Under Your Umbrella

It’s raining, it’s pouring, and I’m sure somewhere an old man is snoring. It seems as if winter has arrived in San Francisco. While not what I am exactly accustomed to, this chilly, grey wetness is a refreshing herald for a new season. I finally can accept the Thanksgiving, and Christmas, decorations up in every store, because it finally feels like we have moved out of August. With this turn over (mmmm a turn over sounds delicious) of seasons comes a universal wardrobe switch. Sure, some of us will continue to wear the exact same thing no matter what the weather is doing. I have a friend back in Colorado who wears cargo shorts every single day. Rain or shine, snow or tornado, 120° or -45°.  I think he is a little insane. And if he ever reads this, which is doubtful, I hope he can forgive me. The rest of us, though, like to mix it up a little. Which means, RAIN COATS! And RAIN BOOTS! And SWEATERS! And UMBRELLAS! And LONG UNDERWEAR!!!!! (I obviously am a little excited about this…)

I have noticed that for some inexplicable reason, some people tend to get a little gloomy when the sky turns grey and the temperature drops. Okay, maybe it’s because it’s like the sky is crying and this makes people feel sad. But really there is no need to be so emotional. Come on people, be happy! Rain means that the earth is getting some much-needed water; it allows things to grow and washes the dirt off of the street. Without rain we would live in a perpetual desert and having grown up in a land that has 100°F days of dryness throughout all of July and August I can tell you that you DO NOT want to live in a desert. Dessert yes, desert no. Plus, cold rainy days are the perfect days to curl up in a blanket, drink hot tea, and read a book. And there is nothing better than that. So, I think that every day should be like this: grey, cold, rainy, and, yes, gloomy. And full of books.

Gene Kelly knows what up, he understands how great the rain is

Why don't we all sing, and dance, in the rain?

While walking to class this afternoon, I saw another reason that people might be upset about this weather. It’s because they don’t know how to dress for it! Seriously, if you’re not gonna wear a rain jacket or carry an umbrella, you’re bound to get wet and cold, which will make you uncomfortable and maybe give you a cold which is certain to make you a little prejudiced towards the rain. But really it’s your fault, not the drops of water hitting your face. Once you are properly outfitted for the environment, you can fully enjoy the wonderfulness of it all. This means wearing a proper rain jacket, probably with something warm underneath, rain boots (to allow for appropriate puddle jumping), gloves, maybe a scarf, and of course, an umbrella.

Let us talk a bit about umbrellas. We have so many options when it comes to this essential accessory. Do you go for a fashionable one? A classic black one? One that you got for free with some off-brand toothpaste logo on it? A clear plastic one? One that attaches to your head with a headband? SO MANY CHOICES! I suggest that you always have a few options handy. Some good basics are these:

A classic black one:

A Fun Fashionable one (maybe with some cats on it...):

An easy collapsible one that is always in your purse. Always:

Once you have your umbrella figured out, you can work on the rest of the outfit. And then you can go out and jump in puddles and get wet and have fun and not have a single worry in the world, because life is good.

My lovely roommate, isn't she adorable? and she loves the rain.
because she is properly outfitted

xoxo

Justice

Post Script: don't forget to follow me on pinterest and instagram by clicking on the links to your right                                                                                           (that's this side of the screen -->)

Patches of the Past

For the second installment of Sweeker (my week long celebration of sweaters) I would like to touch on the subject of the elbow patch. Now a style characteristic of those natives of coffee shops and wearers of ironic glasses—aka hipsters—this style was not always worn out of hipness but out of necessity.

There was a time, believe it or not, when people actually had to do hard labor. And when these people did hard labor, such as working at lumberyards or on railroads, they wore the same thing every day. If you have had any experience what so every with any kind of hands-on work, you will know that it is kind of hard to avoid messing up your clothes. This could mean getting paint splatters everywhere, accidentally covering yourself with flour, burning holes in your jeans, having your sleeve ripped off by a saw, etc. It is why we don’t wear our mom’s cashmere sweaters to art class. Well, if you can imagine transporting back in time and working on the railroad from dawn until dusk in your thick trousers (probably made of denim or wool) and dirty, sweaty button up shirt every single day, you can probably imagine that your clothes are in need of some repair. Which is why patches were invented. It is, well was, much easier to just put a patch over a hole than to go buy a whole new shirt. I say was because now a days so few people know how to sew and due to the accessibility of “fast-fashion”, it is much easier, time efficient, and probably cheaper to just go buy a new pair of jeans or favorite t-shirt—plus it’s a good excuse to go shopping. Because of the way that the body moves, bending at the elbows and knees, fabric tends to be strained the most in the area of these joints. Where the fabric is strained, it is more likely to be worn out and easier to be torn when doing something like kneeling on the ground or carrying big logs to the truck for splitting. That is why patches are most often seen on the elbow or knees, or occasionally on the rear end…

Patches were a symbol of hard work. More than that though, patches meant poverty. It meant that you could not afford new clothes, and thus had to make do with what you had. It wasn’t a fashion statement, it wasn’t something you wanted, it was actually a bit shameful. But as is the case with many utilitarian things, patches, like glasses or overalls, have become a fashion statement rather than a necessity. The real meaning of patches has been forgotten. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. I mean when I was younger wearing glasses was SO embarrassing and ugly, but now that it is “fashionable”, pretty much everyone wears glasses, even if they don’t need them. Same with patches, it used to be embarrassing if you had to go to school with a patched up shirt because your parents couldn’t buy you a new one, but now it is the epitome of stylish. Thank you hipsters! Nevertheless, we must never forget the past, for as my good friend Winston Churchill said:

“ The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see”

So, next time you put on a sweater with lovely suede elbow patches—perhaps in the shapes of hearts—remember the men and women of the past who built our country to what it is today and the patches that were most likely on their clothes.

I would like to thank this old man for all of his work and for not worrying about having to patch his clothing,
but for persevering through it all

xoxo

Justice

HAPPY SWEEKER!

I have decided that we ought to have a celebration of the wonderfulness of sweaters. So, from this hour hence forth let it be known that this week, the week of November 10-16 (we will include yesterday even though it already passed), shall be the official Sweater Week–SWEEKER! I think that it is universally acknowledged that sweaters are amazing. They are comfortable, cute, keep you warm, and can be worn with pretty much everything. I really don't see a downside. Because they can be worn in so many different ways and there are so many different styles, there is a sweater for everyone. You may be of the chunky oversized variety, or a librarian cardigan type, or a long wrap around kind. No matter who you are or how you're feeling, there is most likely a sweater out there for you. Unlike true love, finding the perfect sweater is a guarantee, and it will be a much easier search and your sweater will never leave you for a better looking wearer.

So, for the first installment of Sweeker, I introduce the preppy sweater:

sweater from H&M, shirt stolen from my mother (she got it at sometime, somewhere in the 80's),
Clavin Klein jeans, kitten shoes from Modcloth, and "My Flat in London" necklace

The preppy sweater is paired with a button up shirt and either a nice pair of trousers, a plaid skirt, or wool shorts. It does not matter whether or not this sweater is a cardigan or a pull over, but either way it must be short enough to show the shirt at the bottom and not too bulky. If you want to really epitomize the preppy look, try for a nice argyle print and maybe pair it with a tie. But be prepared for some comments including the 80's and your mother's wardrobe if you choose this. When wearing this look you may find yourself raising your hand more in class and remembering random facts--for example, on this day (11 November) in the year 1918 Germany signed an armistice to end WWI.

Some other great examples of the preppy sweater:

Emma Pillsbury

Blair Waldorf

Hermione Granger

and just about anything from Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign FW13

Happy Sweeker my readers, acquaintances, and imaginary friends, and remember to celebrate by wearing a sweater every day this week. Every single day.

xoxo
Justice

Listen to me for a Secondary

HAPPY HALLOWEEN my ghouly, witchy, batty friends! I hope that your day is full of candy eating, spooky sighting, and letting go of any inhibitions and just going crazy (in the area of costumes…not in anything else. Don’t get too wild my children). Sadly I am not able to partake in any celebrations, as I have to go to class at the wretched time of 7-9:30 pm. It’s just dreadful. However, as I like to think of myself as a rather optimistic person–despite a certain cynicism that I can't seem to shake off–I thought that I could use this opportunity to my advantage and teach you all a lesson. This is not one of those “teach you lesson” things like when the bully on the playground teaches the scared kindergarteners a lesson by taking their lunch money and tying their shoelaces together. No, I want to actually teach you something because I find it fascinating. You see, the class I have tonight is called “Color and Design for Fashion”. In this class we learn all about the theory of color and what color is and what different color combinations are and pretty much everything about color. It is a lot more complicated than you would think. However, it is incredibly relevant because whether or not you are aware of it, color is all around us and has a profound impact on our lives. You’ve probably had an experience where you saw a color and it made you feel something. Like peaceful when you see a light blue, or happy when you see a bright yellow. There are individual colors, but then when you combine these colors a whole new world arises. Different color combinations mean different things. For example, when you see green and red together, most of us think of Christmas. Why do we think of Christmas? It’s a little silly really. It’s just two colors. A combination of two pigments. Nothing complicated. It’s not like they are images of the birth of Christ. Nevertheless, we see these colors and all of a sudden “Jingle Bells” is ringing in our heads.

Another example, today, Halloween, you may notice a large amount of orange, green, and purple together. Such as these Halloween m&m's

Or this little girl's Halloween witch costume

These could be strongly saturated (very vibrant, like they came straight off of the color wheel), they could be muted (more earthy tones), or they could be desaturated (darker or lighter by the addition of white or black). This color combination is called the “secondary color triad”. This is simply because it is a triad (three) made up of the secondary colors on the color wheel. 

Secondary colors are made when mixing two primary colors. Orange= red + yellow, Purple= blue + red, Green= blue + yellow. WOW! It’s like math! This is so exciting!

I’m not quite sure when or why or how these colors became associated with Halloween and fall time, however I do have a theory. Two actually. One, because these colors seem quite witchish. Orange for their wrinkled, old skin. Green for the toads they use in their spells.  Purple for their magical cloaks and the vapors that come off of their potions. Just watch Hocus Pocus and it will all become clear.

There is another reason though, as to why we these colors come into style every October-November. When I see these colors I automatically think of fall. That's because in autumn these secondary colors occur in nature. They may not appear exactly as they do on the color wheel, but instead we see them in muted forms. 

Orange is the color of pumpkins, falling leaves, the ground after the grass has begun to die, and most importantly, the color of pumpkin pie.

Green is the color of the leaves as they are changing, it isn't the vibrant green of spring but a duller green, a green that is beginning to turn brown. It is the color of green apples, the kind that make amazing apple pies.

Purple is the color of thistles, one of the only flowers that stay blooming through fall. Not to mention the purple foods that we eat at this time such as aubergines (eggplant), purple potatoes and red cabbage, at least I eat a lot of those foods at this time. And of course red pears! Which can be made into pie!

So essentially, these colors are the colors of PIE! and we eat pie in the fall and therefore these colors are fall colors.

Have a Happy Halloween

In honor of the day, I am wearing an outfit of secondary colors (pumpkin not included)
Green Sweater from Anthropologie
Shorts from Calvin Klein
Purple tights from Target
Orangish brown suede booties from Clarks

xoxo

Justice

The Time Has Come

Clip Clap Clip Clap Clip Clap

Can you hear that? That melodious sound? It pervades the air, it is on every street corner, it is in every hallway. The song of hundreds of feet rejoicing, for boot season is finally upon us. We wait all year for it and yet it still takes us slightly by surprise–just like Christmas. Gone are the endless days of summer where we waste precious time worrying over which pair of sandals to wear, or whether or not it is a boater day or a ballet flat day. For the next couple of months, oh so blissful months, we need have no worries, for it is boot season! Boots everyday! Boots everywhere! Boots for everyone! 

Boots, Boots, Boots!

I have been a little wary over the past couple of weeks. It's been too hot, too bright, too green. But this morning as walking back from the gym I could sense it. The sky was grey, a dense fog covered the top of the old hotels of Sutter street, the trees were giving off a distinctly yellow glow, and my fingers were going numb. Not the numbness that comes from a lack of circulation or from holding too many shopping bags in one hand, but the numbness that comes from being cold. Yes, cold. It is a sign. I hurried back to my room as fast as my legs could take me (granted I had just been working out, so this probably was not as fast as it could have been due to the significant amount of soreness in my extremities) and pulled out my new brown leather lace up riding boots. The times has come. Finally these beautiful shoes can have a use in this world. 

So, my lovely friends, now that boot season is here, what kind will you choose to cover your hairy legs and miss matched socks for the cold days to come? 

The Riding Boot–always a good classic. Sleek and fashionable. Good to pair with jeans and a sweater or tights and a nice wool dress. Originally designed to be worn while horse riding, these boots usually come up to the knee, in order to prevent the leg of the rider from being pinched by the saddle; have a sturdy rounded toe, to protect the riders feet while on the ground; and have a distinct heel, to keep the foot from sliding out of the stirrup. Even though the majority of us do not frequently jump on a horse in order to get around, these boots are still an excellent option for the chilly days of October to March, the months now referred to as "boot months". 

Tory Burch Riding Boots

The Rain Boot–especially good for those living in Seattle, Vancouver, London, *enter rainy city name here*. These tend to look best when paired with warm fuzzy socks and a rain jacket. A cute rain jacket though. Not one of those awful see-through plastic things that might as well be a trash bag. These boots find their origins in the Hessian boot, initially used in the military and popular in the 18th-19th centuries. They were worn and made popular by Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington– hence the name Wellington boots. We may no longer be trudging through knee high mud or camping out in trenches, but it is still good to protect our feet from the elements with a nice layer of thick rubber. 

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Now whenever you wear your brightly colored Hunter Rain boots, you can know where they came from.
This handsome man in his tight pants. 

Bright Pink is always a good idea.
(I Stole this image from online and don't know hot to cite it...I'm a despicable human being)

The Snow Boot–really only good if it is, well, snowy. For those of us who grew up in lands of ice and snow, aka Colorado, Minnesota, or Montana, we understand the struggle of wanting to look cute while simultaneously not getting hypothermia. I can't even tell you how many times I got to school crying as a child because I had refused to wear my snow boots and thus had frozen feet. But my mom just didn't understand. Snow boots were ugly! I don't understand how it took them so long to figure out how to make snow boots look good, but amazingly enough they finally exist. For those days of exceptional coldness and/or snow, a nice pair of snow boots (Sorels are my number 1 choice for being fashionable AND warm AND comfortable) with wool anything does nicely. Wool tights, wool sweaters, wool skirts, wool socks, or just wear a sheep, that could work too. 

SORELS Conquest Boots
I have it on good authority, mine actually, that these boots are amazingly comfortable, warm, and snow resistant. 

The UGG–no. just no. Unless you aren't leaving the house, then it is okay. I don't want to sound like a hater, but I just have never seen an outfit that I thought looked good with these clunky, puffy boots. Also, they don't keep water out and the fuzziness inside–while it may feel like your feet are being caressed by the hopes and dreams of baby angles–is really quite useless after the first wear because it just gets nasty and smelly and dirty. However, if you must wear them, despite my protests, please do so tactfully. Avoid pairing them with shorts, short skirts, or apple bottom jeans. 

I am not even going to include a picture regarding UGGs because I am against them.

When it comes to boots, the options are endless. Unlike a frozen yogurt place where they have only 4 flavors, boot season is like entering an Ice Cream Shop where they can create any flavor you can think of. I have never actually been to such an Ice Cream shop, but I think the idea is pretty great. So rejoice with me my friends for Boot Season is here! 

xoxo

Justice