photos by vera pashkevich

 I immediately thought of Tory Burch's Spring/Summer 2013 collection when I picked up this royal blue wool skirt at a thrift store in Bremerton last month. It has the same "ethnic-inspired" aesthetic as some of the colorful, fringy pieces she showed on the runway in September.

Ethnic-inspired. What a term. I'm never quite sure how to describe clothes that kind of reference old-world Latin, Indian, Spanish, German or whatever kind of prints and fabrics. Cultural? Worldly? The fashion industry seems to have settled on "ethnic-inspired" as a one-size-fits-all term to refer to a collection that grabs bits and pieces from all over. Tory Burch's clothes were inspired by the wandering magpie who builds her wardrobe as she travels the globe. Sounds like fun to me.

Anyway, this is a typical Seattle outfit these days. Tights, chunky sweater, collared shirt and my trusty Robert Clergerie 'Wappy' oxfords, which underwent quite a bit of doctoring to ensure a perfect fit. I took them to the shoe repair store THREE TIMES for stretching and inserts. They've finally molded to my feet, but only with tight, thin socks and precise lacing.