Day eleven: Proof that this is a science of fractions and increments.

 

We have five cats but Minnie is the only aspiring model. She always has to be in on the action. Everyone else is like "whatever" unless it's time to eat or crowd us out of bed. 

This combination of item #22 (black boiled wool jacket) item #28 (black almost mock turtleneck) and item #30 ('skinny' jeans) prioritized warmth over flattery for the farmers' market. I wore a dress last week and I was very cold. Cold enough to not really enjoy myself. I will say this for jeans: they are warmer than many other options. Not really a ringing endorsement but there you have it.

The black 'almost mock turtleneck' is the proof mentioned in the title of this post. I don't find turtlenecks or mock turtlenecks flattering. I've got a weak chin which, combined with forward head carriage and admittedly poor posture, results in the appearance of multiple chins if I'm not careful to keep my head up constantly. And, let's face it- I'm not careful to keep my head up constantly. So I avoid turtlenecks and their ilk to keep from exacerbating this effect. Yet this sweater, with it's wrapped V-neck, is essentially a mock turtleneck with a half an inch wide notch cut out of it, and I love it. The slight diagonal lines make all the difference in the world as far as neck flattery is concerned. It's a science really, negotiating these these tiny increments that make a huge difference: hem lengths, amount of fullness, the placement of a pocket or seam. And fractions of an inch can make such a difference.

Far from being tedious, I find studying these incremental adjustments incredibly fascinating. And sort of empowering. Not in a grand political way- I just feel a bit more like I've got a handle on things when I feel like I've got this getting dressed thing down. Being able to identify why something works or it doesn't makes me confident that I'm developing a proficiency in personal style. I mean, I have to get myself dressed practically every day so is it wrong for me to want to be pretty good at it? I think not.

I'm linking to Hat Attack over at Style Crone so I'd better include some hat details. From San Francisco Milliner Deanna Gibbons, the style is called Froggy. (I've no idea why) Deanna is one of my favorite milliners. The feather beret I have on in my profile picture is one of hers too. Her hats just capture the perfect combination of everything I want in a hat (in any garment, actually) by managing to be both modern and a bit retro at the same time. They're often whimsical and always striking. The proportions of her hats seem to work well with my small head and features and they're very easy to wear. That last quality is something sort of indefinable. I love hats and I wear lots of them and some take work to wear and some are very easy. It's something that is not obvious in the trying on stage, you only discover it in the wearing. For me Deanna's hats are always easy- I can put them on and forget about them until the compliments start rolling in.