Journal
Does Marie Kondo understand clothing with emotional baggage?
The season has started changing and it's normally about now that you would be moving Summer for Winter or Winter for Summer depending on which hemisphere you're in.
You've been at home, so you've had time...right?!
Are you Marie Kondo'd out or are you yet to face up to the challenge of sorting out your wardrobe?
In your heart, you know what should stay and what should go but easier said than done.
Marie doesn't know that you are holding on to that Stuart Membery outfit because you wore it to the RAT Party in1984 or that you're keeping that gold crushed velvet bodysuit because you wore it to Kylie Minogue's Rhythm of Love tour in 1991.
Marie doesn't know the emotional bond you hold with the jersey cowl neck top and 2 inch rise jeans that you wore to see The Go-Betweens in 2002 or the Marianne Faithful inspired lace dress you wore to All Tomorrow's Parties in 2009?
Ask yourself:
Do you wear it (when did you last wear it)?
Does it fit you?
Do you feel great in it?
Does it need mending /repairing?
Do you have space to store it?
If you're feeling hesitant, put the bag of things you have sorted to go, in the garage or boot of your car but sit on it for a couple of weeks before moving them on. Just to be sure.
Make some cash or credit by taking them to a recycling boutique like SWOP, Goodbyes or Mutual Muse or if you're super keen, take some snaps and post them on Marketplace or one of the many Facebook groups or simply donate them.
This is also a great time to consider the choices you make when shopping. It's usually the fast fashion pieces that go to the out pile first. No judgement here! We've all done it as it's often the easy way out but re-training our shopping habits is part of the Arnsdorf philosophy.
Shop less, buy better. We all have those days when something new will cheer us up or we need a reward but we can still shop with purpose. Run through the same checklist: does it suit you, do you feel great in it? This is also why we offer our extraordinary free tailoring service, to make sure that it is perfect for you from the word go.
If you need more help sorting, watch this video by Melbourne stylist Sally MacKinnon.
Tell Us Your WHF Secrets ;)
We've reached out to women in the Arnsdorf community to reveal their personal tips on how to work from home in style and comfort while staying healthy, sane and engaged.
What is your name and and what do you do? My name is Janelle Watson-Evans and I have my own interior design and decoration business based on the Gold Coast. I do all sorts of things from residential and commercial decorating and design, to styling and production design and set decorating. I am also a wannabe screenwriterand have spent extra time during this lockdown to work further on my scripts and my short film projects.
What is your connection to Arnsdorf? I am a client. I was introduced to Arnsdorf by the wonderful Thea via her Instagram feed. I was so excited to discover the brand which ticked a number of boxes for me in that it is not only a carefully curated collection of ‘classic with a twist’ garments, but it also has the added attraction of being thoughtful and sustainable. I was really taken with the ‘Transparency’ component of the brand also.
Thea and I had followed similar paths in that we were both progressive fashion retailers in Queensland during the eighties and nineties, and it was lovely to connect again after all these years.
Janelle with artist Scott Redford standing in front of his artwork at the Institute of Modern Art Brisbane, 1983.
What are you doing to stay active?
I have for a number of years worked from home within my own business, so things haven’t changed a great deal for me in a way. However, one of the things that I do miss is the ability to go to the Gym and connect with my training friends. While house bound I have discovered an abundance of amazing ‘go to’ routines via Youtube.
My daughter Della and I have been absolutely loving Yoga With Adriene, a Californian beauty who has a plethora of varied videos for all sorts of yoga practice and her voice and manner are so relaxing.
You could of course, spend hours scrolling through the hundreds of viewing options and the other day I found myself doing an old Jane Fonda gentle aerobics workout video from the 1980’s which was an absolute hoot! I just wish I’d have had the pastel coloured G String leotard, big hair and matching leg warmers to have really felt part of the action.
Are you reading a great book or do you have a favourite podcast?
I have read a couple of light and lovely popular ones during this period as part of my bookclub selection: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - lots of imagery of nature and birds wrapped around a tale of the mysterious ‘Marsh Girl’ at the centre of the novel, and If You WantTo Make God Laugh by Bianca Marais, the story of three women in post-Apartheid South Africa of the mid nineties. Both nice easy reads.
I am a big listener of podcasts anyway and because of my interest in screenwriting my ‘go to’ is Scriptnotes by Hollywood screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin, highly recommended for anyone aspiring to write for film and television.
My creative lifestyle interior design ‘go to’ right now is More Than One Thing by Athena Calderone of Eyeswoon. It really explores the idea of being a ‘multi-hyphenate creative’. Someone who does not follow a typical career path and who works across a variety of creative disciplines. This really resonates with me as I feel like that’s what I have done and I aspire to keep on doing.
What about food? Are you cooking or are you addicted to a particular snack at the moment?
My daughter Della and I have been obsessed with cooking during this lockdown and Della in particular has been on a constant baking mission with a range of yummy vegan delights. I can seriously feel the waist line thickening and hoping that this does not compromise my ability to fit into my gorgeous cream hemp Mira trousers which were a little on the tight side. I adore the silhouette of these trousers and I have a black pair also. They are perfect for our Queensland winters and I am looking forward to wearing them again this season.
Janelle wears the Mira Trousers in Black
Are you motivated to 'dress' for the day or are you repeating outfits? What are your go-to pieces?
We have been having the most seriously amazing weather here on the Gold Coast during this lockdown period which I have to say has been a fantastic mood enhancer for us during this difficult time. It’s been warm enough to literally swan around in a pair of shorts and a bikini top, although with the broadening of the waist line, I’m glad we are in isolation.
However, I do really value getting ‘dressed’ and the other day I put out an Insta challenge to post a pic dressed in a favourite outfit in your favourite part of your home interior. I really love the idea of fashion and interiors colliding and I try to show this occasionally on my Instagram feed. I am fascinated with the history of modernist interior design and fashion, and have always been interested in how they intersect.
Getting dressed and doing your hair and makeup just makes you feel better about yourself and the world.
Janelle with her daughter Della. Janelle is wearing the Blanca Blouse and The Mira Trousers in Black
Have you been pleasantly surprised by engaging in something you normally wouldn’t?
I never thought I’d be seduced by it, but TikTok apart from being a massive time waster is highly addictive.
Like we need another app or more screen time in our lives right?
But I have particularly enjoyed seeing every day people particularly front line health workers letting their hair down via some very special 15 second group dance routines. I think this is definitely a worthy guilty pleasure during these difficult days.
What songs are you feeling right now?
I am loving more than ever, listening to old favourites and discovering some new things that move me. What would we do without Spotify?
I have pretty eclectic taste in music ranging from pretty pop featuring lots of female vocals,1980’s new wave, to1990’s club classics and psychedelic sounds. This pretty well sums up my go to Spotify playlist for right now...
Stay well from all of us here at Arnsdorf X