April 17, 2007
imagine the Flickr photo set
I remember exactly what I was wearing on my first date with Wade (oh, Internet, I really must like you because this? this is totally embarrassing): over-sized 50/50 mock turtleneck, white with yellow and orange pineapple print and elbow length sleeves; khaki mens shorts from the Gap, bought extra big to make me look extra small; ankle socks, not the low-cut ones, the kind that covered my ankle bones; running shoes, the ones I really RAN in.
Dear god.
The worst part is that I actually PLANNED that outfit, it wasn’t like I was cleaning the bathroom and Wade showed up at my door and said, “Hey, let’s get a burger!” No no, we were going to a party at my friend Kim’s house and I spent at LEAST an hour picking that ensemble out.
Dear GOD.
Fortunately, Wade is was fashion blind, and was overwhelmed by my fantastic personality and/or the free beer. But that OUTFIT.
DEAR! GOD!
Last week, I read Gigi Anders’ new memoir, Men May come and Men May Go but I’ve Still Got My Little Pink Raincoat, which appeared, at first blush, to be the Perfect Book. Anders opens with the story of the elusive pink raincoat of the title, spotted in the “Sunday Styles” section of the New York Times and shopped for with a kind of mind-numbing intensity (despite the fact that it was sold out in stores and on line, Anders finally tracks it down in Bellingham, Washington, ordering it in both medium and large, just in case). She meticulously plans out what she will wear it with: white tee, black capris, “black leather ballet flats with quilted black patent leather tips across the toe box.” Ah, yes.
A vaguely Gallically gamine ensemble that I’d still be proud to wear twenty years from now. That’s the secret. Always ask yourself: “How mortified would I be if I saw myself in this outfit, say, post-menopause?”
I can understand that kind of devotion, frankly. And it didn’t hurt that one of my favorite pieces of clothing is a pink Gap raincoat. I was ready to love this book, particularly since, in the early pages, Anders does a very smart reading of why, precisely, the pink raincoat was such a hit at that fashion moment. She talks with fashion editors and stylists, and sets up the relationship between a single piece and the culture at large.
And then she drops that completely to focus on her conviction that the key to a successful relationship is the Perfect Outfit, that clothes can change who you are, that love is just a little pink raincoat away.
Little Pink Raincoat is puffed as “a little Coco Channel, a lot Carrie Bradshaw,” and yes, it does bear a passing resemblance to Sex and the City. Except that for Carrie, the clothes were about the CLOTHES, and women’s relationships with one another were the bedrock of every day life. For Anders, the clothes are about transforming herself into someone she isn’t, into whomever she thinks her current love wants her to be, and her life revolves entirely around the men she is romancing. In the pursuit of true love, Anders shops for clothes she doesn’t need and can’t afford; more than once she talks about getting out her Emergency Visa to pay for shoes or a dress. The structure of the narrative is such that you know every relationship is doomed, and THEN you’re left worrying about how she’s going to pay for the clothes.
Or maybe that was just me.
I remember what I was wearing at a huge range of important moments in my life, but not because I thought that what I was wearing made those moments important. The really important moments in my life happened on days when I was doing other things, not planning what I would wear. The day Wade proposed I was wearing stirrup pants and a cardigan sweater with flowers embroidered on it.
Dear god.
Skip Little Pink Raincoat; pick up a copy of Sex and the City instead (the book, sure, but keep in mind that the video has the clothes AND Chris Noth). And now, redeem the hours that I spent reading yet another book I don’t like and tell me about YOUR fashion faux pas. Pick a transformative moment and confess–stirrup pants? men’s shorts? EMBROIDERED CARDIGAN?
It can’t just be me. CAN it?
Posted by Susan @ 7:29 pm • Uncategorized
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April 17th, 2007 at 9:19 pm, Mark Says:
I have never made a fashion error, for I am MAN!
April 17th, 2007 at 10:03 pm, Meredith Says:
On my wedding day, I rehearsed for the wedding in shorts and a t-shirt. Oh, and I was barefoot. But I remembered everything I was supposed to do when in the pretty wedding dress later.
April 17th, 2007 at 10:30 pm, Annika Says:
On my first date with Will I wore a burgundy satin skirt (mid-calf length) and a navy blue t-shirt that said Papyrus. I do not remember my footwear, but this was college so I probably wore my combat boots.
I had no idea that I remembered my outfit. It was, after all, more than nine years ago. But there you go: apparently I do remember.
April 17th, 2007 at 11:00 pm, Amy / Girl's Life Says:
Oh god. Why are you doing this to us? Ha! I have many fashion mistakes from the past, but probably the biggest besides wearing flannel in the early 90s (seriously, what was up with that?) was all the overalls I wore in college. All the girls wore overalls. And we thought it was cute! I have so many frumpy looking pictures of me in big old baggy overalls. I cringe now just thinking about it!
April 17th, 2007 at 11:09 pm, Military Mommy Says:
I too wore the stirrup pants with a big seinfeld “puffy shirtish” style top. I don’t even have the words.
Scary part is, that’s not the worst.
My best friend from junior high convinced me to buy matching leatherish michael jackson pants with her. Thankfully, there is no photographic evidence of that one.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:17 am, MaryP Says:
The really important moments in my life happened on days when I was doing other things, not planning what I would wear.
Reminds me of the line from that lovely Lennon song, Beautiful Boy: “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” (Which, so I’m told, was once quoted on SATC.)
Having teens puts the whole ‘what DID I wear???’ thing in perspective. They think they look soooo cool and you’re so uncool; you know they often look silly, and that they will be mortified by what they wore in twenty years. (Heh. Justice!)
Thing is, right now they are cool. What they don’t know is that in twenty years, what is cool now will look dorky, and that you can’t judge the clothing of 20 years ago against today’s standards. Teens are so ‘now’; no sense of historical perspective.
Which makes me feel old, some days, but so wise.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:46 am, Elizabeth Says:
Oooh the 80’s was such a decade of hotness!
I remember just what I was wearing on my first date with my husband: white oversize t-shirt from Limited Express, 3/4 length chambray dirndl skirt from Ralph Lauren. I think I had pale pink Laura Ashley espadrilles on my feet, but I’m not sure. It was summertime in St. Louis so I’m sure my hair was 3 feet wide.
Thank goodness there’s no photographic evidence!
April 18th, 2007 at 3:18 am, Sheryl Says:
Thinking back on significant moments in my life, I can’t recall a single outfit. In fact I can only remember about 6 articles of clothing I’ve owned, in my entire life. I’m just not a clothes person.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:25 am, rachel Says:
One day I wanted to impress my oldest brother’s best friend, so I wore a purple shirt, purple parachute pants, and lavendar leg warmers. yeesh.
and I had a similar reaction to Pink Raincoat, but I thought I’d like it better if I cared more about clothes.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:55 am, susie Says:
Fashion faux pas…let me count the ways. High school doesn’t count, does it? Parachute pants, torn sweatshirts, pegged jeans and neon? In college I had some stirrup pants with coordinating tops. IT took me a long time to break free from my mothers clothes influence - she dressed her age and for a while *I* dressed her age. Then I made friends with a group of independents and started wearing boys jeans and Doc Maartens. Really..I’m feeling faint and can’t go into this anymore… tell me you won’t ask about hair styles or we’ll have to talk assymetrical and spiral perms.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:18 am, MamaChristy Says:
First date with my husband: cute white button down shirt and dark pants. The kicker? White socks with little reindeer on the tops. In October.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:30 am, Magpie Says:
I think it would be the Laura Ashley dress I wore to the high school prom. Wow.
On the other hand, I still like every single piece of clothing that I have ever bought from Eileen Fisher. And that goes back a long time.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:43 am, Susan Says:
You all are cracking me up. Keep it coming.
If you’re really nice to me, I’ll scan some pictures of my senior prom dress. Think Dynasty, but without boobs.
Oh yeah.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:03 am, Jessica Says:
I spent much of the years of 1995-1999 in denim overalls and flannels.I think I had over 20 flannel shirts.
And I can vaguely recall a time when I used to match my dangly earrings to my t-shirt and my t-shirt tie. With black stirrup pants.
Sigh…it’s obviously not just you!
April 18th, 2007 at 8:14 am, Pamela Says:
Great post Susan. The faux pas photos that make me cringe worst are from college graduation. I darkened by eyebrows with a black eye pencil and my brows looked like jet black caterpillers plastered above my eyes.
April 18th, 2007 at 8:16 am, pamela Says:
Oh, I just read a book that I LOVED so so so much. It’s called The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
The best way to redeem the time spent reading a crappy book is to read a fabulous one next. While wearing a great outfit, of course.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:22 am, dani Says:
First day of high school, 1985. White pants with pastel pinstripes (I wasn’t allowed to wear jeans), white polo shirt with painted on argyl print, also in pastels, purple pastel plastic “pearls” and a levi’s jean jacket with like 4 buttons on it, one which read “I (heart) shoes.” I’m not kidding.
First day of senior year. (I lived in grungetown Aberdeen, washington) Long johns over boxer shorts with U2 t-shirt and of course, my dad’s flannel button down shirt. (He is 6′4” - I am 5′5”) - I thought I was SO cool.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:25 am, molly Says:
I really liked my clothes in the early 90s, and I LOVED my clothes in the 80s; the only thing that makes me cringe a little is my collection of Gunne Sax/Jessica McClintock dresses, with 1928 jewelry–and that’s what’s in all the prom pictures, Easter pictures, Christmas pictures, New Year’s pictures…
I also had an unfortunate vintage/retro bent in the last year of high school (1984), and wore a lot of vintage or 50s-inspired items, including hats and gloves and beaded sweaters. But I didn’t do it ironically, like Cyndi Lauper or somebody; I was trying for authenticity. I think I probably looked like a sad crazy spinster in a story by Flannery O’Connor or William Faulkner, but fortunately, the only pictures that exist are in a spread in my freshman-year college yearbook, in a story about the vintage clothing craze. And everybody knows nobody reads the yearbook.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:28 am, Anonymous Says:
the day I had my first kiss,I was wearing a long dark blue skirt with white,tan and light blue flowers and a tye dyed grateful dead t shirt, I looked like woodstock threw up on me,and the sad thing is I still to this day own both those articles of clothing and wear them on occasion (not together)
April 18th, 2007 at 9:32 am, Jessie Says:
Hammer time!
AKA genie pants…with a bandeau around my waist and a t-shirt.
Jeans that were approximately 6 sizes too big cause that makes you looks smaller, you know. And the flannel? Oh God, the flannel…
April 18th, 2007 at 9:41 am, Anonymous Says:
OMG, it had to be my high school prom. Long tafreta dress with puffy sleeves, in teal of course…the color of the 80’s. The matching shoes with shoe clips (remember those) and earrings that matched the shoe clips…Oh God…
April 18th, 2007 at 10:17 am, Tracy Says:
I ran into an old boyfriend from high school and he said, “It used to drive me crazy that you shopped in the same clothing department as me.” Ugh! I never wore anything trendy because I didn’t want to look back and be embarrassed later- which backfired because I wore MEN’S shirts ALL the time. How is that better???? I looked like a rugby player with a ponytail.
April 18th, 2007 at 12:12 pm, Anonymous Says:
Picture my sister’s wedding in 1981… peach dresses with kind of an upper “skirt” ruffle thingy for sleeves which was meant to be worn off the shoulder but my mother insisted was too much skin for a wedding… and the best part… what the guys wore… chocolate brown tuxedos with peach ruffled shirts tipped in brown embroidery… looked especially fly on my brother-in-law who is a dear man but has red hair and freckles.
Got a visual? I thought you might. You could do a whole post about unfortunate wedding attire.
April 18th, 2007 at 1:00 pm, Susan Says:
Oh we should TOTALLY have Unfortunate Wedding Attire Day at Friday Style!
Watch for that. Soon.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:10 pm, Laura Says:
You remember those sweaters Princess Diana made popular? With the unicorns or whatever woven into the design? I had one of those with puffy sleeves, tapered (pleated!) jeans with the zippers at the ankles, my little brown granny boots and my Molly Ringwald/Dorothy Hamill feathered hairdo with braces and BLUE EYESHADOW. All of which I wore for my 15th birthday party, or which there is actual photographic proof.
Shudder.
April 18th, 2007 at 2:12 pm, Laura Says:
I forgot. This was just after I got my hair cut because I had been wearing that hot banana clip, you know.
April 18th, 2007 at 7:03 pm, Lisa Says:
What a walk down memory lane. I think I committed all the same fashion errors as everyone here, except I did almost every single one.
I had overalls, I had stirrup pants (who in their right mind thought that was a good look?), I had satin pants and I had the parachute and genie pants too.
Oversize t shirts and long sashes wrapped tight around my waist, yep, had those too.
Big colorful plastic earrings, plastic pearl type beads in every colour, yep, I had those too. I even wore the blue eyeshadow, and my eyes are blue so that’s a really big faux pas.
The real kicker? I had this pretty pink lace dress with the Dynasty shoulder pads and a really big satin bow at the hip. I really thought it was gorgeous. I donated it to my school for the dress up box and as I was walking down the hall yesterday I saw a 13 year old boy dressed in my dress. I have to say that’s a sight I never thought I would see in this life!
April 19th, 2007 at 11:18 am, Kelli in the Mirror Says:
I don’t think anybody’s mentioned onesies for grownups. I had several in the mid 90s from the Gap, so they had to be cool, right? Nothing like wearing a bodysuit with really low-slung baggy jeans. It’s way worse than having a thong hanging out of your pants.
And I used to wear them out places because I liked the way they made my boobs look. Scary.
April 19th, 2007 at 12:01 pm, Mara Says:
Well, I still make fashion foh pos on a weekly basis, because I am a)lazy b)a slob and c)completely absent minded.
But I went through a phase in highschool of wearing my dad’s dress shirts. And no, my dad is not my size.
Did I not realize that they made cute button-downs for girls? I guess I didn’t. I have a rule now, that I don’t buy or wear anything that is meant for men, is oversized, or is shrunken-tiny. I think it helps me…
April 19th, 2007 at 7:26 pm, SuzanH Says:
Came over via JRM (So glad you like Crusie better than Weiner!) - and OH MY GOD - Fashion Faux Pas?
*Stirrup pants
*Writing on my (brother’s) jeans
*My dad’s old suits
*Flannel
*NEON FINGERLESS GLOVES WITH MATCHING SOCKS
*Torn nylons
*Asymmetrical side buttoning shirts
*Ruffle collared shirts
I need to go lie down . . .
SuzanH
April 19th, 2007 at 8:30 pm, Gigi Anders Says:
Hey, ladies.
I’m the author of Little Pink Raincoat. I’m sorry about your stirrups, Friday Playdate, I really am. If you’d read my book to the end, you would know that your critical and superficial assessment is incomplete. But thank you so much for the plug. The pink plug. Shop on!
Gigi
April 19th, 2007 at 8:53 pm, Gigi Anders Says:
PS: Thank you to all the gals sharing so many fashion memories. Just proves that Little Pink Raincoat resonates — stylishly.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:36 am, lydia Says:
My first date outfit was pretty tragic too…
It was: An oversized button down shirt in a weird purple floral print, purchased at a thrift store, old jeans with a couple of bleach spots on them, and white keds. Seriously. I was 15, though, so I guess I can forgive myself. And fortunately my then date/now husband managed to magically see my gorgeous rack through the big floppy shirt and fixate on them to the exclusion of anything else I was wearing, ha. Awful, just awful.
April 24th, 2007 at 9:52 am, Karyn Says:
I have a few.
A bright melon pink baggy shirt with 3/4 length button sleeves and pointy collar with pockets over the breast area (ps, I have some sizeable boobs, they did not require pockets for emphasis) over an acid washed miniskirt with snaps up the back. And black ruched leather flats.
Yeah.
Or the black genie pants from the 80s - think Paula, think MC Hammer - with a thick cotton tunic from the Limited with 3/4 length sleeves, mock turtleneck, and huge effing black buttons all the way down the back.
Right.
Or. OR.
The tapered leg mustard gold Guess jeans with ankle snaps worn with a salmon colored Ralph Lauren Polo shirt. And awkward black pumps with itty bitty heels. And a bad , bad haircut. (That was when I learned my hair was curly. Until then it was just bulky. Then it was cut and I looked like Harpo Marx for a year.)
Your pineapple shirt is sounding ok to me.