my intention for september: truth

I intend to live (and dress!) my truth.

My covid clothes will soon no longer be needed. 

For one half year (!) my life happened in these clothes.
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​As the time unfolded, my clothes gave, asking nothing in return, not even to be folded.

I've been reading Kate Fletcher's "Wild Dress: Clothing the Natural World" (Uniformbooks, 2019), the first autobiographical writing from this Professor of Sustainability, Design and Fashion (University of the Arts, London, England). Her words have deepened my understanding of the relationship between our clothes and the natural world, and have enriched my holidays. In my remaining writing of 2020, I will do my best to interpret her words and apply the concepts to my Sanctuary Innerwear blog for you.

Outside and directly overhead, a storm is crashing; inside I'm warm and dry. My oil-based tent and camping gear is a godsend tonight, but last night it didn't know I preferred to be cool. I've made a decision to invest in a wool blanket and make myself a silk liner before next summer. I'm one of those who enjoys outdoor experiences in any weather. I "dwell well" outside. I wear layers: the ones closest to me are natural and those on the exterior are often different forms of  nylon, according to conditions (although I do have a waxed jacket, such as would evidently be found in Walton's of Hawes, London). I try to keep my layering simple and understand what I a surrounding myself in. Sanctuary Innerwear is always on me. I keep it close. It works well for me in all conditions.

But soon, summer will be over and I will need to "dress up and show up" again. 

Person + place + time will shift and I will be in a new "NOW".

My intention is to live and dress true to myself. To turn up in my new place and time as I did in the old (but wearing clothes that have been folded!).

Have you had your colours done? This is a method to indicate, by virtue of your skin tone, eye and hair colour etc. the palette which emphasizes your natural strengths. One colour in my palette is woad blue (second from the top on the left in this picture of this summer's dyed fabric).





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Woad and I have had a love/hate relationship. This was the first dye I actively sought to acquire while travelling in its native growing region of Erfuhrt, Germany 6 years ago. I've now decided that it's much too expensive to import and have been growing it instead. Last week I had my very first woad vat which gave blue solely from the leaves of my garden!

​The dyed fabric product was not to my standards yet, but it was certainly a milestone nonetheless! You can read some of my other escapades with woad here. This will give you a feel for the art and science (or more closely, mystery and magic) that woad (and its cousin indigo) are. 

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This month, as I head back to work, I will audition each piece of clothing I have. The question I will ask myself is, "Is this me?" I will also try to show up more truthfully as me. I'm older now; I've earned the right. I'm going to slow down, rely on my principles and ethics to continue to guide me, trust the learnings of experience. Worry less.

And I will also stay with my covid clothes as long as I can, returning to them to remember how different this "now" has been.

I wish you truth now and always.