By Charlotte Steinway, 20, reporting from Paris, France, on grunge-free flannel fashion
Marilyn had wind-infused dresses, Madonna had conical bras, and Kurt Cobain had flannel. Lucky for Kurt, his 90s grunge-tastic songs and styles still rotate through today's hipsters' iPods and closets.
As a wannabe hipster, I am constantly looking for ways to incorporate flannel into my wardrobe. I have no problem with nabbing some cheap-o flannels from thrift stores and flea markets. Yet I hope to give off a more modern vibe, rather than rock a look that SCREAMS "Nevermind."
Through my trial and error thus far, the look seems largely versatile—-pair a moderately-fitted flannel with some denim cutoffs and Vans and you've got the surfer/skater look from Dogtown and Z-Boys. An oversized flannel with leggings and heels gives you a throwback to MK & A's shabby-chic clubbing get-up from last year. And I tried a big red-and-green plaid shirt with preppy accessories—-large studs, slim jeans, and big bow headbands—-for that perfect Gossip Girl-meets-Bob the Builder look I'm always after! (OK, I completely made that up. I've never tried to look like Bob the Builder. But hey, you get my point.)
As a native of Los Angeles, it came as no surprise that the other week, at Urth Caffé (which is, surprise surprise, MK & A's alleged fave restaurant), I found myself just one in many, standing amidst a virtual rainbow of large checkered-print shirts.
Currently, I'm in Paris studying for the semester. I had hoped to be an American original in my flannels. FALSE! Turns out, they're all the rage here too. In fact, I'm writing this from a room in which my host family had exactly three posters on the wall upon my arrival: Brigitte Bardot, James Dean, and lastly, Kurt Cobain. Nevermind. — Charlotte Steinway