Surviving the Fashion Freeze

The town where I live, Homer, like the rest of Alaska, faces some huge fashion challenges. First of all, it's cold for much of the year. When it's not cold, it's probably muddy. In mud season, you see a lot of these:

Sexy, right? Extra-Tuff's rock, but they're not exactly Jimmy Choo's. In Alaska, survival comes first. We dress for the elements. I'm talking layers, long underwear, snow boots, Grunden's oilskins, oversized parkas. Both men and women do plenty of work outdoors, which means Carhartt's are ever popular.



Here, "body conscious" involves conserving body heat, not showing off your hot bod. No wonder Anchorage was named the worst-dressed city in America last year.

But ... Homer, along with its daunting weather, also has an amazingly high concentration of artists and craftspeople. These creative types have managed to tweak our fashion with eclectic outfits and hand-crafted pieces.


Seriously, why not pair a home-made ruffled skirt with the inevitable mud boots? Carrie, our local clothing genius (who made my wedding dress) comes up with all sorts of interesting "recycled" clothing items.

In winter, you might have to layer them over other pieces -- the more vibrant the better. Bright colors are a Homer trademark ... and no wonder. Rich purple, sunshiny marigold, even spring green can do so much to lift your mood during those long dark nights.

Makes you want to knit yourself a scarf, doesn't it?

So there's a small taste of our homegrown Homer style. Of course, we're most famous for this:

But for the record, there's a lot more to the Homer look than a Salty Dawg t-shirt -- even though I love spotting them in random places around the country.

So what's your verdict? Are you thinking ... Project Run-away? Or book a ticket to Homer for next mud season?