Inspiration struck rather unexpectedly on Sunday, in the form of my ten year-old nephew Eli—a boy whose interest in clothes is negligible, but whose ensemble had a doesn’t-even-know-how-cool-it-is vibe that I found quite winning. First off, he was wearing this red, white and blue striped t-shirt, which looked like it had been plucked right off of Peter on just about any episode of The Brady Bunch. It’s like the perfect kid’s T-shirt ever, pretty much.
But possibly a touch on the butch side for me. I’d go for something like this ribbed Isabel Marant top, which feels quite appealingly Jan. (Two more options: This baseball-sleeve version from Edith Miller; and a somewhat dressier silk one from Equipment.)
Around his neck on a length of leather, Eli wore a shark’s tooth he’d acquired at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! gift shop. A very appropriate accessory for sleepaway camp—where he is soon headed—but this pave version from Tom Binns feels somewhat more me-appropriate.
As for bottoms, that’s where the inspiration pretty much peters out: Eli had on those highly synthetic knee-length shorts that basketball players wear, and I’m not sure there’s a way to work any version of that item in here and still take myself seriously as a human being. I might instead go with a subtly contrasty pencil skirt like this one, with very small dots that will not compete so grandly with the stripes for attention. This quiet/loud approach is a nice way to introduce the whole clashy-clashy thing into your repertoire. But maybe you’re way past all that. In which case: this.
Or you might try J. Brand’s skinny cargo jeans, which sound scary but are actually quite flattering, especially if you—as I so often recommend—size up.
Tags: Edith Miller, J Brand, j crew, My People, the 70s, Tom Binns
Bless you.
(The size up.)
I have a slight menopause bulge which, of course, no one talks about.
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I like this top, especially with the olive pants. I’m not gutsy enough “yet” to pair it with things like the Antik Batik skirt, but hope to get there. It’s interesting to read about where you find outfit inspiration and it’s encouraging me to think outside the box.
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