Styling me softly

Woman 3/6/09

At first glance, I really didn’t think there was much there to document. But as I sat down across from her in the train, all the little details started to really appear. It was then that I realized that this girl was stylish in her own way, and for her, the look was all in the details.

I think it was the shoes that clued me in. They were silver. Not white or grey, but really sharp silver. They were these athletic-inspired silver shoes that looked to be a cross between ballet flats and sneakers. Even the laces were silver.

Her coat was this black trench but trimmed in red. The only color on her, apart from the shoes, was the red outline of her trench coat. The coat also had a slight military flavor with shoulder tabs. Though the belted waist, cuff straps and large black buttons suggested a very utilitarian function.

Her tote bag was another item that looked very basic at first glance. Then you realized that the top of the bag had a fur trim – black so that it blended in with the rest of the tote. And the straps actually had a functioning stainless steel clip buckle on each end attached to the tote. The bag itself had a quilted pattern similar to a puffy coat.

Her hair was a stylized Afro that looked like she used to have dreads but perhaps had recently cut them off though the curls still show a little. For whatever reason, she reminded me of Nina Simone.

The pearl earrings she had on gave a completely different vibe from the large metal medieval ring on her left index finger. What they were meant to say when used in this tandem I have no idea.

All these little details that one might have missed.

If I could only decipher what she was trying to say.