I Did A Thing, Read All About It

I did not have this on my bingo card for 2023 a few weeks ago, but this year is already showing a tendency towards the chaotic — chaotic good, so far! — so I am not surprised to find myself embarking on an unexpected new project. But a super fun one! I think you know my feelings about the role of instinct in creative expression; well, my gut has been telling me lately that I need to get back into writing. Proper, creative writing, that is. (To me, this blog isn’t about writing; I use words to communicate about stuff, but it’s the stuff that’s the focus here, not the words.) I had initially toyed with the idea of a podcast, but my enthusiasm in that direction far outstrips my technical abilities.

So I am writing a newsletter!

I have a Substack and everything. You can sign up (for free) here: adinaj@substack.com

I am not entirely sure what the long-term future of this newsletter will be BUT, for now, I am running a “limited series” recapping Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels. Yes, I — the person who doesn’t read romance novels and has a heart colder than ice — recently became obsessed with this saga. And when I become obsessed with something, I like to talk about it … at length … and pore over every little detail. So that’s what we will be doing for the next 2 months-ish. There are 8 books in total and — as a little surprise — I’ve already done the first one! You can go read it right now!

Ok, small print: it’s not the actual first book in the series; we are doing this out-of-order, but I promise that will not significantly impair your enjoyment. I, too, read them out of order and I lived. Also, expect a very healthy dose of snark in these recaps — heart of ice, and all that. I don’t have a “lovey-dovey” setting; but I do aim to crank the “funny” one all the way up. Hopefully you will agree that I succeed.

New issues drop every Sunday — find them in your inbox and see you over there in the comments.

What I Wore: January 2023, part two

Details: J. Crew shirt, Topshop pants, BR belt (all thrifted), upcycled jacket made by Prairie Trail Goods

Thoughts: This wonderful coat started life as an April Cornell reversible quilted gilet I thrifted one day. My incredibly talented friend, J., who is the genius behind Prairie Trail Goods, kindly agreed to add some sleeves for me. She creates special pieces out of thrifted textiles, and I have a few of them in my closet. They always get so many compliments! I love her eye for colour and pattern mixing. This coat is a case in point; I love the juxtaposition of materials and colours. It makes for a lovely topper that can elevate many outfits.

Details: Everlane sweater, Toni T dickie, Jones NY jacket, Ralph Lauren skirt (all thrifted), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: Back on my black & white kick! Admittedly, this is a LOT of pattern, but it makes my brain very happy at the moment. I am trying to be judicious about how many b&w patterned items I add to my closet — trying to be judicious about how much I buy in general! — but I couldn’t resist this cropped jacket after all. It has so much potential! Just like this skirt, which has become one of my faves over the last few months. It has a sleek, minimalist vibe that fits my current 90s nostalgia but also feels very modern.

Details: French Connection sweater, Echo scarf, BR belt (all secondhand), BR pants (retail)

Thoughts: I did something I haven’t done in a long time: I bought a pair of pants at retail! A friend brought these Banana Republic wide-wale corduroy trousers to my attention just in time for me to take advantage of a good year-end sale (they were $55 down from $200). I had to get them because they’re the exact style I’ve been hunting for months: high waisted, palazzo-cut wide leg. I had hoped to find the denim version, but corduroy is always welcome. I ended up having to get the petite version (my size was sold out in regular length) and I think it was for the best. This inseam is perfect for me to wear with flats and low heels, which is what I mostly wear these days.

Details: Ines de la Fressange x Uniqlo shirt (thrifted), Talbots sweater (Poshmark), Babaton skirt (thrifted)

Thoughts: This was just a cozy, simple outfit but the sweater pattern makes it more interesting than it might otherwise have been. I liked the contrast of textures here, between the thick wool and the soft, pleated chiffon.

Details: Zara dress, Le Chateau vest, no label cardigan (all secondhand), Zara boots (retail)

Thoughts: I was originally planning to only wear the dress and the cardigan, but at the last minute decided to throw in an extra pattern for fun — enter the vest. I’m in a “chunky shoe” moment right now so instead of a more delicate pair of flats, this pair of stomping platforms felt right. I feel like this has a bit of a 90s grunge flavour which I really dig. Maybe it’s time to play some Pearl Jam 😉

A Few More Random Thoughts

I said I would return to The Dandy At Dusk, and here I am: back to ponder a couple of interesting quotes from the book. Both speak to things that have been on my mind lately, apropos of personal style.

I’ve been feeling like a bit of walking clichĂ© lately. I remember reading articles, when I was younger, about the innate un-coolness of people who get “stuck” on the trends of their “glory days” (usually high school) and thinking: that is never going to be me. If, for no other reason, because I hated high school and, even if pressed, can’t think of any time in my personal life that would call my “glory days”. Maybe, like, 2019? 2019 was definitely a good year. Anyway, notwithstanding my earlier youthful assurance, I am here to confess that I am those people now. Lately, I have become obsessed with the 90s 
 which were — coincidence?? — my high school and early university years.

I know the 90s were far from perfect, but the music was banging. And the fashion? A lot of it was surprisingly good. Wasn’t it? Or am I speaking through the rose-coloured glasses of a middle-aged stereotype?

The Dandy At Dusk reassures me. Philip Mann writes: “Arbiters of taste often return for their inspiration to the prevailing aesthetic of their childhood.”

Hah!

I am not a cheugy geriatric millennial; I am an “arbiter of taste”, ok?

I think one of the key things to unpack here is the phrase “return for their inspiration”. I see a distinction here, between wearing the actual clothes of one’s youth versus infusing one’s current style with influences pulled from the fashion of one’s youth. For me, there is an element of curation at play; not re-living the past, but rather incorporating some of its flavour into the present while keeping an eye on the future.

I have always been more vulnerable to nostalgia than most; I think some people just are. History as a whole, not only my own, fascinates me; how people lived in the past, their objects, etc. As I have gotten older, I’ve come to understand that there is a danger in that — the possibility of looking back too much, so to speak, and not being open enough to the possibility of change. So my perspective now is that the past informs who I am now and might be tomorrow, but doesn’t define me nor set my future path in stone. The past is not inherently better; indeed, I think nostalgia is a kind of wilful blindness — it only remembers what it wants to remember, and sometimes it’s even things that did not exist. Strangely enough, reading old magazines has helped me to see this clearly; contemporaneous writing often reveals things our nostalgia would have us forget about the past.

I am curious whether this current obsession with the 90s will fade over time, to be replaced by one with other eras. Maybe there *is* something unique about the period associated with our youth which makes it prime material for inspiration-mining, and maybe it has nothing to do with whether we actually enjoyed our youth or not. What do you think?

Another quote from The Dandy at Dusk that stood out to me was this one: “
 under capitalism taste is not autonomous, as one would expect of a system that promotes competitive individualism, but tends rather to be collective. 
 The market requires that everything must be likeable, as everything must be saleable.”

Doesn’t that last sentence hit hard in this age of the Instagram aesthetic? I know it’s trite these days to blame everything on capitalism but, damn, capitalism has a lot to answer for. Including the flattening of individuality, it seems. Obviously, there are bigger problems in the world, but I think homogeneity of aesthetics is a bad thing. I can’t articulate this thought as well I would like, but I am concerned with how seeing the same visual aesthetic — in clothes, interior design, art, whatever — over and over changes how we think. I think it acts like … a sort of numbing cream for the mind. I’ve talked about this before, but it’s why I am so particular about curating my social media experience. I try to keep my feed as diverse as possible, because I believe growth comes from being exposed to new things all the time. I do create a “bubble” around myself when it comes to certain issues (politics and human rights, for example), but otherwise I am actively trying to seek out different perspectives as much as I can.

I have also been coming to grips with the idea that *I* don’t need to be likable or saleable. I don’t need my content to appeal to everybody. Having a niche audience that authentically appreciates and interacts with my content is what matters to me, even if it isn’t the capitalist ideal. Yes, that means that I will never be an influencer, but it means that I can be a content creator and interact with social media in a way that doesn’t make me feel terrible about myself. That being said, let me tell you: it is not easy letting go of the feeling that one needs to be “likable” at all times, to all people. It’s not even my own people-pleasing tendencies that are the (only) problem; the world remains decidedly unfriendly to women who evidence any sign of disinterest in likability (aka conforming to expectations). I am a bit of a coward, especially online. Ok, maybe “coward” is too harsh; I just hate conflict and unpleasant conversations, and having been on the receiving end of unsolicited comments for years — most of them nice, don’t get me wrong — I know that I would struggle to remain equanimous in the face of a barrage of criticism. So I definitely still modulate how I communicate on social media in order to avoid coming across as unlikable, even if I do not actively pursue being likable. Something in that to think about.

But to bring this back to personal style (and a conclusion!), next time you hear someone — even yourself! — say “oh, I couldn’t possibly wear that”, sit back and think: why not? Give the finger to The Man and wear whatever you want. Personal style is not a commodity. It is a personal choice that need not be subject to the dictates of capitalism or anyone else.