Outfits

Click on 'Clothing' in the menu underneath Porfolio to see all the clothing that I have made.  This section is super rough draft and I am going to slowly put my outfits here which consist of me mating together the individual pieces described in the main Clothing section. 

The Lifejacket outfit

I originally brainstormed this outfit when I saw either a police officer or someone from the military wearing a bulletproof vest.  They had their hands tucked into their sides and I liked that posture.  Years later, I bought a life vest to recreate that posture and feeling. It has become one of my favorite recent articles of clothing. The life vest provides a similar feeling of safety and security as a weighted blanket. It reminds me of my children (my two rats) who felt most secure when they were wrapped either in my arms or inside a blanket.

While I enjoy tucking my hands into the sides, I really relish the posture of grasping the upper parts of the life jacket which ambiently activates my forearms, shoulders and biceps. The lifejacket also pays homage to the style of older Indian men who can often be seen wearing vests. I really like the red color and I have paired it with orange chaps that I purchased when I got my chainsaw.  The chaps give me a rugged look and because I haven't strapped them in, they also give a western cowboy look.  I have never worn the chaps as a fashion accessory until now.  I found these beautiful sunglasses, that remind me of the eyes of insects, in my attic and must be atleast 40 years old from the previous owners.  Finally, I am wearing hiking boots to further convey the rugged look. 

The Life Jacket + Suit Outfit

I don't often wear a three piece suit but when I do it is for a second exploration of the versatility of the life vest.  In many ways, formal wear, which is not only accepted but often denotes respect, is ridiculous (such as the shoulder pads in suits).  Here, I add another layer of ridiculousness by wearing padded life vest.  I think it looks really great and will wear this around. 

The suit-jacket is what I used to wear when I played the clarinet during band concerts in high school.  The fancy pants were gifted to me when I was in India.   I inherited the shirt from my younger brother's discarded cloths. The tie was gifted to me at David and Joy's wedding. The sunglasses I found in the Grand Canyon. The shiny boots are jungle boots that I was given during Officer Candidate School for the Marines.

Everything article of clothing in this outfit has meaning and therefore represents my identity. Additionally, the theme of ridiculousness is highlighted by the suit jacket which has useless shoulder pads but is considered to be what respectable and intelligent people wear.  On the other hand, the life vest seems ridiculous however the pads inside of it actually have a functional use. 

The Annaprashan Outfit

Aneil Strÿcker Trips and I twin-ed in this picture. I am wearing a pink kurtha that I designed and my aunt made from an old sari. On my left wrist I wear my pink watch.  Building on the idea of variations on the theme of pink, I wear a reddish gamcha from India on my neck and hold a red shawl my mother bought in India for me. Hard to see, I wear a golden necklace with a heart locket that my mother bought in India and gifted to me when I was in middle school (it was my grandmother's desire that I have such a necklace). I also wear a dhoti and flipflops from India.  On my face, I wear a classic indian moustach.  To contrast with the theme of India,  I wear a pink unicorn headband that I bought in Berlin.  This headband adds a childish magic to my outfit and fits with the theme of the day which was an Annaprashan (a ceremony to mark the first grain an infant eats) that my Mother officiated. 

Aneil wore a fab India Kurta shirt bought by his aunt, a dhoti from his grandfather, Raakhis from his sisters, gold necklace from his grandmother.