On My Mind: The Changing Of The Seasons

For most of my life, I've enjoyed just two seasons--hot and dry and cooler and wet. Now that I live in NYC, I enjoy all four (some more than others). Now that fall is upon us, I'm contemplative. The year's winding down. Only two months to go, but those two months are speedy.

Halloween is upon us (see Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven display above), signaling the beginning of the commercial holiday parade. Rockerfeller Center rink is already open. Soon, the city will be decked out for Christmas (I love the city in December--see above). The foliage is changing, and my life is too:

1. My closet has changed over. Summer clothes are in storage. Wool is now king.
   
2. Like the colors of my clothing, I feel grayer, darker and more insulated. I pat around the house in my sweats and yoga pants. Socks are back.
   
3. We eat more soups and oatmeal and stews. More beets and root vegetables, fewer good tomatoes or fruits.
   
4. The bed has a new look. On Sunday, we pulled out the down comforter and duvet.
   
5. Plants and flowers go into hibernation.We all know what's happened to Begonia.
   
6. My skin gets dryer. I've stocked up on moisturizer, face cream and night cream.
7. My hair looks better. Cold weather supposedly seals the hair cuticle. Keeps it tame.
   
8. Travel becomes more of an ordeal, so we tend to stay closer to home.
9. I get more productive. As they say, "summertime and the livin's easy..." Wintertime, and I spend less time enjoying the weather, more time making up for lost time.
10. I spend less time outdoors. It was nice for most of last week, but since the weekend, it's been cold! I think the real feel temperature on Sunday night was in the 30's.
    

The days are getting shorter and colder, and that usually means feeling less perky as the winter wears on. But guess what? I just bought a light box! Maybe I'll be able to trick my mind and body into thinking it's summer all year round. Will keep you posted on whether it works.

Stuff I've Learned: Sneakers Are a No-No

On Saturday, I went to Woodbury Commons Outlets with Miss Fashion, a friend who I would call a fashionista, except that suggest she's a snob about fashion and really, she's very nice. Not Devil Wears Prada at all...except for the wearing Prada part. In fact, she wore the above pictured 4-inch Prada heels all day on Saturday - and we were shopping from 9 am to 7 or 8 pm or so. I, myself, never leave the house in flats or running shoes, unless I'm doing actual running, but I figured, outlet stores, lots of walking, sensible shoes needed. So I wore these cute new ballet flats I have, but still by end of day, I had a bloody heal and my metatarsals felt like they were going to snap off. Suffice it to say, around 3 pm or so, I wished I had thwarted fashion and just worn sneakers. I envy Miss Fashion. As I limped back to the car with my loot on my flat feet, she was still strutting those Prada heels.

Which brings me to my point: it's hard work keeping up in NYC, much harder than in LA. Here, if you want to be a stylish Manhattan girl (I can't speak for the other boroughs), you've got to keep up! From what I've noticed, this means, well...

a> Not wearing athletic shoes of any kind when walking the city. Doing so runs the risk of being mistaken for a tourist. Being a Manhattan girl means suffering...that's what those bunion surgery ads on the subway are for.
b> Keeping up with the seasons...fashion seasons, that is. Even if you only buy a few key pieces a season, you must be informed...and ideally, you're informed a year ahead, from having stalked the designer collections hot off the Fashion Week runways on Style.com.
c> Middlebrow, alas, doesn't cut it. I'm not saying there's not a lot of girls walking around in BR, FCUK, and H&M, but let's face it, if you only shop at those stores, you're wardrobe is going to be a bit cookie-cutter. Don't tell me you've never seen some girl wearing the same BR dress as you! There's this immense pressure to step it up, to integrate a few "real" designer pieces into your wardrobe...that means dropping $300-1000 on a shift dress this season...so later, you can throw your H&M scarf around it and have people marvel at your resourcefulness. Don't believe me, check out the Sartorialist or Altamira.
d> Same goes for bags and accessories. You think they can't tell you're carrying a Canal Street LV knock-off, but they can. Other brands with no cache: Coach, Dooney & Burke, Kenneth Cole, anything you get at JC Penney's...
e> Even if you think the trend is ugly, seeing all the pretty girls wearing it warps your brain into thinking you want it too...e.g., Ugg boots, ponchos, flip flops, sack dresses in past seasons, and this season, floor-length floral muu-muu-style dresses

Yes, dear hearts, it's enough to break the bank and break your heart to think of even keeping up. This is why I'm beginning to think if you're not filthy rich, preternaturally spiritual or just blissfully ignorant, you're always going to be a bit dissatisfied living in the city...No matter how fabulous your wardrobe is, there's always next season, waiting to kick your ass. Enjoy the summer!