When I was in San Francisco in September I saw a bright orange patent leather purse. It spoke to me from across the floor in a large department store. Well, truthfully it was so bright it was probably shouting at everyone, but I was the person who heard it that day.
Still I tried to resist its charms.
I left it on the shelf.
But, every day I thought about that purse. I thought about it while I was sewing. I thought about it while I was eating. Several times I thought I would just run down and buy it. But somehow the time never worked out quite right.
The day I was supposed to leave I was still thinking about it. I had about an hour between the time the store opened and the shuttle picked me up for the airport. Of course I bought it.
Then I feared I had lost it when the airline lost my luggage. I didn't.
I wore it Wednesday when I went in to NYC for a short jaunt where I had several errands I had to run, and a very short period of time in which to shop. I wore it with black and a particular scarf with which I had resumed a mild flirtation after several seasons of neglect:
Prior to finding that scarf I had been thinking that I needed some other shot of orange for my wardrobe, having forgotten the scarf. I don't need an orange outfit. I always envisioned the orange as an accent with other, for the most part more sober, colors.
I don't usually wear a lot of orange. Although my mother might remember a pair of bright orange leggings I wore in the 80's when they were fashionable.
Before I wore the scarf I was thinking I needed orange shoes. I could picture bright orange pumps peeking out from under a navy or black pantsuit. So I was rather focused on orange shoes. But I couldn't find any that were the right orange, or that were wearable. I actually found several pairs of orange pumps with 4 inch heels and even some with higher heels. I really can't wear 4 inch heels. Oh I can walk in them, but not for long, and I don't see the point to that. 5 inch heels? Well I wouldn't even consider it. I think I like to be in control of my shoes, not have my shoes be in control of me.
Besides I realized that I didn't need the orange heels. I have the scarf. I like the idea of carrying the orange color to some other piece of my outfit and the scarf worked well. The oranges are not the same, but they worked well together.
Instead of shoes I bought a pair of gloves:
They go with my brown coat. But notice the bit of piping on the gloves and how it picks up the color from the scarf if not the purse. I could wear this lovely scarf, which is silk and wool by the way with my brown coat and still have that bit of orange. And if the world really needs a spot of color I could still wear that orange purse.
So it looks like orange is going to be one of my themes for this fall, even it is only a shot of orange here and there. And these two or three items make a nice little bundle that can be used to spice up multiple outfits.
One of the last things I found, as I put things back into my closets was an old belt that I had picked up to go with a particular outfit for a particular occasion. It is not a particularly precious belt and it is cheaply made, far more cheaply made than the I felt the price warranted. The clasp broke almost immediately, but I always got compliments when I wore it and I still find the belt intriguing so I saved it. And now I think I need to finally repair this belt and use it again because I can see several ways to make use of it this season with clothes that already exist in my wardrobe (as opposed to that fabulous fantasy wardrobe that continues to evolve in my mind).
As you can see it too will go with the scarf but not the purse. It is actually probably more golden amber in color than orange, but it has enough orange in it that I can make it work with either oranges or ambers.
Isn't that strange? I bought the purse but the scarf that has been hanging around in my closet for several years is going to be the star of this year's show. I have found several accessory groupings that revolve around the scarf, and there are quite a few potential outfits. How fun.
And the purse, I love the purse. It will be used and loved. Some years it will be the star, and sometimes it will be muzzled and stored on the shelf.
And if I happen to run across the perfect pair of shiny orange patent pumps I might bring them home as well.
