Fashionista 2

Returning from visiting our son, Alasdair, on 2024-10-07 who at the time had just bought his first house at Åros, near Oslo, I realized that the upcoming weblog post, titled Arts & Crafts typefaces, would not be ready for publication without excessive effort. I then looked to see if one of the 38 scheduled posts could be pushed forward, or if one of the 144 unscheduled drafts could be published. That was when I found this post about fashion. Except, it was too much like another recently published post. So, I decided to delay it another year, to add more content! That year is now up.

At some forgotten moment in time, I was thinking of writing fashionista content, and for inspiration ended up digesting the essence of a website, that no longer exists, titled: Wardrobe, Female, Adult. Schools are social environments, where there are considerable differences in how much money and effort individuals invest/ spend/ waste (select one, depending on your perspective) on clothing. When it comes to women’s fashions, I don’t know how much my tastes have evolved since, say, 1966. The British television series, The Avengers, has had a disproportional influence on my appreciation of women’s fashions. For those unfamiliar with the series, it started out in 1961 as an espionage series with two primary actors, both male. When one of them withdrew after the first season, management decided to have a woman play one of the leading roles. Fortunately, the scripts were not changed, so this leading woman was acting in a very masculine manner. In the series there were a sequence of intelligent, stylish and assertive women , starting with Cathy Gale – portrayed by Honor Blackman (1925 – 2020) more famous for her role as Pussy Galore in the James Bond film, Goldfinger (1963). She was followed by Emma Peel – portrayed by Diana Rigg (1938 – 2020), not quite so famous for her role as Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, wife of James Bond, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). Then there was Tara King -portrayed by Linda Thorson (1947 -), who never appeared in a Bond film, but who had the advantage of being Canadian. Much of the clothing worn by these women in the series was designed by Pierre Cardin (1922 – 2020). I believe I can relate to the Avengers more than any other television program because of its creator, a Canadian = Sydney Newman (1917 – 1997), originally from Toronto. In addition to creating The Avengers, he co-created the science-fiction series Doctor Who.

By 1976-7, The New Avengers had arrived. Wikipedia tells us that “scriptwriter Dennis Spooner (1932 – 1986) said that at the end of its run The Avengers had gone as far as it could in terms of parody. For this reason, producer Brian Clemens (1931 – 2015) intentionally aimed for real stories and straight, Len Deighton (1929 – )-type spy stories in The New Avengers.” Yes, birth and death years have been added to the quotations.

From the above text, it might be assumed that I am overly enthusiastic about James Bond. When it comes to espionage, I am more appreciative of Len Deighton’s unnamed hero, who appeared as Harry Palmer (ca 1922 – ?) in several films. The early works shared the same producer, Harry Saltzman (1915 – 1994) a Canadian, who arranged for another Canadian, Sidney J. Furie (1933 – ) to direct the first Palmer film, The Ipcress File. My analysis is that in some way Canadians are able to bridge the divide between the Americans and the British.

Harry Palmer was first portrayed by Michael Caine = Maurice Joseph Micklewhite (1933 – ) starting in 1967. In a 2022 television series, The Ipcress File, he was portrayed by Joe Cole (1988 – ). The Jean Courtney character portrayed by Lucy Boynton (1994 – ) in the TV series is dramatically equal to the role of Palmer. That same role was played by Sue Lloyd (1939 – 2011) who, as an earlier Jean Courtney, also proves to be an effective foil to Michael Caine’s Harry Palmer in a first film version of The Ipcress File. In Bullet to Beijing (1995), she recreates this role. Unfortunately, her scene was cut from the home VHS & DVD releases, but was later made available as DVD Extras. I also appreciated Lloyd’s portrayal of Cordelia Winfield in the 1965–1966 British television series The Baron.

The problem with fashion is that most people are workers. Even though the type of work varies with the individual, most people don’t spend their day posing. Thus, clothing has to be functional, has to fit, and it should be durable. At the end of its life, recycling should transform it into something even if that something is only heat. Currently, in Norway, there is considerable discussion about what is to be done with worn out clothing. The official answer was recycling. This sole answer was recently abandoned when it was discovered that some clothes were actually worn out. So now we are allowed to put worn out clothing in with general garbage. There are still details that have not been worked out.

Recycling clothes in Norway involves delivering whole, clean and dry textiles to collection boxes or recycling stations, where they can be sold for reuse (most often abroad), repaired, recycled, or in a worst case, have their energy recovered. From 2025, there is an increased focus on reducing the large overconsumption of clothing in Norway to reduce the climate footprint.

Lists

In this section, readers are about to read the original content for this post. It originated in an article about three notable women who provided the world with clothing formulas. I am uncertain if it also contained a fictional extremist, or if that came later. There was also some other comments about these formulas, and two magic numbers. The content of these lists, with one three-letter word exception, avoids underwear. Yes, in some circles underwear still remains unmentionable.

Coco Chanel (1883 -1971) has a list that remains unnamed and unnumbered: Black and white. Good shoes. Dresses. Polish. Simplicity. Well-fitting clothes. (No magic number.)

Joan Didion (1934 – 2021) had a packing list taped inside a cupboard “which enabled me to pack, without thinking, for any piece I was likely to do”, she wrote in 1979: two skirts, two jerseys or leotards, one pullover sweater, two pairs of shoes, stockings, bra, nightgown, robe, slippers, mohair throw (Magic number = 13, but elementary arithmetic says it should be at least 16, perhaps higher, based on the number of pairs of stockings.)

Annmarie O’Connor (1973 – ), You-niform = one coat, three jackets, five bottoms, five tops, one dress, five [pairs of] shoes. (Magic number = 20, although I count 25, since shoes come in pairs.) Her thoughts can be found in her book, The Happy Closet: Declutter Your Wardrobe, Simplify Your LIfe (2015). She also adds: “A You-niform is a network of interchangeable pieces. It helps free the mind to concentrate on other things with the added benefit of not being a drain on our resources (impulse buying, anyone?) What’s more, you get to decide what suits you and your lifestyle.”

In the movie Clueless (1995) the main character, Cher Horowitz, portrayed by Alicia Silverstone (1976 – ) has a wardrobe that necessitates a computerized inventory. This film, based on Jane Austen’s (1775 – 1817) novel, Emma (1815), with its “positive[,] handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition” main character Emma Woodhouse, provides an alternative universe for those wanting to declutter.

My notes tell me that several categories, including bags and accessories, are missing from the lists.

Bags include: clutch, handbags, backpacks, pouches. Some women may even want to include suitcases, since the origins of Didion’s list seemed to be travel. In the past people also had wallets, used to store pieces of identification, as well as money – bills in addition to coins. One of my official driving licences is stored as an app on my hand-held device. There is also talk about having passports as apps, in the coming years.

In terms of currency, it is several years since I have used any. I have an app, and bank cards. Yet, about one month before the publication of this post, a booklet (yes, something printed on paper) arrived in our postbox. It was about beredskap = preparedness, how to survive a war or other crisis. One of the main recommendations was to have cash on hand. Despite this, Trish and I have decided not to bother. We will remain cashless!

At this point I should mention, that when bank cards were first introduced in Norway, ca. 1985-6, we were paid to use them, NOK 1 for every transaction. That stopped, after about six months. However, there are coins in Buzz, that can be used at stores that still require a deposit to use a shopping buggy/ cart. We are deliberately visiting those stores with diminished frequency.

Bags

Men have fewer choices when it comes to bags, the backpack has eclipsed more prestigious bags, such as the attaché case and briefcase, or further back in time, the Rosebery, Gladstone and carpet bags, at least in the circles I frequent. It can be embarrassing to witness someone open one of these elitist bags, only to discover that all it contains is a lunch wrapped in a paper bag! Prior to a trip to Newfoundland, I bought a Samsonite Securipak backpack. It cost about NOK 1 500. It worked OK, but when Alasdair’s identical backpack was damaged, I decided he could take over mine. I replaced it with a Clas Ohlson Asaklitt Casual Business backpack, that cost less than 1/3 that price.

On the friday, a week before the scheduled publication of this post, Trish and I visited a physical store in Steinkjer, with the aim of purchasing two suitcases. We are visiting Oakland, California at the beginning of November, and have more to carry than comfortably fits in a backpack. Epic has been recommended as a brand. Here is a summary of it: Materiale = 100% Polypropylene; Volume = 67 liters; Dimensions = 66 x 45 x 25 cm; Mass = 3.0 kg; Wheels = Dobble AirSpeed™X4; Water repellent zipper; TSA combination lock; Adjustable handle; Best in test!; 7 year guarantee. It is available in pink, green and yellow. We bought yellow, as depicted above.

Accessories

Fashion also involves accessories. These include: eyewear: glasses, sunglasses, protective eyewear in clear and darkened versions; earwear: headsets, earbuds, hearing aids, ear defenders; headwear: sunhats, tuques, hard-hats; neckwear: scarves; wristwear: watches; handwear: canes. There should probably be something called anklewear, but am unsure what it could consist of, apart from an ankle-bracelet, used to register the unauthorized movement of criminals serving house arrest. I am not certain if a belt should be categorized as an accessory, because I find them a necessity, since I need one every time I wear trousers, which is most of the time. Yes, I have four, including one bought in Seattle ca. 1970, that is no longer used but kept for sentimental reasons. The three others in use are identical. They are typically found on 1) chinos, 2) work trousers and 3) hiking trousers. I am uncertain if a hand-held device (smartphone) should be included as an accessory, or put in some other category, or just ignored. Perhaps it is just a type of content that gets stuffed inside a bag, like a pen or handkerchief.

Wardrobes

Apparently, I came across some information about wardrobe subdivisions. A module is a small collection of clothes within a wardrobe. In a module, every top goes with every bottom, at least that was the wording in feminist literature. Consider two pieces of clothing that can be used together in malespeak as a shirt and a (pair of) trousers. If that is all one has, they can only be used in one (1) way. If the number and shirts and trousers are doubled, becoming two (2) pieces each A, B for shirts, N, O for trousers. Then there can be four (4) combinations: AN, AO, BN, BO. Allegedly, this is important. If one doubles the number again so the module consisting of 4 shirts (A, B, C, D) and 4 trousers (N, O, P, Q), there are 16 combinations: AN, AO, AP, AQ, BN, BO, BP, BQ, CN, CO, CP, CQ, DN, DO, DP, DQ. Double this again to 8 shirts and 8 trousers, and one ends up with 64 combinations. Ideally, it seems, one should never be seen in the same combination, more than once.

In some source I learned that there are people who don’t bother to follow a modular approach. One subculture within this group are minimalists. I am assured that minimalists are ruthless, yet chic. I am advised that they refuse to work in an office with a formal dress code, yet manage to avoid working from home. A café is their ideal work location during the afternoon, with parties (referred to as meetings) occupying the remainder of the working day. Originally, in the last decade of the 20th century, they owned two white blouses (females)/ shirts (males) that allows them to be washed at weekly intervals with the obligatory white sheets. No, I do not know what they wore during the washing process. As duvet covers replaced sheets, and pastel colours followed by dull grey tones replaced white, more exotic tops (for lack of a better, more inclusive term) could be worn. Within this framework, minimalists opt for the simple life. Potentially one without Paris Hilton, and her pink GMC pickup.

Off topic note: By 2025, Micah Toll was promoting a new Chang Li Explorer electric pickup with a maximum range of 100 km, a 50 000 km battery warranty, LED lights, leather seats for two, compact format: 3500 (l) 1360 (w) 1680 (h) mm.

Personal stylist Colomba Giacomini tells people to pack an imaginary suitcase with the clothes they want to wear for the next two weeks. The purpose is to edit out nostalgia. “Keep a photo of yourself in the beautiful dress that is no longer worn, but recycle the dress. Avoid the sunk-cost fallacy. Forgive yourself for buying clothes that are never worn, or you didn’t wear, forgive yourself,” says O’Connor. “To clear out your closet, you need to clear out the self-criticism first.”

There is room for individual tastes in clothing storage, but in terms of hanger type and spacing. My own tastes include 50 mm of spacing, between wooden hangers. Some of the hangers even match.

Some people feel that there should be a set number of items across clothing categories to create a functional wardrobe. How many? Yes it varies, with some people suggesting from 20 to 60 pieces in total, excluding under garments. I have now visited my closet and chest of drawers, and discovered I have the following bespoke items: 18 shirts, 10 sweaters, 2 workshop coats, plus many store bought items, 7 chinos, 3 work trousers, 4 work jackets, 1 fun jacket (depicted at the beginning of this post), 1 hiking trousers, 4 suits (in permanent storage), 7 pairs of Allbird shoes. The dark green pair purchased in 2019 is now used where appearance counts, the dull green pair purchased in 2015, are beginning to show signs of wear. Others: turquoise (still in California), pink, red, blue, yellow, work shoes with safety toes (replaced biannually), hiking boots, gum boots. Depending on the counting method, that is either 63 or 72 items, excluding socks and underwear.

At this point I will have to interject a comment about gum boots. This west coast Canadian name for what others call rubber boots, probably has its origins in Norway. However, at Norwegian outfitters for commercial fishers, plastic boots with insulation have replaced rubber varieties. Our son Alasdair has a pair in black. I would also like to invest in a pair, but would prefer them to be yellow.

More fashion advice, from some forgotten source. Begin with a backbone of ten basics items. These should be dependable, versatile, and pair well with all the other items. Add five statement pieces, with bold prints and patterns. Select 5 layering items to add interest to your outfits and serve a functional role too. Shoes alter the whole mood of an outfit. Choose pairs that cover a range of occasions. This advice gets repeated in several other sources, with minimal changes to prevent plagiarism complaints.

I do not understand the use of statement piece. None of my trousers make statements, but are fit for purpose. All of my sweaters make statements. In terms of shirts, none of my work shirts make statements, because they are too busy working. However, most of my other shirts do, at least on some occasions. That is why I spend so much time selecting fabric for them, and have them made for me.

These journalists further advise using a well-defined colour palette with a small selection = 4 to 6 colours. I am not sure I can construct a colour palette for clothing. Most of my shirts are green or red, but with some deviation. I refer to it as individuality. The greens are better at being coordinated with each other than the reds. I have even bought some blue chinos, used judiciously to show that I have survived the excessive blueness of my childhood wardrobe.

A travel wardrobe should suit the destination climate. For a moment I think hot, with temperatures peaking above 30 C. Start with 5 shirts with a focus on versatility. While some people may want a combination of short and long-sleeves, this is not really versatile, because long-sleeved shirts can be rolled up. Once again legwear must reflect the destination. Some people may think shorts, but I remember back to my childhood years in the Okanagan, and avoid them because that would require the application of additional sunscreen. It also presented large areas of skin to marauding mosquitoes. People who exercise in gyms may have a valid reason for using shorts, and no need for additional sunscreen or insect repellent. It may be appropriate to have a pair of swimming trunks, but these should only be worn while swimming, water skiing or engaged in other water sports. Thus, I am firmly addicted to long trousers but have different types for: 1) Casual activites; 2) manual labour, Trousers are fitted with straps for carrying tools, and pockets for carrying fasteners; 3) hiking. There probably should be other categories. I have a Donegal tweed suit for more formal occasions. It was bought sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Virilization

Yes, virilization is a word that generally refers to the biological development of adult male characteristics in young people, male or female. Most of the changes of virilization are produced by androgens. This is not what is being talked about here. Rather, the wardrobe of a male is very different from that of a female, although the two sexes appear to be approaching each other, in terms of some items.

One fundamental difference is how buttons are aligned. Male shirts have buttons on the right side of a garment, while button holes occupy the left side. Unisex clothing follows the male convention, while female garments have buttons on the left side, and button holes on the right.

My own approach is to divide clothing into the following categories from the skin and outwards: underwear, innerwear and outerwear. Then there is sleepwear.

Male underwear consists of underpants, undershirts and footwear (socks). Long underwear (tops and bottoms) also belongs in this category. I make a distinction between cotton socks, worn in the summer, and wool socks, worn the rest of the year, in light and heavy variants.

Innerwear consists of shirts and trousers. Some might want to add sweaters, but I find them tweenwear, somewhere between innerwear and outerwear. However, it might be better to regard most innerwear as daywear, with several different categories, including workwear, officewear, sportswear and funwear. With so many categories adding tweenwear should be easy. Then there is eveningwear which is usually associated with more formal events. Again, there are some difficult categories, such as funeralwear. If it is funeralwear for one’s self, it is a unique situation, but with long-term consequences beyond the control of the wearer. My Donegal tweed suit may have its final use here.

Outerwear

Outer clothing is used to protect the body outdoors from the elements including: excessive cold or heat, rain or snow, and wind. There are two important items: a green spring through autumn jacket; and a purple winter coat. Both are Swedish. The jacket is probably close to end of life, since it was purchased in 2008 and worn daily in season. I intend to find a replacement in California in November. The coat is just starting its career. It was purchased on sale in San Francisco in 2020.

Counting

Clothes are difficult to count. Some articles of clothing come in pairs, because some body parts also come in pairs. Right and left hands result in pairs of gloves and mittens that mirror each other. Right and left feet result in pairs of socks (that are made without mirroring) and shoes (that are). Personally, I find it impossible to count two shoes (or socks or gloves) as one item. They (note the plural pronoun) are always one pair = two items. Except, we also have pairs of trousers and shorts. These I count as one item, as in one pair of chinos = one item. Gender differences add further confusion. A woman may have one bikini, which has two parts, a top and a bottom, while men may have a pair of swimming trunks, which is a single garment.

Note: This weblog post was originally given the title: Wardrobe, Male, Adult. It was to be published 2024-11-22. As the original publication date approached, that date was changed to 2025-10-11, approximately one year after Fashionista (1) was published.. On 2025-02-15 it was re-titled Fashionista 2. I am not so addicted to fashions that I can produce more than one fashion post a year, and still attract interest. More content about Harry Palmer, and others associated with him will be published 2025-11-11.