The magazine in the photo above, the August 1980 issue of Seventeen magazine, is currently winging its way to me – an early birthday present to myself that will most likely arrive late. If I could have found them, I would have also treated myself to the August ’77, ’78, and ’79 issues. Does this seem odd to you? Maybe it is, but I am so nostalgic for the early fashion guidance Seventeen gave me. I remember looking at issues of the magazine in our local library when I was no older than 12, thinking “I can’t wait to be seventeen years old!” It seemed so far in the future at the time.
When I was fourteen, I started buying my own issues of the magazine, and in early July I would start to eagerly anticipate the release of the August issue. The theme of the August issue was, of course, back to school, and the issue itself was 2-3 times thicker than a normal issue. Of course the bulk of that was extra advertisements, but I didn’t care – I loved the ads as much as the articles. I still remember the joy I felt when the August issue was finally at our local pharmacy.
There is currently a trend among adherents to a fashion sensibility called “slow fashion” to create and dress within the limits of a “capsule wardrobe.” The idea is to own fewer, higher quality, sustainably-sourced items of clothing. What you do buy, however, must work with everything else in your wardrobe, giving you many outfit options within the capsule. As trendy as the capsule wardrobe is, it is certainly nothing new. When I discussed the concept with my mother, she informed me that she created her own “capsule wardrobe” back in 1946 as a high school student who wanted to look as good as she could within a nearly non-existent budget. She tells me with humor and a certain amount of pride that a classmate told her that she was going to vote for her as “best dressed.” “If only she knew how few clothes I owned!” That’s the power of a capsule wardrobe – everything is chosen with care, and so every outfit looks not so much thrown together as curated.
Seventeen’s back-to-school issue always had a feature fashion spread that celebrated the concept of the capsule wardrobe (although they didn’t refer to it as such). I remember one issue had an oversized, fold-out calendar showing how you could have a unique outfit for each day of September using only 10 basic pieces of clothing. I was enthralled. We weren’t as poor as my mother had been, but money was not plentiful, and the idea that I could look so pulled-together without a major outlay of money was very appealing.
I found the following photos from the August 1979 issue online:
Yes, that’s a young Phoebe Cates, of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Gremlins” fame (and who has also been married to Kevin Kline for many years). And yes, I do realize that there are many more than ten items of clothing featured here. But it’s the inspiration more than the reality of the spread that worked for me, and still works for me (and after all, isn’t that what all fashion spreads are all about – inspiration rather than literal dictate). Forty-one years later (yikes!) this particular fashion spread still inspires me.
Why do clothes have the ability to make me/us happy? My answer, speaking only for myself, could probably stretch across several blog posts. I do know that my nostalgia for Seventeen magazines from 1977-1980 have nothing to do with my memories of my life at the time. It has more to do with my dreams from that time – dreams of who I wanted to be, of what I wanted the future to hold for me.
I still have dreams – I still feel like my life is a work-in-progress. These days I rely mostly on my Pinterest boards to help me envision what type of present and future I’d like to create for myself – from poetry to inspirational quotes to yes, fashion – past and present.
And so, just like the teenage Michelle from forty years ago, I can’t wait for my August issue of Seventeen to arrive.
I hope you have a restful weekend, friends!
Love,
Michelle xoxo