On You, It Works

What was I thinking?

Honestly, I wasn’t. I was curious. I put on the paisley cashmere joggers, and for some reason, the blue micro suede jacket was the next thing I wanted to see with them.

The jacket had a clean shape and a beautiful texture. The pants had no interest in being restrained. I liked the contrast, so I kept going: a Kelly green hoodie, then green suede sneakers.

Once I had it all on, I knew I was wearing it for the day. I loved it. Jeff took a look and said, with just the right amount of snark, “It looks good on you.”

The traditional rules about what goes together have never resonated with me. They can be useful, I suppose, but they can’t tell you what you’ll enjoy wearing. Style is individual. Jeff and I could look at the same outfit and see two entirely different things. Neither of us had to change our mind.

I do this in the store, too. I’ll see two pieces from different designers, made for different occasions, and want to know what happens when they meet. Sometimes the answer is nothing. Sometimes I put them on a mannequin, take a step back, and wonder why I hadn’t seen it sooner.

There’s pleasure in that moment. Clothes give us a chance to play, and getting dressed shouldn’t always feel like solving a problem. The pieces in this photo are beautifully made, but none of their makers imagined this exact outfit. That part was mine.

I suppose I could explain why it works. Jeff might explain why it doesn’t. I wore it anyway.

-E