The Queen Responds to the Royal Engagement
Even my favorite political website couldn’t resist the foot traffic, and begrudgingly posted a slide show of the newly engaged royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Like Pavlov’s dog, I clicked through each photo, eager to check out the new Princess. Will she be the next Diana, we wonder? The Guardian set up a live blog for the news, and it was there I read the Queen’s statement, which sounded like something my mother might say. “It has taken them a VERY long time.”
Dress Up by Eelus.
Sometimes It’s Okay to Fake It
In this lackluster economy, as the price of gold soars, it’s a perfect time to consider a fabulous fake. Over the weekend, at a 2-day trunk show in San Francisco, I got a crash course in all things vintage from a famous collector of costume jewelry. I struggled to keep my composure and cash, given the proximity to hundreds of glittering bracelets, pins and necklaces that were there to be flirted with. And then, I succumbed to a trio of engraved Victorian bangles. Fauxtastic.
When To Pack Basic Black
Barely nine months after relocating from San Francisco to L.A., I’d so forgotten the dress code, that I showed up for a Bay Area visit looking like a creamcicle. I wasn’t literally wearing orange, but my light khaki pants and white t-shirt screamed bridge and tunnel to the residents of this foggy, unpastelled city, and I was branded a tourist. Before moving, I hadn’t owned a shred of clothing that wasn’t black, brown or grey. OK, maybe a scarf. But down here, it’s different. It’s warm most of the time, and L.A.’s white-hot sun bleaches out color. Fuchsia reads neutral. As I pack for a weekend north, I’m not taking any chances. This time, I’m sticking to black.
UPDATE: Sign from SF shop: I only wear black because they haven’t invented a darker color.
Image: Marina Tavares
The Easy, Breezy, Single Life
There are times when being single makes me sad. And then there’s today, when a break from the drama of romantic relationships feels like unencumbered bliss.
Image: Torment, 2009 by Faile
Ouch! Back Pain
My chiropractor gave me strict instructions. No sitting at the computer.
Photograph: New York, 1980, by Francesca Woodman
Coping with Loss
On Sunday, an acquaintance of mine died of cancer. I hadn’t known that she was sick, so the news was shocking. 6 months ago, when I saw her last, she was laughing in her particular hearty way, looking radiantly healthy. How can a robust person be here one minute and gone the next? I’ve been cycling through some noble impulses – remembering to be grateful more, bitch less and not put important stuff on hold, all of which I forget, then kick myself to remember again. But I can’t stop wanting to know all the morbid details, as if somehow, they will make it seem more real.
Illustration: Wood Ghosts by Tom Gauld
When You Need a Lift
Woven into women’s underwear is a story of liberation and ingenuity. In 1913, getting dressed for a soirée, socialite Mary Phelps had a fashion emergency. She was eager to show off her new sheer gown with its plunging neckline, but her whalebone and steel-rod corset was poking through. With the help of a maid, two handkerchiefs and pink ribbon, Mary Phelps created a makeshift brassiere that was the sensation of the party. On November 3, 1914, Phelps received the first bra patent on record, which she eventually sold to the Warner Brothers Corset Company for $1500.
Image: Antique push-up bra on display in the Science Museum in London
Archive for November, 2010
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
