whereabouts x hysterical fit
Rekindle Your Closet Series | A Style Story
Welcome to the second edition of this collaboration! If you didn’t read our first edition, see it here.
Hillary here! 👋 I have a lot to say about personal style, and I always have to decide how I'm going to enter this conversation with folks. Am I going to tell them what I think they want to hear—a list of garments and silhouettes that are “appropriate” for their body, lifestyle, etc?
Or am I going to tell them the truth? You already know your personal style. It’s not about what you think you should wear; it’s about what you know you want to wear.
I don’t blame the fashion industry for this identity crisis. I blame the runoff—the subset of people and companies that profit off the idea that style can be dictated. There’s a lot of chatter out there that’s just regurgitated and filtered down into something that feels like solid advice, but is really just a weird rule meant to make the people who adopt it feel like they’re closer to something aspirational. It compounds and reinforces the idea that what you should be doing (in this case wearing) is known by someone else, not by you.
It might feel like, it’s not the serious Hillary, and I’d like that to be true. But what I know from my own internal struggles and from creating custom garments for women for over 10 years, is that much of this conversation is rooted in fat-phobia, misogyny, slut-shaming…you name it. (In fact check out a blog post I wrote years ago on body neutrality here).
I also understand that we’re all overworked and overstimulated. So the idea of getting to the root of your “personal style” can feel daunting and even frivolous. However, for most, this is the first time they’ve gone through a process like this, and often “Describe your personal style?” can make them short-circuit. I want to tap into the feeling we get when we see something exciting—before the thoughts come in. So instead, I ask questions around that and look for the common themes that emerge.
That being said!
Jacque! What store or designer would you buy everything from if you had unlimited funds?
Jacque: Hi! Um, where do I even begin? Marni, Isabel Marant, Cecilie Bahnsen, Made X Hudson, Mara Hoffman, Damson Madder, Phoebe English, Vivienne Westwood…and on and on.
Hillary: Whose wardrobe would you steal?
Jacque: Drew Barrymore. Drew has always been my fashion inspiration. I like that she is fun but sophisticated, random but cool, she’s loves color and pattern and plays with shape, but it’s not too busy or trendy. Even like younger Drew was doing all these things. She also dresses for who she is RIGHT NOW. Which I love. I also like her mix of eclectic boho but with a bit of structure. I love every. single. thing. Drew (is styled lol) to wear.
And I love what you’re saying about personal style. The idea that we actually do know what we like and we just need to peel back the layers. I always think of what little Jacque loved to wear when not in her school uniform growing up.
I think I have a really strong idea of what I like, even though it can change on a whim. I know with anything, that I care a lot about the story of an item almost more than if it’s “me”. For example, with the bag you’re dyeing - we could have done a lot with it, but I felt really strongly about keeping the red because that is the color my Grandma (now 97!) chose when making it, trying to recreate what we would call now a “dupe”, ha. When I told my Grandma we were updating it, she was thrilled we were keeping the red, but building and reinventing.
Here is what she said about the bag:
“Oh yes, I made that bag when your Mom was in school. It was when the L.L. Bean boat tote was big, and I couldn’t afford one, so I made one myself and no one knew the difference. They (LL Bean) could have hired me. I had some leftover fabric from trying to fix a patio chair cushion. I used that bag everywhere. I wanted a big bag to feel big enough for everything, I used to have one before I made this that fit groceries, or sometimes even your Mom as a baby would sit in it and I would carry her around. She was so heavy. So I made something like that. Do you remember how we used to take it to the beach? You, and your brother, and I would put everything in, shovels, the towels, and he would carry it down the block. I liked that the handle is shorter so it would be easy to carry.”
I was so touched that she cared to share that with me. In this project you MUST be considering the items that have now landed in your creative hands. What has that felt like for you?
Hillary: I love that this bag holds this story and that you carry it with you - literally. For me it's not only the timeline of the women who have used it, but also that it was created so intentionally by your grandmother. I am doing another project similar to this with someone else, and she describes each of us as stewards of this object. I feel really honored to be included in its story.
Jacque: Shall we give a bag update?!
Hillary: Yes! The intention was to dye this using a resist Shibori technique. This is a motif that you're drawn to, so I wanted to incorporate that here. What was originally going to be achieved in one step has become a multi-step process. Because the canvas is so stiff, it's difficult to apply enough pressure during the folding to create the necessary resistance. I even bought four clamps and a vice from the hardware store!
The canvas is made of cotton, and knowing that your grandmother made this 60+ years ago tells me the cotton is quite raw and far less processed than what’s common today—which is great, but it also makes it even more absorbent. After my first failed attempt, I started applying bleach to pull some of the color back, and then went back in with even more reinforcement for the resist dyeing.
This is still a work in progress. Right now, we have a beautiful ombré effect that has a watercolor quality to it, which is really lovely. We may need to pivot from the original Shibori idea, which feels disappointing, but dying is always an experiment and it's important to stay fluid (pun intended) to get it to a point that feels successful!
Jacque: I love it. I am like, obsessed. I also really love that you are leaning into the Shibori adjacent idea, and building on the pivot. The ombre is turning out beautifully! I can’t wait to use it this Summer in the same way my Grandma did with us when were were kids. Another item for Summer I am excited about is my Christian Dior vintage nightgown that I found in a shop in Hudson. We just had a few changes to make this really work, it was so long and needed repair in the lace. I am sure this nightgown has a great story too.
Hillary: We shortened the night gown by 20”- which is quite a lot of length and will be more wearable especially in the Summer. We could use this fabric ( which is nearly ½ a yard) to create something new! I also noticed that when I was replacing the lace, that this insert was created by combining a few different lace trims, it was not cut and sewn from yardage of fabric. This tells me that in production that would have had to create a different one for each size.
Jacque: Wow, that’s interesting! I am so excited for us to reuse the fabric and make a little matching short to go with. The perfect Summer set. 💕
Thanks for going on this journey with us folks, and stay tuned as we dive into more items, and share ways you can put the spark back in your closet! Next time is all about alterations to get that perfect FIT. 🔥
Xo,
Hillary + Jacque
We are two artists trying!
Hillary’s next workshop: Ready, Set, Sew! | Saturday, May 3rd
The hardest part of sewing? Sometimes, it's just getting started!
Let’s get you sewing confidently baby. 😊 This class is for students with no prior sewing machine experience, beginners, or anyone needing a refresher! We will cover: set up, threading, creating a bobbin, troubleshooting common issues, and adjusting machine settings like a pro!
This workshop will be offered a few times a month so check back or email me (hillaryaodell@gmail.com) to be added to the wait list. xh
Jacque’s next workshop with
: How to Run an Online Workshop (A workshop on workshops!) | Thursday, May 8thJoin the DYE gals to launch your next online workshop, reclaim the booRRRinggg Zoom Room, and bring in some cash doing it. ✨
We’re walking you through how to plan a class and facilitate a zoom room full of bodies so that you can teach a sewing class, host a jazzersice party, plan a new year's journaling circle, or host a herbalist show and tell.
You do have something to TEACH, and you can charge for it! We believe in you!
I’m literally obsessed with everything said here and being made !!!!! 🤯