Playing dress up without feeling like you're wearing a costume
My cabin in the woods capsule shopping my own closet
It’s ironic i’m writing this on halloween when so many of us will have seen parades of children and adults alike wearing a costume of some sort ready for trickle treating or halloween parties. But what happens when you want to play dress up for real life? How does one do that without feeling like you’re wearing a costume?
A trip to Idyllwild to spend a few days in a cabin in the woods provided me the perfect opportunity to be a version of myself I don’t get to express everyday a) due to living somewhere that’s hot most of the time, and b) because I live in a sprawling city.
This quaint little town made me feel like I was an extra in Gilmore Girls, living out all my Stars Hollow fantasies. One of my favorite things about living in LA is that a two hour road trip can easily and quickly transport you to what feels like a completely different climate. Travelling or visiting somewhere that looks different from your day to day life forces you to think creatively, especially when you’re on a 365 day no buy wardrobe challenge (currently on day 248).
But the truth is I knew exactly who I wanted to be and how I wanted to feel on this trip. I don’t think that is the same as pretending to be someone you’re not, which probably would feel more like fancy dress or wearing a costume. It feels like a version of myself I just don’t get to visit often. There is so much joy in letting that version of myself play and express herself through the medium of clothes, of playing dress up.
It’s times like this when I am reminded just how powerful clothes truly are. They transport us to a place via a memory or a moment. The hat I wore in Idyllwild will always remind me of not just this trip, but the many road trips I have taken while living in the US. It enables me to reconnect to the carefree introverted Harry who craves the quiet of a morning tea sat looking out into the mountains. The version of myself that feels enormous pleasure from just watching the log fire crackle and smoke, who can lose hours reading a novel without the nagging belief I should be productive twenty four seven.
The smoke from the fire clings to my clothing, but I don’t mind it. It’s comforting. Watching the log on top of the fire becoming the embers beneath the next, feels like a metaphor for how circular life is. I grew up in the countryside, and from age fourteen all I could dream of was moving to a big city. I dreamed of noise, and to not be the last one awake. I’ve spent over half my life living in a big city and while I still love it, there is also a part of me that feels pulled back to this simpler way of life. A calling to how things started, a pull towards slowness in a world that insists on speeding up.
When our clothes help us embody a part of ourselves that desires to be expressed that can never be a costume, because we aren’t pretending. The act of playing dress up is very real. There is so much truth in playing dress up for real life. It helps us make decisions about who we want to be and how we want our life to look.
Another thing that helped me feel like myself was making sure within the pieces I packed I had a good mix of my version of basics (the cake) that felt familiar. Then I used icing to decorate (the hat, badana etc) and add a different spin on those core pieces I always wear such as jeans and a t-shirt.
I purposely took photos of outfits I knew I would wear before I left to allow myself to be in the moment on ths trip without having to worry if I had accurately documented my outfits. Looking back at these outfits, and while I wore them during our trip I felt completely myself. I felt a sense of freedom I don’t always feel. I also felt a sense of gratitude that my wardrobe allows me this flexibility to explore all of my selves.
What I packed:
Thanks so much for reading, and if you haven’t been to Idyllwild and you do get the chance to go, I highly recommend it! This was our third visit and it never disappoints.
Harry x
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Love this and let's note the GENIUS of taking the photos first to stay in the moment.