When I was in elementary school, overalls (or farmer pants as my Nana used to call them) were a big part of my life. As I got older, I shifted to athletic shorts (don’t ask) then awkward jeans and corduroys, and the overalls fell to the wayside. I have a feeling they were probably given away to some lucky first grader. Then, this past summer, I realized I needed that overall feeling again (so did fashion guy Derek Blasberg, according to Twitter). I thought I had found the pair at Urban Outfitters, but the fit wasn’t right. Then, one day in late July, I was in the Housing Works on Crosby Street, and there were the overalls. They were Mango (meaning probably for ladies), but I didn’t give a damn. It was that moment of fashion destiny so many speak of. Two days later, I wore them for the first time. Now I wear them all the time. I feel like I’m simultaneously emulating Sarah Jessica Parker in the 1985 movie, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, Rihanna, and Justin Timberlake when he was on The Mickey Mouse Club.
The great thing about overalls is that they are good for every season because they breathe (these particular ones have wide legs). In the summer, I wore them with a t-shirt or short-sleeve polo and a headscarf. Now, in autumn, I can wear them with a t-shirt and a button-down over them or with a long-sleeve shirt or button-down. Last weekend, I wore a dark purple long-sleeve button down, buttoned only about halfway up with the overalls. It was the comfiest, loosest combo in the world. When I wear them, I cuff them at the ankle. The options are kind of endless. They also have this amazing little square-on-my-upper-torso pocket that buttons—perfect for my phone. And you can wear them almost anywhere: I’ve worn them to painting class, at a party, and on a day trip to an apple orchard in Connecticut. Overalls, in general, are good for parties because they make dancing super easy, and they act as a conversation piece. Overalls don’t have to just be for children or for when you’re painting the house. Now that I’ve found my pair of farmer pants, I’m never letting go, and I'm working them into all four seasons.