Bad Fads and Forever Faves

When it comes to in-style fashions there are definitely quite a few fads that S and I love to hate, we hate to love or we just plain love. It's sometimes hard to admit, since no woman wants to disagree with the fashion Bible — Vogue — but here we are, being ornery as usual.

I love you, not

Something that’s made a resurgence, even on Prada’s runway, that I definitely thought I’d left in the church camp days of my youth is tie dye. Memories of dealing with red and blue stained hands for days after turning those plain white commemorative t-shirts into walking inkblot tests are still vivid in my mind. And as a kid, that’s a somewhat enjoyable ritual — using rubber bands and dye to customize the shirt that once matched every other camp or event participant’s. But I could happily leave that fad to the 60-somethings looking to relive their flower child days and to actual children.

Fuck, it’s fabulous

The trend I hate to love that I recently added to my wardrobe is rompers. So far, I only own one, but once I paired that thing with my favorite blue wedge heels and wore it out I knew I was a goner.

On the pros side, a well-fitting romper can be super comfortable, and cute. It’s like a maxi dress with more structure (moar structure, Martha!) and that you don’t have to wear spanx with. I think we can all agree that spanx were created to be instruments of torture for women — but I also don’t dare wear a dress without them. It’s pretty windy where I live, and I’m not Marilyn Monroe.

The one I got from the well-known and loved Target, was only $29.99 and made by Universal Thread Goods Co. I can already see it becoming a staple of my wardrobe, since I stuck to a neutral color (navy), which can be paired with several different jackets and shoes that I own. I could easily dress it up or down with the right accessories, and I plan to do just so.

To the detriment of the romper, is the fact that it can be a limiting outfit choice. Honestly, if you are going on a long trip via plane, train or automobile: don’t let the comfort of the romper sway you into rocking one on the road. As cute as they are, they are not a friend to the person with a small bladder.

In the same vein, the romper can either be the best or worst date outfit decision. If you want to shut down any hope of the evening ending with your clothes on the floor, consider the romper your modern-day, fashion-forward chastity belt. Unless that thing is sleeveless and very loose, getting out of it will not be a sexy ordeal. So, if sex is in the plans for the night, might I suggest a nice outfit of flirty separates or a cute dress.

Love you knot

The romper I own actually incorporates the trend I have fallen head-over-heeled-boots in love with: the tie hem.

My favorite red plaid is actually a tie hem, and my wardrobe has slowly gained more and more tie-hem tops over time. I personally especially like the tie hem to be optional. A tie hem can add a hint of fit and flirt to almost any blouse or button-up though, so I’m fairly game whether it’s optional or not.

The one thing to make sure of, even more so than with other tops, is that the hem hits you at a flattering length. For me, if they hit too high or too low, the top ends up accentuating the one part of me I’m still somewhat self-conscious about: that lower mid-section. Plus, no matter how body positive you are, there is such thing as a bad cut/bad fit. Just ask Tan France.

Low-rise demise

Taking my cue from B and Tan France’s stance on flattering cuts and fits, I’m going to hop on the bandwagon and read low-rise jeans to filth. Low-rise jeans may have been sexy when they first appeared on the scene in the 1970s, but bell-bottoms and Levi 509s also had a loose fit (and generally more fabric) to compensate for the receding waist coverage.

As a teen of the mid-2000s and a former emo extraordinaire, I am well-versed in the art of shimmying on skinny jeans, sitting and bending without a Degrassi-style “whale-tale” moment, and living in a state of perpetual discomfort. While I was a true girl of my scene at the time, I’m so glad I said farewell to the universally unflattering culprit that gave rise to the “muffin top” phenomenon.

It didn’t matter if you were curvy, athletic, or Kate Moss-level thin, those jeans were going to find an inch to pinch and a crack to hide in!

Ain’t nobody got time to hate their beautiful body.

It’s Alright Overall

Having lived through the fashion travesty of the denim skirt in the late-90s and early-00s and spent my early years romping around in a good pair of overall pants, I never thought I would be happy to see their love child return to stores.  

That’s right folks, I recently bought a black overall dress from H&M and am fucking living for it! It’s nostalgic but able to be styled with modern accessories so you can decide whether you’d like a chic capsule piece or a total throwback (complete with a choker of course).

The overall dress is playful and can be dressed up for a casual lunch date with a good pair of glitzy sandals or wedges in the summertime or warmed up with some low-denier tights, booties, and a long sleeve sweater in the wintertime.

The best part of this piece is how truly comfortable it is! No squeezing, scraping, or wiggling necessary. A helpful little twist to the H&M overall dress is that is a complete button up, meaning you still get to be comfy but get a little extra fit through the waist without a big fuss.

p.s. did I mention it has pockets?

Crop ‘til you Drop

How does one even begin to express a love as true as this?

When I say I love crop tops, I mean I would wear one on any given day — if people wouldn’t look at me like I’m crazy.  

They are so liberating and exciting!

Want to spice up some plain jeans for a night out?

Crop top.  

Want to take your boho maxi to a new level?

Crop top.

Want something lightweight for under your new overall dress?

Crop top.

“What about winter?” cynics cry.

Three words: Cropped. Sweater. Duh.

Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve even been keeping my eye on Riki Dalal who designed a line of wedding gowns a few years back that featured elegant skirts with ornate crop tops. Some may say this is taking it too far … those people are officially uninvited from my currently fictitious wedding.

And before the nay-sayers chime in that crop tops aren’t for everyone, I’d like to point out that crop tops come in a wide variety of styles (long sleeved, mid-length, ultra crop, square/illusion cut, tank style, bandeau, etc.). It’s simple: If you can style clothes for your body shape, you can wear a crop top. Like all fashion, it’s about balance, fit, and pairings.

So this weekend embrace your fave fashion for a night out, or even just to feel fabulous for a night in — you don't need a crowd to crush a good outfit. You can also share your #ootd with us by tagging us on Instagram and/or using #millennialpinkootd.

xo B&S