Thursday, September 6, 2012

Renewal, and the September Issues

 

Every year, about August 15th, I start fretting that the massive September issue of Vogue is not going to arrive. Did somebody steal it out of my mailbox? Who could resist it? Some postal worker, somewhere along the route between New York and me, is probably flipping through the pages during her (or his!) break, getting egg-salad crusted thumb marks on my copy. When it finally arrives around August 20th, I rejoice. At last! Then I feel immediately guilty at suspecting mail theft, especially by our hard working postal employees. I hereby apologize profusely for such unjustified mistrust, and feel really bad about the whole thing.

This year, as the 120th Anniversary issue it was truly humongous . And glorious as usual. Every fall, I anticipate the first sit-down with it. I pour coffee (or wine, if for some reason, I am forced to wait until evening) turn off the news and switch to Baroque music or a little discrete jazz, and delve into this astonishing compendium of the most important and beautiful clothing, shoes and jewels that I will never own. And I don't just rendezvous with Vogue. There are at least a half-dozen more magazines that I'll pore through. This isn't about ownership or shopping. It almost isn't about the clothes.

For me, it's about the potential for renewal, even in the Fall of the year.

You'd think that this is a concept that is reserved only for the Spring collections and fashion issues. But no. As long as I can remember, September marks the beginning of the delicious time of year when I can get serious about the things I love best. I'll forever associate it with going back to school and all the attendant luxuries; new books, new classes, new ideas, old and new friends and new clothes. My grandmother was a professional tailor and seamstress, and I always got a seriously well made and custom-fitted dress or two, and at least one new pair of shoes. And we all know that new shoes can be personally, academically and romantically transformative. This is a fact.

As a curvy, hourglass type (my euphemisms and I'm sticking to them!) Summer has never been my optimally flattering season as far as clothing goes. Too many flaws to hide. Fall and Winter are my best times, and every Fall is a chance to finally get it right.

I've always been on a clenched budget, but that doesn't stop me from planning how to approach this best season with a little more grace, a little more taste and modernity than I managed last year. And because I am an old woman now and have many more Autumns behind me than ahead of me, there's no time like the present to dress up with whatever panache I can manage. And as I get older, each Fall looks like a chance to be better.

Renewal doesn't mean a whole new wardrobe. It means new ways to put old items and ideas together. It also means finding new items that expand the meaning of what you loved last year. That's the kind of renewal and that I find in my September issues of the fashion magazines. What do you find?
 

6 comments:

  1. Hi Janin, as you may know, I live in Wichita. It is good to see another blogger in the area. We have passed through Fort Smith a number of times and my favorite small town nearby is Van Buren. We took a wrong turn in FS and ended up there.
    I like looking at the fall issues, but this year in spite of the big issue, Vogue kind of disappointed me. It was just too out there. I liked InStyle much better for ideas to expand my wardrobe.
    Please join us for Visible Monday. It is a great way to meet other bloggers of a certain age and to help others find your blog.

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    1. Aww... thanks! I'm always surprised when anyone knows where Fort Smith is. East Jabitt ... MidFarAway. Love InStyle as well, especially for current closet shopping. I sometimes use their online game to see if I'm getting the concepts. Results: not always!
      So kind of you to reply,
      Jan

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  2. Jan,thanks for stopping by. This is a tough time for me but I will get through it with as much humor and grace that I can display on a walker or wheel chair. I have been very blessed as my Mom has stayed these last two weeks plus with me. I told her yesterday it's time to go home. I can do this myself. Today we fixed a corner in the family for the sewing machine. I am happy to say I seemed down a long very, very large sweater into a perfect top for leggings or slim jeans. This is the first of many of my little up-styles that are floating in my mind! I'm going on my first non dr. outing tomorrow. The weather is going to be a little cooler so maybe I'll wear it and make the man take a pic for the blog! It does get lonely but now that I'm off the Vicodin I too can take in a glass or two of wine! Cheers and enjoy your magazine (I bought one but can't find it due to all the hustle and bustle of the hospital) will start looking now!

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    1. Hope you had a great outing, Tammy. Good that you can use the down-time creating working on Fall looks. Speaking of jeans, I'm obsessed with the new denim textures and prints. This trend looks to be a good one for grown-up wardrobes ... always nice to add a bit of edge that we can use with those big sweaters! Hang in, kid, and keep getting better.
      Jan

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  3. Hi Jan - this is a wonderful post and really resonates with my memories of Fall shopping trips with my grandmother. She'd take me to Bamberger's in downtown Newark, NJ, and insist on buying me a few "good" dresses. And as you wrote, quality shoes were the basis of the Fall renewal! I don't read Vogue much now, but this post has inspired me to do so, just for the wine and good music that accompanies it.

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    1. Thanks, Patti, for your comments. I've been thinking about my fashiony-ancestors lately, and how decades of experience (read 'aging' here. Urk.) is helping me understand their influence on a lot of my style choices. We all have women like that in our past, and I'm planning a post on them in future. I'm so happy to see so many mature women thinking out-loud on their blog pages. Good to know we're not alone! I'm off to see what Visible Monday looks like today ...
      Jan

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