What’s your go-to outfit?
Iwear jeans almost every single day. Purely out of convenience. They’re comfortable, they mix-and-match with everything, they’re low-maintenance (you can even throw them in a hot wash if you have to), and… they’re everywhere. When they’re worn to shreds, you just toss them and buy a new pair. Actually—I’ll let you in on a little secret—almost all of my jeans I’ve literally picked up off the street. Long before I’ve had to throw out my old ones, I’ve already scored a bunch more from the sidewalk. I have no idea how they end up there. In almost every case they belonged to a guy. And apparently usually a construction worker, because they’re often covered in oil stains, paint stains, rips, the whole nine yards. But that’s exactly what I find charming about them—and, weird as it might sound, men’s cuts usually look better on me anyway.
That said, I can’t claim I consciously chose jeans. It might be more accurate to say jeans chose me! 😉
A few years ago, though, I went a whole month without jeans. Not even on the weekends. Nothing.
Now you might think I was doing some kind of challenge, and in the end maybe that’s what it amounted to. But really, circumstances just forced my hand.
You should try it yourself sometime, even if it’s only for a week. A whole new world opens up, I can promise you that. It’s genuinely life-changing.
So how did I end up spending an entire month jeans-free? Well, I was heading to Catania (Sicily) for about that long. This was a few months before I bought a house in Sicily myself. And when I say I bought a house, people often assume I’m rich—but it’s the opposite. I live on a very tight budget. I had a little savings left, and in Sicily you can still buy a house for roughly the price of a fancy fully loaded kitchen.
Because of that limited budget, I always travel with carry-on only. Mind you, that’s getting harder and harder—a lot of the budget airlines have shrunk the allowed dimensions.
And because of those baggage restrictions, I had to make very deliberate choices about what clothes to pack… and what to actually wear. When you can’t fit much in your bag, it helps to dress in layers so that a big chunk of what you’re bringing is already on your body. But I’m not going to give you a tutorial here on how to stay well-dressed for a whole month with only a tiny number of pieces. For that, you should watch this video by Alyssa Beltempo.
this video by Alyssa Beltempo
That’s how I first stumbled across Alyssa. I was looking for advice on packing smart for a longer trip with just a carry-on. After that I kept going back to her channel for other tips. Because once I’d watched her video on how to pack so you can still look put-together with only a carry-on, I actually went out and shopped specifically for it. And I hate shopping! That should give you some idea of how inspired I felt.
For convenience I went to C&A—a European mid-market clothing chain, kind of like H&M—everything under one roof and prices that won’t break the bank. It happened to be late-summer sale season too, so that was a bonus.
I stuck to neutral colors: black, white, and gray. I picked up a black pair of pants and a gray pair, a gray blazer, and a white blouse. At home I already had pieces that would mix easily with those—black spaghetti-strap tops and, of course, a white and a black T-shirt. I also bought a gray-and-white cardigan for cooler evenings. Naturally I packed pajamas for around the house. “Around the house,” by the way, was a dirt-cheap Airbnb room that cost 400 euros for the entire month!
Anyway, once I lined up everything I wanted to bring, I realized it was still just a little too much to squeeze into my carry-on. So I had to make a choice. And I decided—completely against my comfort zone—to leave the jeans behind. It felt pretty nerve-wracking. I even thought: If I really can’t stand it without jeans, I’ll just go buy a pair at the local H&M.
But… it was fantastic! Everywhere I went, people treated me and addressed me as “La signora.”
And that took some getting used to as well. Because I wasn’t accustomed to being treated like a “lady,” I first figured people in Catania must just be especially polite and well-mannered compared to a lot of other cities. At first I didn’t connect it to what I was wearing.
Granted, shortly after I arrived I found a beautiful Guess women’s scarf on the street that gave my outfits real extra polish. I still treasure that scarf. And if I ever lose it or it wears out, I’ll buy a new Guess scarf. Before this experience I would never, ever have spent that kind of money on “just a scarf.” Now I think: it’s worth the investment. (Not that I’m trying to plug Guess here—I’m just naming the brand so you get an idea of the kind of scarf it was.)
It’s not fair, and it’s not how things should be, but during that month I literally experienced firsthand that clothes really do make the man. Or in this case, the woman—or better yet, “the lady”! 😉
I was in Catania during the month of November and I had incredible luck with the weather: almost every day sunny and around 82°F (28°C). Meanwhile back in Amsterdam it was typically miserable that time of year. The upside of nice weather isn’t just that it feels good—it also lets you dress a little more elegantly. And I wanted to keep being treated like a lady once I got back to Amsterdam. So I went back to Alyssa Beltempo’s channel. She lived in Canada, so she was the perfect person for clothing tips for the cold months. I even remember typing some of her tips into a document because I was serious about putting them into practice.
But once I was back in Amsterdam, the daily grind took over again and I found myself reaching for a pair of jeans out of the closet first thing in the morning way too easily. You know how it goes: you think, Just for today, tomorrow I’ll put a real outfit together. And the next day you think, You know what, first I’m going to declutter my whole closet and organize everything into ready-to-go outfits. But I don’t have time this week. Next week, then.
And before you know it, you’re back to wearing jeans every single day out of pure habit. Too bad. But it was really fun to get to be a lady for a month!
Have you ever noticed people treating you differently because of what you were wearing? Or is there a clothing habit you’d love to break, if only you could get yourself out of your comfort zone?
Tell me about it in the comments! And if this story made you think of someone who’s stuck in a jeans-every-day rut, share this post with them. Maybe they’ll discover their inner “La signora” too! 😉
I live in Florida and wear shorts nearly everyday. Slacks in the short winter when the temperature drops. Finding your favorite clothes is a favorite place in life for me.
ReplyDelete