San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Revenge of the nerds: fanny packs, sandals with socks & more.
Call it a case of revenge of the nerds. Footwear, apparel and accessories that were previously considered ugly or signatures of the uncool are suddenly not just trendy, but coveted by fashion insiders, influencers and consumers. But how do you know if your “anti-fashion” favorites are ugly-cool or just ... ugly? Style breaks down the old school anti-fashion versus the new takes — and when and where they are each acceptable.
1. San Francisco tourist wearing socks with sandals vs. runway socks with sandals
Socks ... with sandals — be they Birkenstocks, Tevas, Adilette slides or something else — are a look only a geisha in her traditional geta can pull off. That hasn’t stopped generations of tourists from going for the look, perhaps hoping for sunny California skies but wary of our local fog. The look has also popped up on runways in recent seasons, but we’re still flummoxed about why you’d mix warm-weather sandals with woolly white tube socks.
2. Your grandma’s bingo fanny packs vs. Alexander Wang/Gucci fanny packs
The handbag alternative is a favorite of dog walkers, runners and bingo-playing grannies who don’t want their winnings snatched in a purse. The new fanny packs are a favorite of the music festival crowd, the nightclub set and are frequently worn cross-body or slung over the shoulder. Men have also started to embrace the accessory, a giant blow to the “murse” (man purse) industry.
3. Gilligan’s bucket hat vs. designer bucket hat
4. Teva sandals vs. “designer” Teva sandals
The Teva sandal — from the Hebrew word for “outdoors” — is long beloved by hikers, Burners and other “outdoorsy” types. The originals will run you around $40-$50, but designer versions of the sandals by Marc Jacobs and Prada will run you $700 +. The originals are perfect for long walks in rugged places, whereas the designer takes are just right for long negotiations about the price of kale at the farmers’ market, with extra points for matching designer Tevas to your tote bag.
5. An actual dad’s/mom’s jeans vs. Levi’s “Dad/Mom jeans.”
Once upon a time, a pair of jeans with a medium to higher waist did not necessarily get called Dad/Mom jeans, but after the low-rise early aughts, anything that cleared the navel was deemed dowdy. In reaction to all the low-slung skinny denim of the last two decades, higher waists and wider cuts are back for the entire family. In Style’s view, a jean is only a Dad/Mom variety if you identify as a dad/mom, or wear them while parenting someone else’s children.