The most annoying quote went around Instagram a few weeks ago, saying something along the lines of: “Buy the dress, and the occasion will find you.” What is that even supposed to mean? First of all, don’t buy a dress you won’t wear. Just don’t. Second, it’s 2024, and you do not need an occasion to wear a gown to lunch. It’s okay if you do that. Ladies who lunch are trending anyway. At least, according to the Washington Post. And so are mob wives.
Throughout history, there have been so many rules about what’s appropriate, when, where, and on whom. Women, albeit only rich women, had coats for the opera, outdoor and indoor gloves, day and evening hats, dresses, and shoes. But today, not even wedding dresses are meant to be worn for only that special occasion. And they shouldn’t be.
Occasion wear creeps me out, especially when it’s entirely made up. One such figment of the capitalistic system is holiday wear. Heaps of sequins, red underwear, plaid pajamas, and reindeer sweaters produced only to be worn over two weeks - the week before Christmas while you go around all the holiday parties, and the week after it while you stuff yourself with food in different kitchens and wait for the miracle of change that a new year brings.
Then, you nicely put it away along with your holiday decorations to wait for next year’s festivities. Except, you might not like them the following year. Or you might give birth and not fit in them anymore. Or you decide to toss them when moving to a smaller apartment.
Holiday wear is my least favorite type of occasion wear, and it was kind of tricky putting this newsletter together because I want to show you how to keep wearing your holiday clothes while at the same time - I don’t own any. Ultimately, I managed to assemble a few outfits throughout three categories that could fit into the holiday wear bracket - color red, chunky sweaters, and fancy coats.
Color red
Besides being the season’s color, red is the ultimate holiday color. It has so many different meanings pinned to it, but my favorite virtue of red is its ability to pop. Here, I wore it as an accent in a black-and-white combo. This could be a Christmas lunch look as much as a look for a Friday night at a friend’s house.
Wearing head-to-toe red (sans the red tights, I refuse to jump on that trend) isn’t something I’d go for in public. But you could. It’s bold.
Sweaters
I don’t own any holiday-themed sweaters - big surprise! Besides, I can’t wear thick clothes and am rarely cold. So, sweaters have become a tricky garment since it’s never that cold anymore for them to be appropriate. I usually wear them with skirts. I styled two fancy ones here. The green one has quite the holiday feel.
On the other hand, the white one isn’t festive at all. It’s pretty summery, for that matter. But I like how it works with a sweater. In case you, unlike me, own full-on holiday sweaters, try wearing them to your friends’ house parties as a joke. Reverse them and style the look in a Galliano fashion. Just don’t let it sit in your closet.
Fancy coats
GOD, I LOVE A COAT! Coats can transform any outfit into a stately affair. They last a lifetime and are a better investment than a bag. Coats don’t get worn out nearly as quickly as bags. You usually walk or drive somewhere in them and then take them off while the bags get pounded and dragged around offices, cafes, stinky restaurants, and public restrooms.
Dressy coats are NOT a holiday thing. Or a ballet thing. Or a fancy dinner thing. They should be worn every day. Don’t you want to walk around on a random frosty day looking all dressed up? I sure do, and I LOVE the feeling.
The best thing about dressing up is this outward projection of who we are and how we feel. And not even just that. One look can tell someone’s whole education history; it can tell us what kind of music they like and whose side they’d have been on if they’d lived through King Edward VIII’s abdication. And if, in a world like that, you want to be someone whose clothes tell people that you love the holidays, then don’t be that person just during the holidays.
In this part of the newsletter, I’ll call someone out for being the best or worst in sustainability. Also, just for fun, I’ll give you snippets of what I’m reading, wearing, watching, listening to, and so on. I retain the right to change this part of the newsletter with every new entry but feel free to write to me if you like something in particular.
Green (de)merit
Today, I’m giving myself a green merit for finally writing this newsletter entry. I started writing it a month ago and couldn’t bring myself to finish it, always prioritizing other (paid!) tasks over it.
What I’m reading
Not that much. I’ve felt overwhelmed with content for a few months now and desperately need some brainless gardening or hiking. But here is something you guys could read - Kàko - a new magazine I edited.
What I’m writing
I’ve done around 20 interviews in 2024 so far. Weirdly, none have been published yet, but most were quite enriching for me. I will share them when the time arrives because I know you’ll love the people I talked to, too.
What I’m wearing
Fancy coats, obvs.
Inspiration of the week
A couple of dozen people who subscribed to Stitch after my appearance on Tea Zavacki’s podcast. It was a stressful appearance for me since I’m introverted and express myself much better in writing. But the response after the podcast was a pleasant surprise, and I’m grateful for every new subscriber who will read this today.
Confession of the week
I feel anxious about being behind on e-mails and writing because I spent the morning finishing this. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. Thanks for being here and reading my rambling, guys!
I’ve loved everything about this - dressing up is a cultural and inspiring act and thanks for reminding it
The First dress is one, i found on vinted, but I was too late. Someone else bought it.
Love the sweater with green skirt.
I still love the influence of Cindy Sherman, the art of playfulness in fashion. Like also reflecting on the fashion world itself ♡