Why Not? Whimsical Winter Edition

Between 1936 and 1962, Diana Vreeland, editor of Harper's Bazaar, wrote a series of articles for the fashion magazine. These articles were full of whimsical, fanciful, outrageous, wildly unrealistic suggestions to make your life more stylish and pleasurable. Examples below:

Why don’t you…

put all your dogs in bright yellow collars and leads like all the dogs in Paris?

Tie black tulle bows on your wrists?

Have two pairs of day shoes exactly alike, except that one pair has thin rubber soles for damp days? Any cobbler can put these on.

Have your bed made in China—the most beautiful bed imaginable, the head board and spread of yellow satin embroidered in butterflies, alighting and flying, in every size and in exquisite colors? (this one is gorgeous just to think about!)

wear loose velvet gloves in wonderful colors — the right hand in violet velvet, the left in burgundy? These gloves at the theatre emerging from a beautiful fur cape would be very effective. (The combining of gorgeous unrelated but harmonious colors in a purely artistic way of dressing makes me swoon.)

She ran a whole page of these in every magazine for years. Imagine the inspiration!

Here are my own somewhat more grounded, though still whimsical, suggestions for enjoying your winter. (and you can expect one per blog post going forward.)

Why Not ...

Make a list of movies set in the winter and schedule a viewing of one a week throughout the season? If any are behind paywalls, your library or Half Price Books might be a better option. Jeremiah Johnson and Dr. Zhivago are a good place to start.

Create a playlist of songs that remind you of winters from your past and only allow yourself to listen to it between December and February? When winter rolls around again, so will your playlist, like a much-missed friend.

Pick a hobby you've always wanted to learn (woodworking, embroidery, aquarium decorating... whatever lights you up and seems like a LOT of work) and take out books from the library on it, buy or rent some supplies for it, and hunker down this winter learning the art? If you feel like staying inside all winter, you might as well live the Workshop Life!

Have a nightly ritual of a warm nightcap before bed? It doesn't have to be alcoholic, though brandy or bourbon work so well with hot cocoa. Tea, hot toddies, bone broth, moon milks, warm milk ... so many options for cozying in. (Something like this makes warming milk for cocoa or moon milks - and frothing milk for coffee drinks in the morning - really easy.)

Go out to dinner, or out shopping, walking in the snow, doing the groceries, etc. after dinner at least once a week? If you don't feel like staying inside, get out and live your life regardless of the cold and dark. 7pm really is still so early.

Get some minty essential oils (peppermint, spearmint, or wintergreen) and a carrier oil and whip together a winter oil fragrance for yourself? You can also use it to scent your car or home.

Go to the thrift store and buy yourself something to wear - even a whole outfit! - in white, silver, or blue? Don't forget jewelry and shoes!

Links:

The Best Advice From Diana Vreeland's Now-Iconic "Why Don't You" Column, Vogue, Hayley Maitland, April 2020