FRINGE BENEFITS

I landed so early from the red eye into NYC that my room at The Royalton wasn't ready yet.  So, off I wandered around Bryant Park, by the New York Public Library, taking morning photographs.  Shopping was not on my itinerary -- but there it was.  Zara.  Within my first 30 minutes in Manhattan, I did what I had vowed not to do.  Jet lag had obviously clouded my judgement.

Fringed Zara dress
My orange, rabbit fur scarf from Vail
(shot back in California)

I actually don't shop often, and generally prefer to treasure hunt in small boutiques.  But once or twice a year, usually when I am traveling, I allow myself a guilty peek at Zara or Mango or H&M.

Fringe runs from shoulder to hem
Zara dress

I guess this dress spoke to me.  If the fringe -- running from the shoulder down to the hem -- weren't enough, the psychedelic, electrocardiogram (ECG) stripes on the dress were sure to make my heart race!  (Years ago, my paternal grandmother gave me her turtleneck from the '60s with a very similar pattern.  I wish I could find it now.  I didn't know I was already dressing "vintage" back then as a teenager.)  Anyway, this energizing dress was exactly what I needed for a non-stop day in NYC.  That, and a double espresso.  I'd had only 3 hours' sleep and no breakfast yet.

Morning silhouettes, from Bryant Park
Chrysler Building in the background

The ECG dress took me from shooting in Bryant Park to meeting up with kin at the 9/11 Memorial downtown.  It got me back to midtown, through Times Square -- where I surprisingly encountered The Naked Cowboy --

The Naked Cowboy,
sharing his backside for tourist cameras in Times Square
I preferred this angle!

before heading down to the Village for dinner.  All grimy by now, I changed into a black dress (after testing the The Royalton's circular tub and spa bubbles!) because the night wasn't over.  It was off with my cousin to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for some contemporary dance.  I was so charmed by the crumbling, arsty interior of BAM's Harvey Theater, I couldn't resist quick snaps before the show began.  The theater is small and intimate.  You are practically onstage with the performers.

Brooklyn Academy of Music
Harvey Theater's beautifully crumbling interior

There, it was a joy to see the Belgian Compagnie Thor.  The company's emphasis on dancers from various backgrounds -- classical, contemporary, even capoiera -- distilled movement to their common denominator: Love of Dance.  It was such infectious dynamism, I wanted to join in!  Pumped up after the program (set to Bach's music), I was practically doing upper body isolations on the subway back to Union Square. Sometimes, you need to get ballerinas out of tutu mode!  My evening ended with some really good (decaf) espresso with my cousin, before we headed back, in a downpour, to our hotels.

Do you find that certain outfits give you a buzz or calm you down?

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P.S.  I was playing around with Blogger's new "Dynamic Views" but realized they were too confusing for readers (after a few comments from good blog friends!).  It also lost some of my settings in the side bar.  So, I have put it back now as best as possible.  Sorry for the inconvenience re: navigating the blog.