Older women face sometimes difficult choices when they appear at public events, even one as humble as a grocery store grand opening. On the right is LA City Council member Pat Russell (1923-2021), in her early sixties here. She has taken a fairly predictable path, with light colored pants, a dark sweater, and a blouse with a bold print. Respectable and perhaps forgettable, unless you like flowered blouses.
The unnamed woman to her left has a different take on acceptable attire. She wears long braids, a scarf tied at her neck, and what looks like a handmade poncho using the popcorn stitch. (I looked it up.) Obviously not bound by current trends, she is a true fashion eccentric. Was this a dress up outfit or what she wore every day?
While it’s easy to find out about a lot about Russell, the woman on the left is unnamed. I imagine she is a community organizer who fought hard to get the new market in the largely Black neighborhood of South LA. You can imagine the advantage of a unique look for an activist—“Just look for the older woman with the long braids.” I wish I knew the color of the poncho and whether or not she made it herself.
