Never Say Never: Rescinding a Fashion Rule

A million years ago, I lived in Pacific Beach, the quintessential little surf town sandwiched between La Jolla and Mission Beach in San Diego. At the time, overalls were a huge national trend, and in that nearly Utopian neck of the woods, were typically paired with a triangle bikini top underneath (look, we did a lot of weird things back then….like Hypercolor. Don’t @ me). When I packed up to return to the East Coast, I left those Calvin Kleins to grow old in the warm California sun — with no intention of ever owning overalls again.

Then 2020 came along which, let’s face it, has thrown a barrage of curve balls our way, driving

 us to do things we never thought we would — wearing masks like we’re about to perform surgery in the middle of Thames Street, forgetting what day it is, perhaps attending a BYO hand sanitizer socially-distanced backyard micro-happy hour, and, at least for me, going the longest stretch in my adult life without wearing heels or wedges (*tears*). The dystopian world we’re living in has also changed shopping habits, not only the volume of what we but the pieces we’re buying (in other words, without a Newport summer social calendar, your need for cocktail dresses and black tie gowns is practically nil).

Which explains how I ended up with new overalls … that, and good marketing. 

Despite filing for bankruptcy last month (what the what?!), J. Crew is coming in hot this summer with classic New England looks (cue the navy and white stripes, pastel ginghams and crisp linen everything) — one may suggest it’s a return to the pre-Jenna Lyons era. Though decidedly unsexy, the overalls promoted in one of the Factory’s upbeat emails had a decidedly “going-to-the-farmer’s-market-on-Place-Richelme-to-buy-lavender-bouquets” vibe. Oui oui! With Covid comfort dressing in mind and a sale-on-sale promo code at my fingertips, I pulled the trigger and “added to cart,” breaking my “never again” overalls rule. Bonus: as my friend Amy would point out, overalls pass muster in her time-tested fashion test, I Could Eat in That. 

Since they’ve arrived, the overalls have become a regular in my wardrobe rotation, usually with a striped top or crisp white top or tank, bright flats and maybe a fedora (like when I roll out out of bed to run errands, pictured here). And the first place I went? The Aquidneck Growers Market (to buy bouquets from Little State Flower Co.). Au revoir !

Some rules are meant to be broken, I suppose.