It’s warm in New York.  When this happens, don’t get too excited.  Brace for rain!  Remember that pink monstrosity of a rain jacket I wore a few outfit posts ago?  It’s up for sale now.  Meet its replacement.  I took a bit of a gamble on this Patagonia “fisherman” jacket, and it paid off.  I love it!  It’s both small and oversize at the same time and has that tomboyishness that I love.  The length is what makes this jacket work.  Maybe fishermen need their jackets to be short?

And maybe I was drawn to this jacket because I used to go fishing with my parents.  They were raised to fish (like all coastal people in Vietnam).  And I was raised on fish– I ate fish for dinner almost every night growing up even though I was born and raised in LA.  Much of my mind and body has literally been made out of fish.   But anyway, it’s waterproof and light, making for a good “light spring (rain) jacket”.

My favorite thing about this LS(R)J: the two huge pockets in the front and the two hidden ones behind it.  Another neat feature: the hood has a hidden lining that conforms to the shape of your head to ensure a good water tight seal and prevent the crazy NYC wind tunnels from blowing the hood down.

I used to think that I needed “nice” rain outerwear, but honestly, when it’s raining, I’m in such a bad mood; I really don’t care how frumpy I look.  This will replace my long formal rain coat too.  I never wear it and kept it just in case one day (red flag words), it was raining and I had to look professional that day.  Uhh, that actually never happens.  One in.  Two out.  *yay* for a wardrobe net negative.

As you might already know, I like utilitarian touches on my clothes, (exhibit A, above).  Apparently, this is “trending” now and the cool kids are starting to wear workwear brands like Carhartt, which I hadn’t ever heard of until I read this critical article about it.  Maybe the trend has something to do with nostalgia for manufacturing jobs and/or the Left trying not to appear to be the very thing middle-America accuses them of being–out of touch elitists. Here’s a less cynical explanation:  millennials just can’t shop as much anymore; there are no jobs, student loans are crushing hopes and dreams, rent is too damn high.  They want clothing that’s simple, classic, and durable in a price range they can afford.  And they can trust old fashion workwear brands to deliver on those values.

[outfit:  patagonia fisherman jacket, eileen fisher linen top, everlane shorts, stuart weitzman flats]