Spring Me

There's something to the power of imagination to make day-to-day life a little more delightful. I think I used to live in the world of make-believe a lot more than a do now. I even had a pretend friend in eighth grade, a time when I really needed one. Then my acne was so unbelievably bad I was so incredibly insecure. I don't even remember the name of this pal, which makes me believe that this being wasn't very helpful. Real amigas are better. I also used to read a lot more books then, now I occasionally read novels, and more often waste my reading skills on magazines and the Internet, and all that nearly drains all "let's pretend" ability.

In returning to the world of the not-so-real, I've started drawing again to see if that doesn't stanch the loss of this most important skill. See the above? That's the spring version of Me. It's the gal whose legs and underarms are shaved and she's even in pretty good shape after spending a whole Winter consuming Cuban black bean soup and Doritos, among other things. I dissect this picture from top to bottom just as I did in yesterday's post. It's a good way to distract me from the good draft currently in my office.
1. The hair. This is the Katie Holmes haircut, the bebanged-bob that Tom Cruise's wife-of-the-moment wears. I like the girlyness of this cut, the fringe of hair above the eye is great for hiding pimples, lines, even eyebrows. My bangs don't seem to be quite as thick as Mrs. Cruise's, but I try, fighting the cowlick that wants so badly to to divide my hair follicles like olive oil and Lake Michigan water. Still I persist with my hair dryer, a brush, and some gel. This cut is superb for spring breezes, but a killer on the neck in the current wintry climate. But I'm talking about spring, right? Forget about the cold and snow.
2. The coat. I know it looks like a dress, but it's not. Although it could handily pass for one, the skirt is so full. No, this is pattern no. 117 from Burda World of Fashion, the February edition, which at least one person has recreated so well. I especially like the shirring detail at the waist. They've got four rows of smocking, I've only three in my drawing, because I just couldn't sneak in another row. And the raglan sleeves! These are perfect for me with my small shoulders. You can't see the top-stitching detail on my girl's sleeves, but there are rows upon rows of stitches, just like at the hem. The abovementioned sewist made her coat in a glowing midnight-blue taffeta. I'm not sure how I'd do mine, if I ever get around to making it. A grassy green dupioni silk would be beautiful even if it does fade after a couple of outings.
3. The shoes. I show pumps, but really I'm a wedgies, peep-toe kind of gal. If you're going to go for height and you need some room for your big toes, this is really the only stylish way to go. But I definitely don't see boots or flats with this coat. Why hide the legs on an outfit meant to show them off? No pants or shorts either. Only a dress or a skirt will do. The only thing I might add is a soft silky scarf at the neck.