Closet Philosophy

In this episode of Closet Philosophy, Jennine and Kristen discuss why getting dressed can feel overwhelming and pointless, but how it can actually make a difference (sometimes big, sometimes small) in your day and maybe even your life.

Jennine shares how her struggles with ADHD, depression, and anxiety can impact her executive functioning. When thinking, planning, and decision-making are depleted, even simple tasks like dishes, cooking dinner, or choosing an outfit can feel monumental.

She shares personal stories of times when she pushed past that barrier (by getting dressed), and it paid off with a renewed sense of purpose—or sometimes just feeling human. Either way, it was always a net positive.

There's no morality in style—caring about clothes doesn't make you a better or worse person, and no one has to participate. But small bits of color (or whatever type of flair you choose) can bring moments of joy.

Jennine took an unofficial survey on the streets of San Francisco on a Saturday evening out and found that more than 90% of people were wearing sneakers. In this episode, Kristen and Jennine discuss why this might be. We may not have found a definitive answer, but we know it goes beyond the simple fact that sneakers are comfy. And it might even have something to do with fascism creeping into American life.

Marie Denee started blogging even before it was cool, and before size inclusivity was a buzzword. After more than 15 years as a content-creator, she looks back at the influence her work has had on the fashion industry.

We've seen progress to be sure: once banished to dark corners, plus-size merchandise is now more easily found at more stores. But there's still a dearth of choices when it comes to color and styles. Denee discusses a path forward.

Marie Denee's website

In this episode, Jennine and Kristen discuss how thinness has been used as a method of social control throughout history. From tuberculosis chic to heroin chic to GLP-1 chic, how women's bodies are analyzed and judged changes as politics chance.

If you suddenly feel you're not thin, pretty, or feminine enough, this episode will help you determine where those thoughts are coming from. They're ideas that have been planted by outside forces—not objective truths.

Remember, everything is made up.

Rosie O'Donnell has been an outspoken feminist throughout her career. So, as feminists, should we be OK with her getting a facelift, or taking GLP-1 medication? In this episode, Kristen and Jennine discuss the fallout when we question the morality of other women's decisions about their own bodies. Whether it's Rosie, Ariana Grande or Demi Moore, is it useful to judge their personal choices, or is there a more productive approach to grappling with the challenges and pressures facing women today?

Rosie O'Donnell's Substack

This episode kicks off the 4th season of Closet Philosophy, so we had lots to talk about. The overarching theme is that beauty ideals are mercurial. Jennine and Kristen have lived through the whiplash of body type and beauty "trends," and they dug back further into history for even more proof that everything is made up and your best strategy for sanity is to love and accept your physical form wherever it happens to be.

That's easier said than done, no doubt, but we hope that after listening, you'll feel closer to freedom from society's fickle standards.

We are so excited to welcome author Christine Morrison to the pod this week! Christine is a seasoned writer, editor, and brand builder who recenlty published her first book, a fashion essay collection entitled Clothes Minded: Fashionable Essays About Finding Yourself.

As you'll hear in the conversation, the title is apt. Fashion was Christine's guiding light when it came to which boyfriends to dump and which jobs to move accross the ountry for. And style is still leading the way—she explores on her substack Writing in Black and White what it means to value personal style into your 50s and beyond.

In this episode, we discuss an unfortunate encounter with a orange and black windowpane suit, more than one sub-optimal boyfriend, her time at Calvin Klein (just a few years after Caroline Bessette graced the brands hallways), and more tidbits that will make you want to pick up her book to get more juicy details.

We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, we'd be so grateful if you wrote a review!

This will not be a surprise to anyone who's been following along with the pod: We think fashion rules, especially when they correspond to age, are really dumb and you should ignore them. It's shocking to us that these rules persist, and saddens us that when a woman Google's "how to dress after 50," she is fed all sorts of nonsense.

For this episode, we dive into those Google results. We walk you through why the results are a travesty, and what to do instead.

The main takeaway? "F*ck you Lloyd." We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do please leave us a review. We'd be so grateful!

The desire for acceptance and belonging is deeply human. And fashion is one way that we signal who we are and what group we belong to. So it's not weird to freak out a little bit if you find yourself at an event wearing something that feels way different from everyone else.

In this episode, Kristen describes a recent occasion when she had exactly that experience. Even at 57 and with a lifetime of getting dressed behind her, she still freaked out a little!

Jennine offers some perspective and tips on how to get dressed so that it's less likely to happen, and when it does, how to remain calm.

We discuss:

• What Planet of the Apes can teach us about the need to feel accepted
• How to get dressed based on how you want to feel
• Internal versus external locus of control
• How to avoid the vortex of changing 25 times before you leave the house
• How trying to "dress for the occasion" can backfire

And lots more! We hope you enjoy this episode, and please leave us a review if you do!

We all can be really hard on ourselves at times. And it's no wonder, with messages all around us about the things we should really fix on our faces and bodies. Its never-ending, espcially on social media. But what if we embraced our perceived flaws and recognized them as superpowers. Whether it's a large, distinctive nose or earned lines on your face, letting go of the insecurities we tend to feel around these characteristics can be magical.

It's much easier said than done, of course. On this week's episode, Jennine and Kristen talk about ways to approach embracing your insecurities and all of the things that make you uniquely you.

Please let us know if you have ideas for future episodes! And if you like the podcast, we'd be super grateful for a quick review. See you next week!