the crop top

 Red is black.

                            – Rei Kawakubo

In a way, a long-sleeved crop top makes no sense….

Perhaps that is what I like so much about it?

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And what could be a more fitting companion than the high-waisted pencil skirt? I like the surprise of the midriff in the otherwise conservative silhouette, and the way the shape of the bared section shifts as the body moves.

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Is it me or do I look kind of…scary here? Maneaterish? Evidently this is how I look sometimes.

Express high waist midi pencil skirt*, crop top from Asos, Cole Haan pumps, dupatta/scarf (giftshop), Breil Milano watch (thrifted), Mulberry Roxanne handbag (thrifted).

*Exactly the kind of pencil skirt I’ve been looking for: friendly amount of stretch, above-the-navel, below-the-knee, hugging but not without structure, not clinging. I got it in gray, too.

This is my favored bag of the moment. It has that functional, built-to-last professorial look I often like paired with a traditional aesthetic that also feels luxurious. A bit of a fashion quest tracking it down, many patient months of unwavering preoccupation, searching and waiting, waiting and searching.

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the tuxedo stripe

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I like this military/tuxedo stripe, a simple detail that draws the eye. Also like the look of some black leggings I’ve seen where the stripe is in a contrasting fabric rather than color, invariably something leather-ish or shiny.

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Leggings from Express (thrifted), J Crew tee, vintage Levi’s belt, Zara scarf, Zara pumps (thrifted), python cuff (eBay), Coal wide-brimmed felted wool fedora. The earrings were a gift from my friend Farrin, who happens to have an exhibit of her art up in Cambridge throughout autumn. My piece is in the show.

And oh yes. This isn’t my hair.

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Looks pretty plausible, I think. Kind of weird if you know what my hair usually looks like, but not unnatural if I darken my eyebrows. Or, I don’t know. What do you think? I like it. Especially with the hat. It’s incredible how much it changes my appearance, at least to me. It’s nice, once in a while, to have a respite from looking like oneself.

I was looking for a wig for Halloween and things got out of hand. Wait ’til you see the others.

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p.s. Happy Halloween! I’ll show you my costume soon…