Leo graduated from elementary last Friday and after a busy end of school year, we flew off to France for our annual trip. Once again, we have rented our house to fund the flights and accommodation. We arrived last night just in time for Scott to watch France in the Euro Championship - but too bad he did not miss it... France lost, and Scott went to bed disappointed.
Leo’s dollar bill origami:
diamond (dime-in) ring
diamond (dime-in) ring
We took a taxi to get to my brother’s home, located a few minutes outside of Paris. Our taxi driver was amazed at how little baggage we had (he probably wished we had more considering that his fare is partially based on the number of bags). I too marvel at our streamlined load. Scott needed to pack not only casual wear, but also a business suit and dress shirts for work, but still managed to fit it all in his carry-on without resorting to the suitcase’s extension capabilities. The kids each packed their summer wardrobes and a few warmer pieces (needed for their mountain camps) in their half size carry-ons. For my part, I have decided to undertake a little experiment...
A few months ago, a Twitter follower sent me this YouTube link depicting five different ways to wear a men’s dress shirt. Amazing. I
tried some of the tricks with one of Scott’s shirts, but quickly found that his size
did not provide maximum wear-ability (e.g., worn as a dress it was too short).
Alternatively, I purchased a black XXL version during my spring clothes shopping trip.
It only cost 99 cents and it is by far the best purchase I made this season! (Scheduled
for a university lecture that same day, I rushed my thrifting and made other wardrobe decisions that I have subsequently regretted and donated).
After testing the few combinations presented in the video, I experimented further and soon realized that this shirt's changeability was endless and only limited to my imagination; I realized that it was the most versatile piece in my closet (it can be worn a top, a bottom or a dress), ideal for traveling light. And this summer would be the perfect time to push my creativity: Wearing the men's dress shirt everyday for the next two months (except Sundays, laundry day) and forcing myself to come up with fifty different ways to wear it. It will be a summer-long Mini-WardrobeFave challenge! While the kids catch up with their cousins and brush up their French speaking skills, I will be working on my book and sharing with you my daily look through Twitter (I will also summarize each week's look on the blog).
To maximize the shirt's possibilities, I added a couple of buttons to the
bottom front to make it more decent when worn as a skirt or dress. I find the front pocket distracting in some looks and wish I had purchased a pocket-less shirt: I tried removing it, but a tiny hole warns
me of a bigger disaster, so I left it alone and will make it work.
I packed accordingly knowing that: 1) I will need tops when I wear the shirt as a bottom and vice-versa; 2) I will be visiting rainy (Paris) and
hot locations (South); and, 3) I will participate in various activities, from museum visits and city
strolling to camping and country hikes, which explains my choice of shoes.
Here are the contents of my duffel bag:
- One bottom: Leggings
- Two tops: Black tank top and Long sleeve striped shirt
- One topper: Cardigan
- Four pairs of shoes: High heels, platforms, sandals and boots.
- Two belts
- Intimates: PJ’s, swimsuit, underwear, bra and one pair of socks
- Sun hat
- Four pieces of jewelry: bangle bracelet, earrings, necklace, diamond (dime-in-a) ring -a birthday present from Leo ;)
- Personal Hygiene bag
On laundry day, I will wear leggings and tank. If I
need to clean the shirt between washes, I will do so at night, with the hope that it will be dry the next morning.
I have said that Zero Waste has tremendously boosted my
creativity and that less choices provide more versatility…This is day one of my men’s shirt diary. Here is how I wore the men’s shirt today.
