This is not funny. Lots of people have no choice and wear the same thing over and over again. Wardrobe? What wardrobe?
After being ejected from the pod, I did the circuit of small coffeehouses in Greenwich Village, then I hit the road and was unsettled for several years. My sartorial choices in wardrobe were largely limited to what would fit in my backpack – about two changes.
So it was long-sleeved shirts and blue jeans. D-ringed, greasy calf engineer boots made the man complete. Oh, yeah, good old Fruit of the Loom underwear and socks. How could I forget? Unlike many of my peers, I couldn’t afford expensive baggage; it all had to fit into an army surplus backpack. I miss that backpack. I left all my stuff with my parents when I went into the navy, and my mother decided to go all Marie Kondo on my stuff. When I got out and resumed my derelict ways, I had to buy a replacement.
Support Your Local Library
But I diverge from my story. As you can see, I was a member of the alternate class of non-conformists called Folkies ( confuse us with Hippies and die!) of the Pius Itinerant variety. The exterior was little when compared to the interior. And I lived a complex inner life, which I fueled by long and frequent visits to the public libraries in every city and town that I frequented.
Aside from long periods in the reading rooms, their bathrooms were a superior place to clean up while traveling. City inspectors did a much better job of maintaining standards than the highway, Texaco, or Amoco did. Washing your hair or items of your wardrobe quickly in a sink requires a certain knack. Be thorough, but don’t suspiciously dawdle!
Those early days have left their mark on me. While I now actually have a wardrobe, I dress simply with a preference for long-sleeved T-shirts and dock pants, in all but the hottest of weather. I guess there must be something to that old saw about Primacy – what you learn first, you learn best. And I learned a sort of basic spare simplicity.
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‘basic spare simplicity’–makes life so much easier.
I have a wedding to attend in October. A dress?! I’ve not worn one of those in years. They became a non-basic long, long ago.
Me too! suits? What’s that?
Most of my favorite sweaters have holes in them, lol… hugs
That’s because we love them to pieces! I have some like that too.
Basic bare simplicity – funny how that changes over time and the work we do. When I was teaching it was suits, skirts, blouses, the easiest thing in the world to organize for professional uh, life. Now? Jeans, long-sleeved t-shirts, socks and shoes. I admit, it was a little difficult to give up my favorite skirt, but I did.
I know, the favorites are hard to give up. I still sneak in wearing a tweed jacket once in a while.
Leather patches on the elbows?
not this one. But somewhere I have a old corduroy one with patches. Sure looked good in them in front of a class.
And a lot more convincing because of those patches!
It reeked Ivy League…although I detested the Ivy I went to for my grad work.
I dunno — my thesis advisor was a Harvard Graduate as was the most complicated love of my life. There must be something to those schools. 🙂
Legacy
Hm. I’m tempted to go with T-shirt, sweatpants and a hoodie, but sweats are not practical when I’m working outside and I’m often working outside. So I’ll switch to T-shirt, 501s and a hoodie. Seriously, I could live in these clothes. Thank goodness I live in Portland and no one out in the city cares. ha ha! But I appreciate you pointing out that millions of people don’t get a choice of how often to change their clothes. More lately in the wars.
Significant life events have forced a simplicity that I have come to embrace these past 3 years. Though it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of “gaining” things or distractions of the like. Getting older (52), I find myself moving away from T-shirts and shorts and going with long sleeve shirts – that can worn comfortably under a flannel for warmth and comfort. Heavy well made sweatshirts with character holes are a favorite. Jeans are preferred as they serve well in most cases (play or work). Thanks for sharing.
Simplicity is a charm not everyone can afford….
My closet is full but I have a few favorite pieces that are very worn. Shorts, and t-shirt, socks and sneakers