Code Pink sympto-maniacal

Wearing: elastic-waist polyester pants, fleece top, and baggy sweat socks under thrifted vintage kimono-style pink-patterned maxi "Loungewear" (label name) worn as an overjacket, and thrifted Miu Miu boots. So, yes, I did get the memo on pink and menopause. THANK YOU! I thought I was losing my mind, which would not be surprising as I have not cleaned out my belfry in ages and AGES.

I'm not knocking you if you DO in fact wear elastic-waist polyester pants, but one does feel so much more alive in pickled pink maxi Loungewear. Drinks, anyone? Meet me at the manhole cover.

I was curious about this "if you're menopausal-ish you start to wear pink" rule doing the blogger circuit, so I consulted the oracle, the Oxford Medical Dictionary of Physicality and Suchlike. I happened to be wearing my 3-D glasses at the time and there, under Menopausal-ish Symptoms, cleverly invisible to the naked eye, words started to materialize between the lines. Symptom 0.33(i): Irrepressible urge to wear pink. Of course! Then Symptom 1.52(c): Haphazard wearing of 3-D glasses. Then Symptom 3.7(gg): Spouting nonsense on your way to Nirvana (did not specify Cobain variety or Buddhal place).

I wore this symptomatic outfit on my inspiration walk today, flapping flamingo-like in the bracing morning breeze. Whap, whap, whap. Outta my way - there's a menopausal-ish woman coming through!! The kimono belt is lacking, which partially explains why this gem, luxuriously lined in silky healthy-gums pink, was only $20. Considering its pinkness is a soothing balm for the menopausal-ish mind, perhaps it is considered a medical aid and I could have paid with insurance. Nah, then the flap would be at the back.

The panoply of playful bold pink and patterned outfits in posts of late are clear indications that we're dealing with a contagion, spreading, oozing insidiously beyond age boundaries! I'm afraid there is no cure but time itself. Until then, brace, brace, brace in candy floss pink, cinderella-on-crack bubblegum, and Pepto-Bismol splendour. Show me how you suffer.

That's all.

Oh, I got a haircut. Next is colouring. I mean de-colouring.
Also, under this Loungewear I am wearing a warm camisole, a thrifted brown turtleneck, my skinny jeans, my Geisha socks, and a thrifted red maxi cardigan which you've seen in a hideous outfit in an earlier post. Gaaah.

Grey-haired bed-head worn as "rocker look"

I woke up. I rolled out of bed. I washed my face. And then I saw my hair. What glory! Why fight it? Why not EMBRACE it? So I did a little bit of Patti Smithing today (rocker chick) and wore my head direct from horizontal position to vertical position, with a slap of red lipstick to celebrate my successful directional change. I thought of putting Product in my hair, but that would mean my hair won!!

What to wear was not a big challenge. I knew I needed denim and my pickle-stabbers (pointy shoes), so for a little glammish ethnic rock on top I went for my Oriental-style jacket with the huge obi, last seen here. No beret - I daren't cover my rock head.

These shoes were made for walking. Really! I've included a close-up, next photo, so you can see what I mean - elastic top, like slippers, with killer kitten heels. I should have bought a dozen pairs, and the store had them in white too, which I curse not buying when I had the chance.

Details of this outfit:

• most gorgeous Oriental-style jacket, thrifted, $15
• ultra low-rise, button-closure Bardot jeans, $10 at sample sale
• lightweight long cotton button shirt to cover stop of said ultra low-rise jeans, thrifted, Value Village
• black vinyl bag, hand-me-over
• long-sleeved T under everything, Metallicus sample sale

I projected some 'tude on the sidewalk in a rather comic attempt to be rockin'. The pose below exemplifies my failure at cool. I tried turned-in toes here which many women seem to do for photos. Why don't men do this? Because it's really weird for one thing, that's why! But it made me feel very On Trend.

You can see the cords of the obi belt hanging down on both sides. I like those dangling bits. My hair is a bit deflated in these photos because I did this shoot after I came home, not before.

Channelling Patti Smith made me feel powerful and surly (with a grin), and if I could play electric guitar (which I would LOOVE to do, it's never too late I tell myself) you would have heard some pretty wicked Jimi Hendrix riffs - maybe I'd even have played with my teeth and behind my head, but not at the same time, that would be kind of hard. My bed-head here was far more spectacular I think, but more Devo than rock and I would have had to wear a flower-pot thing on my head.

How did you rock YOUR day, ladies?

Trousers, jacket, hat. Go!

I keep telling myself, it's just trousers and a jacket, but I had a hard time keeping this outfit in its proper place! The trousers are heavy linen with two big pleats (supposed to be there) but there is so much fabric (we're talking living-room drapes!) that they waffle wildly in the wind making walking a challenge. Add to that my 4.5-inch platform shoes and it takes all my biped skills not to fall over. The trousers are long so I need the heel but I also like the long line.

I had no idea of the impact this outfit until I saw the photos. The glasses really make this into something else entirely. I like it, but I think in a perfect world I would wear this jacket with a patterned pink circle skirt and a red crinoline. I have worn this piece once before with vintage ultra-wide-leg jeans and flats and it looked very different. When I am actually moving I think this outfit looks more real.

Details of the outfit:

• thrifted silk brocade Oriental-style jacket with wide obi-type belt (you can see the strings hanging down), $15
• linen ultra-wide-leg trousers, Totem, sample sale, $10
• D&G leather and wood shoes, thrifted at Value Village, $10
• felt "acorn" hat, Kyoto, Japan, new about 20 years ago, I've also had this hat called a Hersey's kiss, nice name

And a fun shot. The wall is keeping me up. This ensemble was really a challenge to wear but fun too. Hope you're all having fun in your closets today!

A bit spooky.