Silhouette

Choosing what the people of Wilfair wear was -- and is -- a blast.

A snood suits Fair; she dresses vintage, to lend her historic hotel character. Sutton keeps pencils in her hair, because she's always taking orders at her grandmother's fruitcher shop or solving math problems. Sutton's also rather sharp, so a sharpened pencil fits her demeanor.

But as I was thinking of the Wilfair wardrobes -- a pleasure, since I love costumes -- I was also thinking of one word: silhouette.

Many of my favorite characters can be defined by their silhouette alone. Think Mickey Mouse or Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, with his bowler and cane.

With that in mind, I, too, wanted characters that could be recognized in relief. Fair by her gowns and snoods, Sutton her hair pencils and apron, Gomery his glasses, curls, and tie, Monty by his popcorn shoulders and slim hips, Thurs Mathers with his side hair swoop and pointed collars. These people aren't the sum of their outfits, of course, but their style is part of their whole.

I'm not sure where the Wilfair people would ever appear in silhouette, and I don't want to seem grandiose by citing iconic characters. It's just one of the many things I had in mind when fashioning the little world at Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.

Plus, I adore silhouettes. You, too?