What’s In Your Closet? Part Three
Dec 7th 2009
Claudia DainClaudia Dain & Goddess Grins
I remember when they invented spandex. Or at least I remember when spandex pants became available. I once tried on a skin tight pair in shiny dark red. I came this close to buying them, but my girlfriend roared with laughter, so I didn’t.
It was pretty Disco, I have to admit.
That was my introduction to spandex and I thought I’d made my choice. Spandex and I would never cross paths again. Spandex was a little trashy and not at all cool.
That’s all changed, of course. Now I won’t buy anything without spandex in it. Do you realize that jeans are comfortable now from the very first instant you try them on? That’s thanks to spandex. Remember when a new pair of jeans was like wearing concrete mixed with cardboard?
My cotton dress shirt from Izod (my new favorite shirt) has spandex in it so that it doesn’t pull across my ta-tas. My socks have spandex, and they don’t fall down. My underwear has spandex and never gets baggy. My cotton t-shirts have spandex and are smooth and supple from the first wearing and stay in shape until I stain them, usually with Ranch salad dressing splattered on the part that sticks out most in the front—I’ll leave you to figure out what part that is.
The magical transformation of spandex is that spandex is now 2% of everything, not 100% of anything. Check it out. I bet you’ll find that your car is 2% spandex. Your shoes. Your insurance policy. Your cell phone. Your bank account.
Do you love spandex? What kind of material do you wear most? What material do you like least? Does anyone else remember when they invented fleece? What is fleece anyway? Who else remembers the invention of velcro?
48 Comments »
48 Responses to “What’s In Your Closet? Part Three”
Karen Hawkins on 07 Dec 2009 at 3:06 am #
Claudia, I’d have loved to have seen you in those shiny dark red disco spandex pants! I can hear the BeeGees playing right now.
Whoever thought to include spandex in jeans deserves a prize of some sort. A really, really BIG prize. I have some jeans without spandex, but I rarely wear them. They just aren’t as comfy as the ones with it!
LoriHandeland on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:06 am #
Spandex in jeans is the only way to go!
I don’t care for any material that has to be drycleaned or ironed. Keep it.
I wear a lot of fleece around here. Especially today since it SNOWED and is supposed to snow 6-8 inches more by Wed.
Ho, ho, ho.
Kathleen O on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:23 am #
Spandex, Lycra, or anthing that has a stretch to it is in my closet. And I have loads of sweaters for this time of year.. Cold hear, really cold.. I have them in many, many colours.
Freedom Writer on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:28 am #
Lori, your snow estimates are lower than ours. The weather people here in south central WI say 8-12 inches of snow by Wednesday evening.
As for fleece, I where it on occasion, but usually get to hot if I wear it a long time. I believe that most of the current fleece is made of polyester. I don’t care for polyester because it doesn’t breath. I much prefer cotton.
Louisa Edwards on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:40 am #
Oooh, now I want to go put on my fleecy sweatshirt…
Freshechelle on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:58 am #
Thank you for making sure I no longer take Spandex for granted. Yes, it’s a gift & a blessing as is Velcro. Don’t have any fleece – I tend to wash it wrong and get it pilled. I can do that with cashmere so I stick with cashmere.
Lori, I learned in a textiles course that manufacturers are required to include washing instructions. Dry Clean Only is the simplest, easiest instruction so many opt for it even when the “only” is really just one of your options. I’ve machine washed lots of stuff with no horror stories to report.
LoriHandeland on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:12 am #
Interesting, Fresh. Didn’t know that. My MIL swears by the bags you can buy to use in your dryer and “dryclean” stuff yourself. I have so little dry cleanable clothes that I’ve never bothered.
We were supposed to get 2-4 inches here, Free, and got 1. I hope the same thing happens Wed.
SuzyQ on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:15 am #
I love my Spandex! I could live in yoga pants (can you tell I like to be comfortable?)
I don’t have too much fleece for clothes, but I love my microfleece blanket and I have a set of sheets too that once you get in bed you never want to get out. Unfortunately, while I love these sheets, I am always late to work.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:20 am #
Okay, who gets too hot in fleece? I bought my first fleece pullover last year (or was it the year before?) and it’s not warm enough! I live in wool during the winter, layers and layers of wool. Nothing keeps me as warm as wool. The thing I like about fleece is that it’s lightweight. But it’s not warm enough! Maybe I got a hold of some cheap fleece?
I was fleeced!
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:21 am #
KarenH, I have flashbacks to those maroon pants. I can still see myself looking at my reflection in the mirror…sigh. I was so thin! I should have bought them, if only to have lived the dream for one Disco Mirrored Ball night.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:24 am #
Fresh, honestly, it hit me the other day that I don’t think I own anything without spandex in it, or if I do, I never wear it. Clothes without spandex seem so unforgiving, too tight, too stiff, or too floppy. Best invention ever!
How much you wanna bet that guys don’t see the glory of spandex? What do they wear with spandex? Answering for Big D, NOTHING!!!
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:26 am #
Lori, most of my winter clothes have to be drycleaned…wool and cashmere, my best winter friends, but you’d be surprised at how seldom they need to be cleaned. Wool is very good at keeping itself clean and fresh smelling. Those natural oils repel a lot.
Pesky on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:33 am #
I wear things with spandex in them, my favorite material however is cotton. I love the way cotton breathes when you put it on.
Julia London on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:40 am #
You guys all sound like you live in the Tundra. My latest and greatest buy was a wool jacket from Smartwool, you know the most excellent socks? That jacket is fabulous. It’s thick and soft and keeps me toasty warm.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:52 am #
Pesky, I wear a lot of cotton as well, but I’ve noticed it also has spandex in it. Just the tiniest percentage, but it does make the cotton very resilient.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:53 am #
Julia, I may sound like I live in the Tundra, but I don’t. It just feels that way to me. Wuss, wuss, wuss. Cold weather and I are not really on speaking terms. Today it’s a high of 50 degrees. That’s cold to me!
Freedom Writer on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:54 am #
Claudia, I can’t help it I’m just hot stuff.
Some fleece does seem to be woven tighter and keeps the heat in better. Lands’ End has a product called Therma Check 100 fleece. It isn’t suppose to pill. When I worked for LE they had Polartec. Polartec is warm, but it does pill, and it picks up a lot of dog fur.
Lori, last night and today we were forecast for 2-4 inches. Over night we got less than an inch, but it is still snowing. These big snows are one of the times I prefer the weather people to be wrong.
Karen Rose on 07 Dec 2009 at 8:54 am #
Claudia, I am wearing a fleece at this very moment. And open toed Finn sandals, LOL. I hate stuff on my feet as they get hot first. Not unusual for me to sleep with one foot stuck out of the cover. it’s temp regulation, like a dog’s nose. Or something…
I bought closed toed shoes to wear to my next trip up north, but will have to fight to find comfy socks. Will look for spandex.
I always said I’d never be caught dead in polyester, but I like it now. My favorite shirts are my lightweight sleeveless poly shirts, except on cold mornings (it was 60 this am) when I pull on the fleece.
Madeline Hunter on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:01 am #
I don’t wear wool close to my body, like in a sweater. I claim I am allergic to it, but I think i just find it scratchy so I have always avoided it. I like silk in clothes, but usually as a blend. I’ll wear wool if it is blended with silk. I do wear wool jackets, etc.
I like natural fibers. As someone who grew up in the old fashioned polyester, the discovery of natural fabrics was wonderful. There can be a little lycra in it for all the reasons you mention, but I don’t like more than about 2 or 3 percent. If it gets to 7 percent I find the clothes are hot.
I only have one fleece garment, and I live in cold climes. It is a big fleece cardigan/jacket. I use it for layering when I travel overseas and it works perfectly for that, either on its own or as an underlayer of an all weather jacket or coat. I have my travel wardrobe down pat for the colder months and that fleece is an essential part of it. But for around the house I am more apt to wear a big oversized cotton sweatshirt, being the glam sort and all, lol.
Madeline Hunter on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:02 am #
Karen R, I often sleep with one foot out from under the covers too! My dh thinks it is cute. I think he is cute to think it is cute.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:22 am #
Freedom, thanks for the tip of Polartec pilling. I had no idea. Not that I own any Polartec, but now I won’t for sure.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:23 am #
KarenR, good luck on the sock hunt. Weirdly, I find socks one of the hardest things to get right. That whole ‘one size fits all’ idea is ridiculous. Sometimes socks are too loose, sometimes too tight. Only rarely are they just right.
Goldilocks of the Foot, right here.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:25 am #
Madeline, have you tried cashmere? Oh, raptures. Wool, yet so much more. Unless you truly are allergic to wool, cashmere is like wearing a dream.
Michelle B on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:43 am #
Love Spandex for all the reasons mentioned. I like a big soft sweatshirt or flannel. Fleece is too warm most of the time. It just doesn’t breathe. I guess I like fabrics that are soft. Flannel pj’s are heavenly.
I agree with those in the sock trouble mode. It’s hard to find just the right pair of socks. Too thick, too thin, different shoes require different socks.
My lined wool pants look so smart and make me feel so dressed up. And yet very comfortable.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 10:04 am #
MichelleB, there is nothing as classy as a pair of wool slacks. Timeless elegance.
Janae on 07 Dec 2009 at 10:40 am #
Claudia, it’s 50 and rainy in SoCal, today. It’s FREEZING. I grew up in MT, so it shouldn’t be cold, but it is. I blame it on the Pacific Ocean, which is minutes away. It’s the dampness you get off the ocean, I think.
I love cotton and linen, and I wish I could wear cashmere. Unfortunately, it doesn’t like me, and I end up with a rash when I wear cashmere. Same story with wool, mohair, angora, anything that comes from an animal.
Nicole Jordan on 07 Dec 2009 at 11:44 am #
Oh my gosh, spandex in jeans changed my life! Love it!
And I love fleece almost as much — wear it all the time here in the mountains. We had to build a closet rack in our laundry room when we moved a few years ago, just to hold all the fleece sweaters, vests, and jackets we own!
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 12:15 pm #
Oh, Janae, you really are allergic to wool. They invented fleece for people like you! You’re so right. It’s that damp cold that sinks in.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 12:16 pm #
Nicole, I know! Spandex in jeans is truly life altering. It was one of the reasons why everyone loved their old, soft jeans; the very thought of having to break in a new pair could send a woman into hysterical sobbing. Or was that just me?
Lisa H on 07 Dec 2009 at 1:07 pm #
My favorite fabrics would have to be denim and leather. I love my leather jackets and have always wished for black leather pants, not of Harley Davidson style, but a nice pair I could wear with a white silk blouse or white casmere sweater.
I love wearing jeans, and actually prefer them without the spandex because they hold my stomach in better!
I too love cotton, and in the summer would love a wardrobe consisting only of loose cotton sundresses.
I despise bras… I really need one, but oh how I wish I could go without!
Alicia on 07 Dec 2009 at 1:32 pm #
I love spandex in my jeans!! I wear a lot of cotton, some fleece….no wool….except for my coat. It is way too itchy for anything else for me. It USUALLY doesn’t get very winter-ish at all here in southern Arkansas, but this year it has already snowed a little. (It didn’t stick, of course)
Lisa H–The bra is the second thing I come out of when I get to my house….number one, the shoes!!
nancyg on 07 Dec 2009 at 1:38 pm #
I have a pair of jeans with Spandex in them – they were super-comfy from the get-go. A lot of my golf shirts are now a “clima cool” or “dry weave” – have polyester in them, breathable, & can go straight in the washing machine. Also, when it’s 112 out, they don’t get all sweaty & stinky like pure cotton does.
Can’t wear wool – too itchy!! and I *hate* turtlenecks – can’t stand anything on my neck. Don’t like linen either – it gets too wrinkled.
My girls are all addicted to cotton & fleece hoodies – it’s the new thing – replaces coats. I hate them, think it looks too sloppy, but what can you do?
My favorite material is still cotton though – it’s just snuggy. And anything I can just drop off at the dry cleaners and not have to iron myself.
P.S. Can you believe leg & arm warmers are making a total comeback??
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 2:02 pm #
LisaH, I had a really cool pair of black leather pants a few years back; truly one of my favorite purchases. I felt like a rock star when I wore them. They were very comfortable and very classy looking…but. But they stretch out so fast. I was only able to wear them a few times before they lost all their shape and I had to stop wearing them. I was very happy I had them, but I’ll never buy leather pants again. Unless they make them with spandex?
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 2:05 pm #
NancyG, that’s the glory of spandex: instant comfort. Turtlenecks are problematic for me as well; I always feel like I’m being strangled.
And, no, I can’t believe leg warmers are making a comeback. Who wants to add all that width to their legs? LOL
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 2:06 pm #
Alicia, I wonder if wool being itchy for you is a sign that you’re slightly allergic to it? I’m not a fan of scratchy wool, but cashmere and merino wool are super smooth and soft, not at all itchy…unless you’re allergic? I can’t help but think there’s a connection.
Kim on 07 Dec 2009 at 2:11 pm #
Fun fact-velcro is made here in Elkhart county
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 2:41 pm #
Kim, no kidding! All Velcro? Elkhart County is the only source of it? That would be something amazing. The factory that makes it would be gigantic, I’d think. The world lives to use Velcro!!!
Alicia on 07 Dec 2009 at 3:00 pm #
Probably so, Claudia. My skin is sooooo sensitive! I had to have two epinephrin shots just because I used the ProActive face wash on my face!! My face was RED, itchy and swollen all the way down my neck and on my ears!! It was awful! I can ONLY use Gain laundry detergent. Crazy sensitive skin!
Gwynlyn MacKenzie on 07 Dec 2009 at 3:55 pm #
Spandex. Once the stuff of hookers, now the savior of all. *G*
Velcro—Mommy’s best friend when the children were little. I found sneakers with velcro and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. I think I was constantly tying shoes.
Fleece—some of it just feels nasty, and being a very tactile person, YUCK! Some, however, is just so soft and decadently yummy . . .
I love natural fabrics, but most of my cotten blouses now have a percentage of spandex as do my jeans. Silk is a perennial favorite—no spandex allowed. Cashmere is heaven.
I did mention I’m big on how things feel, right? Touch everything in the store and don’t buy anything that doesn’t feel good on my skin. I guess I was the bane of my mom’s existance growing up. (”We look with our eyes, child!”)
Sabrina Jeffries on 07 Dec 2009 at 5:28 pm #
Well, I just discovered cashmere, and I love that, but I also love fleece. I have a fleece robe (I think it’s fleece) that’s the warmest thing I’ve ever worn. If I’m cold, all I have to do is put it on and in an hour or so I’m hot. It’s fabulous in a cold house. I live in it at night in winter.
Count me as another one who’s a big fan of spandex in jeans. Yay, spandex!
nancyg on 07 Dec 2009 at 5:37 pm #
Our family joke is the fleece “Snuggie” – we saw a commercial on TV and I said it was a fleece hospital gown… no snaps in the back, etc.
So of course I received one from my girls for my anniversary. When we sit down to watch TV together in the living room, the girls start the chant, “Snuggie, Snuggie!!” So now everyone in the family is going to be getting Snuggies of various designs for Christmas.
(I have to admit, they ARE super comfy as blankets, but I absolutely refuse to put my arms through the sleeves, lol).
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 6:29 pm #
Alicia, you poor thing! That much be such a nightmare. Do you have to be careful when you travel? I’d think sleeping on sheets washed in something other than Gain might irritate your skin.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 6:30 pm #
NancyG, I’ve heard those Snuggies are one of the best selling items out there. Hugely popular. I’ve yet to succumb.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 6:31 pm #
Gwynlyn, I’m the same way. It’s one of the many reasons I don’t shop for clothes online. I have to touch it!
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 6:32 pm #
Hmm, a fleece robe. I wonder if that would keep me warm?
evlqn on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:27 pm #
Claudia we woke up this morning to the unhappy news, it was 17 degrees out and it will get down to 11 tonight. Not a jumping for joy here.
I love my denim/spandex leggings, it’s like wearing support hose without the runs. I am a cotton, wool, silk type of person. Polyester not so much, I hate killing all those little polyes just to make uncomfortable clothes. Fleece is very popular around here but it is still another way to say”Polyester”. I don’t know if it is just my imagination or not but I can detect a slight petroleum odor in fleece.
Louisa Cornell on 07 Dec 2009 at 7:54 pm #
Natural fabrics all the way ! Cotton, 100% silk, cashmere, angora, wool. linen.
I grew up a poor Air Force brat who got hand-me-down polyester clothes from my cousins. Imagine polyester after being worn for a couple of years by another kid before you. YUCK!
I have some Scottish wool and some German fleece-lined snow boots. Most of my winter gear I bought in Europe and I am SO glad I did. Much warmer than anything I could buy in Alabama.
Claudia Dain on 07 Dec 2009 at 9:50 pm #
Louisa, those boots sound amazing!
Eviqn, brrrr! I feel for you. I’d be layering on the wool as fast as I could.