Announcement: I have given up hope that the old fashion adage that “everything old is new again” might just…skip my junior-high to high school period. It seems, my friends, that we are doomed to relive the ill-fated fashions of the late 80s and early 90s. There are so many fashion blunders from our collective pasts that I have been distressed to see making a reappearance. Leggings, for example. Jeans with zippers at the ankle. Slouchy, off the shoulder sweatshirts. And let us not even speak of shoulder pads.
But it seems that since the 80s have been back in for long enough now, and we are moving on. And what came after the 80s? Grunge! And so with the new grunge, it appears, flannel is back. And while I whined a lot about the new 80s, I am much less distressed about the reemergence of flannel.
As in: I bought a flannel shirt this weekend. And I’m not sorry. After several seasons of lycra and neon and, god help us, pegged boyfriend jeans, we DESERVE flannel. Flannel is comfortable and cozy and easy to wear. It is soft. It is machine washable. I look outstanding in flannel. In fact, I spent the better part of high school wearing my father’s flannel shirts. (He: 6’4”, maybe 230 pounds. I, at the time: 5’10”, buck thirty. It was a look.)
Now if only I could find a way for people to bring back that whole “wear your flannel pajama pants out in public like it was normal” thing that was briefly trendy in my sophomore year, I would be golden.
OH YEAH. i actually still have my flannel (just the one! my mom was SO anti-trend, it took ages of begging and probably my own money and she STILL let me only have one). it’s a man’s L or XL, comes down to my mid thighs, and about 4 inches past my hands. and this is me NOW. when i wore it For Real, i was about 6″ shorter and 50lbs or so lighter.
so weird why my mom didn’t want to get me more..
I saw a bunch of flannel shirts at Tar-Jay yesterday and it brought back many memories. They were so comfy! I had to resist though….I can’t get away with a flannel shirt and ripped jeans at work anyway!
I am so excited about the flannel comeback! It’s the most comfortable look ever! Those pegged jeans don’t look so bad with baggy socks, btw. I believe the best brand was EG socks.
Yay! Some trends deserve to come back. As long as we stay away from ’80s hair I think we’ll be OK.
I’m pretty sure I’ve got photos of the above referenced time period…and dear god, no. No, I won’t be showing them to anyone. Cause that’s when I cut my own hair. Oy vey.
My flannel/grunge stage was so bad. I hope I have more fashion sense now. I mean, I was all over the tied flannel shirt around your waist and the fake workmen boots.
I wonder if in 15 years I’m going to look back at what I’m wearing now and have so much disdain.
I should stick to pajamas.
While everyone else was going flannel/grunge/Kurt Cobain RIP shirts, I was super preppy (but not in the 80s variety). Shirts tucked into jeans, navy polo shirts, Duck Head shorts… random small town high school wear. Then I decided to be boho, and it was broom skirts (that had bells on the ties) with matching shirts… yeah.