The O-town Scene

January 13, 2011

The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY

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Fashion Dieting by Emily Popek Absence makes a fashion dieter grow fonder They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I certainly think it’s true when it comes to clothes. My Fash- ion Diet got even more strict over the Christmas holidays when I got stranded on the West Coast for a week with only a weekend’s worth of clothes. Before you feel too sorry for me, I should point out that I had it a lot better than pretty much everyone you read about or saw on the news. They were sleeping in airports, freezing, starving and gener- ally being treated like refugees; I was just bored at my parents’ house, finishing off the leftovers from Christmas dinner. But I digress. Usually when I travel, I overplan and overpack, trying to foresee every possible circumstance that might arise during even the shortest trip. Will it rain? Better pack an umbrella. Might it get unseason- ably warm? I’ll be sure to bring a tank top. What if we go out to dinner somewhere “The black top I grabbed in the predawn light turned out to be long underwear.” nice? Best to throw in a skirt and stockings, and a pair of flats never hurt either. This time, I underpacked, and definitely under-planned. I had about five pairs of socks, but only one pair of pants (jeans, at that). The black top I grabbed in the dim predawn light turned out to be long under- wear; the hoodie I brought was too small. My only wearable sweater was navy blue, which I had no choice but to wear with my black boots. Such are the worries of the sartorially obsessed. When I did finally make it back to upstate Scene New York, I greeted my still-small wardrobe with glee. T-shirts! Pants that aren’t jeans! Cardigans! It was an exciting time. I spent New Year’s weekend eagerly imagining what I could wear when my vacation ended and I went back to work. So I now grudgingly admit that I get the point of this Fashion Diet thing. In fact, it’s entirely possible that when I unpack the THREE GARBAGE BAGS full of clothes that are now in storage, I may find that I do not, strictly speaking, need each and every one of those garments. Yet there are many that I dearly, dearly miss. I think of them as old friends that I have not seen in a long time. And just like old friends, it’s easy to remember them in the fondest possible light, forgetting the little quirks that start to get annoying after several hours together. I smile fondly when I remember my vin- tage orange Mandarin-collared dress with the flared skirt. It looked fantastic, it fit me well _ what’s not to love? But if I think back a little harder, I remem- ber that it may have actually been a bit snug around the arms. And perhaps the skirt length was not the most flattering. And, really, it was a bit tricky to wear _ too warm for summer, but because of the high neck, it looked a bit odd with a cardigan or blazer over it in winter. OK, so it’s not perfect. What dress is? But do I still miss it? You bet I do. Emily Popek (above) is on the Fashion Diet, and has whittled her wardrobe down to a minimal number of pieces while she is living nomadically, waiting to move into her and her husband’s new house. Jan. 13, 2011 O-Town Scene 9 Clothing Swap Saturday, Feb. 12, 2 to 4 p.m. Location TBA Have clothes that are fabulous, but just aren’t working for you? Exchange items with other stylish ladies at this Scene event! All clothing not exchanged will be donated to a local charity.

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