Haute Couture

You can start laughing now.

If you're not laughing yet, realize that fashion is never a word that has belonged in the same sentence with my name. Maybe I would be at the height of it if I walked into a medieval castle, a Civil War ballroom, or a British tea party--but as for the fashions of today, I've been chronically clueless since I was old enough to dress myself.

That's not to say I don't like to look good in my clothes. Or that I don't have a sense of taste (however eclectic it may be). But I'd consider that more "personal style," a notion of what I like and what looks good on me, than an awareness of what Parisian designers are sending down the runways this season.

However, in the last few months, fashion hasn't been as far away from me as in the past. For one, my mom and I have been faithfully following a BBC show from the '90s, The House of Eliott, which follows a pair of sisters who start their own fashion house in 1920s London. Besides having a great story with compelling characters, the show's costumes are gogglingly gorgeous. And as I learn more about sewing and design, it helps me to better understand an industry that once seemed mysterious and ridiculous.

Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott, protagonists of  The House of Eliott

Last month I also went with my grandparents to a San Francisco museum exhibition of fashion by Jean Paul Gaultier in San Francisco. Though Gaultier is known as the enfant terrible of French fashion and I would never actually wear any of the outfits I saw on display, it was a fascinating glimpse into fashion as an art and science. The very name haute couture (French, of course) means "high sewing."

Gaultier fashions on mannequins with moving faces!

In addition to the costumes themselves (displayed on mannequins with moving faces!), there was a documentary tracking the last 48 hours leading up to a Gaultier fashion show. Backstage, away from all the paparazzi cameras and snobbish facial expressions, was a busy hive of incredibly talented seamstresses who specialized in turning one man's eye for whimsy into precise creations of stitches and sequins. Every garment for a fashion show is made completely by hand, some of them representing 200 man-hours or more.

A galleon headdress made entirely out of red beads

There's also an enormous amount of creativity involved. Again, while I didn't see any of the garments as really wearable for myself, conceptually I found them very interesting. Gaultier experimented with unexpected materials and combinations: artificial crocodile skin and crochet, knit and tulle, gold lame and seashells, leather and feathers, even human hair. He also chose themes for his fashion shows that tickled my fancy as a writer: mermaids, madonnas, even human body systems.

So, while you may never catch a glimpse of high fashion in my wardrobe, I have gained some respect for the field as a creative art and a highly skilled craft. I do prefer wearing my personal style, though. It's my humble opinion that people always look best wearing what suits them, rather than whatever happens to be trending at the moment.

And now I pass the fashion-commentary baton to those more qualified. For further reading, check out this mash-up:

Bear Ears: original knit designs and patterns
Cafes and Closets: vintage and gothic style blog
Adelle Gabrielson: shoe love
Fashion from Literature: modern-day outfits for literary characters
My Disney Fashion Dreams: Disney-character-inspired fashion collages

What are your thoughts on fashion, style, and haute couture? 

What Car Shopping Taught Me about Relationships

Here's an unusual factoid about me: I've never had a boyfriend. Yes, you heard me right, 5th-grade girls from summer camp. It IS possible to pass the age of 18 without hunting boys for sport. Promise.

But though I may not have much experience in the area of romantic relationships, it doesn't mean I don't know anything about them. Sometimes a 3rd-party perspective is the most credible, and I certainly have a degree of objectivity. So I'd like to share some things I've learned about relationships...from the process of buying a car.

Free image courtesy of stock.exchange

What do a car and a potential marriage partner have in common, you ask? One is a high-tech metal machine that takes you places, while the other is a human being, full of opinions and dreams, with whom you will spend the rest of your life learning to meld. But both cars and lifelong relationships are huge decisions. And most involved decision-making processes have things in common. So as I was learning about transmission fluid and PSI, the writer in me was noticing things that could be cross-applied.

So here are the results:

1. Don't start test-driving until you're actually in the market to buy. 

Though I'd saved enough money to buy a car long before this year, I decided not to start shopping until I knew I had the income to support it (insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.). Now I'm glad I did--because once I put my hands on Baby's wheel, I was so dazzled that it would have been hard to let go, even if I'd been financially unready for her. You kind of have to stay away from Craigslist entirely until you're ready for the possibility that you might buy a car. I think the same goes for dating and marriage. Yes, my dear 11-year-olds--I'm talking to you. Not in the market to buy, don't start shopping. 

2. Get plenty of advice from plenty of sources--especially some with credibility. 

From the adult friend who coached me on used-car salesmanship techniques to my cousin who listened for rattles in the engine to the fellow Corolla driver who proudly declared that the trunk was large enough to fit 2 bodies...I got lots of advice before making my decision. Almost everyone over 16 has a story about buying, or at least driving, a car. No one person has all the answers, but by talking to lots of people, I got a big picture of some do's and don'ts. Most helpful of all was the advice of my mechanic, a man who has made car health his profession for decades. When I got the go-ahead from him, I knew I could rest easy about buying this car. Similarly, when considering the possibility of a relationship, it seems sound to get all the input and advice you can, especially from those who are experienced judges of character. 

3. Know the flaws you're buying. 

One of the people I asked for advice told me, "When you buy a used car, you're buying somebody else's problems." Since I didn't want to end up stranded on a highway somewhere, from the moment I saw Baby, I started to look for what those problems might be. Sure, it made me feel like a cynic as I cranked all the knobs, pushed all the buttons, and  made sudden sharp turns, but I didn't want to rush into a purchase only to regret it later. Baby (even I will admit) isn't perfect, but her flaws are mostly minor and cosmetic. I can live with those things, knowing I can rely on her to take me places reliably and safely. Likewise, evaluating a potential mate thoroughly at first can help prevent breakdowns on the highway later.

4. Take time to make your decision. 

Since Baby used to be a rental car, the company let me rent her for the weekend to do an "extended test drive." Lesson learned: extended test drives are really, really good. I had time to discover Baby's strengths and weaknesses, imagine myself driving her everywhere, and sleep on the decision before entering negotiations. I loved not being rushed or put on the spot. And I've had almost no buyers' remorse. If taking time to make a wise decision is so important for a car that will last 8-10 years, how much more important is it for a marriage that will last a lifetime! 

5. Sometimes you do buy the first car you test-drive. 

People told me to expect to drive 10-12 used cars before finding "the one," and to be ready to walk away if a car wasn't right. I was ready to walk away. I honestly didn't expect to find the ideal car the first time I called about a Craigslist ad. But all my prerequisites were in place: I was in a position to buy, I had lots of advice, and thanks to the extended test drive, I had a pretty good idea of what flaws I was facing. So when the first car that zipped into my life turned out to be perfect for me, I was ready to make an offer. It felt weird that I hadn't experienced more options, but I know I would have been crazy to turn Baby down. Maybe it's not necessarily about how many people you date, but about being ready when the right one comes along.

Free image courtesy of Salvatore Vuono and Freedigitalphotos.net

First Rain

On Wednesday morning, September 5th, it rained.

All right, laugh, my friends in the Pacific Northwest. Here in California, it doesn't just rain all the time. It isn't something to be taken for granted. And not just if you work for the Water Department.

This morning's rain only lasted a few minutes, just barely wet the ground, but it was special. Have you ever really watched it rain before? It's magical.

It's the first silver puddles of the season.

It's dusty dribbles on Baby's windshield that make me glad I didn't wash her yesterday.

It's dark thunderheads gilded with bright edges by a sun that's there, but that you can't see.

It's sharp contrasts in the sky and wet asphalt on the ground.

It's a fine veil sewn all over with silver stitches.

It's an eager rustle, like the crinkle of a safe blanket coming up to your chin, like the whisper of a fairy godmother's skirts.

It's a soft, growing smell, a smell of motion and of rising, a halfway dusty smell, like the pages of an old book.

And it's a cool breeze blowing through your house, straight through open windows, sweeping away the stagnant heat of a long, hot summer. It's ushering in something new, an anticipation of what may be.

Fall is just around the corner! What do you look forward to about this new season?