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YO! It’s Ted and Jen and we’re here to say,
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Dawg, we’re cursed, this $#*! is wack!
Gotta speak in verse so we’re spittin’ rap.
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Grist needs your help to earn some G’s!

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See how this curse got us straight trippin’.

Peace,

Fresh Ted and DJ Jazzy Jen
Grist Master MCs

P.S. Giving online make you a wreck? You’re also welcome to send a check: Grist, 710 Second Avenue, Suite 860, Seattle, WA 98104.

P.P.S. If we reach our goal by May 15, Grist will receive $25,000 from a generous donor.

Maggie and I wait for the bus … um, I mean the chauffeur.Jennifer Mac DonaldI have a confession. I fudged my rules again. Today, I meant to wear my last pair of mom jeans, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Yes, they fit, but today is Friday and that’s the day I bring my dog to work. Striped denim would have made me look extra crazy-dog-lady, so I 86′d them. So sue me!

Believe it or not, these jeans were another designer discovery: Ralph Lauren. Sorry Ralph. You really missed the mark with these jeans. Someone on your design team needs to be terminated. (Actually, Ralph, please don’t sue me.)

That means I had to start from scratch. There’s a really choice tennis sweater I’ve had my eye on for a while now, but haven’t really figured out how to mix it in. I’d describe it as kitschy country club and it’s A-W-E-S-O-M-E. But how could I use it? Since I can’t use my own denim — some dark skinnies would work well, I think — I wore the other skirt I received from my fiancé’s mom. (Turns out I’m already pretty good at taking other people’s clothes.) It’s a cute, red linen number and it has pockets! Two points for the future in-laws!

Truth be told, the skirt and the sweater together looked a little schlumpy. So I threw on a tank top — yes, my own … sigh — and wrapped the sweater around my shoulders. The result? A preppy look perfect for playing croquet in my poorly maintained backyard. One Pimm’s cup please! And are the cucumber sandwiches organic? I work for Grist after all.

So far, no crazy-dog-lady looks for me! She’s just my sporting hound. Of course, preppy is not my usual look, so I’m not exactly strutting. I guess this new style will take some getting used to. Jeeves! Bring the pedicab ‘round, will you? I feel like going for a ride.

You know what goes well with organic cucumber sandwiches? A donation to Grist!

Embroidered metallic roses down the leg. Sweet, huh?Jennifer Mac DonaldSo far the feedback on my outfits has been mostly positive. Though yesterday’s outfit did get one, “Wow, Jen. That dress is straight out of the 80s!” (Who would take that as a compliment — Cyndi Lauper? And besides, it’s actually from the 70s).

Friends ask me if I really had to dig to find these pieces or if my mother just had impeccable taste. Oh, people, you have no idea. I guess I have to show you photos of the closet itself. Warning: these images may not be suitable for all readers. I assure you that there was plenty of digging involved.

Much to my mother’s chagrin, my folks don’t have an elegant, well-organized California closet. It’s jammed. I’d say it’s about as daunting as tackling the contents of an entire Goodwill, but within the area of a compact parking space. Yes, I know that’s still big in terms of closets, but it’s filled to the brim. At first I found a lot of unfortunate patterns and textures that I would just never wear in real life. My dream was to salvage a bunch of great, wearable clothing, and show readers that a no-impact wardrobe starts at home (or your parents’ house), and become a folk hero for children of hoarders everywhere in the sustainable style movement! So my heart dropped a little when I didn’t find anything. At first. Eventually, a few things emerged. As I hauled them away, my dad yelled a desperate “Take ALL of it, kiddo!” from his recliner.

Salvation Army of MomJennifer Mac DonaldToday’s ensemble includes another find from the blouse bounty and, depending on how you wear it, could look like an Elizabethan ruff, the puffy shirt from Seinfeld, or something really cute and trendy from the likes of J. Crew. Ruffles seem to be hot right now. I opted to wear it the trendy way — no offense to pirates or Shakespeare fans.

Now for the pants. I am wearing white jeans again. No, not the same pair of white jeans from a couple of days ago — a whole different pair of white jeans. That’s right, two out of the three acceptable pants I found were white jeans. The embroidery is down the side like a tuxedo pant. They are metallic embroidered roses this time. Jealous?

I know! I’ll become a folk hero for white jeans lovers everywhere! Down with that oppressive Labor Day rule!

Fight the power with me — support my dare with a donation to Grist.  

I’m flexible in my wardrobe, but not in my hammies.Jennifer Mac DonaldIt’s been hanging over my head since Monday. I’ve been avoiding it so far this week, but I really can’t put it off any longer: my morning run.

Finding athletic wear was a particularly difficult task. When I asked my mom if she had anything for me, she replied, “I didn’t exercise before I had kids!” Huh? My mom, the 4.0 tennis player and yoga practitioner, didn’t break a sweat until she was 30? Sigh… “Do you have anything?” I asked. After rummaging through a random pile surprisingly close to the front of the closet, she pulled out some teeny black running shorts. “How about these?” My mom was holding a pair of those short shorts from the 70s. Think Suzanne Somers in Three’s Company. I guess I better get comfortable with showing some leg, and fast. I was also able to find a nylon hooded shell, which looks like it could be from the 80s, but hey! Slim pickings. They make a decent combo.

I made sure to get up extra early for my run so fewer people would get a free show of my gams. But guess what? Everyone else up that early hardly notices what’s going on around them. They, like me, were probably still waking up. Crisis averted. I did however get a laugh or two from my fiancé upon my return.

It’s bright! But I love it.Jennifer Mac DonaldThe weather in Seattle is still not cooperating for work wear. It’s only marginally warmer, but at least it’s not raining. So I’m wearing the wrap dress I had planned for yesterday. Please, sun! Pleeeease make an appearance? Another dress is certainly not what my coworkers expect of me. My usual uniform is jeans, T-shirt, and cardigan. Yesterday I received a lot of comments along the lines of “Well, you look fancy!” and even one “You should dress up more often. You look hot!” Don’t worry, that last comment was from a lady coworker. No sexual harassment attorney needed — unless you think I have a case.

Anyway, I love this dress, but I also feel the need to explain it, probably because of the bright colors. So when someone pays the dress a compliment, I say something annoying like, “It’s vintage“, which reeks of hipster attitude. Is that terrible? I really do adore the dress and shouldn’t have to make any excuses for it, so why do I? I guess I just have to own it.

And you don’t have to make excuses for supporting Grist! Send a gift with pride — donate today.

Fancier than the Grist dress code calls for, but who cares? I’m wearing vintage Dior!Photo: Jennifer Mac DonaldWhat a difference a Dior makes!

We had a beautiful weekend in Seattle when I first raided my mom’s closet, so I plucked all the warm-weather pieces I could find and brought them back to my place. No need to even open the toxic mothball sweater drawer! But then the weather gods thwarted my plan to wear an airy wrap dress today. It’s 62 degrees outside and drizzling. Thanks a big one, Pacific Northwest! I’m sure that the rest of the country is willing to share some heat with us!

My parents live 30 minutes away, so I had to make do with what I had. Luckily, I found a black wool tulip skirt that my fiance’s mom gave me from the annals of her wardrobe the last time we visited. That falls within the philosophical parameters of this dare, right?

As I learned in my last post, tops require bottoms and it turns out the inverse is also true. Fancy that. So I started digging through the blouse goddess’ collection and found a smallprint top in cornflower blue (if I remember those Crayola names correctly) that looked like a match. Plus it had a sash like yesterday’s blouse, so I figured I couldn’t go wrong. When I went to put the blouse on, I noticed the tag. Christian Dior? Jackpot! How did I not notice that the print on the blouse was, in fact, a bunch of tiny Dior logos? Vintage Dior is quite a find, but I’m even more impressed that my mom didn’t notice me taking it. She’s pretty protective of her stuff and even requested that I give it all back when my dare was over. I’m hoping that this week will convince her that her clothes will be happier on me than in her closet for another 30 years.

Teeny tiny Dior logosPhoto: Jennifer Mac DonaldSifting through these clothes has made me notice what materials have longevity. I love cotton, but I read it takes something like 250 gallons of water to grow enough for just one cotton T-shirt. And I haven’t yet found a cotton T-shirt in my mom’s closet that makes me cry out “thank you, O goddess of T-shirts!” So far, wool and silk are the kings of her closet and perhaps should become a larger part of mine as well.

What materials reign in your closet? Help Grist stay on top of green living tricks and tips by making a donation. Or you can bid on my Dior blouse in the comments below. SYKE! Mom would kill me.

Day 1: Cute blouse, bejeweled jeans. So far, so good, Mom.Photo: Jennifer Mac DonaldI’ve already hit a few obstacles in this dare to wear nothing but my mom’s old clothes for a week. To keep myself on track, I’ve set a few rules:

The main components of my outfit must come from mom’s closet. Just like Alden and her dare, I will not wear hand-me-down undies. I have underwear that’s in perfect working order, thanks very much. Also, I would wear her old shoes if I could (there are some doozies!), but my mom’s feet are two sizes smaller than mine. It’s not worth the crunched toes and possible nerve damage.

Clothing I choose must pre-date my birth. It turns out that my mom’s closet also serves as an archive for my cast-off clothing. I found items that I wore back in high school, junior high, and yes, even a piece or two from sixth grade. The woman keeps everything. Wearing clothes that I used to find acceptable wouldn’t be much of a challenge (What? I had great taste in sixth grade!), so I’m eliminating them from the pickings.

Do as few alterations or modifications as possible. I’m not a seamstress, so that shouldn’t be a problem. But lists are better when they have three items.

Thanks, but no thanks.Photo: Jennifer Mac DonaldI actually had a lot of fun going through the closet with my mom. She had her own opinions about what I should wear. She was passionately advocating for a polka-dotted peacock blue number that’s about as unflattering as it gets. “But it’s silk!” she insisted. She might have been trying to sabotage me.

Despite my mom’s attempts to lead me astray, I discovered a section of her closet containing several lovely blouses from the pre-me era. I was elated. “Thank you, O goddess of blouses!” I shouted at my mom.  But my victory was short-lived when I realized that tops require bottoms. Back in the day, my mom weighed about 100 pounds, which rules out the majority of her pants and skirts for me. Then I found some white jeans that were designed with extra room in the trunk and an elastic waist. Maybe they were maternity wear, but who cares? They fit and have some sweet metallic embroidery on them. Bling! YES!

I have to say, I’m pleased with this outfit. The blouse is definitely a keeper (please, Mom?) even if the pants aren’t. And I’m happy to be rediscovering these clothes and giving my wardrobe a boost without consuming more resources or spending a cent.

What’s your favorite hand-me-down piece? Consider supporting me, my mom, and my white jeans by giving Grist a hand-me-up. Make a donation today!

Mom and me, both wearing her old wrap dresses, at my bridal shower.Jennifer Mac DonaldI wouldn’t call myself a compulsive shopper. When it comes to clothing, I only hit the stores a few times a year when I need something for a special occasion or when an item needs replacing. But with four weddings in my family this year (including my own) my special occasion spending has run amok.

Now my colleagues have dared me to go one week, starting July 25, wearing clothing sourced solely from the back of my mom’s closet. This means going vintage at work, at play, and while exercising.

My mom was a smart dresser back in the day, but I’m still hesitant. In doing some initial scouting, I see a few complications: 1. My mom is a small Japanese lady. I’m a half-foot taller and let’s just say I see some items being let out in the belt region. 2. Mothballs abound in my mother’s closet. Will I get past the toxic stench? 3. My mom has a hard time letting go and may not fall in line with this challenge willingly.

Still, there are a lot of good reasons to go through with it. New clothing production is resource-intensive and manufacturers often use unethical practices to get those new duds out on the racks at a low cost. Sure, sustainable threads are out there, but the best way to ensure that my new outfit is low impact is if it’s not new at all.

As noble as those reasons are, nobler still is supporting Grist, which helps me and thousands of readers make change in our lives. Won’t you support my vintage venture and make a gift to Grist today?