Sunday Edition: Every Outfit I Wore This Week

And their (unconventional) sources of inspiration!

The Sunday Edition is Tuesday’s little sister—off-the-cuff updates I’d bring up over a coffee catch-up with a friend.

I’ve been out of sorts of the past few weeks—every time I feel like I’m getting a grip on things, it’s time to head back out of town for a wedding, camping, or bachelorette party. It’s all travel I’m excited about, but it also means that I’ve felt largely out of control and ungrounded. My reaction to these times is to go back to my original coping mechanism of perfectionism. I neurotically marry myself to my to-do list, in an attempt to grab hold of some semblance of balance. Everything will be okay, so long as I can finish my to-dos. (Spoiler: There is no end to to-dos.) During these times, the routines and practices that are vital for me go out the window, since nothing matters as much as getting through my tasks.

Issue #124: How to Wake Up to Your Life

For our Zoom conversation on Tuesday about my book, I arrived incredibly ungrounded. I was excited, as I am any time I get to see your faces, but also felt very untethered and outside of myself, which impeded my ability to connect. Afterwards, I felt like I needed to collapse into myself—I was depleted, instead of charged from the experience, as I normally am.

The reality is that I’m going to be a bit untethered for the next few weeks. I’m out of town every weekend until I head on my big trip, which means I won’t have a grounded weekend day at home until October (!). To that end, I’m trying to establish routines and rituals I can do anywhere, including recommitting to long morning walks and my daily poetry routine. I’m also trying to use regular rituals, like getting dressed, as a means of connecting creatively with myself while taking care of myself (as opposed to heading straight to my desk in pajamas). In this unconventional Sunday Edition, I’m sharing five outfits I wore this week, and their sources of inspiration—from a song playing in the park, to a memoir, and a chance photo…

What I did: After my walk and morning routine, I began the day at a coffee shop, where I had a chance encounter with a new friend that left me feeling charmed and inspired. The rest of the day was spent working. In the evening, I curled up with a book, enjoying the sound of the rain.
Weather: Overcast, drizzly, and chilly (for a change!)
My inspiration: I began Patti Smith’s Just Kids, which my brother gave me when it came out. I drew very lose inspiration from Patti’s beatnik roots and classic tom-boy style. I didn’t realize until reading more that evening that Smith also derived sartorial inspiration from books, describing her ‘Anna Karenina’ skirt and, later, her ‘East of Eden’ outfit.
What I wore: Gap linen top, Madewell belt, vintage Levi’s, and Converse high-tops
What I listened to: My Lost ‘60s Playlist and Patti Smith, of course