Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Today's Preoccupations: Fashion Edition

Appropriate attire, people. It's on my mind today. Okay, so there are those blankets with sleeves--Snuggies--that you can get, I think, if you plan to sit down on your couch and not get up for a very, very long time. Well, for some reason, people are wearing them outdoors now. That NYT article claims that its "use in public" is an "aspect of Snuggie that has been little explored." Oh do tell.


This whole situation makes me want to die. But apparently, Snuggie has fans in unexpected quarters. Young people in Brooklyn are wearing them on all-Snuggie pub crawls. (Will hipsters just do anything if it seems uncool enough?) Some kind of high-level, reverse snobbery, anti-chic at work there. I will admit, an organized all-Snuggie gathering kinda makes me smile.

So in the NYT's experiment, people were very welcoming and admiring of the Snuggie. The only problem that the reporter found in wearing the Snuggie out and about was that, being open in the back, with no closures, it was very cold. I have an easy answer: Duh, wear two, one frontways and one backwards, hospital gown style. (If you haven't read the post in that link, take a ride in my wayback machine. It concerns some very inappropriate attire.) So, what use if any do YOU see for the Snuggie? Like, do you have one at home? Do you want one for home? Do you want one to wear out on the town? I am all ears.

And oh Lord, check out this Snuggie commercial parody.

Also, over at my baby chucha's blog, Amy has raised the issue of guys wearing skinny jeans. I know a lot of teenagers are doing this. But who else is, really? Is it only the people who might also be prone to go on a Snuggie pub crawl, or be photographed by the Sartorialist?

And finally, my Laura, who agrees with me every night on what she will wear to school the next day, and then gets up and puts on anything she wants, knowing that her father (who gets her out the door in the morning) is oblivious to the finer points of fashion, seasonal appropriateness, or even if what she has on is hers/clean/in compliance with school dress codes and cultural norms.

This was today's ensemble, fresh off the schoolbus: her less-clean pair of Uggs, jeans, MY fresh produce hoodie, a polka-dotted headband with streamers, and her new brown and blue backpack. It's an eye-opening combo. Somehow she always carries it off, but I guess our days of matching Gymboree and Hanna ensembles are behind us. What is it with girls this age and the active avoidance of clothing that coordinates?

And YES, Laura is also modeling my new Orla Kiely placemats, more about which later, gators! And you KNOW there will be.

Stick a fork in me and call this my Random Tuesday tidbits.

randomtuesday

28 comments:

Amy - the gazelle said...

snuggies in public = BAD!

And your daughter, even with the Uggs (which are bad, although not as bad as Crocs, and yes, I am a shoe snob), is quite a cutie - somehow she pulls that off! Although I was relieved to read that she's wearing a headband & not a polka-dotted tie!

Kelly said...

She looks like she would fit in just right in my classroom! Adorable! ;)

Amy said...

Laura looks adorable! Love that headband. I think it works, I gotta say.

I have NEVER heard of snuggies before. I guess they haven't made it to Australia yet. That is frightening. I can maybe see how they'd be comfy at home, but really, a blanket does me just fine. I guess someone figured that if they work for 4 month olds, they'd work for 40 year olds. Freaky!

The Dental Maven said...

Let's face it. Anyone under the age of 20 can wear anything, at anytime (including pajamas)and look FREAKIN' GREAT!

Sara said...

Laura looks great. She is totally working that whole outfit.

Snuggies are bad. Even my kids think so.
Have you seen the little Snuggies for kids?? Gah!

Ginny Marie said...

I don't think I could ever wear a Snuggie. Have you seen the commercial for them? Hysterically bad!

Anonymous said...

My daughter has a Slanket and my hubby has a Snuggie. They should duel.

Casey said...

Before I read that, I totally noticed the place mats and thought they had to be from Orla Kiely (even though I haven't ever seen a thing she's done).

Carrie said...

Ah, now I see the difference between the Snuggie and its 1970s ancestor, the Snuggle Blanket. We had a couple of these Snuggle Blankets and they were great. Basically a sleeping bag that could be snapped around your arms for hours of fuel-crisis, sedentary comfort. I so vividly remember the dog dragging my little brother around the house by the foot end of the Snuggle Blanket.

Keely said...

I *don't* have a use for a Snuggie. Unless you count it's use as a fire starter.

Laura looks like she has the touch!

Sjn said...

you beat me to it, the whole time reading about Laura I was thinking about your placemats.

Christine said...

(!!! I forgot to write you the other day that I did find OK in my Target! I see you were able to turn loose of 4.99 a pop for a placemat...I'm so cheap I have to think about that. But they are so cute on your table I could be swayed.)

The snuggie things are some sort of freakish trend indeed. My very-hip 18-year-old nephews are whining about wanting some of these; are they planning to wear the things at college?! I don't know...but yeah, whatever they do with them it'll be incredibly Cool.

Becky said...

Christine, your nephews want Snuggies?!? You must investigate this trend and blog about it. I am totally fascinated. I guess a blanket suits me just fine. Though sometimes, when it is really cold in my drafty sunroom, I wrap the blanket around myself, bath-towel style. Seems to work.

Carrie, I don't remember the 70's version. Maybe because I lived in Florida? And is a slanket the same basic thing?

And yes, at the risk of driving everyone insane, I'll be blogging about my Orla Kiely acquisitions. LOL.

Zion said...

Aw, Laura is so cute, I thought maybe that was a stock photo or something. I don't get the whole snuggie thing. An old fashioned square blanket has never steered me wrong, as far as having sleeves, well that is what clothing is for. Maybe if I tried one I would think differently.

Bex said...

i'm intrigued by the snuggie phenomenon. every time i make a snuggie joke it gets a laugh. that's all i know.

David said...

Funny you should blog about this: just the other day, at my coffeeshop, i overheard some skinny-jeaned hipster defending his snuggie to a friend:

lady-pants hipster: "seriously, it's like a big blanket with sleeves"

his clearly more sensible friend, voicing my thoughts exactly: "i don't know, dude. it just sounds like a robe. and kinda stupid"

end scene.

Debbie said...

Snuggies are just bad in general. Can we get any lazier?
And your daughter is rocking that outfit.

melondonkey said...

From reading comments at stuffwhitepeoplelike.com I may have stumbled onto a website that instructs less intelligent hipsters on how to be ironic. While such things usually repulse me, I'll have to say I was amused by the "Snuggie Photo du Jour" section. If anyone asks you what you're doing on the site, just say you're enjoying it on an ironic level.


http://freedomhaters.org/?q=content/snuggie-photo-du-jour-7

Jane said...

The trick to rocking an ensemble like that is confidence. Laura looks like she has it in spades.

I am the core Snuggie demographic. My only concern is that the sleeves will not be long enough. It seems to me that the ideal length is long enough to fully envelop the hands, so that the sleeves provide an access point to the world, while preventing constant exposure.

Yes, I've given this some thought.

Leciawp said...

Love that ensemble! How is it that Dad gets her off to school? Do you get to sleep in every day? And love those placemats! I have the same ones on my table right this minute, as I haven't yet cleared the breakfast table (it's only 8:30 in Seattle folks)

I saw that piece about the snuggli - very funny!

Jenni said...

becky - I am totally with you on the whole snuggie situation. I think they are so awful, people shouldn't even wear them inside their homes.

and of course your daughter can pull off that outfit. she's gorgeous!

Lawyer Mom said...

She's got it going on! Talk about fashion flair.

On the snuggies, I for one would be thrilled if they came into vogue, since I secretly fantasize about wearing mumus. There'd be no more bothersome "fat" days in a snuggie.

Becky said...

Thanks for that link, MelonD! I am off to read it. And from what you're all saying, the contours--if you can use the word "contours" when discussing Snuggies--of this situation are much more serious. David, so SF hipsters are into this too?!?

And oh lord, check out this Snuggie commercial parody:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmsWqeEv8Vo

Dave said...

Man, the first few times I saw like half of a Snuggies commercial on TV, I thought it was all a joke. Now I hear that "the kids" are doing it, and I feel a vague despair coming on.

Amy said...

Ok, wow. I just have to say again that I had NO idea about any of this! I am having a hard time believing this is a phenomenon. Where is MY ridiculous million dollar idea? Wahhh!

Anonymous said...

Yes, I clicked for the wayback post. Oh, my. Oh, my.

Thanks for the myriad laughs this eve!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, I'd never heard of a snuggie - I want one! It's 4am here and I'm sitting up watching my poorly boy. I'd love to be wrapped up in blanket. Mind you, I'd probably go to sleep!

Pat R said...

it's too bad the Snuggie has that drafty, hospital gown thing going for it... it would be better if it wrapped around all the way