Whys and Wherefores: Season 1, Issue 9
"now we're there and we've only just begun"
A quick word before we jump in: I had, foolishly, hoped 2021 might offer us a bit of a better year — I was wrong. This week marks another week where it feels weird to be writing about something as frivolous as fashion, but I’m here for a distraction if you need one. If not, I’ll see you next go-round.
I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. As my friend Dane once put it, there’s something about the term “resolutions” that can allow you to let yourself off the hook if things don’t go according to plan. Goals, however, work better for me. Goals provide me something tangible to orient myself around, as this change in phrasing helps to hold me more accountable.
Considering this first season of Whys and Wherefores is still (primarily) focused on fashion, I wanted to provide myself with sartorial goals for 2021. I feel like not only writing them out but doing so in such a public way will make me hold myself to them. So, here are my five fashion goals for 2021.
One In, One Out
::sighs::
The first part of solving a problem is admitting you have one, right? I’ve officially reached the point where I have too many pieces of clothing. Despite trying to condense in between two different moves over the last year, I’ve probably doubled the number of clothes I have. So, moving forward, it’s one in and one out. New hoodie? Time to sell or donate the old one! I think it’ll help me cut down on buying random stuff cause I think it’s cool and will force me to wear more of the things I already have.
Buy better, buy less
My day job is in digital marketing, so I’ve conditioned myself to think of things in terms of cost-related metrics. That naturally spills over into how I consider my clothing purchases in the form of something like cost per wear. CPW is, inherently, a ridiculous mechanism for justifying expensive purchases. But think of it this way: If I get an elegant winter jacket for like $300 and plan on wearing it every day throughout winter (let’s call it 100 days), that cost per wear is like $3.00. Not that bad!
Cost per wear is more of a guideline around rationalizing purchases, but the core idea is to buy less cheap, poorly made things and instead invest in higher quality things you’ll wear more often. Considering I have the fundamentals of a wardrobe down, I’m at a point where I can — and should! — invest in nicer things instead of lots of little things.
Stop Mindless (Online) Window Shopping
Like everyone, I spend a lot of time just mindlessly scrolling through my phone at night time. It’s sort of inevitable that I’ll end up on Grailed, eBay, or Etsy just looking at random things, which means I’ll typically end up stumbling onto something I like. These aren’t significant purchases; instead, more trendy related acquisitions. I don’t want to go so far as to delete these apps, but I think if I find something I do like, I guess I should wait a day or two before purchasing something as to be more intentional in my decision making.
Buy Vintage/Second Hand
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the environmental impact that goes into the process of making clothes, as the World Economic Forum states that fashion production accounts for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. A staggering 85% of all textiles end up at the dump. Buying vintage or second-hand clothing is an easy way for me to cut down on my specific footprint. Plus, vintage stuff is pretty trendy right now, so it’s a win-win.
Support Small Brands
As much as I love big brands like Uniqlo, I think I’d rather spend my money on smaller brands that are creating more exciting products. I also want these brands to have a strong socially-conscience message that doesn’t feel performative or fake. Most critically, I want to support minority brands who don’t get the same opportunities as big brands. This will require a bit more research on my part. But as any clothing enthusiast will tell you — and what I hope this Substack has proved — half the fun of this whole fashion obsession comes from the discovery of that new, perfect piece.
My first piece of 2021 is a deep dive into, uh, just what exactly happened in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet for GQ. When I saw the movie at a drive-in last summer, I didn’t love it, but it’s improved dramatically upon secondary watchings. It is absolutely Nolan’s take on a Bond-like film — silly MacGuffins and over-the-top villains included — so once you think of it that way instead of viewing it this big, self-serious Nolan film, it becomes much more enjoyable. I think Nolan tried to have this movie be a little more self-aware about its Nolan-ness, but that doesn’t immediately come through. Anyway, I’m firmly aboard the Tenet is good train. I still wish I’d gotten to see it in an actual theater, though.
My girlfriend and I moved to Capitol Hill last September. We wanted to have more space for not only ourselves but for our puppy too. We’re a little under a mile away from the Capitol Building, which I love because it’s my favorite building in DC. I lived on the Hill for two weeks when I first moved to DC and fell in love with this side of town. It was a no-brainer to move here.
Wednesday was scary enough on its own, but it was even more frightening being so close to the insurrection that unfolded. The sirens were pretty constant throughout the afternoon. We had our bags packed in case we needed to leave. Never in my life have I been in a position where it would have even been a thought — let alone a reality.
The neighborhood got quiet after the curfew on Wednesday and has remained so since. We’re fine as we can be given the circumstances. But it’s been a surreal week in every meaning of the word. I knew someone on the Hill on Wednesday and could not fathom how they felt in that moment and what they’re continuing to feel now.
My thoughts are still too scattered, and my anger still too hot to coherently write something, so I’ll point you to this stirring piece Kelsey McKinney did for Defector instead.
Thanks for reading. I always appreciate it — but I do even more so this week.
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