Terrycloth Terror

Another outfit was an oversized men’s (I think) t-shirt from A-COLD-WALL* (I had to look up this brand after spotting the “ACW” logo), along with denim shorts that had slits at the sides, chunky black fisherman sandals, and a straw hat with a black ribbon. Approximations below:

And another outfit was a white oversized t-shirt (also likely men’s), along with light brown terrycloth shorts with front pockets (I’m pretty sure it was the old Zara ones below), and puffy platform LV slides:

Now, I’m not exactly suggesting that these are outfits that would be easy to pull off by many (nor by me, in the first instance) – some of the pieces in a vacuum could look a bit cheesy or even dated – but it was her juxtaposition that was so on point. The terrycloth shorts outfit actually brought back a seminal college memory for me. I was a freshman and visiting my long distance then-boyfriend at his preppy and moneyed college in Pennsylvania (he was there on a scholarship, for what it’s worth). We went to a movie one night and I wore my brand-spanking new Seven7 jeans (this was long before the days of 7 For All Mankind) and platform flip-flops (I know). I felt cool when we left the dorms. At the theater while waiting for popcorn we ran into two girls who he knew from class and one of them had on an outfit that was so perfect for a “casual movie night where you might be seen by your classmates” that it made my blood run cold. In that moment I suddenly hated my outfit, and I will never forget hers: taupe terrycloth pants (I’m sure they were Juicy), a men’s button down shirt that was tied up at the waist, and jeweled Marc by Marc Jacobs slides (I found a picture, below, of the exact ones from a resale site – a bit grimy looking as they’re white used sandals but the photo is important, for science). Again, her look would’ve been ruined if she was wearing a matching terry-cloth top – too obvious, too Paris Hilton – but instead, the precise mix was devastating. Hope she’s doing well.