The Fire I Speak Of Is Not A Kind Fire

It's fall, and that means it's time to watch Twin Peaks again! I spent my past two Thanksgiving holidays making delicious, non-traditional Thanksgiving foods (stewed pears, grilled salmon, honeyed brie with candied nuts and raspberries, etc) and re-watching episodes of Twin Peaks with my best friends. You just can't beat that kind of odd but magical pairing, especially when you're riding high on the hog (culinarily speaking) and the crème de la crème of foods in Twin Peaks is nothing more than the local diner's cherry pie.

Twin Peaks is essentially a surrealist soap opera, and that right there makes it one of my favorite TV shows of all time. And what's a better style inspiration than a David Lynch-helmed TV show? There's no right answer to that one, unless you were gonna say, Nah-nah, nothing! 

The funny thing is, none of the characters on Twin Peaks have a really innovative style -- sure, Audrey Horne rocks the retro '50s-look, and Dr. Jacoby's got the eccentric PhD thing down pat (all clashing patterns and bizarre eyeglasses), but most everybody has gone for comfortable and woodsy. So, I'm not so much about copying any particular style as I am trying to translate feelings and atmosphere into clothes. 

Don't mind us, we're just lookin' all comfy and Pacific Northwest in our sweaters. (Via welcometotwinpeaks.com)

Yup, I think you can appreciate this post even if you're not familiar with Twin Peaks, because what I'm after is capturing moods through fashion/style. What moods? That it's-fall-again feeling, dark early nights, cool weather, woodsiness, nostalgia, wistfulness. I'm talking out of my aorta here, sorry.

What brought all this on? Y'see, I took myself and my wallet to NAM and invested in this oversized denim vest that reminds me of Killer Bob's woodsy sense of style.

Likey? It's actually not very Bob-like. It's not light wash enough, and the previous owner stuck some angels and hearts pins on it, which is not very evocative of the whole homicidal perv-o aesthetic. Maybe I'll chuck 'em. Or maybe I'll keep 'em.

This is a bit more Laura Palmer: sassy dark VELVET cheetah print mini skirt! A denim vest is sorta edgy and masculine and woodsy (whatever, that's how I think of it) and it looks so good with sassy femme materials like lace and velvet.

This is my outfit for an evening at the Roadhouse with my biker boyfriend Snake. (Totally kidding like a kidder). I've got my cheetah skirt, fishnet stockings, denim vest, and fake-lace top. Like I gushed earlier, I love the time-honored (okay, real '80s) masculine/feminine pairing of denim with white lace. It's like, hey sexiness, meet casual comfort and warmth.

For your enjoyment, I've posted the opening sequence of Twin Peaks (below.) The intro always makes me feel sort of sleepy and reminds me of dark fall days in Portland. I first watched this show when I was twenty, in my friend's spartan, low-lit apartment in Portland during the fall. It was actually the most perfect place and time to be exposed to the weird, delightful wonder that is Twin Peaks. After all, David Lynch is all about atmosphere.

Funny, the highest-rated comment on this YouTube video says: "One of my life's ambitions is to take a holiday in the Pacific Northwest, have a walk around Snoqualmie Falls and all the places used in Twin Peaks, and then have strong black coffee and cherry pie in the Double R diner, if it still exists when I have the money and time to savour the best TV show ever made."

I've done all of those things, baby! What do you do when you live in the Pacific Northwest and you've got some vacation time, but you're not into sports? You round up your friends and drive the fuck over to the small towns of North Bend and Snoqualmie in Washington, and enjoy some good views and some good eats at the Salish Lodge & Spa and at Twede's Cafe. Okay, more like good views, mediocre eats, and damn fine company.

PS. The (ever-clever) Style Rookie one-upped me with her Fall Vibes. But Twin Peaks and its associations are so close to me, I had to blog about my own style cues, too.

PPS. I think I've provoked that ol' rascal, the topic of gendered clothing materials -- what makes lace feminine, and denim masculine? Oh intrigue me further, oh baby, oh baby. I promise I will, one day!