My mom is in Paris this week and was sending me street style photos to inspire me to inspire you. She did this up until she was robbed in Normandy and everything that wasn’t in her pockets was taken. After finding out that she was safe, my first thought was “HER CLOTHES!” The criminals wheeled her suitcase out along with her backpack and purse after they squirted ketchup on her back to divert her. I think it was sort of a wake up call about the space I’m occupying in your email talking about our wardrobes, how I, in particular, can sometimes hold on a little too tightly to material things like clothing when it’s just that, replaceable items. It could have been so much worse.
My mom loves beautiful, colorful things but I wouldn’t say that she collects clothes like I do, so luckily the things that she lost are, in her words, “definitely replaceable.” She’s an experiences type of woman, she always has been. She wants to squeeze absolutely everything out of each moment and leave nothing to be wanted. In our lives, no matter what may have happened earlier in the day, she always makes sure that the next moment is great. It’s where I get my enthusiasm from. It’s the enthusiasm that my son also has.
About a week before she was leaving, she called me to discuss what to pack for her trip. She was most concerned about comfort because she wanted to be “not too hot or not too cold” so she could fully engross herself into the experience.
This got me thinking about the absolute freedom of putting something on and not thinking another thought about your clothes while you’re immersed in whatever activity you’re doing. That has never been a thing for me, I’m ALWAYS thinking about my clothes. But, I think that’s what makes me ME and what makes her HER. I also think that’s probably what makes me good at what I do. After thinking more about this and feeling my feelings, I realized that we can have both. We can be thoughtful, collecting pieces we love over the years that make us feel like US and we can put those pieces on and not think another thought about them because we are so involved in living our lives.
For a lot of people, clothes are really just something they put on to live life, and that’s the meaning of what we’re doing here right? Being with those we love, wearing what we love, and doing the dang thing everyday.
This is not the article I thought it would be. I was really going to recreate a lot of these looks and I still may but I wanted to include some street style photos for your pleasure - I was definitely inspired by the slingback flats with socks and the all cream ensemble!
I love how French girls WEAR their clothes and nothing is too precious. We have all heard that closet space is so limited there so wardrobes are more curated, pieces have to have more than one job. Most women have one blazer that works for them with jeans and a T-shirt, as their fall jacket, their spring jacket, their office outfit and maybe a dress. I’m thinking more and more that the “French girl essence” may just be as simple as a woman carefully curating her wardrobe but then, and maybe ironically, throwing it on and forgetting all about it. It’s truly nothing like having one very colorful vintage sweater that only can be worn one way, but more like the straw vintage bag I have and wear everywhere.
The hunt, for me, is actually the biggest part of the fun of getting dressed. When I say the hunt, I meant the experience that is finding and collecting my wardrobe. The hunt can last our whole lives, pieces can hold sentimental value in the best way or maybe they can be something you were wearing on the worst day of your life. Either way, our clothes are kind of like a journal and like so many say, especially my mom, we have to live life to the fullest. Losing the journal doesn’t mean the experience didn’t happen.
I hope you continue collecting and living and loving and laughing in your favorite pieces.
Love you all! Xoxo, Megan
Glad mama Jeannie is okay! What an icon.