Closet Philosophy

Episode 47 of Closet Philosophy features an interview with Kate Tricarico, a stylist, creative consultant, collector, and fashion commentator with an art history and museum background. Among many other things, we discuss what authenticity really means in personal style.

Kate's take is that there is not just one authentic you. You're different as a mother, a friend, or partner, and each person is authentic but different, which means getting dressed to reflect "your true self" will often look different.

We also dive into 90s style and why we are so nostalgic for it. Kate mourns the loss of real weirdness and reminisces about her younger self in the East Village and St. Marks Place when it was full of genuine weirdos—whereas now weirdness is often a pre-packaged "performative nonconformity."

We also touch on Shailene Woodley-gate, age-based fashion "rules" and our outright rejection of all of them, and Kate's take on fashion month.

On a personal note, Kate shares that she is autistic and hyperlexic and describes how fashion's patterned and formulaic nature helps her make sense of people and culture.

Listen where you get your podcasts, and please let us know what you think!

Jennine took an unofficial survey on the streets of San Francisco on a Saturday evening out and found that more than 90% of people were wearing sneakers. In this episode, Kristen and Jennine discuss why this might be. We may not have found a definitive answer, but we know it goes beyond the simple fact that sneakers are comfy. And it might even have something to do with fascism creeping into American life.

In this episode of Closet Philosophy, Jennine and Kristen discuss why getting dressed can feel overwhelming and pointless, but how it can actually make a difference (sometimes big, sometimes small) in your day and maybe even your life.

Jennine shares how her struggles with ADHD, depression, and anxiety can impact her executive functioning. When thinking, planning, and decision-making are depleted, even simple tasks like dishes, cooking dinner, or choosing an outfit can feel monumental.

She shares personal stories of times when she pushed past that barrier (by getting dressed), and it paid off with a renewed sense of purpose—or sometimes just feeling human. Either way, it was always a net positive.

There's no morality in style—caring about clothes doesn't make you a better or worse person, and no one has to participate. But small bits of color (or whatever type of flair you choose) can bring moments of joy.

Casual dress was once rebellion. But what is it now? If there's nothing to rebel against (i.e. you can wear whatever you want in most settings these days), then wearing jeans and sneakers is not revolutionary. Is it conformity? Laziness? Is personal style dying, or just changing? Jennine and Kristen discuss a social pushback they've noticed against putting any amount of effort into your outfit, the takeover of sneakers when it comes to footwear, "comfort maxxing," and lots more. This is the first in a three-part series about what casual dress means in a day and age when there are few official rules when it comes to getting dressed.

Marie Denee started blogging even before it was cool, and before size inclusivity was a buzzword. After more than 15 years as a content-creator, she looks back at the influence her work has had on the fashion industry.

We've seen progress to be sure: once banished to dark corners, plus-size merchandise is now more easily found at more stores. But there's still a dearth of choices when it comes to color and styles. Denee discusses a path forward.

Marie Denee's website

In this episode, Jennine and Kristen discuss how thinness has been used as a method of social control throughout history. From tuberculosis chic to heroin chic to GLP-1 chic, how women's bodies are analyzed and judged changes as politics chance.

If you suddenly feel you're not thin, pretty, or feminine enough, this episode will help you determine where those thoughts are coming from. They're ideas that have been planted by outside forces—not objective truths.

Remember, everything is made up.

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!

We all can be really hard on ourselves at times. And it's no wonder, with messages all around us about the things we should really fix on our faces and bodies. Its never-ending, espcially on social media. But what if we embraced our perceived flaws and recognized them as superpowers. Whether it's a large, distinctive nose or earned lines on your face, letting go of the insecurities we tend to feel around these characteristics can be magical.

It's much easier said than done, of course. On this week's episode, Jennine and Kristen talk about ways to approach embracing your insecurities and all of the things that make you uniquely you.

Please let us know if you have ideas for future episodes! And if you like the podcast, we'd be super grateful for a quick review. See you next week!

Our guest this week is Alicia Rose, who is bringing a revolution to the conversation about perimenopause and menopause with an upcoming documentary called Menopunks. The film will examine the travesty of the Women's Health Initiative through a decidedly GenX lens.

In 2002, the WHI was halted with reports of increased breast cancer risk linked to hormone therapy. We know now that the analysis of the data was deeply flawed. Still, the majority of the women who at the time were reaping the benefits of HRT abruptly stopped taking it. Hormone replacement held an undeserved stigma for the next 24 (and counting) years.

Jennine and Kristen talk to Alicia about how she discovered this (and more) as she researched her own symptoms and possible treatments. And how it pissed her off.

With a background in filmmaking, photography, and music, she began developing a documentary—Menopunks—to shatter the myths and defiantly shine a light on the truth. She's bringing together doctors and punk rockers for a unique look at the vilification of hormone therapy and how GenX women can reclaim our health as we age. Also check out the Menopunks podcast!

Please let us know what you think of this episode by following and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts!

Asta Gaur is a Google exec by day and your internet style cheerleader by night. On Instagram, she shares unfiltered takes on dressing in a male-dominated industry, daily GRWMs showing how she dresses intuitively, and the mindset shifts women can take to stop playing small with their style.

This week on Closet Philosophy, Jennine and Kristen go deep into Asta's styling process and what she's learned about getting dressed by wearing what feels completely her to her job as a Sr. UX director at Google.

We talk about the male gaze, the many problems with "flattering," and how she went from having two completely separate sets of clothing for work and the rest of her life to integrating her closet into one kickass wardrobe.

Asta's confidence and presence is infectious and inspiring—we both came out of the interview ready to style the heck out of our next outfit, and feel totally OK if someone called it "interesting."

You can also find Asta on her popular Substack, Fit Happens, where she breaks down detailed frameworks and the psychology behind why outfits work—so women can dress without self-doubt, ditch the male-gaze rules we grew up with, and build a closet full of items that are uniquely them.

Join us to learn more about Asta, and get some tips to make you feel not just more stylish but more like you next time you get dressed for work!

And please like, follow, and comment if you enjoy this episode!

In this episode, Jennine and Kristen talk about something that's often overlooked in personal style advice: how your wardrobe needs to match the life you're actually living, not just your Pinterest boards.

Jennine shares her recent experience moving from San Francisco's busy Mission District to the quieter, beach-adjacent Sunset neighborhood—and how it's making her completely rethink her wardrobe. City loafers don't work on sandy beach paths, and those pristine sneakers aren't cutting it on dirt trails. Her style is evolving out of necessity, and it's raising a bigger question: are you dressing for your real life, or for some imaginary version of it?

The conversation digs into why so many of us collect inspiration for outfits that would never actually work in our day-to-day routines. We pin quiet luxury looks while working from home in sweats. We save "mob wife" aesthetics while living in Silicon Valley. The disconnect is real.

Jennine and Kristen discuss:

• How your environment should directly influence your wardrobe choices

• The trap of aesthetic trends that have nothing to do with your actual activities

• Why you might be boring yourself with your own closet (hint: you're not honoring your actual life)

• How to handle special events without the last-minute shopping panic

• What our grandmothers can teach us about getting dressed with intention—even when staying home

• The difference between dressing for what other people think vs. what you want to communicate about yourself

This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like their closet doesn't match their life, or who's struggled to translate style inspiration into clothes they'll actually wear. It's a reminder that the most stylish thing you can do is dress authentically for the life you're living right now.

Got questions? Suggestions? Email us at hey@closetphilosophy.net

In this episode of Closet Philosophy, Kristen and Jennine explore what it means to age visibly, dress authentically, and resist the pressure to always be striving for youth and prettiness. We start with a reflection on the cultural impact of Catherine O'Hara, her premature passing, and the rare visibility of older women who embrace their faces, bodies, and style without apology.

From there, we dive into a wide-ranging discussion about beauty standards, midlife identity, and the complicated relationship many women have with being seen. We unpack how personal style can serve as both armor and self-expression—and why midlife is often the moment when women finally begin dressing for themselves rather than for approval.

The episode also touches on:

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How media and celebrity culture shape expectations of aging

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The politics of visibility for women over 50

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Why confidence often grows as the pressure to please fades

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The role of clothing in reclaiming identity during life transitions

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Letting go of "flattering" rules that were never designed for real bodies

As always, Closet Philosophy reminds listeners that getting dressed is never just about clothes. It's about power, self-definition, and the freedom to show up in the world exactly as you are.

Connect with us!Follow along for more conversations about personal style, aging, and cultural shifts. Share this episode with a friend who's rethinking what it means to be visible and fully expressed in midlife!

What does it really take to leave a prestigious, intellectually demanding career and step fully into a creative life?

Two women who did exactly that join us for this episode of Closet Philosophy. Erin Hupp and Subikksha Balaje come from wildly different professional backgrounds (law and data science, respectively), yet both found their way back to creativity through clay, metal, and a pull toward working with their hands.

Erin Hupp is a former child welfare and land use lawyer who now runs Erin Hupp Ceramics in the San Francisco Bay Area, creating sculptural dinnerware, lighting, and objects for restaurants and private clients. Subikksha Balaje grew up in Chennai, India, built a successful career in Big Tech, and later launched Gold Stories, a fine jewelry brand rooted in storytelling, cultural memory, and wearable art.

Recently, Erin and Subikksha collaborated on a stunning fine jewelry collection that transforms Erin's signature folded ceramic forms into silver and gold—future heirlooms that honor both precision and imperfection.

Together, we talk about:

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Why midlife can be a powerful creative awakening—not a crisis

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The vulnerability of shedding a "serious" professional identity

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Imposter syndrome (before and after success)

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How collaboration sparks ideas AI never could

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The tension between perfection and imperfection in handmade work

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Why stories matter more than ever in a tech-saturated world

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And how personal style, craft, and creativity are deeply human acts of resistance

This conversation is a love letter to creative courage, curiosity, and the belief that it's never too late to claim who you really are.

Whether you're considering a pivot, craving more creativity, or simply want to hear how two artists think about meaning, work, and making—this episode is for you.

In this episode of Closet Philosophy, Kristen and Jennine dig into a counterintuitive idea: less really can be more — especially when it comes to personal style.

Jennine shares how her attempt to curb overconsumption led her to experiment with a 40-piece wardrobe ecosystem, not as a deprivation tactic, but as a creative framework. What started as a practical solution quickly became a powerful way to clarify her style, reduce spending, and build confidence.

Together, Kristen and Jennine explore how creative limitations fuel innovation across disciplines—from art and graphic design to filmmaking and fashion. They discuss why having guardrails doesn't stifle self-expression, but actually sharpens it, using examples from Bottega Veneta's woven leather legacy to iconic brands like Ace & Jig and even the cult-classic Clueless wardrobe.

The conversation also turns personal, touching on the emotional weight of holding onto clothes (and stuff), the fear of making decisions, and how trusting your taste is a skill—one that gets easier with age and experience. Whether you're navigating a no-buy season, overwhelmed by trends, or trying to define a signature look that actually fits your life, this episode reframes style as something deeper than shopping.

Because great style isn't about having more, it's about knowing yourself.

In this episode, we cover:

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Why limitations can unlock creativity, not kill it

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How a 40-piece wardrobe helps clarify personal style

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Overconsumption, thrifting, and the myth of "more is better"

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The emotional side of letting go of clothes

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Trusting your taste—and why confidence is the secret ingredient

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What fashion, film, interiors, and branding all have in common

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Questions or love notes? Email us at hey@closetphilosophy.net

In this episode of Closet Philosophy, Jennine and Kristen explore one of the most misunderstood ideas in personal style: that having more clothes actually makes getting dressed harder, not easier.

What begins as a conversation about Kristen's long-standing 70s, bohemian California aesthetic opens into a much deeper discussion about identity, decision fatigue, creativity, and why true personal style comes from editing rather than accumulation.

Jennine shares how style is not about finding the perfect piece or chasing trends, but about making intentional decisions. Drawing parallels between writing, design, and wardrobe building, she explains why constraints are essential for creativity and how an overflowing closet can block clarity rather than inspire it.

Together, they unpack the psychological weight of "maybe someday" clothes, the myth of endless options, and how a tightly edited wardrobe ecosystem can free up mental space, time, and confidence. The conversation also touches on belonging versus fitting in, the role of comfort in looking "cool," and why style should ultimately work for your life, not demand constant attention.

This episode is for anyone who feels overwhelmed by their closet, stuck in style limbo, or exhausted by the pressure to keep up. It's an invitation to stop looking outward for answers and start trusting yourself.

Topics covered:

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Why style is a decision-making process, not an aesthetic label

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The connection between editing, creativity, and confidence

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How too many clothing options create decision fatigue

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The concept of a "wardrobe ecosystem" and seasonal rotation

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Letting go of clothes that don't reflect who you are now

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How constraints help you develop personal style signatures

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Shifting from "How do I look?" to "How do I feel like me?"

If getting dressed feels harder than it should, this episode will change how you think about your closet—and yourself.

We're kicking off season 2 of Closet Philosophy with a conversation about overconsumption, emotional shopping, and the cultural forces that keep us chasing "more."

Jennine shares a personal reckoning: years of daily thrifting, racks sagging with clothes, garbage bags stuffed into closets — all while telling her audience they didn't need to shop. What started as reselling and "style experimentation" slowly revealed itself as something else: a way to soothe anxiety, regulate emotions, and chase an external version of identity.

Together, Kristen and Jennine unpack why this isn't a personal failure — and why so many of us feel stuck in the same cycle.

We explore:

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Why thrift culture isn't always sustainable

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The massive labor and environmental cost of donated clothing

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How only a fraction of clothing ever gets worn again

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Why dopamine feels like "style" — but isn't

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How propaganda and psychology trained us to shop for identity

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The role of algorithms, influencers, and targeted desire

Jennine introduces her 40-piece wardrobe ecosystem, a turning point that helped her stop chasing trends and start wearing what she already owned. The restriction inherent in a 40-piece wardrobe led to clarity.

The conversation widens into belonging, people-pleasing, and the liberation that comes from choosing yourself — in your closet, your work, and your life. Kristen shares parallel experiences from teaching Pilates and learning to release the impossible task of being liked by everyone.

This episode isn't about minimalism or moralizing consumption. It's about understanding the systems we're operating inside — and creating enough awareness to pause, choose differently, and reconnect with who we actually are.

Season 2 will continue exploring creativity, personal style, and how to step off the hamster wheel of trends — without giving up joy, expression, or beauty.

We'd love to hear from you: How has shopping shown up in your life? What have you learned on the other side of overconsumption?