The imaginary life... - YouLookFab Forum

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The imaginary life...

Runcarla

Veteran

When not shopping from some sort of ‘list’ (either specific items or general category) I might wander into ‘shopping for my imaginary life’. My ‘imaginary life’ is that of a traveller, and my litmus test for a new item becomes: this would be so good to pack for a trip or this would be perfect for a long haul flight. I’m obsessed with airport outfits and packing capsules! Women pulling roll-aboard suitcases dominate my Pinterest style boards. In real life, before pandemic related restrictions, 15-20% of my life was spent living out of a suitcase. In the last year - 0%.

Items that work for travel adapt to a casual OTG lifestyle pretty well - so succumbing to the impulse is not a total fail. All-day walking shoes and comfortable essentials are closet assets, and not just for trips. I scratch the fantasy lifestyle itch by building mix-and-match capsules, and the occasional 10x10 closet challenge.

My imaginary life impacts my style. Recognizing that I have fantasies, and finding ways to honour them within the context of style and wardrobe management makes me happy.

What is your ‘imaginary life’? Are you able to make peace with it, and somehow incorporate aspects of an aspirational or fantasy lifestyle into your closet?

*Finds - purchased this past year when the thought ‘perfect for travel’ crossed my mind. The suitcase was actually bought early March 2020 to replace my old roll-aboard.

Halogen Boat Neck Mesh Top

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Halogen Boat Neck Mesh Top

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General

48 replies

Latest reply was from Sally

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What a great topic for a thread, Carla! And I totally see this as your imaginary-but-just-slightly-out-of-reach life. I mean -- it is the life you were planning for, until the pandemic put a bollox on it! I hope you will get to return to it soon!

At the moment, my imaginary life is URBAN. Living in the suburbs has changed my needs and habits, especially in pandemic. I have barely worn most of my blazers, my winter dresses, my dressy booties and shoes. I did manage to wear most of my dressy trousers this winter, but apart from that I found it difficult to incorporate previously frequently worn dressy items.

I'm not sure how things might change when the pandemic ends. I have a feeling the balance in my closet will shift a bit over time. More gear and casual wear and sneakers than I might have worn before, but enough "urban" type outfit components (which for me would include -- dressier (i.e. business casual) coats, booties, silk blouses, blazers, etc.) to satisfy my sartorial preferences.

rachylou

Veteran

Lol. I still look for travel clothes even tho I’ve just about sworn off travel and had decided anyways, decades ago when I flew weekly, to stop buying ‘ugly’ clothes from the travel store and take regular clothes. It’s my holy grail, my unicorn - a set of three pieces in a box labeled ‘travel’ that transform like a robot into a complete wardrobe for whatever your needs on the road may be. They will be no-iron and quick drying. I don’t care. If I ever see such a thing, it will be MINE!

Meanwhile, I am now totally convinced I will soon be inhabiting a perfume commercial, involving a full dinner service in large fields, punting on small rivers, and no pollen

Glory

Veteran

Oh Carla I sort of love this post but am so sad with our third lockdown and state of emergency in Ontario announced yesterday. I know you are in it with me.
‘I continue to buy for my imaginary life adding items that are pretty for going out to imaginary places. I would be looking svelte while drinking my coffee at an outdoor cafe.

JAileen

Veteran

My imaginary life isn’t really imaginary, it’s just very small compared to my day to day life. It is smart casual or maybe a little dressier, for dinners out, going to concerts, church. I haven’t dressed for this part of my life in over a year, of course. But even so, I have more nice sweaters, jackets, boots, and coats than I need. And I added things to go with my adorable new Radley London bag, too, in red and black.

This past year I’ve really only worn hiking pants and sweatshirts. I did add several sweatshirts, and that was a surprisingly smart move.

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Synne

Veteran

Great topic! I just ordered a long summer caftan. I can see my self drinking white wine on the balcony with my girlfriends. In the beautiful sunset. Truth is I never have time to drink wine or meet my (nearly forgotten) friends anymore. Not even taking into consideration covid-lockdowns and that summer lasts what, two days, around here?? Sigh.. this might just be yet another fantasy-life purchase. But it looked so goood on the website!

Murph11

Veteran

My imaginary life includes a full wardrobe for working in an urban office setting. Ironically, I've worked from home for 30.5 years! I had a wardrobe stylist come in a decade ago, and after reviewing my completed questionnaire and looking thru my closet asked, "Why do you have so many corporate-wear items?" LOL! Eye-opening!

Murph11

Veteran

Synne, I bought a caftan* for the same imaginary scenarios, but realistically wear it all summer long for post-workout / pre-shower WFH, and it feels fancy and fab.

*US$14 at H&M clearance rack

kkards

Veteran

My other self goes to dinner at places where you dress to be seen, and has brunch with fabulous people sitting outside where the temperature is always 75F with a light breeze.
My real life, well, hasn’t been out to dinner since the weather turned cold (ie September) and even then, never in the kind of places where you dress to be seen LOL
in general, I’ve been good the past couple of years of buying for my real life, and/or figuring out how to incorporate my imaginary life items into my real life

notsaf

Veteran

These replies are wonderful and hilarious. My imaginary self wears shoes.

SW prof

My imaginary life is in Paris, not during a pandemic. I don't buy crazy things, but for almost everything, the criterion is, "Would I want my friends in Paris to see me walking around in this?" The reality is that I have barely left my home office in over a year.

nuancedream

Veteran

My imaginary life includes dressing up for a nice restaurant meal or going to concert or theater event. I enjoy feeling and looking fab, but my dressy items just languish in the closet unworn. I am not getting rid of anything because I know I'll eventually need it. Oh, to have a Friday night that doesn't involve Netflix and schlumpy loungewear.

slim cat

Veteran

The last time I did such shopping was for a Hawaii trip - bought a long flow-y dress for sipping cocktails on a beach. Lol - hiking and swimming with a quick banana bread/fruits in between was the main activity.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

I try not to think to hard on it because I was living that life before baby. Joys of an over 40 new mama. I had just discovered the joy of being Me(single life) instead of the WE (couple life) Now I am a We (parenting Life) again but I like this much better than the couple life.

When I do allow myself to Imagine & play. It is traveling every few months to Countries inside the Content of Africa. To revisit Ireland and Austria. To be fully immersed in the culture and the language instead of visiting for a week it would be 3-6 months. I would enjoy dancing and meeting new people and tasting new foods. I would be a writer and write about all of my trips and have a professional camera to take proper pictures of everything from the daily life scenes to the beautiful buildings and people. Essentially I would be a writer and a blogger and my child would travel with me.

Our wardrobe would be color coordinated and a capsule able to fit into a backpack serviceable yet styled with minimum effort. I have always packed light and would never trade that. I would have mostly dress in dark colors long things boho style and lightweight same for my daughter only hers would be shorter and she would wear bike shorts underneath for play and we would have either rugged boots for walking and traveling. We would have appropriate hats and scarfs that we could wear as head wraps. Endless amounts of money so we could fund our lifestyle.

How do I make peace. I explore my city and sate precovid. I took us to jazz, house music and dance and gospel festivals around town I took us on Art museums and Exhibits and I wrote about them on our Midlife Mama FB page and sometimes here. I share the joys of being a middle aged new mama and our daily life. So in a way although I have not made peace with my imaginary life, my life before my preschooler, and life after preschooler. I think I'm doing well. Because through It all I get to share my view and experience and the journey.

I just love this topic and thank you for thinking of it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Carla, your first paragraph CRACKED ME UP.

"Women pulling roll-aboard suitcases dominate my Pinterest style boards"

.....HAH

I think you are cleverly incorporating your passions and sartorial preferences into your style in a VERY practical manner. The items can double duty for your so called imaginary lifestyle because you intuitively knew they can work now too. Your imaginary lifestyle will actually be a reality next year! You are planning ahead.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

In my imaginary life, I’d go dancing a couple times a week, like I did 25 years ago, and I’d also go to hear “serious” music, wearing my dressy clothes—but getting ready would not be a headache, so I could do it all the time. I’d also have a lover I enjoyed spending time with in lots of ways, he wouldn’t be a headache either, and I’d have the clothes for our activities.

There are other things I’d like to do that I can’t do now, but I’m not ready to declare them fantasies. I just posted about that.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yup. I resonate with what Synne and Murph11 said. I'm embellishing my beach capsule that I have absolutely no use for at the moment. But I am hoping to have use for it in 2022 .....planning ahead for a not so imaginary lifestyle???? Hopefully not a fantasy.

I ordered these:

Evia One Shoulder Swimsuit

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Kythira Cupsize Bikini Top

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Kythira Cupsize Bikini Top

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Kythira Belted Bikini Bottoms

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LaPed

Veteran

My fantasy life is not too different from how I live currently, although the ideal ratio would probably be higher in “adventure travel” (multi-week Boundary Waters canoe trips, long-distance hikes overseas, etc.) and lower in puttering-around the-house projects (DH disagrees — he loves the DIY house projects!); more time spent writing and waaay less taking care of other people’s kids.

And in that life I would somehow conquer all my boredom and self-consciousness, enabling me to wear a tiny, well-loved, worn/stained/patched set of purely functional and comfortable clothes, with every piece having a story to tell...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I do though fantasize about riding horses again - the British way. (I used to be VERY HORSE-SY and had my own horses. Competed in Dressage). I am constantly looking at equestrian sites and wanting to order the togs....

For now, my yoga sweatshirt will have to do....

WRANGLER Graphic Crop Sweatshirt

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Irina

Veteran

My imaginary life is more European than my real one
Strolling small, old streets, having a drink in a cafe, visiting a museum or a gallery. I used to live this life for about 10 days every year and hope to return to it. Recreating this life here somehow doesn’t feel authentic.
In a way, those trips gave me a push to re-examine my style. I want my clothes to be versatile enough for sipping cava in a cafe in Barcelona and going to the office I buy too corporate and too casual sometimes but in general, my imaginary life serves as good benchmark in terms of style.

Great topic, RunCarla!

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Ha!My Pinterest boards are dominated by tanned women in beautiful summer clothes ,usually a white floaty dress,languishing against a sun warmed street corner on the way back from the local market,planning a swim that afternoon and a glass of chilled white wine on the terrace come the evening.Obviously these women are not living in Wales!

My summer capsule is much bigger than my winter one as are my wardrobe delusions.

Style Fan

Veteran

My imaginary life is much more urban than my real life. My imaginary self wears tailored blazers, graphic tees, cute jeans and nice footwear. I might even carry a handbag if I remember one. Or I wear a shirt that got ironed semi-tucked into cute jeans with cute footwear.

cat2

Veteran

So funny! I was looking at my closet with trepidation, but then started getting ready for our first summer trip and realized there is a reason I have a straw bag with coral trim, and matching coral loafers, which is that I actually wear things like that in the summer when I actually leave the house. So I am not going to judge any purchases until we have been rolling for a year post-pandemic.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Cat2, I think you’re wise not to toss things out based on what’s happened (or not) over the past year. The ideal of a tidy little wardrobe where all the pieces fit perfectly is often driven by a desire for sustainability, but can result in lots of things being discarded and increased production.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I like Cardiffgirl’s imaginary women! I don’t have P’interest boards, but am certainly most tempted by sort of floaty boho kaftans or dresses with cute strappy sandals, for drinking colourful cocktails on terraces next to sparkling pools. A 2010 holiday in Koh Samui, Thailand, or our 2018 holiday in Bali fitted this fantasy.
I have reined the purchasing of such kaftans or dresses in, but luckily can still wear the sandals all summer in my real life!

Jonesy

Veteran

This is a great thread! My imaginary lifestyle involves me working in a creative field (artist! full-time writer! art museum docent!) in a large, diverse city, where I could embrace my love of eccentric, over-the-top, creative, weird fashion without violating any environmental norms. Instead I work in academia in a college town with a boring, run-of-the-mill environmental norm (from my POV), and my sense is that people who "look fashionable" are met with some suspicion: "shouldn't you be doing more research or writing another article instead of shopping?"

Anonymous

I'd love to travel, but my imaginary life is more of "imaginary climate."
My ideal climate would never be below 60, and winter dressing has never been my favorite/ historically neglected. I'm just more true to myself and my style in summer. In winter I pretty much hibernate anyway!
As far as activities, I try to make real life as close to my ideal life as I can. Yes I work 40+ hours a week, take care of family, and do all the chores- but I also do as many fun things as I can find. The pandemic has impacted it of course, but eventually the festivals, plays, jazz concerts, hanging out with friends, etc will happen again.
*feeling optimistic cause its 75 and sunny*

Ledonna N.

Veteran

For my imaginary life which is not far from my real life

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Roxanna

Veteran

In third lockdown means basically everything is my imaginary life right now I would love to get back to my luxe, sophisticated urban work style. One day.

Runcarla

Veteran

@ suntiger - 21degC, sunny, Covid vaccine appointment in 2 weeks (second in August) and an $1800 travel voucher in hand - feeling optimistic as well!

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