M Magazine Fall 2017 by M Magazine

FALL 2017

Tasha

M Editor-In-Chief

Miranda Jackson

Creative Director Chloe Jones

Fashion Editor

Lifestyle Editor

Kara Brown

Brogan Gerhart

Fashion Writer

Copy Editors

Antoninette Biafore

Asia Hester

Alyson Trager Lifestyle Writers Pearl Mak Samantha Subin Brooke Giles Sydney Wess Photographers Heather Kim Rakeb Teklehiwot Winston Zhou

Social Media Editor Soyoung Choi Contributors Ornelle Chimi Alexandra Jackson Erin Hill Kathryn Obisesan Justin Paige Leo Cantergiani Shannon Au Sebastian Gabriel Paredes

2 | MASTHEAD

Contents 4

Letter From the Editor

Men’s Fashion

Transition Into Fall

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Women’s Fashion

Cover Story

The Life Inside of: A Music Performance Major

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Fall Playlist

Texture Study

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Men’s Emotions

Hygge

DC Travel Guide

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Joan Didion, my literary hero, once said fall is the season of suicide and divorce, wherever the wind blows. I find that fall is the time I think about those two things the most. Something about the way Edgar Allen Poe, mustard yellow, pumpkin seeds and rotting leaves blow through my mind like October wind makes me pensive. In fall, I find myself wanting to run away more often—specifically, from my brooding thoughts. I think about returning to poetry, seeking God, boarding a bus to New York in the middle of the night. I search for chances to reflect. In reality, though, I already think too much. I over-reflect. I dig too deep. I weigh unimaginable consequences. However, there is a silver lining in this. In the season where everything is dying and falling to the earth, I am hounded by thoughts of life. There is beauty in that, isn’t there? It is in fall that I feel the most capable of anything, despite it all. I draw up to-do lists for the next year, teach myself new things and act more impulsively. I can’t explain it, really, why fall turns me into a bolder, more chaotic version of myself. Maybe it’s in the stars. But I take life as it comes to me, even as a ball of blackened, tangled thoughts that force me to think outside of my comfort zone. This edition is themed after the month of October. It is meant to both comfort and discomfort you, just as fall does to me. Flip the page and let autumn greet you.

Letter From the Editor 4 | LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Sincerely,

Miranda Jackson, Editor-In-Chief

Sebastian Gabriel Paredes

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Fall Fits: A Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion Look Book

Photographed by: Rakeb Teklehiwot

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TRANSITION INT By: Samantha Subin

Fall is quickly approaching and summer is coming close to an end. From cool autumn breezes to pumpkin spice lattes, the weather change has probably got you thinking it’s time for a shopping spree. Or so you thought… From pairing summer bottoms with a hip jacket to tights and a mini skirt, here are some simple tips to reusing old pieces, changing up your look and keeping more money in your wallet. Shorts Transition your favorite shorts into fall with a pair of opaque tights. Not only is this a great way to save money, but also an opportunity to experiment with color. Be bold and use whatever you have available from previous seasons. There’s no need to run to the store! Combine black shorts with fluorescents if you’re looking for a more colorful look, opaque black for a more neutral vibe, and even fishnets or a slightly ripped pair for a night out. Either way, it’s super easy and cost-efficient. Skirts Not ready to part with your mini skirt? Try pairing it with a neutral sweater, booties and a pair of black tights. Afterwards, throw on a light jacket and you’re ready! From army jackets, to leather and jean, the opportunities are endless! Dresses Don’t retire those sundresses just yet! Pair summer dresses with neutral tights and a cardigan. Afterwards, accessorize with a cute scarf, hat or headband. Make sure to balance patterns and layers, but remember: Don’t overdo it. Blouses and Tops Pair sleeveless and short sleeve blouses with a cute blazer and tailored pants for a professional and chic fall look. From jeans to tuxedo pants, there are a lot of options to choose from, so experiment! On an especially chilly day, pair with an infinity scarf or hat. Accessories Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize! During those chilly fall gusts it’s important to accessorize appropriately. Think scarves, hats and in some cases a light pair of gloves. A cold is the last thing you need while experimenting with your new look! With these simple tips you’ll be fall ready in a matter of minutes, no money spent!

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TO FALL

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fall seventeen By: Antoninette Biafore

Following trends in fashion is risky. Individuality is the key to style in the industry. Luckily, we have cultivated a society in which freedom of expression is not simply tolerated, but it is widely celebrated. This is why I want to emphasize using the term ‘trend’ lightly. Trends are not, nor are they designed to, encapsulate, control, or dictate your wardrobe. They should highlight your sense of style. Fashion trends find their places in our closets in the shape of bold pieces, statements to personalize and have fun with. Although plaid has taken the backseat in previous fall seasons, the criss-cross pattern is taking off this year. Plaid mini skirts, plaid blazers, even plaid earrings. Fortunately, plaid is easy to incorporate into every day outfits. (Believe me, it’s my favorite pattern). You can go big and bold flaunting a full plaid, work-women suit or you can keep a more relaxed look with a simple plaid skirt apired with a set of huge, gold earrings in most stores this fall. Statement earrings are extremely versatile, and can make you look like you put a ton of effort into your outfit. Statement earrings dress up your jeans and T-shirt look, or add some extra sparkle for a night out. Also, they’re wicked cool (especially the Dolce & Gabbana inspired ones).

A great embellishment trend we are seeing this season are pearls. While embroidery is still very much in, it is hard not to spot these elegant white beauties on clothing throughout numerous stores. Pearls on the bottoms of jeans, pearls on sweaters, pearls on shoes; your name it, it’s out there. Pearl details are basically the rose embroidery of the year. Our last shoutout is directed towards one of the biggest trends of fall 2017— grey blazers. The 80s are back in the respect that boxy, oversized, men’s blazers are finally in once again. Blazers can be intimidating, however they are nothing to fear. Nothing makes you look more put together than a blazer and, luckily, they are easier to wear then your might think. Style a grey blazer with your favorite pair of black jeans and a white tee. Slide on some patterned boots and you’ll be right on trend with minimal effort while still maintaining comfort. Add a pair of unique, elaborate earrings and slide on some pearl-embellished shoes and you’ll be right on trend for this season.

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Celestial

Emboldened Incandescent By: Miranda Jackson

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Something about Tasha James from The Glossier makes me think of “She Walks In Beauty” by Lord Byron. It could be her hair. It could be her cloudy Instagram feed. It could just be her radiance. Regardless, Tasha, to me, is poetic in her being.

When I left I was doing more branding things or brochures— things that were design, but it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. It kind of burnt me out. MJ: How many years out of school are you?

The mixed media maven runs a creative agency with her boyfriend, Christopher, while producing work for her own fashion blog. Almost a year after running into each other at a panel, Tasha and I finally sat down on the roof of a Potbelly’s in China Town and talked until the sun set. Read our conversation below.. -Miranda Jackson: Where are you originally from? Tasha James: I’m originally from Summit, New Jersey, like 45 minutes outside of New York City. Fun fact: I was born in the same hospital as Meryl Streep, so I feel some kind of weird kindred spirit-ship with her. I grew up in Northern Virginia. College, I lived in Arlington. And now I live in Berlin, Maryland. MJ: Where did you go to school? TJ: I went to arts school. I went to the Art Institute of Washington, in Arlington, Virginia. I studied graphic design. MJ: Why graphic design? TJ: I’ve always wanted to design magazines. Not be in them. Not take pictures. Just design them—the layout, everything. I always thought it was a really cool job to have. I was really obsessed with making magazines, but I just didn’t know what it was called until I was ready to go college. I used to get into trouble in school, because [my friend and I] had this magazine that we designed together. We would get big sheets of paper, fold them in half, draw the masthead, and all the interior pages—we would design them with gel pens. It was so basic but it was my introduction into design.

TJ: Five. Maybe six. More five than six. MJ: Where did the blog come from? TJ: I was frustrated with the type of design work I was getting. I wasn’t ready to leave D.C., like this area, because [of] finance reasons, fear, you know – you don’t want to just get up and leave. I felt like the only I could do to stand out more was to start a blog. My work in my portfolio was really interesting and fun, but it didn’t really fit the D.C. vibe. D.C. is more conservative, especially like five or six years ago. A lot of the work I could that was steady was government work, non-profit, things that are very rigid and structured. I decided I would start a blog, and that it would have two purposes. The first one is just as a creative outlet, because I was bored, and at this point, when the blog started, I was an admin assistant on top of being a freelance graphic designer. So I worked at this government contractor, which was not fun. In a six-hour workday, 30 minutes of it is my actual job, and the rest of it is just me sitting at my desk bored. The second reason was that I wanted it to be my own portfolio. I wanted to take my own pictures, design my own layout, design my logo. I wanted to be able to at any point if I wanted to get a job that was creative, be able to say that this was like a case study of what I have to offer. This is what I’ve been able to do with no budget. So imagine what could happen if I was paid. The name of it [The Glossier] comes from my love of publications. Glossy, the nickname for magazines. And dossier, another name for file. I just figured it would be a cool way to mash up two words that were relevant.

When it was time for college, I made the decision to pursue it. MJ: Are you doing anything with it right now? TJ: Yes and no. Right now, I am doing a lot of design work personally for my blog. Sometimes for clients, but our primary business is photography and videography. I don’t do as much freelance graphic design as I was doing. For about 10 years, both inside of school and outside of school, I was doing freelance graphic design work. I was doing it for a really long time, but I guess somewhere I felt burnt out, because I wasn’t really doing publication design, which was kind of the whole point for me.

MJ: Have you ever run into trouble with Glossier, the company? TJ: Yeah. So fun fact: my blog existed two years before their company existed. So when they were first getting the sweaters made and all of their initial branding when they didn’t have product yet, people were tagging me all the time like, “Is this you?” Every once in a while, I’ll [have] somebody come to my website and give me a customer service related question. And I’m

COVER STORY |21

like, “Wait a minute.” A lot of times I’m really nice and I’m like, “You probably meant this other website.” But I just start to wonder sometimes, though, about other people’s attention spans. Because Glossier.com and TheGlossier.com are two totally different aesthetics. One has product all over it and the other is just me. I’m on the contact page. But it’s kind of fun to share the names. I’m glad we haven’t been sued. MJ: What is your favorite look on your blog? TJ: I think my favorite look currently is a denim-on-denim look, which I’ve been doing a lot. I found this $10 denim dress that has buttons up the side. It’s kind of like a wrap, but a little asymmetrical. So instead of wearing it like a dress, I wore it over more jeans. I couldn’t get enough. I just like the attitude of the look. MJ: Can you name your three favorite things in your wardrobe? TJ: All of my jeans. I think my Adidas Gazelle shoes, which I’m wearing right now. (I’m really into comfort.) And my long-line blazer that I wear all the time. MJ: Where do you buy your jeans from? TJ: Usually, I thrift my jeans. 90 percent of my jeans are thrifted because I always tear holes in them and cut off the bottom of the hem. I never get them tailored. I’m short. I’m 5’3”. My problem is that it’s hard to find jeans that are the right length. I just cut them off. Zara also has great jeans. MJ: Where do you thrift from the most? TJ: Everywhere. When I lived in Virginia, there was a place called—I want to say— Unique Thrift Store. It was just this huge Wal-Mart-sized thrift store. I can spend hours thrifting. I find that the thrift stores in D.C. are really good. I love going to Virginia, though. Northern Virginia, Arlington, Alexandria, Tysons even—because those places have a lot of money.

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MJ: What’s the weirdest thing in your closet? TJ: How weird are we talking? MJ: As weird as you’re willing to reveal. TJ: The weirdest thing I have currently is this sweater I made for a holiday party. It’s like an ugly Christmas sweater. I added these huge pom-poms in a V-shape, so I can’t get rid of it.

That’s my favorite stanza from my poem. We started a business a couple years ago, and it has not been easy. Every day it’s a challenge to stay sane. Whenever I’m feeling really overwhelmed, I look to this poem. MJ: It’s almost cooler than a tattoo. TJ: I can’t commit to a tattoo. I want one, but I just can’t decide on the design.

MJ: Are you less of a designer person?

MJ: What have you been circling around?

TJ: Like labels? I am a designer person, but I don’t have a designer budget. I’m like a look-for-less kind of girl. Actually, growing up, I used to obsessively watch that show on the Style Network. But I think if I had the budget, one of the labels I would adhere to is YSL.

TJ: Moon phases. I’ve always been into astrology, in general, but this last year, I’ve felt very in tuned with the moon cycles. During the full moon period, I usually have a ritual where anything that’s been bothering me or stressing me out for the past 30 days, I write it on a piece of paper and burn it.

MJ: Your skin is glowing, by the way. TJ: Well, thank you. But this is Fenty Beauty. Without it I look like Dobby, the house elf. I wear both the ginger-binge and Moscow mule highlighters.

“I like existing in color. I don’t like wearing it.”

I love all of the things Rihanna is doing on a level of importance. I feel like a lot of people look at her makeup line and minimize it. I haven’t collected my thoughts yet. I’m very excited about the makeup itself, but I’m excited even more by what it represents. I’ve been in my feelings. Every time I put on my foundation, I’m like, “This is so inclusive.”

If I’m going to give anybody my money, I want it to go to someone who’s been listening to what people are saying. We want to spend money on you. Just make a shade in our color. MJ: What do you like to accessorize with the most? TJ: I wear the same necklace every single day. It’s from an indie brand called Luca Jewelry. She’s from London and lives in New Jersey now and she makes these customized pieces. Mine has “If ” engraved on it, which is from the Rudyard Kipling poem, “If.” I had to memorize that in tenth grade English class. It’s a really long poem. I had to recite it for a grade, and I never forgot it. It’s a man speaking to his son about life, all of the life lessons you could think about. “If you could dream and not make dreams your master, if you could think and not make thoughts your aim, if you could meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same.”

It’s just to let go of all of that negativity, stress, bad energy that has been hanging onto you. The new moon is for attracting things you want. Moon phases are really important to me. They help keep me centered and grounded. MJ: What’s your favorite color?

TJ: Purple. I don’t know why. My first AOL screen name was “PURPLQUEN.” I’ve been obsessed with that color for a long time. Then I went to college and learned color theory and the psychology of color. My mom used to talk about me being a child and my favorite color being purple. She was like, “You always thought you were a princess.” And purple [symbolizes] royalty. It connects. MJ: I would never have gleaned that from your online personality. TJ: There’s no color in my online personality. I like existing in color. I don’t like wearing it. I don’t feel myself if I’ve got on pink or something. It doesn’t work for me. My photography is very graphic. When you go to a newsstand, you have three seconds for somebody to buy your magazine. Out of a line up, why would somebody grab your magazine versus the one next to it? So that’s the philosophy I have with my online presence. How am I going to get someone to stop and engage? MJ: So you mentioned you own a business. TJ: My business is called Hey Bulldog Studios. It’s basically a creative studio. We do photography and video projects. I’ve been working with a lot of bloggers lately, because I want to get into commercial editorial photography. That’s my end goal.

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Inside The Life Of:

A Music Performance Major By: Sydney Wess

It’s 6:45 in the morning, the earth is

still dark and quiet, and junior cello performance major Katie McCarthy is awake and ready to take on another full day of music. She brushes her teeth, eats breakfast and bikes over to the Clarice, colloquially called CSPAC, to secure a practice room for the morning. Her four-hour practice session is in full swing by 8:15 a.m., before I’ve even hit snooze for the first time. This practice time prepares McCarthy for what the day has in store for her, which could include anything from one-onone private lessons to chamber rehearsals to full orchestra rehearsals.

better. Music students understand this and spend the majority of their free time in the practice rooms. The faculty expects performance majors to be doing 24 hours of practice per week, evening out to four hours per day. In the practice room, musicians work on fundamentals, learning music, technique and incorporating artistic vision into their playing. Private Lessons Private lessons are the biggest aspect of music majors’ curriculum at any music school. At the University of

“On a Tuesday, for me, without even practicing I will have played for six hours. Once I add in practicing, I would have played for about eight hours,” remarks McCarthy. “It makes for major calluses.” Needless to say, being a music performance major is difficult, and very different from other majors. In the wake of midterm season stress, Katie McCarthy shares what this hectic time is like for those studying music and why all their hard work is worthwhile. Like a jigsaw puzzle, there are many different aspects that make up the daily life of a performance major that fit together to create a prepared and confident player. Practice Practice is what really determines whether or not a musician is going to improve, maintain a consistent skill level or regress. It’s the only way to get

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orchestra will put on two or three concerts each semester, so this rehearsal time is used to perfect the music. The repertoire is very difficult and performers must have their part prepared before rehearsals start so everything runs smoothly. Juries, Recitals and Noon Recitals Juries and recitals essentially take the place of a final exam for performance majors. In a jury, memorized solo music is played for the music school faculty. This is how musicians track their progress and get graded. Most students do juries freshman and sophomore year and give recitals junior and senior year. “For recitals, you get a whole two-hour chunk of time dedicated to you sitting alone on a stage and playing music for whoever decides to come hear you plus all the teachers who need to grade you,” says McCarthy.

Maryland, students meet one-on-one with their private teacher for one hour per week. Students bring in solo pieces and orchestral excerpts so the private teacher can provide feedback. “Who you study with will set up what kind of player you are for the rest of your life. They will either help you succeed or make you fail. My teacher has definitely changed who I am as a player,” says McCarthy. A lot rides on having quality private lessons.

“Noon recitals are something that’s totally specific to Maryland. I don’t know any other music schools that do this, but it’s really cool. Occasionally, on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m., all the departments gather in different rooms and people can sign up to play pieces for their peers,” she says. “It’s a good performance opportunity.” Like other disciplines, the point of being a music major isn’t just to get good grades. You want to be at the highest level of playing with the most experience possible. This performance opportunity helps with that, even if it’s not for a grade.

Full Rehearsals Orchestra rehearsals are twice a week for three hours at a time, but are only worth one credit. Typically, the full

Community McCarthy estimates that the string performance department has fewer

than 100 students. It’s a small program for a university of over 38,000. This environment allows for close friendships to form. “Honestly, it’s really hard to not be close with everyone in the music school because everyone spends so much of their time there. When you start to see the same people every day, you start having conversations with them,” notes McCarthy. “I think the reason that there’s such a ‘music kid stereotype’ of everyone knowing and loving each other so much is because it’s really easy to find things to talk about. We can talk about what we think of our conductors in orchestra or the music we’re playing.” McCarthy also credits UMD for preaching professionalism, especially since many of the current students do freelance work in the Washington area, forcing them into professional situations somewhat prematurely. A supportive music community fosters an ability to work well with others as opposed to having competitive, cutthroat peers who are

likely to hinder you when working with others. “I would not say that it’s cutthroat at Maryland at all. Honestly, I see people that get better at what they’re doing because they’re supported by their friends,” agrees McCarty. Ultimately, everyone should prioritize doing what makes them happy in college. With music majors it’s no different. If you’re passionate about something, work doesn’t feel like work. “We love to play music. So when I’m in the practice room I’m not thinking, ‘Ugh, I have to go practice.’ It’s just something that goes along with the lifestyle I’ve chosen,” notes McCarthy. In the end, the biggest difference between performance majors and the rest of the UMD population is environmental. Performance majors are settling into practice rooms while economics majors set up in McKeldin Library. “I would say that between the two schedules, one isn’t better or worse; one person doesn’t have it worse than the other,” McCarthy muses. “They’re just different.”

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Autumn Leave

By: Sydney Wess It’s officially October and the infamous Halloweekend is right around the corner. This year at your costume party, skip the Monster Mash and try out some of these Halloween-themed bangers. “Haunted”- Beyonce “Dracula’s Wedding”- Outkast feat. Kelis “Bones”- The Killers “Monster”- Kanye West feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver “Heads Will Roll”- Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Nightmusic”- Grimes feat. Majical Cloudz “True Blood”- Justin Timberlake “The Boogie Monster”- Gnarls Barkley “Beware”- Big Sean feat. Jhené Aiko, Lil Wayne “Evil Eye”- Franz Ferdinand “Poison (Zdot Remix)”- Rita Ora feat. Krept & Konan, Zdot “Goosebumps”- Travis Scott feat. Kendrick Lamar “Shadowman (Tinlicker Remix)”- Enzo Bennet feat. Tinlicker “Perplexing Pegasus”- Rae Sremmurd “Circus Freaks” - Wolfgang Gartner feat. Jim Jones, Cam’ron

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es: A mixtape

By: Brooke Giles October is the official mark of the fall. Chances of an 80-degree day are unlikely and classes are in full swing. Driving around on a summer night is a thing of the past. Music gets darker, even a bit sad. But just because some production gets stripped down, doesn’t mean the bass is gone. Fall Into Love “Take Me” - Aly and AJ “Last Dance” - Dua Lipa “Some Kind of Love” - The Killers “Supermodel” - SZA Fall Into The Party “Curve” - Gucci Mane feat. The Weeknd “Mama Say” - Betty Who “Bennie and the Jets” - BORNS “Neon Guts” - Lil Uzi Vert feat. Pharrell

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Texture A photo essay by: Heather Kim

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Erin Hill

Kathryn Obisesan

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Hyg g e

Hygge \hoo-guh\(n): a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.

By: Winston Zhou

Shannon Au

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E H

G E

H G

Y G

î&#x152;&#x2030; H E

Y G E E H Y

G Y G

H H Y E G

E E G

Justin Paige

Leo Cantergiani

Men & Emotions An Interview by: Rakeb Teklehiwot

Justin, 23

Leo, 19

Rakeb: Tell me a little bit more about yourself.

Rakeb: Tell me a little bit more about yourself

Justin: Uhhh I never know how to answer this... in and out of depression... luvin life... shoutout my lil bro and sis.

Leo: My name is Leo. I’m 19, I live in Columbia Heights and work as a Barista in a specialty coffee shop.

R: Would you consider yourself an emotional person?

R: What does it mean to be a human?

J: I think everyone’s emotional but you have the choice to ignore the fact and just be or embrace your emotions. Personally, I would say I am. Sometimes too much. Sometimes not enough. I live in the grey majority of the time though.

L: To feel emotion and connection to others.

R: Do you think that society puts men in a box where they can’t express themselves emotionally? J: Definitely. I want to say we’re slowly moving away from that due to the progressive movement of society and social media’s ability to shine light on those who are comfortable with themselves. But, what do I know? Trump is president and plenty people support a fool. All I can do is encourage others to embrace both femininity and masculinity. R: Do you believe that crying is a sign of weakness or strength? J: Crying is a release. It could be a sign of both but only revealed after the fact. If you don’t make a change in your actions/thought then you’re stagnant. I don’t cry enough R: Describe what “love” means to you. J: Love is freedom. Liberation. Flowers connecting root in order to aid one another.

R: Would you consider yourself an emotional person? If so, why? L: Yes, life is too short to conceal how you feel, and not let others know how you feel positively about them. R: Do you think that society puts men in a box where they can’t express themselves emotionally? L: To an extent yes, however it varies by social circle as well as general upbringing. Some people have a harder time escaping the box than others. R: What would you do differently if you found out that no one would judge you? L: Everything the same, I’m not living my life to please anyone else but myself. R: When was the last time you felt complete joy? And/or what makes you smile? L: Whenever I am with my girlfriend. Dumb things though honestly, I smile at everything. I have a resting bitch face so it becomes even more critical to let people know I’m not actually a mean person. PHOTO ESSAY |41

Georgetown By: Pearl Mak

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Georgetown is an essential location to appreciate fall in Washington, D.C. The rustic buildings and stone streetscombines with the ever-changing colors of the leaves and the crisp air make for the kind of fall setting people write poems about. If you want to get to Georgetown by metro, all you have to do is get off at DuPont Circle Metro Station and hop onto Georgetown University’s bus (for free!), which will take you directly to the GU campus, only a 10- to 15-minute ride away. The bus stop is located to the left of the metro station. Just follow the circle until you reach a black fence. Take time to explore the Georgetown University campus before exploring the city. Stone pathways wrap around the Hogwarts-like library with a beautiful lawn to lounge or picnic on. Find niches around the campus that open up to a view overlooking the canal, perfect for a break from walking or a quick picture. For an extremely unique Georgetown experience, I highly suggest going to the cat cafe, Crumbs & Whiskers. Located on O Street – only a 10-minute walk from GU. Crumbs & Whiskers allows you to pet and play with cats all the while enjoying little treats such as macarons and cold brew coffee from the market across the street. You can drop by and play with the cats for 15 minutes, but if you want to make the experience more worthwhile, book a reservation on its website, as reservations allow you to spend an hour and 15 minutes with the cats. Don’t forget to spend a dime or two on M Street. It’s lined with clothing stores like Zara, Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. Christmas shopping for higher end goods such a Kate Spade leather jacket, a Lacoste cologne, or an Alice + Olivia dress can also be done here.

After all that exhausting shoping, pop into Sprinkles for cupcakes that are unprecedented in decadence. Sneak down to the canal and take in the lush greenery as you make your way to Baked & Wired or Grace Street Coffee, two eqaully delicious local shops serving up everyone’s favorite caffeine in a cup. Still starving? Nothing beats a french brunch at Malmaison. If you’re in a rush, run in and grab a coffee and a buttery chocolate croissant. If you have time, take a seat in their adorable lavendar chairs and treat yourself to a Croque Madame and a latte. Wander the cobblestone roads after, and take a look at the architecure of the neighborhood houses. The clashing colors are more than easy on the eyes and act as splashing backdrops for pictures. Georgetown in the fall is the perfect short getaway to help you reset and reflect while you take in the heavenly sight. Throw on a cozy outfit and bring your camera for a day to remember! DC TRAVEL |43

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