For me, fashion has really always been about personal style and a way of expressing myself and growing in confidence. Back when I started to develop my personal style I didn’t have a lot of confidence, so it’s not surprising that as I get more comfortable in my own skin my style has become both more repetitive and more outlandish. I mean, so many of my outfits lately have the same feeling and I love repeating clothes, but those outfits also toe the line towards a fairytale character. I've figured out what I like and I've learned to embrace it. If you were privy to my bookshelf growing up or observed the sheer volume of hours I spent escaping into fictional realms it wouldn’t be surprise to find that now I’m in love with long, flowing dresses and the occasional cape! I’ve often loved the aesthetics of capes by shied away from wearing them as they are so outlandish, but this year I feel much more confident dressing like a hobbit! So I was very excited when Nour & the Merchant sent me their Hazel cape in “robin hood” green (it also comes in the sweetest pumpkin shade and deep red-burgundy. This cape isn’t just a fun fashion statement, it is built for real warmth. The outside is a thick wool and the inside is lined with velvet, making it incredibly soft and warm to wear; a completely functional piece of outwear that will be keeping me cozy through these ripening autumn days.
The park beside our house is filling with autumnal color and it makes every walk with Solomon a wee bit more magical. There’s a scattering of gold birch and beech leaves underfoot and gathering crows in the golden fields. People often seem to think that loving fairytale stories and even fashion is a way to escape the realities of life, but rather I think of it as a way to realize how magical life is around us. There was a reason people used to think fairies walked in the woods—they were amazed and in awe of nature. We’ve lost much of that wonder, but I think if you can take a walk in the autumn woodlands and listen to the trees speaking to one another, or hear the caw of a clattering of jackdaws, you can recapture some of that sense of wonder. Life being a fairytale isn’t about life being perfect—after all fairytales are full of dragons and nefarious nymphs and fallen knights—it’s looking a life with all its flaws and fallacies and finding magic in the beauty that is all around us. Perhaps it’s also deciding on occasion to be your own hero, don a cape and take your pet wolf on a walk.
It’s wild to think that Solomon has only been with us for around a year now. It feels as if he has been a part of our life for much longer, but then I look at pictures from last autumn and see how small he was and almost feel sad that he grew so quickly! I was only able to carry him in my arms for a few months (he disliked walking down our front steps when we first got him, so we used to lift him down). Although he’s much larger now, he’s as sweet as ever; he doesn’t seem to know his own size when he tries to sit on my lap or jump up for a hug! I have been smacked in the face a few times by a flying paw! I still feel that he was the best decision we made last year and I hope we have many more autumns to explore with him.
CONVERSATION