It’s not my job to tell you what’s new and hot. Figuring out what everyone is wearing is as easy as looking around in class or watching people in Red Square. It doesn’t take a dedicated Vogue reader to know that neutrals are in and that classic shapes are making a slightly-better-fitting comeback. The more interesting question is finding out where these trends have their genesis. Why am I drawn to toggle coats and tiny pleats? Luckily for you, I’ve done some sleuth work, and have come up with a provocative new theory about why we dress the way we do: children’s books.
Could it be that, as children, we internalized the aesthetic sensibilities of our favorite fictional heroes, and that they’re now manifested in our adult wardrobes? It’s not outside the realm of possibility. And while it’s true that little girls sometimes read about princesses and then grow into women who like pretty dresses and sparkly things, my analysis goes deeper.
Picture the frontier-inspired button-up that’s hanging in your closet. It has little ruffles on the sleeves and no real collar to speak of, and it’s probably made of some checked material. Does it remind you of Laura Ingalls Wilder? Yeah, I thought so. I’m not the only girl of my generation who was enthralled by all the calico creations she and Ma made in their covered wagon. I spent so much time reading about the literary pioneer of prairie-chic that I’m actually dressing like her now, and you are too. Coincidence? I think not.
How about those skirts with all the narrow, even pleats? The kind you wear with tights and Mary Janes? Even though the shoes in your ensemble are a high-heeled version, you probably look more like Eloise than you think. And why shouldn’t you? That girl is the epitome of effortless style and all things cosmopolitan. There is no shame in looking like a spoiled six-year-old from the Upper East Side.
A lot of people have been taking the six-year-old look a little further with grown-up versions of the classic rain boot, which plays a prominent role in countless children’s books. In my mind, though, rainboots are most closely associated with the one and only Ramona Quimby, who on the first rainy day of her kindergarten career made the brilliant observation that “a girl should wear shiny red or white boots on the first rainy day, not to keep her feet dry, but to show off.” Too true, Ramona. And even though shiny white isn’t really in style, many a Georgetown lady has been known to rock a polka-dot or tiny animals motif.
My favorite example of this phenomenon has to be the toggle-coat and Paddington Bear. While his floppy red hat didn’t quite stick, you can’t go outside without seeing ladies and gents alike bundled against the chill in snappy wool coats fastened with a few toggles. Bonus points if your coat has a hood!
