About this Project

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FINDING THE WONDER IN WONDERING WHAT TO WEAR.

CLOSETTOUR is a blog about wondering what to wear in an increasingly complicated world. It is about finding value, and values in fashion, by following our clothing’s narrative threads.

If that sounds a little strange to you, think about food journalism over the last several years. Food writing was once relegated to the Women’s Pages, and composed almost exclusively for who those who cooked. But we all eat, and books like Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma have shown us our consumption links us to a much longer and more complex chain than we might ever have imagined. Clothing is no different.

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan attempts to answer a single question: What should we have for dinner?

Here, I’m posing a dilemma even dearer to my heart, one that also has to do with value, as well as values:

What to wear?

It’s a question I’ve been attempting to answer for years, and recently, through Jeff Jarvis‘ Entrepreneurial Journalism course at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, I was awarded a grant to pursue the topic. This website is the first piece of that process.

Using Pollan’s approach as inspiration, I’ll attempt to tackle the topic with a holistic and healthy respect, but also with, well, hunger. I spend even more time, energy and money thinking about what to put on my body than I do thinking about what to put in my body. Both of these “dilemmas,” the omnivore’s and mine, are problems of privilege. It’s because we’re blessed with so many choices, and presumably, a bit of time, energy and money, that we can question these matters at all. Combine all that with an affinity for fashion and a melee of media, and you’ve got the makings for a great deal of storytelling and debate.

So I’ll start with my own closet and experiences here, in hopes that you, readers, will help me to use this blog as a public place for gathering string.

Please contribute by leaving your comments or emailing me at jenni [at] closettour.com!

{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

spacer H'Rina DeTroy February 13, 2010 at 4:04 pm

hello bella, i was talking last night to a guy who specializes in “slow design” — the italian slow movement of food, applied to furniture and product design. it occured to me that perhaps what you’re doing is the slow movement, but for fashion. true? illuminate us, please.

spacer Anthony Lilore November 7, 2010 at 8:04 pm

Inspirational and astute. You’ve got my attention. Looking forward to digging in and uncovering new wonders.
Anthony

spacer Tastefairy November 19, 2010 at 7:55 am

Que maravilla! Beautiful, thoughtful, just lovely!
Can’t wait to see more!

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