Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter

How to Dress Like Royalty

On both sides of the Atlantic, fevered attention is paid to the fashion choices of the ladies of Britain’s royal family: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle drive trends. Not so much Prince Charles, usually sporting a stodgy suit or a military uniform. However, the Prince’s sartorial style is growing on me. This week, a friend sent me an article about how the Prince patches his Savile Row suits, and always has. The patches are visible, and he’s proud of them. Talk about buying less but better: Go Prince Charles!

Next time you’re contemplating throwing something out because it needs repair, you can just say, “I think I’ll act like a prince and get it patched.” There’s something delightfully practical about both Prince Charles, and his mother, Queen Elizabeth, with her cardigans and scarves. They dress not to be fabulous, but to be appropriate. How refreshing. No “statement” pieces, no “secret messaging” a la Melania, just clothes, because it’s awkward to be naked, also, it’s chilly in England.

In the same article, the author makes the astute point that Marie Kondo has it wrong: We shouldn’t be looking to our stuff to spark joy, that’s what friends and family are for (I might add theatre, sunsets, babies and puppies). Some stuff is practical, but let’s not kill the planet over it.

The day after I read the article, I was at an open mic night (Art! Joy!) where an amazing young woman did a spoken-word piece about the bankruptcy and closing of Toys ‘R’ Us. It was a political piece, but the line I remember is this: “The children are still playing in Ft. Washington playground.” Kids, she was saying, don’t need toys to have joy. The joy is being in the playground.

So let’s embrace practicality, let’s patch, let’s save the earth and use all the time we aren’t shopping to experience all kinds of joy: spending time with friends, listening to music, watching sunsets, cuddling puppies. All activities, I might note, that the royal family has been known to do.