Getting dressed is a volatile experience; sometimes it’s so easy you don’t even realize you’re doing it, while other times you might find yourself hunched over and frustrated, staring into a stockpile of stuff that makes you feel guilty about thinking that you have nothing to wear. On one such guilty morning, I observed the outfit evolution process — how the first thing I put on became another thing, which became another, which kept changing until I finally landed on an outfit that was completely different from the first one I put on. It’s cool how that happens, no? You start with a single idea of what you want to wear/say and, in the pile that accumulates next to your mirror over the course of the subsequent 15 (hectic-ass) minutes, that completely changes. Sometimes you can detect the change immediately while other times, you’re not even aware that it happened.
Last Monday, it started for me with a sweater and leggings (this is always the first thing I put on — sometimes just to hang out at home, other times to go out and get a coffee.)
But the sun was beating down my back through the window, which made me feel like surely I wouldn’t need tights. So I kept the socks, added a dress and changed out the sneakers for flats.
Then I realized I was being extremely impractical — we were looking at a daily high of 31 degrees Fahrenheit (the next day, eight inches of snow were expected). So I added a checkered jacket and pants.
But the dress was too short for this outfit — it didn’t look intentional enough — so I put on a longer shirtdress, and because now there was so much fabric, changed into a short (but still comfortable) heel.
The thing is, 31 degrees is cold! And I’m crazy about hygge, so maybe I need to wear a sweater over the shirtdress and take off the pants. But if I do that, I probably need a more structured, adult shoe — like a shin-length boot. Singular.
Nah, who am I kidding, that’s not my look. Oh! My zebra skirt, I am dying to wear my zebra skirt.
But this looks ridiculous, maybe pair with a striped turtleneck and MR loafers?
But that defeats the purpose of staying wa — HOW ABOUT LEOPARD-PRINT BOOTS! How many relics of the animal kingdom can I incorporate into a single outfit?
Still too cold. Need pants. This a good sweater over this turtleneck.
This works! Haven’t worn these boots since last winter, either. But wait, the checkered pants from earlier will catch the piping on this sweater really nicely.
I’ll just add some suede boots, a pair of sunglasses to catch the cuffs on my jacket sleeves and a green, satin clutch.
Perfect.
Photos by Leandra Medine.
