> CD #1: What we wear

If Ruth Bader Ginsburg could accessorize with gravitas, maybe fashion is not a meaningless pursuit?

A few months ago, I sat in my closet wondering about my clothes: Should I get rid of stuff? Will I ever wear a work outfit again? Is it worth getting dressed when it’s only for myself? Why did I buy all these things in the first place?

At the same time, I was reading the book Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits and Leanne Shapton, which could have used some judicious editing—it’s 600+ pages long—but contains some very touching and thought-provoking stories about how women present themselves through clothes, and what style really means.

And at the same same time, I had also decided to stop buying new clothes for the duration of the pandemic—which resulted in a deep wistfulness and nostalgia whenever I thought about clothing, as well as a slight pang of regret every time I see an article about fall fashion or get an email announcing 20% off everything.

Together, these three happenings inspired me to start a conversation about clothes and also get some stories out of my head and into some coherent form.

I never thought I’d write about fashion or style—at age 44, I’m still pretty insecure about how I look—but I love the topic and have always wanted to do a limited-run newsletter on something. Plus, clothes are fun to draw.

This newsletter will be, I hope, like a message in a bottle to everyone who likes to think about what we wear and what it all means. I used to worry that people would think I was frivolous for paying attention to clothing and style, but if Ruth Bader Ginsburg could accessorize with gravitas, maybe it’s not an entirely meaningless pursuit.

Culturally, fashion is often labeled as “women’s interest” and dismissed as pointless or vapid—part of our society’s way of telling women that what matters to us doesn’t really matter at all. But how we choose to present ourselves is important. The stories we tell in what we wear can help us work through and make sense of our identities, our politics, our values and even our deepest longings.

Also, have I mentioned that clothes are super fun to draw? For example, here’s a jumpsuit that came across my inbox last week. I wanted it badly, since I’ve been looking for one in lightweight denim—and the inseam was the right length and everything (when you’re five feet tall, this counts as a miracle). But alas, no new clothes for me, so I drew it instead, and now I kind of do possess it in a small way.

This might be a good time to acknowledge my privilege. I am able to do this kind of newsletter because I’ve got access to health care, a decent job, and am not in danger of being shot by police. My government, while not perfect, is not actively descending into fascism (yet?).

To celebrate the launch of this newsletter, I’m giving $150 (the cost of the jumpsuit) to Assata's Daughters in Chicago. If you are in a position to give, please donate to an organization that’s meaningful to you.

:) Teresa

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What is happening even?? Closet Dispatch is a free, limited-run weekly newsletter by Teresa Wong.