Woman of the Cloth

Once April hits, I spend 6–12 hours every weekend walking around the city. I’ve been averaging 17,000 steps per day — trust me, this is a HUGE accomplishment after a long winter of 3,000 step days!

When I know I’m moving around for hours at a time, I plan my outfit carefully:

  • No coats (they don’t fit in my purse if it warms up)
  • No skipping socks (blisters are a crippling reality after 8,000 steps)
  • Nothing tight (Sunday is brunch day — billowy is key)

This weekend, I noshed on cheddar biscuits in Harlem followed by a long walk across Central Park (to burn off the biscuits). Here’s what I wore:

Leather Jacket: Zara (circa 2003) | Denim Tunic: Trademark | Denim Trousers: Trademark | Belt: Madewell | Tote: WANT Les Essentiels | Suede Booties: Saint Laurent | SunglasseS: Ray-Ban
Leather Jacket: Zara (circa 2003) | Denim Tunic: Trademark | Denim Trousers: Trademark | Belt: Madewell | Tote: WANT Les Essentiels | Suede Booties: Saint Laurent | Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

This denim tunic is a fairly new addition to my closet — it’s a fantastic twist on the traditional denim shirt. (It’s more gutsy than wispy chambray and more flattering than the rigidity of the pearl-buttoned Western shirt, too.)

The denim-on-denim look (or my preferred nomenclature, the Canadian tuxedo) is pretty intense, but you need not look any further than this recent Prada campaign to understand the allure of the trend’s resurgence. It’s the ultimate underdog story in which the over-looked sidekick becomes the star.

Belt: Madewell | Turquoise Ring: YSL
Belt: Madewell | Turquoise Ring: YSL

I paired the look with a leather belt and enormous tourquoise ring, loosely basing the look on what I imagine would have been appropriate at a 1970s artists colony in Santa Fe.

The irony of this “new” trend is that 14 years ago, I hated this combination. (I blame this on denim fatigue — for the entirety of the 2001 school year, I wore denim from head to toe, including rhinestoned denim sandals, an embroidered jean tote by Accessorize and the same XOXO jean jacket I wore until I lost it at a NYC bar in 2010.)

I guess it takes about 14 years to cleanse the denim palate.

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PS: When I paired the tunic with a beat-up, ancient leather jacket, I noticed that the tunic had an uncanny resemblance to a priest’s collar. (Denim for the clergy? Someone call Gaultier!)

How do you feel about denim-on-denim? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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