I know that I would want to meet you if I passed you on the street as a stranger.
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Best thing you could say! Thank you! 😉
Moving into fall. On Saturday went to a football game at the Univ. of Pennsylvania. Not that I am a big football fan but the college had invited the high school band in which my grandson plays. Got to watch him play, conduct at halftime. We had to park a distance from the stadium, which in in the city. This was good as we got to see the campus and some of the surrounding area of Philly. Went to the farm for the last if the sweet corn.. I made a batch of corn chowder, some for now, some to freeze for colder evenings. Mums and pumpkins in the front garden.
I always enjoy the outfit postings Frances. Coincidentally I received an email from Eileen Fisher Renew. They have a special selection of mended garments, very much like your sweaters with colorful patches of color in the worn spots. And very expensive for this extra touch! Not much color here in New York yet, maybe we wont get too much as it’s been so dry, but temps are getting cooler.
Author
How cool to be able to watch your grandson perform at a venue like that! A good enough reason to sit through a football game (I’m not a very good sports spectator, generally 😉
Late corn made into chowder, mums, pumpkins — that’s a Fall right there!
I’m happy that Eileen Fisher Renew is doing that — the more mainstream it becomes to “mend and extend” the life of our garments, the better. And it’s a good way to honour and renew the skills it takes to mend practically and attractively, to make them worth acquiring for personal use but also as a possible livelihood.
Fall is inching its way in here in Portugal – last week I was wearing a sleeveless dress to my evening language classes, and this week had to layer up as the temperature has dropped a good 5 degrees. And last night I wore ankle boots for the first time since the Spring, which was fun. I find that I’ve missed those transitional pieces of my wardrobe. We’re a long way from tights, however.
I love your new skirt, and the gold sweater is great on you!
Author
I wore tights and even a light coat one day last week (it was 12C when I headed out in the morning). . . but in the noon sunshine, I was carrying the coat and wanting to rip the tights off! 😉
I’m so pleased for you that you’re taking those classes — must be so satisfying, although hard work and some frustration along the way. You’ll feel even more as if you’re at home in your new country — very cool!
The black linen skirt is a very versatile fine – I’ve one similar in my closet but had relegated it to “summer” – you have inspired me to add tights and get another season out of it since I do love it very much. I’ve been rocking “sneakers” the past few months too, with skirts and even dress pants, as they seem to have entered mainstream workwear mode (I work in a university so, as you know, “dress code” is a pretty open concept!). I particularly appreciate your comments on why you post (and what your non-expectations are from your audience regarding …) OOTDs — how we dress and what we wear is for many of us a core part of our identity and it’s frustrating that we are expected to treat this aspect of our selves as perhaps ornamental when really (to quote Tom Ford though I expect the concept has been around since the time of the toga), “dressing well is a form of good manners”!
Author
Thanks so much for your thoughtful and encouraging comment, Lolo. You get what I’m trying to say. . . And to that Tom Ford quotation, I’d add this one from writer and erstwhile blogger Linda Grant: On thinking about clothes, she said, “because you can’t have depths without surfaces.” I want to add a string of exclamation marks, but will restrain myself.
What a busy Monday (into Tuesday) you had. I had a busy week too and finally read this post on Friday after work. I wanted to go back to your 2020 post and didn’t have time before making dinner, so I kept that post open and finally read it this morning. I’m so glad that I did. I really enjoyed your story about the tea shirt and your thoughtfulness about anonymous’s comments and why you post about what you wear. Thank goodness for attitudes such as yours. We bloggers are writing about our lives (travel, books, cooking, gardening/plants that we see, issues of the day, etc., etc. and what we wear, clothing that we like, the slow fashion movement. We aren’t claiming to set a standard for what to wear. In fact, people like you and Sue, over at High Heels…, are asking others what they like. You’re not acting as representatives of the fashion industry or fashion police. You’re being you and sharing what you are up to. Which is why I’m coming to read your posts.
It’s nice being part of your online discussion. I don’t read everyone’s comments, because I have a full-time job and a blog of my own, a house to keep minimally clean and a garden to maintain. However, I try to read a comment or two when I can, and I get a lot from that. It’s like sitting together in your living room and hearing what everyone is doing or feeling and it is warm and cozy.
I love the patches on your sweater. They are so colorful and creative. What a genius idea. I’m going to borrow it. The moths like my sweaters too.
I haven’t done the switch between my summer and winter wardrobe yet. It’s a big effort involving pulling clothes of the rack to access the closet behind them, which is where the opposite season’s clothes are stored. It’s a pain. I always have transition clothing on hand and that is what I am wearing now. Long sleeve tee shirts, socks and pants. I have pulled a jean jacket out for cool days. It’s still warmer here in Massachusetts than where you are.