Clothes I Miss
Black skinny-slouchy Calvin Klein jeans (Size 2). These were from my skinniest days, a perfect fit, not too tight, and super long and skinny so they bunched up at the ankles, which I find supremely flattering. Kind of rocker chic.
Faded black skinny Calvin Klein jeans (Size 4). A different fit, a totally different wash, and not so scrunchy at the bottoms, these were a perfect pair of denim.
Purple silky low-back sleeveless top with velvet trim neckline. This was almost a tunic style flowy top that showcased my back, which I’ve always liked. I wore it with the slouchy jeans to a Santa Fe Opera premiere, and I felt people looking at me admiringly (I think).
Black H&M synthetic sweater (Size M). Also from the skinniest days, this sweater was like a security blanket at Overeaters Anonymous meetings. I loved the way it hugged my body without being too tight, and had extra-long sleeves that scrunched over my hands.
Turquoise blouson style strappy yoga top. I don’t remember who gave this to me, but I found it ultra flattering. I remember auditioning for Phantom of the Opera in it. I also remember going on a humiliating date with a guy who I thought kissed me on the head as we said goodbye, but actually didn’t, and didn’t even think it was a date.
Black jersey blouson top. This was a simple black cap sleeve top with a banded hem that bloused out and made me look super skinny. I remember wearing it to a job interview at a professional organizing company. I was offered the job, but turned it down since I found the boss terrifying.
Wide-leg grey striped Gap pants. These were a perfect pair of pants. High rise, super slimming, and worn with the blouson top to that same interview. My roommate at the time said I looked “tiny.”
Wide-leg vintage sailor jeans (men’s). These were from a totally different era- not super skinny, but super confident in my body. I remember wearing them on a non-date at my Philly apartment with a gorgeous bicycle messenger/massage therapist.
Polyester navy blue men’s pants with an inside button and an outer double clasp (thrifted). These were an absolute favorite for me and my college roommate. We had totally different body shapes, but they were great on both of us. I wore them over tights a lot to dance class.
Pale turquoise Gap long-sleeved T-Shirt. I bought this one day in Newport, Rhode Island while I was working at a local dinner theatre and dating an unsavory bartender who ended up dumping me and getting married to someone else one month later.
Silky pink empire waist top with tie. Skinnier days, worn over a white stretchy cami because of the deep V neckline. I remember dancing in it with a local actor at a pool hall near a Cape Cod theater I had worked at.
Blue India-print blouson dress (thrifted). There’s a picture of me wearing this during college when my roommate and I were obsessed with rearranging furniture and had put one of our mattresses in the living room. I’m making a peace-sign as a joke. Great dress. Blouson styles are the best thing ever for my body type.
Minty green mumu with crochet trim and straps. A high school thrift score, this thing was awesome. It was a bit see-through, but it went great with my long hair, no bra, and unshaven legs.
Black and white African tunic dress with tie-belt. I got this on my trip to Kenya when I was 17. It had a gorgeous print- white on black- and an embroidered bib-front. I wore it one day when I went to the Newport Creamery where I had previously worked. I felt out of place among the aprons and hairnets and white Keds.
Faded blue men’s corduroy boot leg pants. These were some classic Levi’s cords that were broken in to the point of perfection. I wore them all the time when my best friend Liz and I would drive around listening to Tori Amos and smoking.
Faded red Native American T-shirt. I never wear red, but this is the one item I made an exception for. It’s faded color was soft, just like the fabric.
Two Fleet Bank olive green oversized T-shirts. I have no idea where these came from, as I never worked at a Fleet Bank (now defunct). But these were the softest, most perfectly oversized tees for wearing to bed or when you’re too lazy to get dressed to go get lunch.
Antique crochet-lace onesie. This was a onesie like a baby’s, without legs. You stepped into it and cinched the neckline with a decrepit pink ribbon, which I eventually replaced. There was no appropriate occasion to wear this. I just loved it.
African straw basket bag with leather trim. This was a goodbye gift from a family in Kenya. It was handmade and I can’t believe I got rid of it. Minimalism can be so stupid.
Maroon carpet-style bag in fake leather from H&M. I wore this to death around NYC when I was auditioning, working at a hotel, and going to Overeaters Anonymous meetings at the LGBT center in the West Village.
Skinny jeans from fancy Union Square store. These were my entry into the world of skinny jeans. The store was a little too cool for me, but I persisted. I remember telling my friend Isabel that I would never make the switch from bootcuts; then I ran into her at an audition wearing these tucked into high boots.
Grey Gap men’s zip-up hoodie. There’s a video of me wearing this during my conducting class exam. I hated my teacher. I just got rid of this recently, so it lasted about 20 years before it was too ripped up to wear.
Eggplant J. Crew blouse with V-neck and tie-waist. Never quite sure whether to wear this, as it was kind of dressy but not too dressy. Made appearances at office temp jobs from time to time. Loved the color and the semi-sheer silky fabric.
Victoria’s Secret Chunky mid-heel lace-up brown leather boots. I don’t know when Victoria’s Secret stopped making shoes, but I really wish they hadn’t. These were empowering shoes, making me a bit taller but maintaining my menswear vibe.
Victoria’s Secret black lace corset with garters. This was probably the first time in my life that I thought of myself as “sexy.” I wasn’t insecure; it just never occurred to me to think of myself that way. I was almost too embarrassed to show my boyfriend, but it was fine.
Black vintage combat boots. These laced up to mid-calf and were a combination of leather and canvas. They had a good chunky sole and were my first pair of men’s heavy boots. I wore them all through highschool, with everything.
Beige lace-up “ton-ton” boots. These looked like something out of Star Wars, but in a good way. They were a soft tan suede with inner zippers so you didn’t have to lace them up to get them on. I got them on sale at Daffy’s, a discount store in Philadelphia that had some weird designer stuff from Italy.
Men’s long army peacoat with brass buttons. The perfect coat to go with my combat boots in highschool, this was way too big but I didn’t care.
Blue men’s thermal long underwear pants (thrifted). This sounds kind of gross to me now that I thrifted men’s long johns, but I did wash them after all. And I wore them to bed or around the apartment constantly. They had banded ankles, but were kind of baggy overall and looked pretty cool, I thought.
Blue men’s pajama short-set with piping. These were men’s cotton pajamas with shorts and a short-sleeve pullover top. I guess they kind of looked like scrubs or something. I wore them to a friend’s house in high school and his mom was not impressed.
White button-down peasant top with 3/4 length puff sleeves. I wore this open as a little summer jacket all the time. It was lovely woven cotton and had a sort of non-stretchy smocked neckline.
Maroon leather trench coat. This was awesome, obviously thrifted, totally 70’s. I rarely wore it as I rode my bike around most of the time and it was pretty long. When I did wear it, I felt pretty bad-ass.
LOFT blouson spaghetti-strap cotton jersey dress. Again with the blouson. It really is the perfect fit for me, but with a hip band, not a high-waisted one like the current dresses have. Wore it on a date with a guy whose English wasn’t great, but really seemed to like me, so I went.