Tuesday, October 05, 2010

How to be unintentionally on-trend

Speaking of the trend cycle, here's one I can live with. No, I don't think cropped sweaters are attractive, but I seem to have more than a few items that fit the bill. It's what happens when the wrong things go in the dryer. When sweaters from one's younger years are too darn pretty to abandon, even though the fit changed unfavorably once a post-adolescent build arrived. When sweaters are purchased because they're just so darn pretty who cares they're cut for straight-up-and-down... and then one "delicates" wash cycle later, oops.... There is a pile of sweaters in my closet just like the ones in this fashion spread, a pile so thoroughly ignored that I had to do a double-take - we're really supposed to be wearing that? For reasons I don't entirely understand, and that defy the laws of physics and laundry (but that probably relate to stinginess re: dry-cleaning and laziness re: washing-by-hand), all my sweaters end up going this route. I could buy one that was ankle-length and give it a couple years, crop-top time. So while I can't imagine buying one intentionally (let alone dropping $2,050 on one), if this really is the new look for fall, my so-very-now wardrobe just quadrupled.

6 comments:

Britta said...

I once worked at a youth hostel for several months, and there was a French girl who stayed there who had to adorable H&M sweaters which she shrunk in the wash and left behind. I adopted them and wear them (with a longer shirt underneath), even though they only come down to about my bellybutton. It's good to know that is now actually in style.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

Glad to know I'm not alone in associating this look with laundry mishaps. It's quite the revelation to see that people (are expected to) spend hundreds and even thousands of dollars for that result.

Britta said...

Perhaps there's a goldmine in going to Goodwill, buying a lot of sweaters, shrinking them, and then selling them for 100s of dollars to wealthy fasionistas who don't know any better.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

I think it would be easier than that - lots of sweaters make it to thrift stores precisely because they've already reached that state.

PG said...

But if it shrinks in the wash, won't the arms shrink as well, and then be too short? It only seems to be the bottom of the sweater that's not the typical length; the arm lengths are still supposed to reach past your wrists.

Phoebe Maltz Bovy said...

PG,

It might seem that way, but explain to me where all the still-long-sleeved mini-sweaters in my closet come from. It's not as though I woke up Dolly Parton, so I'm thinking it's at least in part a laundry issue.