A reader question:
Do you find that you wear your favorite Bosie colors less often than the ones you would consider a bit more prosaic? I ask because we hosted a birthday party today and I "upped my game" a bit by wearing one of my favorite Bosies (I think the color was called 'Ice Blue' or something similar). In any event, every time I wear this particular sweater, I think, "Good heavens, this is beautiful! Why don't I wear it more often?"
I wear sweaters on an almost daily basis through the winter here in northern Michigan, but day in and day out they're the Bosies I like but don't love: Medium Gray, Clipper Blue, Pineshadow Green, Autumn Crisp Gold, etc. Is this silly? At age 68, the Bosies I wear only infrequently are going to far outlive me. What am I saving my favorites for anyway?
Best wishes,
Somehow I was also trained/conditioned to save my favorites for special occasions. Not sure how or why, and I'm getting better at 64, but it still takes effort.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that "keeping things for best" not just Bosie sweaters, is quite a common affliction and probably not easy to shake off. I have way too many clothes which are all good quality and even wearing them all in rota all the time, I will never wear them out, bearing in mind age and other factors. I really enjoy wearing all of my clothes (not all at the same time I hasten to add!) and when I buy something new I can't wait to wear it. I have a dear friend who takes great pleasure in just owning nice clothes and wearing some of them only occasionally so that he doesn't spoil them although he's never been able to explain what he means by spoiling them!
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Wear 'em and enjoy 'em if you've got 'em!
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
Guilty here on this common “saving the best” issue as well. Starts when we’re young when time seems endless, and just doesn’t cease.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know it’s irrational, and that one should enjoy and use up everything as we stumble through life, but a part of me still thinks exactly like the Egyptian Pharaohs who believed that they could take everything with them into the afterlife. (Yes, it would be wonderful to bring my (still-in-great-condition) spring/summer and fall/winter wardrobes along with me when the Goddess ferries my poor soul (in tourist class) across the River Styx.)
Anyway, in addition, now what did the Bible say about moths in this world? So best to wear what you’ve got right now - you won't need them later.
Often said you can’t take it with you. But with the help of modern logistics and supply chains, some say you can have it waiting for you when you get there.
DeleteFunny story... my stepmother who was a very long time Talbots devote' and into her 90s a dedicated clothes horse, was finally nearing the end of her days. I would go up the see her every couple weeks and take care of bills, groceries, etc. I mentioned to her one January weekend that I had a cashmere sweater but rarely wore it for fear of staining it or whatever. In her very thick north Jersey accent she said, "Bobby. Listen to me. Whyahhya saving it. Weah the cayjmeah. WEAR THE CAYJMEAH!" So now for me, and Elaine, I wear the cashmere as often as possible. Thanks Elaine!
ReplyDelete(For the record we also eat off the good china and use the sterling all the time!)
Yes we decided to use the best China and silverware some time ago instead of leaving in our sideboard for someone else to inherit. My wife took some persuading at the time but now she realises it was the right thing to do
DeleteThis might just be me, but one of the reasons I don't wear/use the "good stuff" is because it's stored away somewhere safe and not easy to just grab. Particularly in the case of my silver and good china, and especially the Waterford, which are stored in chests and buffets and not the kitchen utensil drawer and shelves. But now that we're empty nesters perhaps it's time to put the good stuff into regular rotation? They say you eat with your eyes first, so maybe that chicken salad sandwich will taste better when served on the wedding china.
ReplyDeleteI wear almost all clothing without regard to whether the garment is a favorite or not. If anything, the things I wear less are items I don't like as much. The great thing about buying high quality clothing is that it lasts a long time, even with regular use. I still wear a Bean Norwegian sweater and an Icelandic wool sweater my mom knitted in the 80s - have darned a few holes in the mom sweater.
ReplyDeleteChina, silver and crystal only get wheeled out of their padded storage containers for special occasions.
My wife is a sweater fiend and I bought her a Bosie for Christmas. She's Georgia-born and we live on the breezy Maine coast so she wears sweaters every day year-round except those few summer ones in the high eighties. The family joke is "Which of her 120 sweaters will she wear today?!?" They are all beautiful on her, including those she's knitted herself.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought **I** was a sweater fiend with my 22 Bosies - oops, better make that 23 as of this afternoon. Our local fine clothing store, Bahle's (in Suttons Bay, Michigan) is having a season-ending clearance sale and I couldn't resist the opportunity to snag a new Harley Donegal Crew in 'Oronsay' - a very unique and interesting shade of red. I was feeling a bit guilty about that indulgence, but seeing that someone else has 120 makes me feel much better about myself. Thank you!!!
DeleteOne solution is to keep your wardrobe small enough that you pretty much have to use it all regularly. We keep the wedding silver and china (great grandmother's, not ours) out for easy and frequent access. If you go the small wardrobe route you will gravitate to buying only things you truly love. Also, some, perhaps many, of us find those more sedate colors just as special as the bright ones. My two Shetlands, Voe dark grey and silver, both from Bosie, always light me up, as do my two Fair Isles.
ReplyDeleteUse and enjoy, what we have all worked so very hard to achieve!
ReplyDeleteAgree with the above and think the last comment is, perhaps, the wisest... btw, I too suffer from the "save it for a special occasion" affliction. ;)
ReplyDeleteBanacek
I inherited my paternal grandmother's sterling flatware in college and I've used it every day since. It is so beautiful and I enjoy using it very much.
ReplyDeleteHaven't posted here for a while but this topic made me think. This applies to most of my clothing, which I have a lot of. It isn't that something is too good to wear, it's usually that it can't be replaced if I wear it out. But then, maybe most of what I have is way out of style, not found in stores anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhile the brands of old have frequently changed or closed, the timeless things we all loved ages ago can, pretty much, still be found.
DeletePerhaps a tad - or trad - OCD but I save my favorites so that they don't wear out. Admiring them in the closet is quite relaxing, And I try to wear put my least favorites as well. As I approach retirement this practice might become a futile test of time. JDV
ReplyDelete