One Wednesday morning when I woke up, I didn’t know what to wear, but for some reason I was feeling the color brown. Famous for being grounded, secure, and mature the outfit I ended up wearing- a vintage off-white belted cardigan, brown plaid shirt, beige fashion tee and brown sweatpants caused a co-worker to comment, “You have on every type of style!”
Brown Outfit
My story was all over the place that day, and wouldn’t have made sense, if I hadn’t been feeling brown. At times, when I wear a monochromatic outfit, I accent it with a contrasting color by accessorizing with a scarf, hat, or purse, but this time I felt like wearing one color that I could sink into as long as it was well coordinated.
Emotionally the outfit made me feel calmer and more collected than I usually am on Wednesday, so I guess mood-wise it did the trick. So the next time I need to feel like the earth is steady beneath my feet I’ll choose brown again.
Caucasian woman I saw at Kaiser-Permanente Cadillac, taking photos and wearing a tight leather jacket, skinny jeans (cuffed), brown suede ankle boots and a cool short coif.
After reading Dress Your Best Life by Dawnn Karen I had the urge to find an LBD that really personified Coco Chanel in the 1930s. It didn’t matter that I loved the LBD’s I already owned, and how each one was different in its own way, I wanted one that was romantic, girly, and day to night.
Finally when I found a short-sleeved Max Studio LBD in a small marked down to under $50 at one of my favorite stores I knew I found the one I was searching for. Different than the Calvin Klein number I bought at Ross Dress For Less, the long maxi wool jumper and Basile avant-garde sheath I bought at Goodwill, the cotton wraparound I ordered online, and the 1960s drop-waisted vintage one I bought at Daniel Freeman Thrift Auxiliary, this lovely little frock practically begged for a flower choker or soft cardigan to complete it.
Initially, I thought the dress was too small for me, and it was too low cut, but since it was made out of stretch lace, it fit perfectly. Another good thing about it is it helps me overcome my bias against the color black. Texturally its beautiful silhouette prevents the strict traditionalism I was trying to avoid by flowing over my curves instead of jettisoning sharply across them. When I visualize Chanel during the 30s, I see a softness apparent in this dress’s overall design, that mirrors, what she was striving for during that era. For me, now I’d like to retain the same softness and expand the definition of the LBD as a go-to garment where dreams are as significant as style.
Sometimes when I’m in a new area of the city, I like to walk around and see what’s happening. During those solo jaunts I might notice a restaurant I’d like to try or a store that inspires me to shop or indulge in a new hobby. About a month ago I happened upon Anna’s Store at 2815 1/2 at 28th and Vernon, on my way to work, and became intrigued by its plethora of fabric, trims and yarns.
Since one of my New Year’s resolutions for 2024 is to learn how to sew better, I made a promise to myself to go in one day and check it out. After briefly talking to the store, manager, Joe, I found out they’ve been at this location for 15 years, do tailoring, alterations, and make curtain sets too.
Cozy, old-school, and intimate my mind swirled with ideas about things I could make with their off-white, Victorian-style trims, brightly colored, floral fabric, and red and green Christmas material.
Upon seeing their yarn and embroidery hoops, I also remembered my other resolutions to improve my hand needlework and learn how to knit and crochet. Inspired beyond words I remembered my long-held dream to create tote bags for women undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. I first came up with the idea at the Academy Of Art University when I was working on my MA for Fashion Journalism in my sustainable fashion class.
As a breast, cancer survivor myself, since 2015, I recalled how traumatic nine hours of chemo could be, and I always hoped there was a way to make it easier. One way I used was to always dress up and bring a tote bag, full of books, journals to write in, and fashion magazines to look at as a means of escape. Not only did this help me, it also made the process more bearable.
Although my totes are still in the planning stages, and I need to definitely improve my construction techniques before I design a prototype, the times I spent at Anna’s Store definitely helped motivate me to make my dream a reality soon.
Books read to Zombie at his Story Time or while waiting to catch the bus.
Drawings in a homemade sketchbook.
A journal entry from a diary I write in daily.
A coloring page from an adult coloring book.
A cardboard roll wall or table collage.
My cat Zombie.
A sweater and scarf by Uniqlo.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.—Jane Austen
The day I got my MA in Fashion Journalism from Academy Of Art University I had visions of taking my new knowledge and skills, and working, either at Vogue as an editor, teaching a series of personal style classes for the main stream at a community college, or writing, reliable fashion books for the consumer.
Unfortunately, these plans had to be placed on the back burner, momentarily, due to my mothers passing, and the increasing complications and obstacles caused by my SLE, lupus disability and constant exposure to COVID-19 on my day job in education for a major school district.
With the sadness of my mother’s death, unforeseen emotional, and financial difficulties also forced me to remain in education, despite its low pay, insufficient hours, and growing abusive treatment expressed by those adversely affected by their low-income status and Covid-19.
It didn’t matter that I was an alumni of this district, starting with the third grade and ending with my high school graduation, that I grew up mostly in the areas that I worked in or am an African-American, the “world of hate” I existed in then when I tried to give back to my community would’ve overwhelmed and destroyed me if I didn’t keep my perspective.
Of course I knew I was breaking stereotypical rules by succeeding in school and having the gall to write professionally, but I was unaware of how offensive it was to some until it was thrown in my face with such vitriol. All because I dared to break through and smash those outdated tropes to realize my vision.
One of the most obvious ways I did, this was by dressing very stylishly, in clothes and accessories that reminded me, and those I encountered, that I am a fashion journalist first who communicates sartorially and isn’t inferior to anyone despite the circumstances, and a regular employee second.
The other way, I did this was by ratcheting up the creative side I’d learned to cultivate at AAU by writing blogs, reviews and articles regularly, and becoming crafty by drawing, painting, and constructing collages that expressed who I am.
I even introduced introduced my art to the schools I’ve worked in during this tumultuous period. Now that I’m on the other side of the battle, I can honestly say it kept me sane and help me keep on keeping on.
Once when I was substituting as a Special Education Instructional Assistant for LAUSD at an elementary school, in my neighborhood, I had to intervene when a male student was ridiculing a female because she wore stripes every day.
Since I’m African-American, and so was this male student, I realized part of this backlash might be cultural so I took a scholarly approach, and told him that I love and wear stripes a lot too, and furthermore as a part part of the fashion industry as a fashion writer I’m joining my co-workers in the field with my devotion.
Predominantly associated with the Waspy preppy look and Ralph Lauren it can still be given an ethnic twist by designers like Stella Jean who often pairs striped button-downs with Brightly patterned skirts.
So whichever road you take to appreciating this timeless print remember to wear it with pride and with your own unique twist.
Definition of stripes: “A long narrow band or strip, typically of the same width throughout its length, different in color or texture from the surface on either side of it.“
