Snapshot

There are times when I see people who are so distinctive in appearance that I would like to take a photo, but that isn't always practical on, say, a jammed subway car, and some people would not want that image to be published online without their consent. But I can certainly offer a description.

Due to the recent traffic issues (which are now gone, thankfully), on a few mornings I found it easier, or at least less of a headache, to take the Orange Line into downtown and switch to the Red Line to get to Harvard Square. I don't attempt to read on trains and buses unless I'm able to get a seat, because it requires a fair amount of effort to avoid falling down and to be ready to move out of the way of those exiting and entering, so I amuse myself by observing people.

One morning I was watching people get off the train at State Street and getting ready to get out at the next stop. As people on the platform started getting on the train, I saw a flash of hair that I thought was red, but then a moment later I saw it was in fact orange, like really orange. As the person entered the train I saw it was a woman, well-dressed and with very carefully applied makeup. She stood near me for a moment but then moved into the car to take an empty seat.

The color and cut of her hair were obviously taken directly from Annie Lennox circa the first Eurythmics album. She was also wearing glasses that reminded me of the Matsuda frames that were popular among sophisticated, well-to-do types in the early 1980s. They could have been vintage, or just of a similar shape and material. She was pale, but had on bright lipstick that stood out on her face.

She was wearing a skirt suit that had the distinct look of being homemade. I don't mean that in a negative way; I suspect the woman had made it herself, because it was unusual and she had the look of someone who would prefer a very specific style, one not readily available in a store. The fabric was cream and there was a small repeating pattern in burgundy, like small paisleys, spaced about two inches apart. (I wasn't close enough to get a clear look.) The jacket was cut like a man's tail coat but without the tails; the skirt was straight and above the knee. She wore some sort of white blouse with a ruffled collar, white stockings, and bright orange pumps that were clearly meant to play off her hair color.

I would have loved a chance to talk with this woman, just because she was so distinctive looking. She had obviously put great care into her appearance, and on a midsummer day it's unusual to see anyone on the T, male or female, kitted out so elaborately.