The Creature Comforts of My Wardrobe
The one where I start to talk about clothing as comfort food!
Hello, hi, it’s me again! I took a little unofficial hiatus of publishing because I was getting to that point of burnout and was dragging my feet when I thought of coming up with ideas around this sub stack. I figured that, that is not a good sign for writing anything of quality and so I took a little step back from Nice Outfit! this spring. A lot has been going on in life and so much of it has been so good, but ultimately it has kept me so busy that I’ve had to more consciously unwind with each day I have off. Anytime I begin to dread my busyness I try to remember all the times in my life I wanted to be booked up, socially fulfilled, and to feel like a key part of different groups I am in. It’s a blessing to be busy! But…. if I am being honest with myself, I miss having no agenda. I am craving the slowness of summer and the easiness of the days. I want to feel coddled by the sureness of sleeping in, bathing in the sun, reading a book and eating a big, fresh meal on a Sunday. Doesn't that sound immaculate?
As I’ve thought about all of these comforts I most enjoy, I’ve also (naturally) thought about what I am wearing while doing these. The pieces that feel natural, like an extension of myself. The outfit that was hardly thought about, but makes reading a book on my back porch, or having a glass of wine on the couch, feel that much better. What are the creature comforts of my wardrobe?
I remember, vaguely, reading a Substack newsletter in which the author referred to certain clothes as comfort food (I for the life of me can’t remember if it was Laurel Pantin or Leandra Cohen..) and that sentiment has recently struck me again. What is my bag of sea salt potato chips? Whats my tomato sandwich or my Ceasar salad?! Why am I now hungry! I immediately have thought about how wearing a crisp white sundress feels like drinking a really big glass of ice water with lemon, to me. Or wearing my baggy cuffed jeans and a t-shirt is like eating a plate of french fries.
As I type this I am wearing my favorite vintage “house dress”, a beaded anklet I made, and my hair in my favorite Machete claw clip. These are creature comforts of my wardrobe, these are some of my favorite comfort foods!
If I am not in the above house dress, or another white cotton night gown/house dress, then I will most definitely be in these little red gingham shorts. Talk about my kind of wardrobe comfort food! Every time I wear them I feel little bit cuter, even on more casual days *see sneakers and baseball hat below*
New to the creature comfort rotation are these eyelet drawstring pants, which felt the most ideal for wine and pizza with good friends on a Saturday night. I have a hunch they will also be packed on all future vacations as well.
Some of my close friends and I started a dinner club this year and I hosted last night and I opted for a dinner theme of “French Country” which I know sounds maybe overly specific, but the idea was that I wanted more seasonal, simple french food (nothing more fancy cookbooks, even as fabulous as that would be). My theme choice is definitely a reflection of my current head space “make it simple, make it comfortable”. Instead of getting overly caught up in my own thoughts, I went with my gut on what to wear while hosting and wore some of my favorite and most comfortable pieces.
Stevie is a questionable host but he makes for great dinner conversation!
Actively trying to pronounce “Salmon en Papillote” correctly *yikes*
This Doen top is so ethereal and dainty and pretty that I end up feeling the same way by extension! Then my second-hand linen skirt is one the breeziest, easiest pieces I have in my wardrobe and plus it felt very in line with the theme of the dinner.
Even at work, I’ve been going back to what feels the most simplified for myself. I’ve had a butter yellow G1 chore coat on repeat.
For my more polished days, theres a khaki wrap pencil skirt that makes me feel very feminine, but also feels as easy as tying on a pareo (and definitely more polished!) Then I can’t talk about the creature comforts of my work wardrobe without the mention of a very crisp white button down, cuffs rolled up and collar flared out in a very organic feeling way.
The cherry on top- chocolate leather slingback sandals that I wear with nearly everything. They are the sandal that makes me feel cool and modern, and my feet are happy when I wear them too!
I look for key things, soft cottons, loose denim, eyelet, gingham, leather sandals, little beaded anklets… these are the things that contribute to my ease. I hope that you feel a little inspired to think about the creature comforts of your wardrobe and what pieces or qualities of a garment bring you the greatest sense of well-being.
Cheers,
xx Taylor