Pret-A-Porter (Mais Manger Les Soixante Poisson Croissants)
My first sense of fashion came early in elementary school when two girls made fun of my striped socks pulled up to my knees. Pretty soon after that I was all about Umbro shorts, neon green slap bracelets and jeans with millions of pockets. I never got a Hypercolor shirt or Reebok Pumps, but both were big for a while. Andrew and I went through Andre Agassi phases where we grew out wild, massively-gelled hair while sporting purple Challenge Court shirts. We also had oversized denim shirts to wear unbuttoned over a white tee - just like a photo we saw of Macaulay Culkin in Disney Adventures magazine. Flannels were a staple from the early to mid 90s, but I pretty much stopped caring about clothes for a while after that (except for an omnipresent Richmond Braves hat). When I was later introduced to the little slice of heaven we call thrift stores, I immediately fell in love. I did the sideburns thing for that one month that ska music was cool. UVA infused a little preppiness into the bloodstream, so the kahki/tee-shirt combo became a regular pattern. I wore necklaces that friends gave me as gifts throughout the years, rocked the rubber bands around the wrist, and occasionally considered getting an ear pierced. In my third year of college, I let my hair grow out and curl naturally, and the result was nothing short of the old-school Justin Timberlake afro. Since then I've wavered back and forth between short and long hair.
Today, I still don't quite get the big deal with fashion. I could live off my tee-shirt collection easily for two months, without repeating favorites like 1980 Top Ten Basketball or the Transformers logo. Flushing money with Abercrombie & Fitch pre-frayed hats or trendy shirts isn't my cup of tea, but a trip to Old Navy, Ross, Marshall's or Salvation Army never disappoints. It's dangerous to fall completely into ultra-fashion (latest trend-setting expensive shoe) or anti-fashion (plaid shorts or wearing pajamas to work). Although outer appearance is important, clothes are really just an excuse not to be naked. A friend and I might get into some tee-shirt silkscreening soon, so maybe that will lead to original PC or Linden shirts. Fashion trends are short, but you're always safe in a tee-shirt and jeans. Then again, I'm involved with an industry where you don't exactly dress up for work. If the trends were up to me, monocles and giant sombreros would make a huge comeback.
Sunday, April 25 at 6:47 PM
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