Nail Color For the Days of Awe

Essie's "Loophole" (with moderate chipping)












I suppose one could go about this many ways. There are those who, admirably and age-appropriately, live with permanent nail uniforms (be they red or ivory), not to be shifted on account of any old tea-dance, trend, holy day. For the young (or young-at-heart) and changeable, I think a snazzy/garish set of neon or primary digits is a no no--not only because they reek of non-atonement, but also because summer is ovahh.

Yom Kippur is a day of 'decking' with heels and hair-sheen, a girl's luxe but sober autumnal best. I fully intended to get a manicure today, a flat beige or a russet or a forest green (the colors I'll be opting for all season). But as lunch left me with less and less cash, I found last week's 90's redux-obvious (yet handsome) silver paintjob, about 30% chipped away, looked just right--ragged, full of yesterday's intentions. And the name of the varnish is just too too hilariously correct for the occasion!

What About Style?

Cruel edict.

I spent more than that on parfum yesterday.
And meals?....
Flowers?...
Everything she's wearing in this picture.
Her hair!

This reminds me of the time a girl I went to high school with, aged 14--let's call her January--made a titty-f***ing picturette with her boyfriend, a junior or senior just recently turned 18--let's call him Slater. Unbeknownst to January, Slater screened the venture for all of his dormmates. Eventually, the house-counselor got wind of it and then the cluster dean and some other deans and on and on. Technically, it was a matter of child pornography. Slater was sent home straight away, directed to be grateful (for not going to jail). And January, though not expelled or suspended, was subject to a bizarre series of strictures, all effective until her far-future graduation. Por ejemplo: she was banned from ever having a member of the opposite sex in her bedroom (a thing possible for all other students with house counselor approval). It was a god damn scarlet letter, an almost unbelievable, bitter, pointed sentence. January was quite a cool, resilient girl, and her parents were not so unrelenting as la escuela. All the same, that cabal of deans was wrong and power-abusing, and never made to answer for it.

Similarly, Ruth will have to report any possible expenditure that exceeds $100 to this fella. Here's hoping they fall in love?