Clothes for Wearing: Lady in Red
notes on a really good outfit
She was wearing a whole lot of red when I saw her. My iced black coffee was half full and I remember thinking I should take notes. Pretty sure I scrambled to find a pen. Her smooth leather skirt extended straight down from her waist, the hem brushing the tops of her calves as she walked. The colour was reminiscent of the fabled perfect red lipstick - not too orange, not too pink and rich but never bright. I recall a small split at the back, a necessary detail on such straight skirts for ease of movement. This was a skirt for living in. For presenting in board meetings, for stepping off the pavement to flag down a taxi, for climbing the six flights of stairs in your building when the lift is inevitably out of order. And to look good doing it.
She wore a fine knit, potentially cashmere, knit jumper with a slight v neck. Super plain in shape but bright in its shade of red. A little brighter than the skirt. More scarlet. It had been folded under itself at the waist to expose the skirt’s gold belt buckle. The gold wasn’t cheap, but well-loved and worn well without excessive shine. It was subtle enough that I noticed all of the red before a hint of gold had made itself known. What stood out the most was how well the clothes fit. There was no clinging, no too-short hems or too-long sleeves, the latter of which I am all too familiar with as a well versed sleeve folder. Her jumper sleeves stopped at her wrists. Her skirt started where her jumper ended, and ending itself at a slim overlap of leather brushing past the top of her black patent leather croc-detail boots that sat just under her knees.
The boots were immaculate. With a small block heel that meant they were still close enough to the ground to avoid adjusting an innate walking style. The heel provided a clicking sound that made her presence known to fellow coffee shop goers, as well as herself. They sounded well-made. And expensive. But grounded in their purpose as a shoe - to get her from A to B. Though now that I think about it, it’s very possible that she was taking taxis in an effort to maintain an outfit as good as this. Sometimes that’s the secret to a really good outfit. Preservation at any cost. And taxis.
I remember thinking that the black and red combination didn’t feel too bold or intense. It made perfect sense. The black boots complimented her jet black hair, sleek to perfection - further proof of the taxi theory - and the reds met in the middle with subtle gradient. This is the part where I tell you I do not have a photo of this outfit and you have to go back and re-read relying only on imagination. I’m doing you a favour. So much visual stimulation is available to us now, we could probably do with a bit more imagination. But here are the notes:
I don’t find myself enthralled by sartorial efforts in this city very often. It’s not that anyone dresses badly per se. It’s more so that there’s rarely a notable fashion moment that catches my eye. Style is subjective, of course, and I don’t live in a fashion capital so there are no expectations of regular enthralment by clothes. But that makes for moments like the lady in red. Clothing becomes more about utility, uniform and function when a city is simply a location in which we work, rent and sleep. Fashion capitals entail such things too but with added performance. They’re more aware of their status, possessing an expectation that dwellers will uphold such reputation. Or maybe just those with more time to care and less time at work. That said, you can care about what you wear and how late you might risk being for work if you hit snooze one more time. I, myself, have been late for work because I couldn’t decide what to wear. (If my boss is reading this, it was only five minutes I promise.) But in this moment the woman adorned in crimson was neither confused about her wardrobe nor concerned with matters of punctuality. She was simply getting coffee with her equally well-dressed family. An icon of the everyday aspirational.
for those who just really need a visual element…
Thanks for reading as always.
See you soon, I hope.