Alison Gary

Washington, D.C.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Wardrobe Oxygen

She/Her. Real-life style for grown-ass women since 2005.

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Articles

A Colorful Journey

1 week ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

My mom loved color, and that love went beyond her closet. There were no white walls in our home, and anything she bought, if it came in a color, that was what we got. Seriously, everything possible was colorful, with her color of choice being a shade of blue. Do you remember when Kleenex came in colors? Bath towels were a mismatched collection of bold blues and bright pastels. My mom often sewn curtains so she could control the color.
Memorial Day Weekend Reads

2 weeks ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

As you read this, I will be heading to or at a campground in the mountains without wifi or cell service. It's another Girl Scouts getaway, but instead of a beach house, it's a tent. I'm so glad the forecast is for mild temps and no rain. Cross your fingers for me that it stays that way! I found this work by Frank Bensing that was used for a magazine cover… It's what I'd rather be doing with the scouts this weekend though I know camping will still be fun.
This is where I find stylish longer necklaces from size-inclusive brands

2 weeks ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

In the Wardrobe Oxygen community, a member asked where to find stylish longer necklaces as she wished to layer chain necklaces but the popular 16″ length was too short. She wanted 18″ and longer and was asking for sources to find such necklaces. And then the same week, a reader of Wardrobe Oxygen emailed me also looking for trendy necklaces longer than 16″. Having Wardrobe Oxygen for two decades, I went into my archives to see if I had written on this subject before.
Weekend Reads for May 17th

3 weeks ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

I didn't even know about this article until it showed up in my Google Alert for my name: “Midsize” at 50, she shares her inspiring looks! (MSN)I Found All the Vibrators in Dying for Sex. (The Strategist)Has the internet changed how women sound? (New York Times – gift link)Spiritual haircut. (Womancake)Our family are Who Gives a Crap fans; even more a fan of their partnership with Parks Project.
Lands' End Summer Capsule Wardrobe

3 weeks ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

Sometimes I scroll through a retailer's New Arrivals, and a capsule wardrobe pops into my head. I was inspired by the colors and lean lines of the Lands' End New Arrivals, ordered some, and knew I had to create a Lands' End summer capsule wardrobe. This Lands' End summer capsule wardrobe is a good choice for those who aren't focusing on work fashion, but having fun in the sun. Maybe a summer vacation, time at the beach, kayaking on the lake, visiting a resort.
Weekend Reads for May 10

4 weeks ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

F.D.A approves first at-home alternative to the pap smear. (New York Times – gift link)Hear me out: What if GenXers are actually the cool ones? (Vogue)Bill Gates to give away fortune by 2045, US$200 billion for world's poorest. (CNA)I found your perfect travel skirt. Packs to nothing, dresses up and down, so many pretty colors too!A lonely young woman in Texas has streamed every second of her life for three years and counting. Is this life, or a performance of one?
Then and Now

1 month ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

In 2012, I was working at an office in Washington, D.C. I commuted via the Metro and every day walking to the Farragut North station, I'd pass an Ann Taylor store. That spring, I saw a chiffon maxi skirt in the window that drew me in. I had absolutely no need for such a skirt; I worked in Corporate America, where my peers wore chinos, sweater sets, and commuter-friendly footwear. But I couldn't resist the beautiful swishy layers of delicate blush pink chiffon.
Weekend Reads for the Start of May

1 month ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

Last weekend I spent at my friend's beach house. Too cold and windy for being at the actual beach for any span of time, we enjoyed an afternoon on her porch, painting color by number canvases one of our friends brought. It was so much fun, and after we hung up our paintings side by side, proud of our work and calmed by an afternoon of focus on something other than a screen. My canvas was of a person who had hiked to the top of a mountain and was admiring the vista; the body was in silhouette.
Try this instead of a denim jacket

1 month ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

I love a denim jacket, the true Jane of All Trades for a closet. It works over a dress, with linen and wool, and can go to many workplaces, and can also be worn when working in the yard or on the car. It can be outerwear, and it can be part of your indoor outfit. Denim jacket trends change over the years but they never fully go out of style. That being said, us grown-ass women have been wearing them for decades and may be looking for an alternative. What makes a denim jacket so great? Versatility.
May Day: What it is and how to participate

1 month ago | wardrobeoxygen.com | Alison Gary

I apologize for the delay. I like to give fair warning for you to be able to participate in events, but this week has gotten away from me. May 1st is May Day, also known as International Workers' Day. On this day in 2025, protesters across the United States will gather to show solidarity against how the current administration is treating its working class. This is being called the National Day of Action. Learn more at the May Day Strong website.