Wear your science - or a cross-section of it

So I had the pleasure of meeting the awesome Dr. Isis a few weeks ago. It turns out she is even more awesome in person than she is in pseudonymity. And she brought me a fabulous thing: a scarf from A Slice of Life Scarves. Creator Eve Reaven, a Bay Area cell biologist, "has continuously marveled at the intricacy and beauty of the natural patterns found inside cells. She shares what she has seen with others through designs for scarves and other textiles. In the current selection, she captures the essence of structures related to cell movement, cell traffic, energy and performance. Many of the cell structures represented in these patterns are magnified 50,000 to 1,000,000 times their original size, allowing us to experience the amazing designs created by nature."

It doesn't really sound that attractive - honestly, when I think of microtomes, I always think of a horrifically bloody accident I saw as an undergrad - but the patterns are gorgeous. I was wearing gray (which is very big this year), so I could immediately put on this year's design, Powerhouse - a silver and mustard mitochondrial pattern:

An hour later, at dinner, I was getting complimented on my scarf. Then some random guy hit on me. (It was just Dr. Isis' mad fashion karma at work.) Anyway, it's proof of principle: science is fashion!

In addition to absolutely beautiful silk scarves depicting centrioles, mitochondria, sarcomeres, viruses, epithelia, etc., Reaven also has ties. Check this one out:

Retinal ganglion and photoreceptors FTW!

Yes, you have to be a bold dresser to carry that tie off, but if you can, it's awesome. (The other tie patterns are more repetitive, like traditional silk ties, so if the neurons are a bit much for you, you have alternatives). Reaven sells her products at events like the annual EB and ASCB meetings, so you may see her there, but if not, bookmark her site for possible Christmas presents for your cell bio family/friends.

I just wish I could pay Isis back with some hawt biological shoes - perhaps to wear with these socks. Alas, hawt biological shoes are hard to find, and Isis is under the weather and probably doesn't feel like teetering through the lab on little pointy-femur-shaped stilettos. So I shall just send her "feel better soon" wishes, and many thanks for the AWESOME mitochondrial scarf!