Comfort Clothing

“Items: Is Fashion Modern?”  is the title of an exhibition currently on view at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The exhibit, which covers the sixth floor of the museum, is described as “explore(ing) the present, past—and sometimes the future—of 111 items of clothing and accessories that have had a strong impact on the world in the 20th and 21st centuries—and continue to hold currency today.” As I walked through the gallery I thought about the clothes that have remained in my wardrobe over time. Ah, over decades.

Let’s begin with the black turtleneck, cotton and wool. I have never been without several in my closet and cannot imagine how I would live without this one piece that can pulls everything together and is comfortable to wear.

Tweed jackets come and go, in and out of style. Just now they are back in vogue. I have always kept a tweed jacket of one style or another in my closet since I was a college student and find it works perfectly over both casual and formal outfits.

Gray clothing, skirts, pants and sweaters, have also remained in my closet over the years. The style might change, the length of the skirt certainly has gone up and done, but otherwise classic gray is always appropriate.

Then of course, there is the “little black dress” (in the exhibition, of course). Coco Chanel can be credited with putting the black dress in every woman’s closet. Black had been worn primarily for mourning, until Ms. Chanel put an elegant black dress in Vogue in 1926.

How could you ever consider a clothing exhibition and not include denim. The only question now is when our lifestyles will change so dramatically our “jeans” will be replaced with something made with a fabric and a style we can’t even imagine.

Many of the most comfortable clothing pieces are those that are handmade. Knitted sweaters, scarves, mittens and hats will always provide the most warmth on a frigid winter day. Over the next few weeks there are holiday boutiques and fairs all around communities in the Lakes Region where one can find beautifully knit “items” that
make lovely gifts and support local churches and organizations.

The exhibition at MoMA encourages us to think about how we dress for the way we live now. It points out the cultural influences that have shaped our fashion choices.

Just as we have our favorite comfort foods, we all have our favorite clothing styles. Perhaps one change, over the decades, is that now we can dress in the clothing that feels comfortable, without worrying about what others think. Clothing that makes us feel comfortable in our own identity and within our own environments.