A Treasury Of… Minneapolis Fashion and Interior Design Blog

Ever since this winter, Monday morning through Friday afternoon I pretty much won’t pop a single thing into my mouth unless the chick from Clueless says it’s okay.

As a result, I’m now a walking punchline – and half of my clothes are now too big for me and my plant-fueled body.

Thankfully, for the past ten years I haven’t been able to throw out any adorable article of clothing too large or too small without first saying to myself, “You know, you’re either gonna be one of those people who get thicker and thicker the older they get, or you’re gonna be one of those people who get skinnier and skinnier the older they get. So, self, you better save that sweater/tuxedo shirt/tattoo-ed pair of 1999 CK jeans, just in case you grow a little bit thicker or a little skinnier anytime between now and the year 2062.”

I now have five ‘n a half coffin-sized bins of my former fashion hits and misses messing up my attic which I rummage through every few months. It’s like my own personal thrift store but with far fewer Hilfiger hoodies.

I might not get to eat anything fried or frosted during the week because of that damned vegan has-been, but I can fit into my favorite jeans from Fall of 2000 again which I never thought would happen.

It’s not quite as delicious as Thai chicken with basil was, or salted caramel milkshakes were, but digging into a heaping mound of well-worn clothing classics you yourself turned vintage is tasty in its own way

There’s something about those comfortable, carefree staples waiting in our closets that we can turn to any day or night and feel confident yanking off the hanger. The workhorses of our wardrobe we feel the most ourselves in. The only real downside to wearing a handful of things on automatic-repeat is that some of the other items in our closets tend to get neglected, if not forgotten outright. Especially the less-basic pieces.

The launch of my on-line Treasury has motivated me to mine a little deeper into my closet and unearth some of these items I’ve forgotten to remember. The first such find: my suspenders.

I added two different blue pairs to my aesthetic arsenal in 2007 before attending the Park City film fests that January. They were dirt cheap, picked up from a snowboots ‘n ski-masks kind of store. Initially I found they took a little bravura to put into action, but once I did, they seemed simple and snazzy enough to pull off semi-regularly.

Two years later, I almost never remember to actually incorporate them into my outfits. So I’m setting down in writing today my sorta-solemn vow to change that from this point forward.