June 29th, 2022

(Ok, it's not a great quality photograph, but I suspect that  you get the gist of it.   Yeah, that's me taking a photo of me with the camera on my phone as reflected in a full length mirror in the guest room).

I think most everyone has a favourite outfit.  The go-to garment(s) that, when you choose to wear them, you already know ahead of time that you will be comfortable all day long and you look good. Or at least good enough.  The outfit in the photo above is mine.

The shorts are seersucker. Admittedly a very old fashioned fabric but it's so awesome!  Cool, lightweight, comfortable and dang cute.  Why on earth has it gone out of favour?  And bonus points?  I found them on the clearance rack of a Beall's Outlet about 5 years ago.  Woohoo!  They are easy wash, it's not necessary to iron them (though I usually do) and they have an elastic waist band which adds Super comfort!  (not the horrible gobby elastic waistbands that make whatever you are wearing look like a diaper!!  No, the new fashioned sort that's wide and smooth and awesome)

The top is only one of several that I tend to wear with those shorts.  It's made of breathable cotton (which I adore) loose and airy and cool and comfy.  Comfort as a concept obviously looms large in my mystique.  Almost everything in my closet, from the grungiest of hiking and yard work clothes to my fanciest dress up outfits are, first and foremost, also comfortable.   I can honestly say that I only own one thing that isn't comfortable.  It's a top that looks perfectly fine but it itches and I keep meaning to throw it away.  On the other hand, this navy blue top is a keeper.


When I try on clothes at a store,  there is a list of questions that I ask myself before deciding to buy:  1: is it comfortable?  And that means in all different positions, standing, sitting, bending over, etc.  2: is it easy care?   i.e.  no dry cleaning or other bothersome cleaning methodology 3: do I have other things that go with it?  That's because I generally buy separates.  And I prefer to have more than one option with each top or bottom. Increases my wardrobe exponentially!  4: does it serve a useful purpose in my current life?  I rarely have tea with the Queen anymore so I honestly do not require much formal wear and 5: is the price reasonable?  And by that I mean is the price VERY low. The shorts I am wearing in this photo were around $5. I do love a clearance sale.

Because the above outfit hits every single point on my list, I went ahead and purchased all of the pieces.  On different shopping trips!  I believe that I bought the shorts an entire year before the top.  Still works together just fine.  You might think that the navy blue of the top would make it too hot to wear here in the summer time.  Dark colours and hot, humid weather do not automatically seem to fit together.  But honestly, it is amazingly comfortable and cool.

 I love everything about this outfit.  Whenever this is clean, ironed and hanging in the closet,  on a hot summer day, THIS is the outfit I reach for.  I try to not wear it more than once a week but I confess that there have been times when I did.  And the sad part is, and this is always the saddest part, because I wear it so much - and therefore wash it so much - it will wear out way before clothes that don't have quite the same appeal.  Dang.

So far, it seems to be holding up surprisingly well, especially for the price.  We all know that cheap clothes don't seem to last very long.  I can only assume (though one should never) there is a difference in the quality between reasonably priced clothes that are on sale and cheap clothes.   But the truth is that eventually the day will come when this outfit will be ready for the ragbag.  And I will be sad.    Worse, I will have to find a different go-to outfit that is my new favourite and right this minute, I cannot imagine what that would be.  

Even if I went to the store to shop for a new, similar, outfit, you know that I would not find an exact replica.  That's because fashion changes constantly.  Even when shopping in an outlet store where the offerings are not the latest and greatest and most up to date styles.  More like previous years top sellers.   And that's fine as I've never been "In Style".  Honestly, If I look super fashionable ever, I can only assure you that it is by accident.  Truth be told, my personal style is about half and half, classic and quirky.  Classics are easier to replace with similar but quirky is impossible to find again.   

It's not as if I dislike the rest of the clothes in my closet.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I like everything hanging there.  But there is a difference between liking your garments and having that favourite thing.  It's sort of like a toddler and that stuffed teddy bear that they insist upon dragging around with them everywhere they go.  The stuffed bunny  in the toybox is perfectly nice and they like it okay but it's not the same as the teddy bear.  All parents understand this.  Heck, all toddlers understand this!  Psychologically,  I do not fully comprehend the why of it, but I except it as true.  The favourite, be it stuffed animals or outfits, is, in a manner that defies explanation, different.  It is better.  It is the best!

And any day that I get to wear my favourite outfit, is automatically a great day!