I saw a woman in her 20s the other day, wearing one of those knit winter hats that small children used to wear -- the kind that ties under the chin. Hers was a sort of dirty white, with panda eyes and a bulbous panda nose that jutted out over her forehead. WHY this woman was wearing headgear that my nine-year old niece would eschew as weird and babyish, I do not know. All I can tell you is that she was on the uptown 6 train reading At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks.
A woman in her early 30s with gelled hair was wearing navy blue suede knee boots, unflattering jeans and a leather jacket bearing a Chicago Bulls patch, and was reading The School on Heart's Content Road by Carolyn Chute.
I believe I saw Panda Woman yesterday morning on 9th Avenue. At least I hope that's the case, if not, there are two of them loose on the streets!!
Posted by: Martina | December 10, 2010 at 07:54 AM
Martina-- OMG! Surely there can only be one! As you can imagine, when I spied her and saw that she was reading, I absolutely HAD to sidle over to see the title of the book. Too good a visual not to share with my readers.
Posted by: Karen | December 10, 2010 at 08:46 AM
Her 6-year-old no doubt made off with her Prada winter cap & she had to make do. ;)
Posted by: Odette | December 11, 2010 at 06:47 PM
Hi Odette -- LOL! I'm sorta scared she's going to show up on the train next week sporting a Hello Kitty chapeau . . .
Posted by: Karen | December 11, 2010 at 09:35 PM
As long as she's not TALKING TO her panda hat, I think it's OK. I sort of enjoy people wearing weird things, provided it's not the tip of an insanity iceberg - it gives my imagination something to work with. ("Dirty white" sounds a little suspicious, though - weird things should at least be clean things.)
Posted by: Odette | December 12, 2010 at 11:46 PM
I hate to tell you this Karen, but that sort of hat has become weirdly fashionable on this side of the Atlantic with teens and early 20's as have woollen hats complete with ears and animal faces.
My 17 year old actually looks quite cute in her woollen owl hat but of course I have seen people who were old enough to know better (theoretically anyway)wearing them too which is not such a good look!
Posted by: Liz F | December 13, 2010 at 07:56 AM
Hi again Odette: No, she did not appear to be interacting with the panda hat . . . perhaps the next time I spot her she'll be offering it a sip of her Starbucks. Hope springs eternal.
Hi LizF! LOL -- well, I can't claim I'm au courant with teen/young adult fashion on either side of the Atlantic . . . this is the first time I'd spotted such a hat on someone older than five. Apparently, I have entered fogey-dom. (And if that exempts me from following the dictates of Panda Fashion, that's OK by me. LOL!) Thanks for stopping by.
Posted by: Karen | December 13, 2010 at 08:09 AM
I wonder if it's an import from Japanese anime-inspired fashion. Panda hats sound sort of "kawaii" & I remember reading about Comic Con filling NYC with kids in anime-inspired gear recently. (I'm sorry I missed that - I like street fashion spectacle :).)
Posted by: Odette | December 13, 2010 at 11:34 PM
Hi Odette: Hmmm. Anime. That's entirely likely; hadn't thought of that. Still: a panda head. LOL!
Posted by: Karen | December 14, 2010 at 07:44 AM