time out

last monday, i clocked in bright and early at eight for my first day of work. usually i'm all about trying to make a good impression with the help of a carefully crafted ensemble, but i opted for beat-up white canvas sneakers, gray cotton shorts, and an old t-shirt. to accessorize, i settled on sunglasses and lots of sunscreen. underdressed? not quite. as a day camp counselor, i couldn't have dressed more appropriately.

no matter what my job, internship, and/or travel plans are each summer, i always manage to find my way back to camp. it's located on my old high school campus, run by my former gym teacher, and staffed by alumni and current students, so workdays equate to something like a homecoming. best of all, i'm allowed to - expected to, even - essentially be a big kid for eight hours a day, five days a week. things have changed a bit since i was a little one, but for the most part, the childhood experience seems to have remained somewhat constant. for instance, if you fall down on the playground, you're allowed to cry your eyes out, even if it's more for your bruised ego than a real wound. trading snacks at lunchtime is customary. and during the summer months, you never, ever talk about the fall. that season isn't to be spoken of until the scent of fresh pencil shavings permeates the late summer air and school bells can be heard ringing in the distance.

and really, why would you want to talk about it? i'm certainly in no rush to return to a life of papers and exams, responsibilities and stress. my summers are a time for three r's of a different sort: relaxation, recovery, and reflection. still, there's something that keeps me and people like myself talking at length and ad nauseum about the upcoming season. haute couture and ready-to-wear shows, displaying the fall collections before spring has even sprung, keep the fashion-conscious abuzz for months with talk of autumn trends and the like. while the idea of a great coat has been known to get me going, i'm the type of girl who spends long winters yearning for the days when i'll be able to walk outside without one. i adore muggy city afternoons and searing sunlight, and i somehow feel like i'm squandering my precious summer days by daydreaming about fall fashion. not to mention that viewing and reviewing the collections for fall during spring and summer makes its realization feel a bit.. stale. it might be considered ancient history now, but what about lanvin's billowy brights? chanel's denim americana? by the time i'm ready to whip out tailored black pants or heavy necklace layering à la givenchy, i'll have already been dwelling on it for months. so what's a girl to do, especially now, during this "weird limbo phase between seasons where most of the designer pieces from spring are sold out, and fall collections have yet to hit stores"?


i've settled on talking the autumn talk without letting it get in the way of walking the summer walk. so, i'm just gonna throw out some potential plans for fall: ali mcgraw, ivy league chic, jet-black razored hair, skinny skinny shiny pants, heavy metal, blouses galore, leather and lace, bohemian rhapsody. just sayin'.

and now back to our regularly programmed summer fun.