The Browse No. 8: Winter Absurdism
A winter browsing guide greatly influenced by 1963's "Charade", my father's fur hats and absurd winter fashion
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Of all the seasons, I think my dad had the most fun getting dressed in the winter. It’s the season where he pulled out all the stops and turned all the heads. While his base layer was usually a simple pair of sweatpants, a sweatshirt that probably said “Cleveland” on it and a fisherman’s vest (he enjoyed them because of all the pockets), on top he was a full-blown maximalist.
His winter uniform was as follows: a long, black wool coat that (in his words), was “Napoleanic” in nature. Paired with the coat, he would wear a sturdy pair of knee-high black leather boots that would’ve served him better in a winter battle than a casual walk to work. To top it off, he always donned one of his favorite fur hats.
I think it makes sense that extreme weather can bring out the extreme style in all of us. It invites a certain amount of absurdity that is welcomed and made normal. And I think we can choose to work against it or with it. What I love about winter fashion — the chunky coats, furry hats, the long boots and colorful gloves — is that the main source of inspiration is practical.
Take hats, for example. A hat may be something we tend to overlook during the “medium” weather seasons; the thought of adding a hat for no reason may make you feel like you’re “doing too much” or that the outfit simply does not demand it. But in the winter, it’s a necessary part of the uniform; some sort of headwear to keep your ears warm. And so, something that may have felt like chore as a kid before leaving for school, becomes a fun excuse to embelish your outfit.
“The worse the weather, the clearer the moments of absurdity became,” — from Bill Cunningham: On The Street.
While the weather may feel brutal and at times, dangerous — the way we get dressed in the cold welcomes a sort of unserious attitude at the same time. There’s something distinctly human about it; the image of us bundled up, wrapped up in layers — all because evolution didn’t give us the gift to grow a winter fur in the winter. And of course, when it comes to style, you can balance out the absurdity with the understated seamlessly.
No winter outfit balances the absurd and the chic better than the look worn by Audrey Hepburn in “Charade” — a 1960s murder mystery that mixes whimsy, comedy and a ton of amazing Givenchy. Before we even hear Regina (Hepburn’s character) say her first word, we see that she is a stylish woman that doesn’t take herself too seriously — even if she’s on the brink of divorce. She isn’t afraid to be playful or a bit absurd — which is communicated beautifully through her outfit. And as soon as she starts sending her little quips to Cary Grant’s character, her outfit fits even better.
What I love about this outfit too is how COMFORTABLE it is. You can tell that underneath all she’s wearing is some kind of layer of heated clothing, which matches her balaclava-esque hood. On top, a simple black fur hat that matches her cowel-neck fur sweater. Along with the sunglasses, she almost looks like a very chic alien beamed down from Venus.
My very lazy recreation:
My advice for dressing in the extreme winter is not to different to my advice on dressing in the extreme heat: focus on a comfortable base and work your way up. And when I say comfortable base, I mean clothing that truly feels like an extrension of your body. Start with what your physical self needs from a practical mindset and then layer from there. Then, the fun begins and the absurdity shines!
For your browsing listening:
MY BROWSING HISTORY
Funky fur hats
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