Thoughts From the Dirty City

I think that we are all biased to the staple looks that date to our own coming of age. It was the time we really started to define our character and personal style so it is only natural that the basic/popular looks of those times will always be appealing. I’m not saying we can’t all see the error of our ways when it came to the extreme trends. No one looked good in the workout wear of the 80′s. Remember the saying, spandex is a privilege, not a right. And for the exact opposite reasons there was nothing flattering about the 90′s borrowing of dad’s flannel and pairing it with the baggiest dress one could find. This was my own personal coming of age look, paired of course with some authentic combat boots purchased at the local army surplus, the craziest most clashing tights I could find and a  dog collar (to keep it real – obviously).

While I no longer feel a need to dress in the extremes of my youth, the general feel of that era still defines my personal style. I love wearing a mixture of textures and layering in unexpected ways. And yes, I still own (and wear) Doc Martins.  Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about this and wonder if my look and taste is becoming laughably dated. I make an effort to incorporate new looks and trends into my wardrobe to keep it fresh, but still sometimes I wonder. Then the new lines start coming out and it seems there is always at least one or two pieces that give me hope that I am not in fact turning into an old fuddy duddy. This year some of my favorites included:

Proenza Schouler

and Tracy Reese

Not that everything I love has to be a throwback to the grunge era…but it doesn’t hurt.

Images from www.nymag.com
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