Savoring Lately

No overthinking, just being.

In climate work, there is a saying : When you set out to re-wild a landscape, you set out to re-wild yourself. Undoing the over-civilization from shiny things, needs to be in my personal style curriculum. This hunting jacket has too many pockets on the inside and the outside, something women seldom experience. The jacket has some serious jedi energy about it as I walk around in it. I feel shielded. I love going for long walks with its pockets stuffed with snacks, books and a tea flask. It used to live in my earthquake kit, but I cant justify storing it away. When the big one (earthquake due anytime now) hits California, we will need to navigate through debris and hazardous waste. The sturdiest worker wear, boots, masks and gloves need to be in the emergency kit. If you have a dog, do pack dog boots in your kit since they can get hurt walking on broken glass and wood shards. If you haven’t electrified your house and have a natural gas pipeline coming in for stove/heating, have the fire extinguishers ready. Induction stoves and heat pumps are awesome for the planet and for ourselves !

Trying to get some wear out of this shirt before I physically outgrow it. It just about fits me for now. The curves on B-sides lasso denim works better on my short frame than barrel jeans or wide leg pants.

Sambas are apparently too low brow, according to the snark in my substack feed. They look adorable to my eyes and I plan to wear them out. I see them on the kids at UC Berkeley and also on grown women like me. A happy commonality. “Why did you choose this color” is often asked of one another with smile as an ice breaker. Mine get worn on sub-one-mile walks given they aren’t comfortable enough for me. (UC Berk kids who also walk everywhere seem to have no such issues.) All the classics that are affordable like Converse sneakers don’t work on my feet as my step count increases. This is the universe punishing me for being very snarky in the past about fast fashion. On the production side of things, yes there are fast fashion companies. On the citizen side of things, it’s the accelerated consumption and decluttering sprees that needs to be remedied.

This poplin shirt survived the summer closet clean-out. Marni’s tamer offerings meet my requirements for elevated basics. Cheers to 30 more wears.

Those sneakers are from a Japanese hiking company, happy-ugly and are the only pair that support my injured ankle for long walks. They are the most “dad shoe” and least offensive of all my athletic sneakers for urban settings.

---

What if quiet luxury is about being able to wear your clothes without the raging voices in ones head that scream “not luxurious/styled/cool/new/stylish/perfect/shiny/pretty enough”? Joy within, instead of seeking more externally. When the focus shifts from the right pairing of clothes to what to do in the said clothes, a comfortable silence sets in. Can being strapped into a parka and walking my city for hours with an audiobook & camera, also count as a quiet luxury ? Yes, it does.