An old friend shared with me the awful news of his favorite cafe’s closing and I thought about it and wondered about his memories of that place. Perhaps he was friends with everyone who worked there; I can imagine him going in to celebrate an inspiration——he is an artist——Or just to to hang out in a home away from home. I wrote back to try to cheer him up and express my understanding for his situation, and told him about my attachment to my clothes and how difficult it is for me to part with them. This experience inspired me to share here some of the stories of the pieces I have on in this outfit.

This is one of my favorite hats partly because it is a gift from India, my best friend. In a conversation once, I told her how badly I wanted one of these hats and although she told me where to find them, I never went to get one. On my birthday, she gave me this gold one. It therefore marks a precious time in my life when someone went out of their way for me. It brings to mind that theory that when someone cares about you, your happiness means something to them. The Pompoms are detachable. They are my Kokomlemle Pompoms for Mawusi, inspired by my childhood. They have sold out but I kept this one for myself. The jacket is older than this blog, it is about five or six years old. And the bag is a first sample from my SS15 collection.

Last December I had a couple of pop-up markets and also some balls of yarn that I wanted to make a Christmas gift with. So at the markets, I knitted away when things were slow. It was a great conversation starter and a validation of my claim that my products are handmade by me.  I finished this triangle scarf in good time and it was an immense source of comfort and warmth during the super cold winter. Because it is very versatile,  I wear it as a shawl in place of a sweater when it is not too cold. Now, you know my Happy Koryo bracelet, I wear them pretty often and I feel naked without any. They are named after my Nana and have a really good story behind them.

My shirt was found in the men’s section! But the xxs size was a perfect fit and because I love the orange gingham print I had to get it. It was on a ridiculous sale, about ten dollars or less.  It came with a collar which was too rigid so I cut it off and hemmed it.  The oversized pants, I have had for over two years and was perplexed about what to do with them. They were too long and I did not want to cut them because they are my most expensive pants. I also did not want to wear heels with them since I find high-heels painful. I finally came up with a creative way of hemming them without any cutting, then wore them to do the groceries which felt awesome. This is my second time wearing them.

The Dunes Necklace is by the beautiful and cool Izaskun, a local jewelry designer based in Brooklyn. They are loads of fun and I have been wearing them a lot. Love the simplicity of the design. She will be at Sugar Hill Market, where I got my necklace, this Sunday so stop by if you are in the city. I will be there too. So do come find me if you make it.

Yes, I have very big buttocks. We have come a long way. I used to hate them, then one day I noticed where I got them from, Mother! So now we are friends.  Let’s finish with the oxfords. They are my first pair as I am really picky with shoes; I only buy beautiful (and often colorful) shoes that are super comfortable, well-made (I feed my shoes to the pavement), and not too pricey (I am poor). This pair checked all the boxes. They have appeared here once already and have accompanied me to many interesting places, the most recent was a job interview.

Cheers!

Jane

Kokomlemle Pompoms (Sold Out) – Mawusi

Dunes Necklace – Izaskun 

Yellow Hat – Gift

Scarf – Made it!

Coat – H&M

Bag – Made it!

Bracelet – Mawusi

Oxfords – Marshalls

Gingam  Shirt – Club Monaco

Pants – Marc Jacobs (via Marshalls)