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Fashion Frances Organization Podcast TTT Productivity Sarah Ahmadi Season 2

Season 2. Episode 7: Fashion, Closets & Organization

Welcome to Tea, Toast and Trivia.

Thank you for listening in.

I am joined by my sister, Sarah, and my mother, Frances, as we consider the idea of fashion, closets and organization. There are many ideas on how to arrange our clothes and declutter our closets.  Join us for a candid discussion on how this trend plays out in real life.

So put the kettle on and add to this conversation on TeaToastTrivia.com

I am your host Rebecca Budd and I’m looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

 

By Rebecca Budd

Blogger, Visual Storyteller, Podcaster, Traveler and Life-long Learner

15 replies on “Season 2. Episode 7: Fashion, Closets & Organization”

What fun to talks about organising closets with you. I try to keep my wardrobe as simple as possible. Operative word here is TRY. I took the doors off the wardrobe which means I have to TRY to keep everything tidy. At boarding school we were only allowed to have 3 dresses, 2 skirts etc because there was limited space. At the end of summer term we took our summer clothes home and returned the next term with the stipulated number of winter clothes and shoes. It was a pretty good system. To this day, even though I have quite a number of clothes, I find that I really have only about 5 items which I wear during a week. And probably 2 pairs of shoes which I wear.

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Isn’t it interesting that have only a few favourite clothes that are our “go-to” fashion for the day. You reminded me of my first years in college when I lived in dorm (I had to move from Northern Manitoba to the Winnipeg for college) The dorm was originally a nun’s residence. The closets were tiny. Two of us shared a room, so you can imagine how creative we had to be when placing our clothes into the cramped spaces. It was a teachable moment. I like the idea of taking off the closet doors – brilliant. Something that I’m going to consider. It is a great incentive for keeping organized.

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I appreciate your well-rounded approach on this subject. A certain nostalgia for a time when we repurposed clothing; common sense about seasonal clothing and even skepticism toward the trendy minimizing; effects on the environment; practical limitations of closet and storage space—were all excellent points. I remember repurposing my own clothing for my first child, not so much from necessity although that was sometimes the case, but from the love of recreating something new. I even loved stitching by hand just for the sheer joy of it. I saved buttons and zippers too! I think many of these fashion trends are obviously motivated by marketing, a finely tuned psychological ploy to actually cause us to purchase more under the guise of saving money. Sometimes it plays on our guilt for the plenty we have; sometimes it appeals to our need for constant change or novelty. Great discussion!!

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I apologize, Mary Jo! I did not see your heartwarming comments until just now. I was just speaking with a young dancer who was preparing for a special dance concert/event. His costume was complex and ornate – but it did not fit him properly. He had to take out the seams and the zipper and basically redo the entire costume, which reminded me of those expert tailors that created men’s suits. It was exciting to see that the art of sewing continues to thrive – perhaps in different ways than what you and I experienced, but in the style of today. A few weeks ago, I overheard two young women say they were going to the local thrift store to look for fashion that they could buy and refurbish. They must have come from a course because they were scribbling dress/pattern ideas on paper. I agree, humanity has a constant need for change, whether it be travel, fashion, home renovations. You have just given me an idea for a great podcast – we need change, but how do we define “satisfying change. Most times, once we have achieved the change we desire, it is not as exciting as when we were in the planning stages. Maybe it is our need for projects, for creating something new, for exploration, experience. I so enjoy our conversations.

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Yes, Rebecca! The topic of needing change is very interesting. It’s can definitely be a factor when reorganizing closets, re-purposing, etc. Also I’m thinking about artistic needs. Fashion is an opportunity for people outside the industry to express creativity through new color choices, etc. But if we consider this artistic urge for change, we can also ask the question whether we’d throw or give away actual pieces of art? Fun to ponder. Hugs!!

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It is indeed! Whenever I hear that a “famous” person has burned his or her letters, I feel a sense of loss. So why don’t I apply it to my life? Will my letters be important to my family in the future? A few years ago, my hairdresser told me about a couple in their nineties that emigrated from England to Canada. He was in WWI and kept a diary, but didn’t know what had become of it. That is, until they were back in England to visit relatives. They happened to drop by a museum dedicated to the military. In one of the cases, the couple spotted the husband’s diary. Whether or not this was really true, I like to think that it was.

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I hang on to my clothes. The idea is to have a style of one’s own, and not rely of fast fashion styles by others that go racing by.
You may have noticed I use some of the clothes I don’t wear anymore, for my Art Gowns. I’m working on an article on Fast Fashion for Flapper Press.

Now, my closet is a bit scary, but I know where everything is. LOL
I adore the window mural, and I noticed “Mandy”. Is the Mandy Van Leeuwen? She’s a fabulous muralist, from Winnipeg.
It also reminded me of this piece from Winnipeg I shot and posted in 2013. I thought she was maybe the artist, but not. https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2013/07/20/pink-lady/
Great podcast, gals!

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You are an inspiration to all of us Resa. Style, creativity, compassion, joyful living that welcomes all who enter your presence. I am now going to look at Flapper Press. My closet needs some attention but I rather like going through all of the stuff because it reminds of great moments and gives me plans and ideas for the future. I hang on to my clothes as well. As time goes on, we find our style that transitions as we move along our timeline. And that is the best way to embrace our personal fashion statement. Thank you for sharing your artistry and love of all things beautiful and good.

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I have such good intentions when I do a major closet review and reorganization, but then I start backsliding when I put clothes away and I can’t remember whether I organized the blouses by sleeve length or by color. The comments about repurposing clothes reminded me of when my mother took a very heavy wool Army blanket, died it a deep purple (my favorite color in high school), and made me the most magnificent pair of pants.

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Our mothers had the most marvelous way of seeing the possibilities of what could be. I think they understood the value of material and used their creative skills to bring what was imagined into reality. Can you imagine the cost of heavy wool in this age and pants made with that heavy wool! Repurposed clothing is a wonderful first step in reducing our environmental footprint, but cost is a consideration. The value of our mother’s time and effort had economic value, even though it was rarely measured in their day. Today, repurposed clothes have an added cost layer. Are consumers willing, or more importantly able, to pay that additional “environmental” cost? It will be interesting to see where this conversation leads.

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I think that we are finally beginning to see the economic value of a “homemaker.” He or she is a private chef that must plan meals from breakfast to dinner and snacks. The time spent shopping alone would be extremely costly. According to “ Investopedia” these tasks would cost approximately $52,000/year. And then there is the house cleaner, the child care, the driver, the laundry service, lawn service etc. It wouldn’t take long to add up the costs if we were to outsource these services. Kudos to our mothers!!

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This was such an interesting conversation and reminded me of how my dear Mom used to sew or knit all of our clothes. My sister and i always had to be well turned out and although money wasn’t plentiful, we always had a new outfit for every season. Mom taught me to sew and iron from quite a young age, so that when i got married and had a young daughter of my own, I was able to make our money spin out by making her clothes and her dolls’ outfits as well as my own. Living in Florida now, there seems to be only one season, but I do keep clothes for when visiting cooler climes. Some of my coats and jackets despite being many years old are still in great condition and get worn only occasionally. I sometimes hanker after having changing seasons, but then weigh up the benefits of not having to endure freezing cold weather and come to the conclusion that I should just be grateful for what i have. Most of my clothes are for warm weather and the only organisation is to hang similar colours together, something whiich my neighbour commented on when she came to visit and had a look around my house. She thought it was a splendid idea and wondered why she hadn’t thought of it for herself. i just smiled.

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Thank you for your heartwarming comments that reflect my experience growing up. Our parents lived in a generation that was influenced by Great Depression which seemed to touch the entire planet. Our parents understood how to thrive in a time with limited resources. How they did this continues to inspire me. I especially appreciated your thought: “My sister and i always had to be well turned out and although money wasn’t plentiful, we always had a new outfit for every season.” This was my experience as well. Mom (Frances) was very creative in how she managed to do this, even down to my white gloves and perky hat. I remember when our living room turned into a sewing room with material and patterns taking space on the sofas. And then, in a few minutes when we expected company, it was all swept up and put into a cupboard. The living room returned to its original purpose, as if the colourful chaos was never there. Sometimes, I hanker for the cold that accompanied us in northern Manitoba, but only for a moment. Perhaps it is merely nostalgia that I’m feeling. Thanks for sending up your sunshine. We have seen the sun today after several days of rain, rain and more rain. Spring is coming.

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