Closet Philosophy

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!