It's Not Halloween
There's something so chic about a scarf turban.
I can't quite put my finger on why I feel this way-- maybe a there is something crown-like about it, or perhaps it seems exotic, either way, whenever I wrap my head up, I feel pretty fancy.
Out of all the things I wear, hair scarves are the thing that garner the most whispers and curiosity. I've heard small children ask their parents if I have cancer and full grown adults make Aunt Jemima and other non-PC racial jokes.
Still, though, I wear my scarves and try to feel good about doing it.
I like how it looks and it's a great way to give my hair a break from the elements.
Lately, I'm finding that pairing the scarf with some chunky earrings, glasses, well-defined brows, and a bold lip, seem to elevate the look from frumpy housewife to something more in the ballpark of high fashion (not that I'm actually ever in that ballpark).
When I wore these earrings with my 70s sweater outfit, I realized just how funky they'd look with a scarf and, to my delight, I wasn't wrong.
There have been many versions of this outfit over the course of a week. It started off purely monochromatic, black and white striped top, black leather jacket, black skirt, tights, and boots. It wasn't until the next revision that I added some color with the earrings and sweater, and it wasn't until the final version, where I swapped the crocheted collar (seen here) for a fringe one (not pictured), that I realized all this orange and black looked a little too much like Halloween.
It's not Halloween, but I like the combination anyway.
In its first incarnation, I wore this outfit to the movies, where I took myself to see the highly acclaimed La La Land and then proceeded to sob like a baby as the credits rolled.
While the film itself was beautiful and heartbreaking all on its own, there was something about it that was like watching a bit of my own life on screen. Now, I've never aspired to be an actress or a musician for that matter but there was something that really resonated with me.
Looking back on the last (nearly) thirty years I realize that I've never aspired to do much. After deciding I wasn't cut out to be a veterinarian at the tender age of eight, no other dreams rushed in to take the place of "Randi DVM." Still, though, dreamless as I've nearly always been, there was always this bubble of hope for the future. Hope that some unseen dream or aspiration would arise and be fulfilled, that I would be called to something and find great success.
La La Land takes place in that bubble of hope-- where the air is electric with possibility and anything can happen. Things are bright and beautiful and, though doors everywhere are closing, there is always hope-- almost a naive knowledge that eventually the right one will open for you and, in the film at least, it does.
Seeing that all played out on screen made me realize that my own hope bubble is now in my rear view. I'm not sure when I left the bubble, but it's a bit bleak and monotonous on the other side. Sigh.
As gorgeous a film as La La Land was, I feel perhaps it should have come with an existential crisis warning. I suppose, though, that not everyone is quite the introspectionist that I am-- perhaps introspection is the calling I've been looking for all along.
Ha.
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| Scarf-- thrifted Specs-- "Cats Meow," Vint & York Earring-- thrifted Bracelet and ring-- gift Sweater-- thrifted (posted almost a year ago here) Striped top-- thrifted (I need to find another top like this!) Crochet collar-- gift Belt-- thrifted Skirt-- Land's End, thrifted Tights-- Angelina via Amazon Boots-- Clarks |
