i want to view my wardrobe as a form of generational wealth.
& more on how lived-in clothing sharpens our personal style
hi ❤️,
it’s been a minute - I was in Iceland over Thanksgiving & it takes me approx 100 days to feel back on track after a trip like that. I’ve also been struggling with perfectionism in wanting to type the most thought provoking, articulate post that my fingers & brain can deliver. I can’t promise that’s what you’ll get today - but it will be interesting & hopefully spark some internal dialogue about how intentional you are in curating your own closet.
This time of year is weird, especially right now. The world is inflamed with chaos and hatred. Those lucky enough to be able to consider shopping, gifting & deal snagging are running their cards; overwhelmed and pressured by a bombardment of must-see-now emails.
I want us to take a pause from the noise and focus here for a moment. As if you’re reading this, I think you’ll resonate greatly.
I want to view my wardrobe as a form of generational wealth.
I want to open my closet and inhale a collection of all of the very many people I have been.
I want to love things for long enough to be able to say to my best friend “I remember when I bought this 25 years ago and we went to XYZ show together”.
I want to be able to try on vintage suits with my children and tell them stories about the times I traveled abroad or interviewed for my first job in those very pieces.
I want to open my closet and inhale collection of all of the very many people I have been.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat down with my mom in her closet rummaging through her eclectic arsenal.
She immediately recalls “This is from the night I got engaged to your dad” or “This was from my second year of law school”.
And when I inevitably borrow (steal) these pieces, for my own vintage collection - I feel emotionally comforted in them. I feel my mom’s embrace in her Jones New York ribbed maxi dress. I hear my Grandma yelling at me to choose the mink coat over the Calvin Klein trench because it’s extra cold out today - both of which were once hers.
I feel the love that was once lived in the fabric.
I want to be able to offer the same to my children and my children's children.
I’m afraid that in the buying culture of today, we might have lost sight of how special and important this consideration can be.
Our clothing can be treated like heirlooms, bringing us closer with our family members, friends, or future & past versions of ourselves. So long as we choose the right pieces.
While yes, not every item can or will be built to last - if this sentiment is not top of mind while we’re shopping, it can be all too easy to feed into indulgences & press “checkout” on a mindless, dopamine hungry purchase. One that has no inherent value to you in the immediate moment or in the future.
This is why I love curating vintage - anything I source for Powder Blue is very very intentional and has love, energy, luck & creativity breathed into the seams.
I whole heartedly adore being apart of the vintage community - I believe it’s a real way to honor the artistry of timeless fashion design & the tangential art form of styling, my personal creative outlet.
Having these stories embedded in our clothing is also actually a much easier way to signal who we want to be in wearing them & how we define ourselves through our style.
When wearing pre-loved pieces (even & especially if they’re our own) - because they have character, they have already been interpreted and understood as something - we can more easily discern whether or not the personality we choose to channel for the day has a similar story, or wants to be perceived in that same light.
I can wear this gorgeous silver shift dress my mom wore the night of my parent’s rehearsal dinner when I want to feel super romantic, grounded, & present. Or the Scotch & Soda suit I sported on all of my post-grad interviews when I want to feel energetic & eager.
I talk about loving our used clothes a lot on Tiktok. These have been some of my favorite recent replies when prompted to respond about the oldest/ most sentimental pieces in your closets.
So as we continue shopping throughout the holidays and beyond, let’s try to reframe our buying decisions; considering the longevity and necessity of our momentary desires. & of course whether or not they affirm our style Point of View - more on that here.
If you can’t say that you would particularly want to pass down a significant portion of your closet right now - if there aren’t pieces you have a deep sentimental attachment to, or ones that just feel like a true extension of You - let’s have a chat and start curating a highly intentional, lovable, feels-so-good wardrobe, for you (& your loved ones) to enjoy for years and years to come.
XX,
Bari “The Curated Tastemaker”
To join the waitlist for my Personal Styling Services please email: thecuratedtastemaker@gmail.com.
To shop carefully curated vintage, please visit Powder Blue Vintage via our Instagram or Website.