I didn't even realize she was sketching me! (in which fred shops for shoes)

We all have our favorite "street" fashion bloggers, those who take snaps of people who are dressed well, or interestingly, or in a challenging manner. Garance, naturally, comes to mind, as does the Sartorialist, who not so long ago took a picture of my friend's 96-year-old great aunt. True. And if you don't follow Bill Cunningham's street fashion photos in the New York Times, you can arrange to do so on the web and it is well worth the effort.

Not so well known are those who stroll about with their sketch pads. There's much more room for interpretation in a sketch than there is in a photo, Instagram notwithstanding. Despite artistic license and interpretative flair, I have recognized myself or my outfits in a few sketches that have been called to my attention. As in the OMG that's got to be you! kind of attention. For example, right after I took possession of my famous "little" navy trenchcoat, a friend sent this. I think she detected the resemblance in the pleased smile, because I don't carry backpacks in real life.

from the New Yorker

This next was handed to me in response to a suggestion that my friend Bobbi and I drive up to Woodbury Common on a chilly day last fall. Woodbury Common looks like a little Alpine ski village, in winter and late fall when it gets dark early, it is surrounded by blue and blue-gray mountains, and you want to put your shopping bags down and have hot chocolate. Which you could, except there are always another 50 stores you haven't been through. There are four - four! - Ralph Lauren stores, Collection, Home, Other and -- I forget. Woodbury clouds the mind. There's an Etro outlet! There's an enormous Armani outlet! There are shoe stores. Oh, yes, there are shoe stores. And there are stores with shoes. And apparently there's someone with a sketch pad listening to the whines of a determined shopper who doesn't want to go home yet. With my gift for stating the obvious, the first time I was there in winter I pointed out to my friend that the place looked like a cute Swiss village, only with stores. She patiently replied, "No, it looks exactly like a Swiss village. What did you think people do in Switzerland? Ski?" Oh. Who knew. So that is how Bobbi thinks I shop for shoes.

This is how I like to think I shop for shoes.

This is probably more like how I shop for shoes in real life. My aunt loved shopping trips, and when she wearied, we'd head for a shoe store or shoe department. If we had to, we'd pick out a few shoes to try on, but it's a little-known fact that if you need to sit down and rest for ten or fifteen minutes, the shoe department of a major department store is the best place to do it. Ask for 2 or 3 pairs of shoes in different sizes, take your own shoes off your aching feet, and lean back. It's "better than twelve to seven" that you'll be undisturbed. This is a good tip for marauding your way through Woodbury Common when you need to sit down but have spiritual objections to being caught in a food court.

I know I make funny faces when I put on mascara, and I'm afraid to ask what my face looks like when I'm trying on shoes. Hasn't stopped me, though.