Winter white...truly a California "Dream"

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is grey

I've been for a walk

On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm

If I was in L.A.

California dreamin

On such a winter's day

   Mamas and Papas, 1965

The Winter Solstice came and went without so much as a snowflake resting on the trees around me. The weatherman delivered his ominous threats of a California drought as we watch the images of dry lake beds and brown mountaintops flash across the television screen.

I close my eyes and imagine a ski slope waiting for me, all decked out in her Winter finery and I am restored. What is it about the softness of snow that helps us transcend ordinary life and be part of the whiteness of it's beauty? It's why we city dwellers love the beauty of snow amidst our struggling lawns, leafless trees and grey cement edifices blocking the warm sun.

For years, even the fashion designers shared our passion for white...not the bright
bridal white of vestal virgins (LOL!) but the soft creamy white of a snow drift bathed in the afternoon sun. Winter White - it's timeless, never going out of style, worn year after year by all.

Back in December 1987, I did a fashion show with Stonemountain & Daughter along with Berkeley Adult School. I'm not into gloves, stockings and heels gig too much anymore, but I have to admit that yummy Winter White coat and sheath dress would easily fit today's style. And, let's hear it for that pixie cut! Back in style, FYI!

Many designers and fabric manufacturers produce fabric in the Winter White shade. As a buyer, I am aware of the soft pink or cream cast to them, depending on fabric content or dye. These subtle color variations allow our customers to select shades that flatter their skin coloring. Laurel (Laurel's Quill) and I had a blast pulling all the winter white fabrics off the shelves in the Garment Fabric Room at Stonemountain - so many great projects to do!

We tend to only think of wool as a Winter White fabric. What a stereotype!  However, there is a variety of shades and hues of white in an array of fabric contents and textures: wovens, knits, crepes and synthetics. Why not try a warm white in Tencel or silk boil for a pair of slacks this season? Or a sumptuous swing coat in a brushed wool? Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics has a Winter White Boiled wool that would make our awesome Marci Tilton jacket..again!

And for our naysayers who think that white makes you look "bigger", I say nonsense!  Love your body the way it is - your special femininity all your own, so deck it out in a snowy dream fabric, don your jewelry, and celebrate the Winter season...even if we don't have snow (yet)! 

I hope that you will find the time to stop by our store. We are having so much fun and joy playing in the world of fabric and what more is possible! 

Warmly, 

SuZan

p.s. I am off to a ski trip to Park City with my husband to celebrate our 19th anniversary (13 years married!) Here are a few shots from our winter wonderland last year.