“Will I like this next year?”
In terms of The Conscious Consumption of Clothes is concerned, I only have one goal in mind this year and that is simply by next year, to not hate anything I wore this year. Ha! It sounds simple but I typically laugh at myself and the bizarre combos I supposedly thought were cool at the time. Generally many of the outfits were terrible because the clothes spoke of the trends of the time and perhaps not what my personal preferences. From the ones that I did like, however, I’ve been sifting and attempting to pick apart elements that retain that ‘sticky factor’ to inform me on future purchases and building the rest of my wardrobe. In other words, I’m trying to find the essentials of my own personal wardrobe (bear in mind no one should conform to what I deem as ‘essential’. It’s personal)- the ‘Standard Classics’ to building a wardrobe I can approve of year after year.
The ‘Wong Kar Wai Effect’
Blame it on Wong Kar Wai’s visionary skills in capturing the consumption of dumplings and collecting congee look seriously epic, I’ve been wanting to eat noodles at dai pai dongs lately. The way he sees Hong Kong is often not how I see it on a day-to-day basis. He’s able to bring out the beauty of the most mundane of things. Like eating dumplings, collecting congee or simply just walking.
The one thing fasting fashion forced me to do was attempt to rekindle an excitement for my ‘old’/existing wardrobe. So I went back to re-examine what I had that I could define as my staples (because the answer is not in shopping). I discovered the clothes that worked the hardest were often the most humble and ‘low key’ of item and not particularly blog-flashy. For me this would be the simple white T-shirt and skinny jeans handed down to me from Emily who was doing a closet clean out. It’s a the American/Gap cliche but I love deep V-neck tees that can be tucked in to very skinny jeans (and this is my only pair of jeans!). My Aldo boots are the heels I can actually run three blocks to catch a bus in and make me feel monstrously tall. While Chinese granny jewelry will never be on trend, I have a collection of three jade rings that were smuggled from China during the Cultural Revolution by my great grandparents that I wear. Besides these Standard Classics, this season I’m also ‘rediscovering’ some old purchases such as the oversized cardigan I bought in Seoul two years ago and the Alexander Wang bag I was so keen on getting after six months into my first job in ’10. It’s exciting to define the Standard Classics of your wardrobe but simultaneously how does one find the fantasy and drama within those staples to keep it fresh and exciting season after season? Is it the stories that are created through having your clothes age with you, the way update it through styling or simply because it makes your butt look nice? In other words, how do you create the Wong Kar Wai effect (making your clothes feel new) to your standard wardrobe despite the trends?
My answer? Um paint a red lip, wear that obnoxious baseball cap and when in doubt, drink milk tea. I don’t know, this outfit is very plain but I like its dramatic simplicity: hopefully this time next year I will not hate this combo.
Anyway. Paris tomorrow for work! This time I will not miss the plane for Laduree macaroons and Pierre Herme tea. Now that was an expensive lesson.
Outfit photos by Ag shot at 炳記茶檔 , rest by me
V Neck tee and Uniqlo jeans from Emily, General Idea baseball cap, Aldo lace-up boot, oversized cardigan from Seoul, Alexander Wang bag
