"Oh, I just subscribed for the tote."

on our wearable signifiers of intellectual uniqueness

Last December, I went on a date with a man I’ll call Gabe. We met where I had nearly all dates in my early Seattle days: a coffee shop at the top of the stairs near Golden Gardens. The agenda was simple—get a tea, walk down the towering staircase to the beach, and then depending on the quality of the conversation, either turn around and huff up the 1,00…