Outfit for a Monday: Patriotism Redux

Yesterday, the monstrous tidal heat wave subsiding ever so slightly, I decided to continue to channel my patriotic fervor and apparent subconscious desire to be a 1950s Candy Striper. Apparently, according to my quick Wikipedia search to confirm capitalization, these cheeky civic-minded hospital volunteers originated in East Orange in the Garden State, my own proverbial backyard. To continue this tangent, backyards in East Orange now are most likely replete with rusted car frames and dilapidated trampolines and a mosaic of plastic Gatorade bottles. Times have changed. 

Any chromatic combination of red, white, and blue, coupled with a striped pattern, is sure to evoke the American flag, at least on this side of the Atlantic, and perhaps the French flag on the other. This empirical fact bothers me little, obviously. I purchased this Ralph Lauren blouse earlier in the spring and adore its girl-like, preppy charm. Naturally, as so many Ralph Lauren pieces do, it pairs incredibly well with a deep navy and a pair of classic pearls. So, in the spirit of a belated Independence Day enthusiasm and a premature Bastille Day zeitgeist, let freedom ring, and long live liberty, brotherhood, and equality.