1993

dressing for the 'archetypes', the new geniuses, and not taking Kansas out of the girl

This weekend I’m heading to my high school reunion in Topeka, Kansas. I graduated in 1993 but we are just getting around to the reunion this year. Topeka was a weird place to spend my tween to teen years, but looking back I appreciate most of what it offered. My mom and I swear there is something special about the people of Topeka as we both made life long friends there. Not sure if Topeka avoids the ‘Midwest nice’ (code for passive aggression), or if it’s working class history keeps it down-to-earth, or if it’s just such a fly-over place the people there have nothing to prove. Whatever it is, if you meet someone from Topeka, they’re probably pretty cool, or a great writer.

It warms my Gen X heart to see a certain nostalgia for the 90s popping up in fashion spaces (technically, I think it should be called anemoia if the people pining for the past era didn’t experience it. But whatever). I especially get the 90s J. Crew love. The J. Crew catalogue was a life-line to fashion, especially in places like Topeka, and we were as transfixed by the images then as people are today. I still have a belt from this era. I remember teenage me marveling at how it made every outfit look so much cooler. The buckle needs a polish, but it still works.

The 90s were an interesting historical moment, obviously in large part because it was pre-digital media. The internet had not crept into our homes en masse. We had spaces of limited to no surveillance. Our parents couldn’t track us, and without social media our peers couldn’t track us too easily either. If you had a crush on someone, you had to innocently drive by their house or slide them a physical note. Corporations couldn’t reach us at every waking hour and prey on our teen insecurities. And in a place like Topeka, you had a lot of time and space to be a kid.

That said, a lot of the 90s sucked. For example, we didn’t have the word ‘mansplaining’ to capture everyday sexism; LGBTQ+ kids (and adults) were violently kept in the closet; racism, ever present, was downplayed and ignored. Sex ed was poor to nonexistent. I’m thankful many of these discriminations have moved from private moments to public conversations in the decades that followed. Phrases like “MeToo”, “BLM”, and “Ok, Boomer” all show a collective understanding of structural inequalities. This did not exist in the 90s. We thought boys were geniuses and the racism of intergenerational wealth was not part of the cultural lexicon.

Dressing for the archetypes

Obviously, I’m thinking about what to wear to my reunion. I thought this would be a difficult event to plan an outfit for, but to my surprise, it came freakishly easy. Dressing to see the people you grew up with, “the original cast, the archetypes” (Miranda July, All Fours, pg. 125, omg, READ this book!), is, for me anyway, a direct line to my sense of self and style. Thinking of my former friends brings me right back to a fundamental version of myself. Plus, something about a 30 year reunion is leveling. I think we’ve all been through enough of ‘life’ to hopefully be past any kind of flexing. Shit has gone down, is what I’m saying.

All of the outfits I’m considering for the reunion capture my style more than the find-your-adjective exercises ever have. Maybe this is a way to laser in on your true style: what would you wear to see your ‘archetypes’? Granted, I am privileged to have had a good high school experience, to not have had to hide my true self, so this exercise works for me. I’ve loved clothing my entire life, my earliest memories are the thrill of wearing patent leather Mary Janes with frilly white lace socks. While I love frill, my mom always dressed me more towards hippie-preppy vibe, an influence I can’t shake.

After putting outfits together here, I have ALL the respect for the Substackers who do this weekly, daily, or for paid work. I know we all have feelings about affiliate links, spon-con, and brand partnerships, but at the same time, the work, the labor, that goes into styling anything is a genius level skill! I’ll die on the hill that influencers and social media content creators are highly skilled tech workers, writers, photographers, and artists.

Eleanor

’s post on travel and outfit planning inspired me to get organized ahead of time, to avoid bringing pieces that haven’t gelled to my sense of self/style. Here are the main contenders for the reunion (links bc I love these things and designers, no affiliate partnerships here):

1. overalls, 2. jeans, 3. vintage tee and vintage APC skirt. All styled with MNZ shoes and bag. Clutch is vintage Bottega. Bracelet is Rachel Comey

1. OVERALLS

Ok, I was influenced in the best way by

Laurel Pantin

’s styling of the Still Here white overalls. I rarely buy things brand new, full price, but after seeing her style these, they did not leave my mind for weeks. I love them. They look great with pretty much everything and remind of me of Gilda Radner from the 70s. I’m wearing a brown Everlane tube top underneath. This is a pretty chic tube top, I must say.

Image Pinterest

2. HORSES BLOUSE, WRANGLERS

I would grab these two garments in a fire. The Wranglers I got on Etsy long ago. For whatever reason, I slightly prefer the fit of vintage Wranglers to Levi’s. The top is from Horses Atelier, who have perfected blouses in all forms. This particular blouse I wear all summer, every summer. This outfit is me to a T: a little bit of frill grounded with well worn vintage denim. Styled with MNZ Olympia wedges and MNZ bag.

3. ‘92 BEASTIE BOY TEE, VINTAGE A.P.C SKIRT

After the reign of 90s J. Crew’s loose and easy, Americana aesthetic, APC’s minimalist catalogues from the 90s communicated something SO chic, French, and tailored. The Beastie Boys tee is from ‘92 (hell yes to merch!); it’s ripped, stained, and cut. I hemmed it in at the sides to make it fitted. While I know we are all into oversized atm, the 90s unisex tee was not as glamorous as it seems. I never felt such sartorial relief as when baby tees hit the market! Styled with MNZ Sophie slides and bag.

Lost A.P.C. 1999 Summer A.P.C Mail Order. (Is this cabmate?)

I’ll probably wear #1 to the reunion. Overalls in Kansas seems both appropriate and also very me.