Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Color of Money

Woman. 9/22/09

At first glance, one sees one basic item of clothing in an innocuous green. But take a closer look, and you realize that one item leads to another – the subtlety was in the delicate balance of shades. Green yet not green.

So yes, it was green. Green everywhere but in all different shades and hues, and varying textures.

Given the warm weather that had enveloped NYC in this first week of Fall, the boots were a clear calling card of someone ready for cooler climes. Green boots which were just the kind you’d expect in early Fall. Not tall at all, reaching just to her lower calf. The green? A pea green that wasn’t unlike a rich split pea soup from one of NYC’s fabled restaurants. The textured leather added another dimension and somehow was able to soften the look of the boot. There was a zipper on the back of each boot from heel to top – dark green in color. On the lower sides of each boot, a double helix stitch pattern in a dark green thread. No socks were visible on her legs.

In keeping with the early Fall theme, she had on a pair of skorts. Ending just at knee level, the skort was actually a seersucker fabric obscured by the dark olive green background color finished with thin bankers stripes done in a light green. One could also see empty belt loops at the waistline.

Perhaps to no surprise, she was wearing long sleeves on this day as well. This was green in all its glory. A clear green like Astro Turf in the night stadium when viewed on HD. It was your basic cotton wide scoop neck top. There was a skinny black strap visible on her left shoulder which turned out to be the black camisole she had on underneath.

Her handbag was aquamarine. Not a surprise really. It had a Coach leather brand tag attached to one of the handles. One the front of the bag was a pocket with a gold buckle though it wasn’t readily apparent if it was for functional access to the pocket or for pure aesthetics. Since the bag was open, you could see that the interior had a multi-colored striped lining.

The rest of her was actually refreshingly simple. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun. And on each earlobe was a thin long gold chain which was holding a single white pearl. Her right ring finger had a simple gold wedding band.

She was reading a thick hardcover book. With it open, you could see a purple Post-it that she had used to mark something on a previous page. The title and author on the front cover was obscured by a rather large paper library tag – in large font, it was marked Baruch College Inter-library Loan.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

LV in Pink

Woman 8/17/09

You’ve got to hand it to Marc Jacobs. The man who turned Murakami and Sprouse into household names in middle America. Jessica Simpson knows their names.

She was carrying the unmistakable Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse handbag. It was the regular Sprouse style writing but in hot pink against the dark brown background. You could spot this bag from a country mile away. The zipper was open and she had a Snapple bottom and what appeared to be her breakfast in a small Ziploc bag sitting at the very top of the opening.

Her outfit was just as eye-catching as her bag, just as fashionable though not as loud color-wise. Her jeans were skintight. From her ankles to her waist, the denim was a second skin. The jeans themselves were of a dark denim but high-waisted, not the low-slug skinny jeans favored by so many today. Perhaps it was because of her full figure, but those fashionable high-waisted dark jeans really worked for her. The label on the rear was Guess.

Her top was this chiffon and silk halter top. An interesting choice for the cool weather. The floral print was a watercolor of reds and greens in a manner that evoked Marc Jacobs – feminine yet contemporary. Definitely something Anthropologie would knock off, or perhaps it was something purchased from Forever 21.

On her feet were a pair of flip-flops from Havaianas. The straps were gold and there was a distinct print on the footbed of the sandals. Interesting choice of footwear but perhaps consistent relative to the halter top.

The large gold earrings on her accentuated her hair and face. The hoop earrings were so large they reached almost to her shoulders and threatened to overwhelm her but the thinness of the rings made them much more subtle – as subtle as large hoop gold earrings can be. The asymmetrical cut of her hairstyle confirmed her fashionista tendencies. A left to right part with severe bangs tilting left but with hair long enough to reach her upper back.

On her left hand was a silver bracelet formed with open links. A silver heart charm was attached.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Young at Heart

Man 8/30/09

Someday when we’re all old and slow. We’ll either treat our clothes as a bother and not worthy of our limited time remaining on Earth, or we’ll do the best we can because that’s the kind of people we are. Wonder which side each of us will choose.

He was an undeniably old man. A face that reminded one of old Chinese sages that have been a part of popular culture for 2000 years. White eyebrows so long they almost seemed in need of grooming. Age spots on the edges of the face. Slight puffy bags under his eyes. Curiously, no major wrinkles accept for around his mouth.

His forehead and hair were hidden by his navy-blue fabric hat. It was a standard fishing hat with a short brim and three brass grommets on each side.

This ancient style guy was wearing a polyester track jacket. It was a cream colored standard track jacket with green and black stripes that started just below the shoulders on the front, and paralleled vertically down the back. On the left breast was a logo for Winslow, and on the right bicep was a green triangle outlined with the words Winslow Sports Era inside. His zip collar was open and you could just make out the green accent under the collar. The frayed cuffs indicated a well worn jacket.

Underneath that jacket was a white shirt that had somewhat yellowed with age. It was a standard issues spread collar with a tab underneath. This gentleman was buttoned up all the way. In his left breast shirt pocket was a large bulge that was probably his wallet. A curious place if for such an important accessory.

The pants were a matching shade of beige. And thought they were definitely of a synthetic material, the cut was non-pleated. I’d guess the pattern was from the 80’s prior to the explosion of pleated pants. Holding up those pants was a black leather belt. A gold buckle with a simple circular design.

The best thing on this dapper gentleman? His shoes. They were faux leather loafers. In a cream color similar to the jacket. A small metal logo on the outside front top corner of each shoe. The cream was accented with brown strips that weaved subtlety around the soles. The best part? The man was sockless.

Ever the gentleman, he was carrying a slim umbrella. It was medium sized and the fabric was a madras pattern in a primarily blue-green color with hints of orange. Paired with that umbrella was a tote bag with long fabric straps. The cotton bag was in a brown and cream houndstooth check pattern. A small bag overall, but for his small frame – perfect.

Throughout the subway ride, his left hand would be trembling. Every so often the soft tremors would migrate and his legs would be affected as well.