The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/27337
Laygirl Fashion by Emily Popek Be fearless with fashion There are a lot of reasons why ordinary mortals don’t dress like fashion models. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, we aren’t built like them. Much as designers may strive for diversity among their models, the pretty young things that strut down catwalks are virtually all taller and thin- ner than your average gal. Then there’s the financial factor. Haute couture doesn’t come cheap; even designers you’ve never heard of can get hundreds of thousands of dollars for their sartorial creations. I don’t know about you, but I prefer to spend less on clothes each month than I do on food or rent. But even if we were all slender goddesses whose pockets were dripping with dough, I’m willing to bet we still wouldn’t dress like fashion models. What’s holding us back, quite simply, is fear. On a good day, I imagine that my fashion sense is creative and bold. On even the worst day _ the day when I wake up late, can’t find matching socks and there’s no hot water for a shower _ I try to make sure I’m not boring. But even if we were all slender goddesses whose pockets were dripping with dough, I’m willing to bet we still wouldn’t dress like fashion models. But even my most daring, inventive and fashion-forward ensembles pale in comparison with the crazy, idiosyncratic indi- viduals that StyleCaster recently deemed the “50 Most Stylish New Yorkers.” I was captivated by how unexpected and personal each of the 50 looks showcased in the slideshow really were. (Go to http://tinyurl. com/6g8hcoh to take it all in.) There is Marina Munoz, a stylist whose Western-tinged outfit sounds simple enough (jeans, a button-down shirt, scarf and a wide-brimmed hat), but is somehow more graceful and chic than the sum of its parts. There is Jenne Lombardo, who strongly resembles the character Em- ily Valentine from (the original) “Beverly Hills, 90210.” She sports a dizzying array of clothing, including pants, at least two skirts, a jean jacket and a leather vest. One side of her head has lines shaved into it a la MC Hammer; the other side is tawny and flowing down to her shoulder. All 50 of these people, as diverse as their appearances are, seem to be saying the same thing: I am unafraid. I am unapologetic. I am an individual. Of course, some of them also seem to be saying, “I’m wearing a diaper,” or “I’ve worn my bathrobe to work.” But as fun as it is to sneer and poke fun at outrageous fash- ion, it is much more exciting to embrace it, to revel in it, and to be inspired by it. We should all be as fearless as these 50 stylish New Yorkers, and allow our wardrobes to tell people who were are, not just where we shop. Emily F. Popek once shaved half her head, back when she was a fearless teen. Today she is assistant editor at The Daily Star. March 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 5 A Single Dad by Raul O’Toole Kindergarten is terrifying I have no doubt that Little Raul will take to kindergarten like a fish to water when he begins in the fall. It’s me that I’m worried about. Having squeezed myself into a tiny chair for an hour-long “orientation” recently, I came away convinced that going to “big kid school” is going to rock my kid’s world. He’s going to love the sight words and pattern blocks, and he’s going to wow them with his sharing ability. Little Raul loves nothing more than a new experi- ence, but it’s all kind of blowing my mind. For starters, how is it even remotely possible that my son is 5 years old? I’ve been working hard at this parent- ing gig, and he’s been working hard at growing up, but still … 5? Just when I began to wrap my head around that one, I went to kindergarten orientation. Can you guess who was leading that ef- fort? Kids I went to kindergarten with, that’s who! So add “holy smokes, I’ve grown up, too” to the confusion that is the “going to school” experience. I suppose this is a glimpse of what I have to look forward to in another 12 or 13 years, when I send him off into the world. I suppose I ought to start getting used to this sort of stuff, but dammit, I don’t wanna! As much as I’m looking forward to help- ing him with spelling tests, practicing his changeup and helping him decide which instrument to attempt, I can’t seem to shake As much as I’m looking forward to helping him with spelling tests, practicing his changeup and helping him decide which instrument to attempt, I can’t seem to shake the ‘don’t take my baby away’ feeling. the “don’t take my baby away” feeling. I don’t like this about myself. Rationally, I understand that if I’m doing my job properly, my son is growing up. He’s maturing, exploring, getting out and doing. Believe me, I’ve long scoffed at the helicopter parent who clutches their child tightly, refuses to believe that time marches on and inevitably shelters the tyke to the point of suffocation. They’re all around us, impinging on social and intellectual development well into the college years. I still scoff at them, but now I understand a little better. In a transient world where headlines, heartaches and heroes are but a TV news cycle away from irrelevance, we cling to what brings us joy. We hold tightly to those who shelter us from the storm of our own making, who remind us of the little wonders in every day, whose excitement over small discoveries rivals the moon landing. We have trouble letting go of the reminders of the pure joy of imagination, but we must. Time passes; time marches on. Our children grow, and our solemn duty is to prepare them as best we can to leave us behind. It must be one of nature’s cruelest jokes; it is certainly one of her most elemental. My part in this great tragedy is, I believe, to instill as much appreciation for the comedy of this weird life as I can. If I can but prepare him to laugh in the face of dogma, greed, failure and hatred, I will have done my part _ kindergarten be damned. Raul O’Toole is a single dad raising a child in the Oneonta area. E-mail messages sent to editor@otownscene.com will be forwarded to him. Have an idea for a column? E-mail Cassandra at editor@otownscene.com