Back to basics
School time is the right time to get in fashion
By Ann Bergman , Erin Loomis 08/14/2008
Fashion for teens has its way of reminding us of that toddler’s toy — you know, the one where the 5-year-old tries his hardest to jam the star into a square cubbyhole.
Well, you have to jam that star into that square a few times until you figure out, “hey, maybe that’s not the appropriate cubbyhole.” But we eventually grow out of that stage, and when we do we find ourselves right back at square one trying to jam that star back in that square as we try to define ourselves in that cafeteria hub that is our Bryant Park fashion week.
If your goal this school year is not only straight A’s but also standing in that sloppy Joe line and holding your own against the backdrop of first-row fashionista hell, these are our basic back-to-school trends to follow.
Layering
This is the one and only time we will tell you it’s OK to wear tights. At absolutely no other time but now is it OK to wear tights, UNLESS it is snowing and they are hidden under your snowboarding pants.
Layering is not tricky, it’s basic — you take a well-fitting first layer and simply keep adding larger layers on. We like long-sleeve Tees with cropped denim vests and military inspired jackets, miniskirts with tights and motorcycle boots and Tees and knitwear. Try a tight knit sweater with a short sleeve Tee on top, it all smells very like teen spirit this back-to-school season, which means grunge, so take a cue from Kurt Cobain and wear some ripped up baggy boyfriend jeans with a pair of tights underneath, throw on a cute top and place a driver’s cap on your greasy shag.
Surplus, surplus, surplus
In case we have forgotten we are at war, military styles always come back to remind us. So stop by the Rose Bowl the second Sunday morning of the month and peruse their fine vintage military collection. We like military jackets and cargo pants that are altered into miniskirts.
Denim
This is a forever trend, but here are the styles to buy this season. Skinny is still in but think basic washes not destroyed, in simple dark blue hues and colors like red, yellow and black. Wide leg in the form of sailor style, this is very cute with a tucked-in white Tee and chucks.
Our final denim trend is the worn-in boyfriend jean, a style spotted on the likes of Victoria Spice, Katie Holmes and one of the Olsen twins (I really can’t keep track of which is which these days).
One key thing to remember if you’re wearing a boyish trend — which is very IN this season — make sure to pair it with something girly. This rule should also apply to skinny jeans because, as we all have noticed, they are being worn by more men then women these days. So to keep us separate from all our emo boy-friends; let’s keep our skinny jeans and wear them with cute lacy tops.
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