I grew up in a family business centered around women’s apparel.
This does a lot to f you up.
You have mini moms and mini grandmas forever hovering over your shoulder every morning as you get ready for the day.
“Brush that hair!”
“Fix your lapel!”
“You’re slowly disgracing the family name by wearing those holey socks! Do you want to kill the family name, Lauren?! DO YOU?!”
I do not like fashion.
I will never pretend that I know anything about fashion designers, fashion blogs, or America’s Next Model Top Runway Style Show.
However, I do like dressing up.
Suspenders, ties, hats, mustaches, scarves, skirts, pantyhose, you name it.
In the want to streamline my blog a bit more, I will be doing a weekly “dress up” post. This will be my version of a fashion post but without the vacant stares, sour pusses, pigeon toes, and scoliosis legs.
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Like any good hipstercrite, I wear a lot of American Apparel and make fun of people who wear it.
However, all joking aside- because American Apparel is a very serious matter– outside of the obvious questionable behavior and practices that we secretly hate to love, there is nothing quite like American Apparel. While quietly judging the photo of a topless model spread eagle on crumpled white sheets and wondering what clothing she’s actually modeling in our morning paper, it is easy to forget how innovative in the most simplest and out-of-the-box ways this company has been. It is the largest clothing manufacturer of its size made in America. They use mostly company employees of all shapes and sizes as their models. They offer fair wages, subsidized health care and transportation, and other advantages to their factory workers. The company has a fairly large organic line that costs no more than their non-organic items.
In so many ways, American Apparel is doing more than any other clothing company.
So hats off to American Apparel!
And shirts.
And pants.
And underwear.
This is me in Marfa, Texas. I am hanging out at the Marfa Mystery Lights viewing center because I have nothing else better to do except demand that my mother takes countless photos of me. You can’t even see the lights during the day, so why am I here? Well, I’m here to show you my ALL AMERICAN ALL AMERICAN APPAREL outfit.
Hat: Wool Floppy Hat in Luggage (no longer made in that color)
Scarf: Sheer Circle Scarf in Black (one of my top 10 favorite purchases from there-versatile, seasonal, and worth buying. comes in six other colors)
Top: Creme Black Striped Double-U Neck Long Sleeve Bodysuit
Pants: Linen High-Waist Pleated Pant in Pewter (new favorite item- a little expensive, but well made and you will have for a long time. worth the cost.)
Shoes: Vintage from Thrift Town
Sometimes my ass falls asleep when I sit on ledges. My ass has poor circulation because I’ve had, what they call, a “sedentary” job for the past six years. I am a desk jockey.
Sometimes my mother can be a cruel women.
Do you like American Apparel? What is your favorite item from there? What do you not like about American Apparel?
10 Comments
Love it. I also have the circle scarf in heather gray, and I wear it several times a week.
funny…i was just about to blog about how i hate american apparel. but i don't. i actually really enjoy the simplicity of their clothes…it's just that every time i walk into the store i feel like i'm getting visually assaulted with the "once-over" by everyone working there.
i'm sorry that not all of us can pull off a gold tights and frumpy sweater combination! and i have every right to wear horn-rimmed glasses just like every other wannabe-hipster does.
in short: love the clothes, hate the punk-ass kids that work there. online shopping, anyone?
I love AA because the clothes are so comfortable. I wear their stuff all the time. Love the outfit!
@Vanessa- The heather gray one is great! It's a little longer and bulkier than the black, so it's good for winter as well. I saw someone make a skirt out of it and it was adorable!
@GirlUntitled- Ha. Well, I understand and relate. Especially in the bigger cities. The South Congress Austin store has wonderful people though! Also, the one in Portland is great.
@Tsaritsa- Thanks! Yes, their stuff is comfortable and holds up pretty well. I like all the colors!
I own an American Apparel vest top. It's a good vest top. That's all I have to say on the matter.
i ADORE AA. i know Dov is like our nations #1 creepy mccreeperson and all but as long as *i* don't have to blow him i could care less who does.
you know as long as it's consensual… (im not looking for hate mail here)
love that scarf and hat! And since there are two in Venice, I'm off to go buy them.
Excited about your future fashion posts because I also know nothing about fashion and I have a feeling you totally do.
AA and I have a tenuous relationship. I used to be reeeeally into him, thinking that his cozy hoodies and simple tops were the shit. Then I heard of the behind-the-scenes skeeviness and questionable work practices; plus my style changed. Now I can't help but feel a slight disdain when AA demands $50 for a cool-looking scarf or a pair of tights. He's still sorta hot in his own way, though.
Weird metaphors aside, I do appreciate how they make basic essentials in the wardrobe (though I wouldn't call shiny gold leggings are necessity). It's quality stuff I'd say– I own a U-neck top and a jersey scarf, and both are pretty versatile. I've got my eye on a pair of tights with punctuation marks on them and your felt hat– seriously, I've been searching for a floppy hat FOREVS and then I see that it's not available/pricey. Oh dear.
Toast with Charmalade
No expert on apparel here, but what guy is? Did think the picture sequence was funny.
I don't shop at AA because it's too expensive for my tastes. (Okay fine. I bought a shirt there once. Their tee's just fit so well.)
I love your look though. I also LOVE Marfa.