Okay, so the new hair isn't really radical so much as it's just very different. I had several reasons for going this route, most of them having to do with the upcoming trip to Burning Man. For one thing the desert, with its blazing sun, dry air, and ubiquitous talc-like dust, is hard on hair color, and since red is the most delicate of the colors it definitely had to go. More importantly I'll be without my hairdryer out there, and my hair without a hairdryer is about as limp and lifeless as a soggy dishrag, and about as attractive. But bleaching my hair gives it stiffness and texture, so my brilliant hairdresser Michele created this mixture of colors by bleaching big sections of hair on the top and leaving small strands of the previous color mixed throughout, and then darkening the layers underneath for contrast. Because of previous color treatments, the bleached strands have sort of an ombre effect, with the roots being very blonde and darkening to more of a caramel color on the part of the hair shaft that's already been dyed several times. This, my friends, is playa hair. 
I recently decided that I absolutely love these loose, open jersey vests I've been seeing all over. So much so that I went and ordered FOUR of them. This wasn't a huge splurge, mind you; this striped vest set me back just $13.80. To me pieces like this are way too simple to spend more than about 20 bucks on. That's why, although I've seen some cute ones on Gilt and similar sites, I haven't really been tempted to buy until I found this and the others at Forever 21. None of them was more than $15.These little vests are perfect for warmer climates, because they're lightweight and cool while still adding visual interest to an outfit. And as luck would have it, San Francisco suddenly and without warning turned into one of those climates. Last week it was cold and foggy, barely getting into the 60's in the daytime, and then BAM! NINETY degrees the last couple days.
Now people in places like Houston or Phoenix are probably going, "90 degrees, big fucking deal!" But I assure you that this is really extreme for the city. The other night I went out to meet Laura for a show (Crowded House at the Warfield) and both of us showed up hauling sweaters along, as you do. It was so warm we had both considered leaving them at home, but then of course you do that and later find yourself freezing your ass off like a tourist. And yet there we were, leaving the theater around 11 pm with those sweaters still in tow and not on our bodies. San Francisco weather, I will never fully understand you.
Vest: Forever 21Dress: Lady Language
Boots: All Black