Closet Philosophy

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 47: Stylist and content creator Kate Tricarico unpacks the real meaning of authenticity in personal style and getting tattoos at 15 in the East Village Oct 25, 2026

Show notes

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!

Ep. 46: Sneakergate: Why is the vast majority of the population wearing sneakers? Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

Ep. 45: How getting dressed can improve your day and maybe even your life Oct 11, 2026

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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.

Ep. 44: Everyone dresses super casual these days—is personal style dead? Oct 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

Ep. 43: An OG plus-size influencer reflects on how her work has changed the fashion industry Sep 27, 2026

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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

Ep. 42: If you don't think you look thin enough in your outfit, it might be thanks to fascism Sep 20, 2026

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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.

Ep. 41: When a feminist gets a facelift, how are the other feminists supposed to feel? Sep 13, 2026

Show notes

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

Ep. 40: Everything is made up, so don't get hung up on size, beauty, or anything else Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

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.

Ep. 39: Author Christine Morrison on how style has guided her life decisions—from relationships to where she lives to her career and publishing her first book at 56 Mar 29, 2026

Show notes

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!

Ep. 38: What to wear over 50—don't Google it Mar 22, 2026

Show notes

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!

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