Give me staples

So much changes so fast these day...Japan, Syria, Egypt, the economy, facebook - sometimes I want the comfort of a classic in my everyday life.   Give me the black ballet flat, a navy and white striped shirt, a black skirt, a simple black dress, and a cleaned lined white blouse.  I love a navy pea coat..these are my comfort foods. I am sure in these garments- the interview may go awry, the relationship peaks , the children leave, addresses change and friends are fickle but a ballet flat stands the test of time.  I also love institutions..the Temple of Dendur , Saint Ignatius Loyola Church, NYC Ballet,  Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim - these are constants.  Fashion is built on a balance - fresh and new in contrast to classic;  clean lines vs. draped and ruched , boho vs. little black dress - it's all in the balance - classics with a twist...classics alone can be boring and the twist has to be proportioned to the effect. It's all a balancing act - fashion and living but when you hit the mark - it's a thing to behold.

Erik Satie - Gymnopédie No.1

Spring

I've taken an hiatus from posting but now that my ducks are back in a row, I shall resume.

Today is the first day of Spring after a long and snowy winter.  I slowly came out of hibernation about a month ago - attending dance classes again ( falling in love with Flamenco), taking longer walks outside and doing some some spring shopping - clothes, of course.

This morning  I said  to myself- " Girlfriend, go into your own closet to shop ."  Somehow this remark came to me in Conan O'Brien's voice but, be that as that may, it was a prudent measure. I don't want more than I use and in order to manage a wardrobe without accumulating  excess,  one must do inventory.  Excess is a subjective word but I can say that I use almost everything I own therefore, very little excess ( according to me).

In order to take this inventory and evaluate the condition and fit of my present spring wardrobe, I decided to iron everything.  The process of ironing brought to mind the William Carlos Williams' poem "The Red Wheel Barrow":

           So much depends
            upon

           a red wheel barrow
          
           glazed with rain
           water

           besides the white chickens.

I thought so much depends upon the iron.  I love to press down the nap and make the cotton look it's best reflecting light and smoothness.  Silk, linen, and the colors - all the fabrics respond differently and the colors change hue.  The iron is a good tool - it serves it's master well.  Fabric is meant to be used and worn, cleaned and pressed..it reinvents itself after each use. Bedraggled shapes are worked out, the long winter is pressed away and everything looks fresh and ready to go out into the warmth and sunshine.

Welcome spring, I'm ready.

Ciao! Edie

Broken Social Scene - 7/4 Shoreline

Good luck Lexi

Lexi has left for her first year of college.  She plans to be a French major.  She will have such a wonderful experience and I can't wait to read her postings about college fashions.
Fall is fast approaching and as Spoon says"  Winter gets cold in ways we always forget".  Over the next few weeks we will be posting on fashions thoughts that aren't all about camel or kitten heels.
Any thoughts from our readers on the "new" oval office, personally I am very disappointed...taupe is so non-committal.  Enjoy labor day weekend!