Tag Archives: Swedish Hasbeens

(Summer) uniform update

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At the end of April, I made a list of all the pieces that I needed for the summer. We are now in June and I’ve had to make several adjustment to that list:

  • I had to nix the idea of getting the “perfect pair of distressed denim shorts”: in my experience, perfect shorts tend to be somewhat brief. And that’s a length that I now chose to leave to Tash Sefton, Elle Ferguson… and my female students;
  • As for the Nike Huaraches, I had found the perfect pair, with the right color combination, but a little bird told me: “Wait, they’ll be on sale soon and you’ll regret having bought full price.” So I waited. And he was right: they did go on sale and someone did buy them at a fabulous price, but that someone wasn’t me because when I went to buy them, they no longer had my size. Anywhere. Oh, but they do carry them in white now. The thing is: I detest white shoes probably more than I love black clothing;
  • Crazy but true: this year, I can’t seem to find one stripped top that I like. Nada zilch zero. Everything I’ve seen so far is either too short, the stripes are too wide, the material is highly flammable or they just look funny on me;
  • Also, who was I kidding? I don’t wear white t-shirts – slightly oversized or not. Actually, you know what? Especially if they are slightly oversized… Habibi, in this case, I’ll agree with you: petite built + oversize clothes = potato sac;
  • And finally, the Swedish Hasbeens Slip Ins: they proved to be harder to find in Montreal than I had originally thought. A friend of mine had purchased a pair at The Bay last year. But that was last year. This year, I went on a crusade to get a pair and came out empty handed. I couldn’t find them anywhere. At last, even though I hate buying shoes without trying them on first, I was about to order them from the compay’s online store when I came across a pair yesterday. Just like that, when I least expected it, in the most random shoe store at Dix30. Granted, they were not black and they felt a bit too small, but they were on sale for $70 – you read right: $70. So I bought them. And tomorrow, I’ll have to return them. They don’t only feel too small, they are too small. And who was I trying to kid? Greyish blue is no substitute for black.

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And so I’m back to square one with an entire summer ahead of me and, as I tell myself and Habibi, no clothes to wear…

 

(Summer) uniform

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Today I was online, wasting time during a workshop… I know I know, but in my defense, the workshop was on the use of technology in our classrooms. In any case, I started thinking about my summer wardrobe and about all the different pieces I need to get if and when summer finally gets here. My list:

  • Swedish Hasbeens Slip In (in black);
  • Slightly oversized crew neck t-shirts (in white);
  • Lightweight stripped sweater;
  • Stripped t-shirts;
  • Nike Huaraches;
  • The perfect pair of distressed denim shorts that I’ll be wearing with those aforementioned Balenciaga sandals (inspiration: Tash Sefton and Elle Ferguson).

Nothing highly exciting, no real color, only updated versions of items I already own… That’s when a Garance Doré post from 2 weeks ago – Uniform – came to mind. At the end of her post, she asked “Do you wear a uniform?” I really want to answer no, because saying that I not only wear a uniform but also enjoy wearing it sounds so boring… Yet, you and I both know that it’s the sad truth.

For many years, my mum has tried to get me to remove my black cloak, with no avail. Maybe I’m just a really lazy person – black is easy and works with everything. Maybe it’s the Virgo in me – you really can’t go wrong with black. It could also be that wearing a uniform during my formative years has conditioned me to appreciate its distinctive nature. Or maybe it’s just that, as The New Oxford American Dictionary puts it, it is the particular way in which I exist in the world of fashion.

It is the forming part of my sartorial personality.