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A Skirt’s Tale

Francine Jay

Today, I’ll share the tale of a skirt—specifically, the gray tulle one depicted in the image above. It doesn’t seem like it belongs in a minimalist wardrobe, does it? I didn’t think so either.

So why did I buy it? Well, I recently had new author photographs taken, and my photographer suggested we capture some fun, ballet-themed shots to embody the concept of living lightly and gracefully (as described in my forthcoming book). I adored the suggestion, but possessed nothing suitable in my wardrobe—so I promptly ordered an appropriate skirt with two-day shipping and received it just in the nick of time. Ironically, we ran out of time and never ended up using it.

The day after, I was getting ready to send back the unused skirt when my daughter came into the room. Seeing what I was doing, she almost started crying: “You can’t return that, Mommy, it’s the prettiest thing you own!” She then dashed to her room, donned one of her ballet skirts, insisted I wear mine, and led me through an impromptu “dance class” where we pirouetted, sashayed, and arabesqued around the house. 🙂

To rationalize keeping it in my wardrobe, I resolved to wear it at Every. Single. Opportunity. I don it for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas festivities, and fittingly enough, for the Nutcracker ballet. Perhaps less fittingly, I’ve worn it to buy groceries and to the post office. I’ve worn it while preparing meals, doing the laundry, and sitting at my kitchen table typing. And, of course, for more dancing sessions with my daughter (to her and my immense joy).

I’m writing about this because many people assume minimalism is too somber, too serious, too severe. But honestly, it need not be. It can be graceful, beautiful, entertaining, and whimsical. You can adapt minimalism to reflect your personality, rather than adhere to some rigid or idealistic norm. You can possess items that might appear impractical but add a touch of magic to life or otherwise bring you happiness.

Do you have a “not-so-minimalist” piece in your wardrobe or home that you keep solely for the joy it brings? I’d love to hear your stories!

By the way, I’ve been sharing these peeks into my minimalist life (home, wardrobe, etc.) over on Instagram, so follow me there to see more.

My upcoming book, Lightly, will be released this Tuesday, February 26! It’s available for preorder now from: Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, Hudson, Indiebound, Target, Walmart, 800-CEO-Read, or HMH.

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