| I must say I don’t understand the controversy around Birkenstocks. Yes, they are worn mainly as house slippers; and yes, in the past decades they have been popularly paired with unkempt beards; and yes, every couple of years fashion writers predict the Birkenstock’s triumphant return to style while mainstream columnists ridicule the idea that they were ever in style. But what’s so contentious about the Birkenstock’s intrinsic bohemian appeal and ultra-minimalist aesthetic? To me these contoured soles are the one legitimate example of the meeting of the worlds of style and comfort, and genuinely has appeal for just about every societal demographic. Take me, for example. I am not one who thinks of the word ‘comfort’ as a sartorial dirty word, but my lovely boyfriend and I couldn’t be more divided in this space. Nothing much in the world excites me more than clothes, and his interest in clothes is limited to their pure utilitarian value. And yet we both own identical pairs of of Birkenstock two strap Arizona’s. His is for gardening; mine are for, well, I’ll let these photos speak for themselves.
In other news, you might know that right about now I’m somewhere in China climbing the Great Wall or riding horses up mountains, or more likely, sitting in a restaurant having my fifth mean of the day. I can’t deny that I’m truly terrible at being a tourist. But what ever I’m doing, I’ll leave you to imagine that I’m doing it in an outfit much like this one, which I ‘prepared earlier’. By which of course, I mean that I scheduled a few posts to go while I’m away. Yup, I’ve turned the page on my ‘Flakey Twenty-Something’ chapter and next up is ‘Well Prepared Adult’. For once, I’ve put some thought into making an overseas trip easy for myself. This time, my luggage will have working wheels; my shoes will be for walking; and my hair products will not be confiscated at the security gate. I thrifted this amazingly cool military jacket at one of me and Heather’s (Heatstorm Blog) ‘Thrift-ventures’ last week. It’s perfectly light weight and just as warm as it needs to be – perfect for travelling. I guess that’s what it’s designed for. I’m not much of an expert in army uniforms, but Google seems to indicate that this could be a World War II US army jacket. That knowledge makes me really regret not buying this with the pant that made this a set, considering it might have historical significance. And all I’m going to do with it is wear it in yet another one of my ridiculous pairings. Military jacket and gypsy skirt? Military jacket and cowboy shirt? Thrifted military jacket Bonds black T shirt J Brand Adrian Distressed Boyfriend Jeans (here or here) Vintage Cross Shoulder Bag from my mother’s wardrobe Birkenstock Arizona Sandals in Smooth Leather (here) Marc by Marc Jacobs Watch (similar) |
