The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/23825
Fashion Dieting by Emily Popek Breaking the diet in the name of warmth I’m dreaming of springtime. I know I’m not the only one. Temper- atures dipping below zero and snow- storms that just keep coming have got us all pining for warmer weather. And as much as I enjoy gardening, sunbathing and other outdoor pur- suits, my interest in doing away with winter is largely sartorial. It’s just too hard to look fabulous when it’s 20 degrees below zero. I spent a very memorable winter in Chicago where, it seemed to me, most of the people had just quit trying to look good. The figures I passed on the sidewalks as I walked to work (20 long, cold, icy blocks) were swathed “I still find it hard to turn my back on style for practically half the year.” from head to toe in practical gar- ments. No frills, no fun. No fashion. Just sturdy, sensible clothes designed to do nothing more than keep you from freezing to death. I’ve been in upstate New York for almost 10 years now, but I still find it hard to turn my back on style for practically half the year. Needless to say, for the Fashion Di- eter, it’s even harder. I tried, when compiling my limited wardrobe, to marry form and func- tion, to create a collection of garments that would be easy to wear, comfort- able, stylish and seasonally appropri- ate. I failed. Emily Popek (above) is on the Fashion Diet, and has whittled her wardrobe down to a minimal number of pieces while she is living nomadically, waiting to move into her and her husband’s new house. Who knew I had so many three-quar- ter-sleeve tops? In the dead of winter, these seem useless. And I failed to fol- low one of the key commandments of the Fashion Diet: Wash-and-wear only, not dry-clean. I had optimistically imagined I would suddenly gain the ability to accessorize with scarves, jewelry and belts. But I tend to wear the same one or two scarves over and over again (they’re both white) while the other ones sit on the shelf. I can rarely be bothered to paw through my disor- ganized and tiny jewelry box, and as someone who spends most of her day on the phone, earrings often cramp my style. And after about a half a day of wearing a waist-cinching belt, I want to rip it off and throw it into the snow bank. So it was that, after a few weeks of literally freezing temperatures, I broke all the rules — my rules, the Fashion Diet rules —and bought a new coat. A winter coat. It is not stylish or attrac- tive at all. But it is practical. It is black. It is machine-washable. And it’s really, really warm. _ Emily Popek Jan. 27, 2011 O-Town Scene 9 Saturday, Feb. 12 2-4 p.m. Oneonta Laserderm, 41-45 Dietz St., Oneonta Exchange clothing and accessories with other stylish ladies at this Scene- and Oneonta Laserderm- sponsored event! Clothing not exchanged will be donated to a local charity. Scene Clothing Swap