Comfortable, Special, Nostalgic

That's meeeee!

Years before I started writing Gen X Taste — long before I heard about

Allison Bornstein

’s 3 Word Method or

Amy smilovic

’s 3 Adjectives¹ — I had already found myself describing the clothes I liked as comfortable, special, or nostalgic. It’s not like they consciously pop into my head when I’m deciding what to wear or choosing something to buy, but I do recognize that all my favorite outfits revolve around one of these words.

COMFORTABLE

Sneakers. Always.

I think this speaks for itself. But also, for me, comfort implies not only material that isn’t itchy or tight and is breathable/temperature-appropriate, but also easy to wash/store and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance (comfortable for my schedule). Even when I’m getting dressed up I don’t want to feel constricted in any way — the fabric and cut must allow me to eat/dance/enjoy myself without suffering. And that goes for the shoes too!

I'm wearing kitten heels (not flip flops) under those gowns.

Comfortable to me means that when I look in the mirror, I feel like a version of myself. Even when I’m playing a character, I often request the most comfy option during my fittings.

But it will never ever get better than this costume:

SPECIAL

When I think special, I’m not really thinking one-of-a-kind or unique. I’m thinking about basics — but they are bold in some way: in color, fabric, message, pattern, or unexpected detail like a hemline, or a well-placed button, pleat, or pocket. I prefer things that aren’t too trendy, either. I’d rather people ask “Where did you get that?!” than “I could never wear that!” The problem with these special items though, is that after a year or so, I often get tired of them. Like with these gold Nike’s that I donated last year… now that I’m looking at this photo, I want them back! 😫

NOSTALGIC

Obviously I have a special place in my heart for anything from my childhood. Abe still has a number of his shirts from adolescence and is skilled at finding 80’s/90’s vintage T-shirts (that I steal borrow). There are also pieces I myself have kept for decades. I talked more about this with

Irene Kim (김애린)

for her Substack re: the oldest piece of clothing I own, my college sweatshirt!

But the most-worn piece in my closet is this Tommy Hilfiger coat (I can’t believe I found one on Poshmark) acquired in a Sundance gifting suite during the 2005 film festival. I recently had the lining replaced at Suay and will never, ever let it go. It’s lightweight, works for both cold/warm weather, has tons of pockets, and goes with quite a lot.

From the "Hollyweed" Hills to the streets of Tokyo.

I also have fond memories of wearing it in several films like Surrogate Valentine — here it is in cartoon form for the movie soundtrack cover!

Another nostalgic thing I do is buying updated versions of things I liked from my childhood, like this Lanz nightgown and this raglan shirt (in linen).

I can’t resist brands I never got to wear growing up. Remember when I went to the ESPRIT popup and lost my mind? (Notice the coat!)

My most prized possessions are probably my Disney pieces, both old (jewelry, sweatshirt) and new (Minnie ears)!

Here are some recent outfits I’ve worn that embody the C/S/N vibe.

Band t-shirt, striped turtleneck, wide-leg jeans and platform (fake) Uggs.

This pic of me looks a little weird because I used AI to remove some people who I’m sure don’t want to be on my blog (you can see one of their loafers next to my feet)!

Knit top, wide-leg trousers sized up, heeled clogs (Charlotte Stone makes the only ones I can wear), my dad’s watch that I rebanded, vintage purse.

Old T-shirt, new(er) cardigan and skirt, red bouncy slippers, ribbed socks.

And finally, I didn’t realize until Abe got his latest roll of film developed that I wear this outfit (sweatshirt details in this video) on repeat, pretty much everywhere.

Custom sweatshirt I "designed," sweatpants that pretty much match, comfy footwear, the cutest dog.

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1. Definitely visit their Substacks to help you figure out your three words — I didn’t really go through a specific thought process to come up with mine; it was more just a common theme I found for how I wanted to feel in my life/in general, and I applied it to my wardrobe!