Random Thoughts

Gray is my favorite color. Kind of a strange thing, I know, but it's been a solid fact for quite a few years. Heffy, of course, also loves gray (he sees himself). I like it partially for it's versatility. Black goes well, but so does almost any color splash I choose to put with it. And I love the color splash. A red shirt, a paisley scarf, or a flashy necklace or pin. When I describe certain items we are going to sell, I have to keep in mind that most people do not share my devotion to gray. Silver does well. Gray does not. And I can't go into what I think one can do with it, so I work around it. But here, I can elaborate on what can be done with it-or any color, in fact.

Scarves have been around since the early Romans. Often they are functional: to keep one's hair from blowing or to keep precipitation at bay. The past century brought scarves into fashion, with the wonderful creations of Hermes and others who followed. Peter Max brought a whimsical artiness to his scarves, playful and bright. I think it was the boldness of the hippies that still comes out in me. Throw one on and color your life, I say. You can express your own statement rather than echoing the latest fashion trend. Whether it's a scarf or something else, make it your own. And be proud. And bold.

Several trends have emerged in jewelry this year,many of them hawking to a past era. Jewelry is another great way to add color and pizazz. J Crew is showing bangles of all sorts (o-o-o-o-oo '60's again!). Charm bracelets that hawk back to the '50's and '60's. Layers of jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, rings, pile it on. Why not do it all in vintage instead of doing retro copies? The originals are more unique, and will say you are too more than any reproduction. Go vintage! It's the real thing!