During the summer, I tend to accessorize less. I skip metal jewelry because it turns me green really quickly, and my sweat just spreads it out and makes me look like I have a strange skin disease.
I even wear my glasses less often because, I swear, they make my face feel warmer.The one accessory I never leave home without, however, is a fan. (A folding fan -- not one of those battery-powered eyesores.)
I started carrying a fan in 2011, when I just couldn't tolerate subway swampiness anymore. And I don't mean just in the summer; anyone who's transitioned from freezing temperatures above ground to a packed train below knows how quickly you can get uncomfortably hot. I've gotten some strange looks from fellow straphangers when I fan myself on the train, but like an America's Next Top Model contestant, I'm not there to make friends. I just want to get where I'm going without heat stroke.
Technically, you could make your own fan out of card stock, arts-and-crafts style, but there are so many cute options available, there's no reason a fan has to be just utilitarian. Here are some of my favorites.
Minimalist
9-Inch White Paper Fan, $1, pearlriver.com
A simple, white fan is all you really need to stay more comfortable when you're too warm. These one-dollar paper and bamboo fans from Pearl River Mart were my gateway fans to fancier designs. (I am so sorry.
) And if you happen to live in New York, stop by their three-story Soho store for lots of other color options.Cute Patterns
FANCYHandFans Victorian Roses Hand Fan, $23, etsy.com
Etsy is an awesome place to look for pretty fans, and I love a lot of the designs by FANCYHandFans. Handmade of cotton and painted cherry wood, they come in all sorts of cute patterns, like florals, polka-dots and animal prints. And if it means anything to you, Christina Aguilera is a fan. (Crap, another pun. Sorry.)
Vintage Weirdness
SavvyIndulgence Vintage Church Fan, $10, etsy.com
Back in the '40s and '50s, there was an adorable phenomenon of tri-fold "church fans" that featured wholesome artwork on the front and ads for local businesses on the back. They're bizarre and wonderful and all over Etsy.
Clever Shapes
Who says a fan has to be fan-shaped? Not I!
I'm very serious about my cutesy accessories.
This Véra Pilo heart-shaped fan from ModCloth is my go-to this summer. I love how, in addition to being functional, it somehow makes it seem like I've put some thought into my look, even if I'm wearing cut-offs and a T-shirt I've thrown on three days in a row.
Opening Your Heart Fan, $29.99, modcloth.com
ModCloth also has several "normal"-shaped fans, but there's nothing boring about them: lace, heart-shaped cut-outs, you name it.
For The Collector
Olelé Coral and Burgundy Balloons Folding Fan with Case, $51.17, etsy.com
This is the inevitable next step for me: investment fans. Fans like these are portable, practical works of art, and they're priced that way.
Spanish fan maker Olelé hand-crafts each item with fabric, wood and leather, and they come with a carrying case, which I would absolutely need because I'd want to keep it protected from the coins, Tic Tacs and broken Excedrin tablets swimming around in my bag.
Chicago-based artist Staeria just happens to make a couple of fans among the artwork she sells on Etsy, and I'm obsessed with this laser-cut, mixed-media fan below, which I would absolutely ruin within hours of owning it because I can't have nice things.
Staeria Siren Hand Fan, $125, etsy.com
Do you ever carry a fan? What's your favorite source for new ones?