THE MOST TREASURED ITEM IN YOUR CLOSET

Whether you’re a regular reader or an occasional visitor, Wear You Are Now is a place for you- my fellow kindred spirits who believe that fashion plays an integral role in making memories. And if you’re picking up what I’m putting down, I can venture a guess that some of your most memorable and impactful life moments (both good and bad) are tied to fashion, too.

I remember what I was wearing the day my little brother came home from the hospital. I remember what I was wearing the first time I ever swam in the ocean. I remember what I was wearing the day I met my husband. Whether good or bad, no matter where (or wear) the road in life has taken me, fashion has played a sizable role in how I remember and shape these experiences. Wear You Are Now is a personification of that realization; a place to articulate what I believe to be one very truthful finding-

Our memories are often tied to the clothes we wear.

So I called upon my friends- women who I know both virtually and in real life, women who inspire me with their creativity and vision, women who get how impactful fashion can be in your every day life- to help me explore further. I asked them to tell me about the most treasured item in their closet and how it makes them feel.

Here’s what I learned.

AMANDA LIGHT, CREATOR OF PRIM AND PROPAH

I don’t have too much from my past that sits in my closet these days. I do remember some beautiful things of my past: a collection of Grateful Dead t-shirts lost after my parents moved when I was in college, or a brocade kimono I scored at Salvation Army that I eventually made into throw pillows. These are things that I remember vividly. And I have memories attached to them.

I have very few real “treasures” in my closet any longer, but of the ones I do, they are mostly shoes; including a pair of Nanette Lepore chunky wedges that Nanette herself pulled in my size, and the Valentino baby pink suede booties I wore on my wedding day… a story in and of itself.

I wrote many blog posts about these baby pink booties after I saw Jessica Biel wearing them at a fashion show years ago. Back in the earlier days of social media, when Twitter was a more fun place to be, I found out through random strangers that they were made by Valentino. Through the magic of Twitter, a Valentino social media manager tracked a pair down and had them shipped to the Boston Newbury Street store. After many, many emails back and forth with their store manager, I finally went in to try them on (after a lot of back and forth on whether or not I could afford or actually wanted to purchase such expensive shoes). When I arrived, I threw out the manager’s name and the store staff assumed I was friends with him. They extended me a friends and family discount, which I truly have no idea if was on purpose or by accident. Yet low and behold, I snagged my $1000 dream wedding shoes for $300.

You should have seen me skipping down Newbury Street in an Old Navy jean skirt swinging a Valentino bag. It was definitely a day and feeling I will remember forever.

And for what it’s worth, Valentino still follows me on Twitter.

COURTNEY BYERS, BLOGGER AT A BYERS GUIDE

The most treasured item in my closet is my wedding earrings. When I was picking my wedding accessories, I picked earrings that could be worn again for a special occasion. My parents gave them to me for the Valentine’s Day before my husband and I got married. They’re Kate Spade and I wear them for every wedding anniversary as well as for a lot of formal events. Not only do they make me feel glamorous, but when I wear them, I’m reminded of the most special day of my life.

KATE ANDREWS, EDITOR OF FASHIONABLY KATE & CO.

I first saw this classic dress on the show Pretty Little Liars. My favorite character, Aria, wore it for a funeral scene. I was shocked to find it was still available at Nordstrom and scooped it up with no where in mind to wear it! Fast forward a few months and I found myself sipping champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower, wearing this chic LBD, celebrating my second wedding anniversary and 30th Birthday. It is one of my favorite memories and wearing this fabulous piece only made me feel even more special.

AND ONE FROM ME…

My grandmother remains, to this day, one of the most influential women in my life. When she passed in 2001, my family and I spent days cleaning out her house in Monongahela, PA- a house that had been in my family for over 100 years. Needless to say, it was filled to the brim with treasures and mementos and memories; especially in her closet. My grandmother’s closet was my favorite place to play as a child. Dress-up was always on the activity list, and my costume choices included some of the best of the decades that came before- dresses and jewelry and shoes and scarves and coats from a woman who knew how to dress.

This coat, bought at a local department store in PA in the early 1960’s, came home with me that day. It perfectly represented the woman I knew- classic, stylish, not extravagant, but incredibly loved. It now lives in my closet, and I still use it to play dress up. Though, there’s a little less make believe involved these days.

I treasure it, like I treasured my grandmother. And in wearing it, I carry her with me, wear I am now.

Fearlessly making memories through fashion. It’s who we are. And Wear You Are Now.

xx

Natalie