I remember seeing overalls again for the first time, after not seeing them except for in the Aaliyah Google image searches I had in my history. It was in Brooklyn, and the woman was wearing a pair that was obviously thrifted and then tailored — they weren't the baggy overalls with carpenter's loops I remembered. They were tapered and cropped, to show off a pair of platform clogs (this was in 2008). She was wearing them with a top-knot, red lipstick, and a minimal canvas tote, and it made enough of an impact on me that overalls immediately jumped from the "bad fashion" bucket in my brain to the "good."
And that's one of the best things about spotting a really good outfit in the wild; it can force an opening into an area of your closet you hadn't even realized was a possibility before. Today, overalls and short-alls, the summer-ized 2016 version, are one of the most ubiquitous trends in Brooklyn (and beyond). They're so good that we're not even mad that every time we wear ours we run into four other women sporting them, too. If you don't have a pair yet, it's possible that you haven't had your life-changing street-style encounter with them yet — but we're pretty sure it's coming, in the slideshow ahead.
Here's the classic summer short-alls look. I wear mine with clunky sandals and pouf-y tops, but I love how cool this looks with black sneakers, a tank, and a dad cap.
Photographed by Christian Vierig.
In black, the overalls take on a whole new personality. Since I wasn't here when this photo was shot, I can't be sure if these are shorts or a skirt, but regardless, short black overalls are kind of doing it for me. I love how she wore hers with a pair of zipper boots, a boxy tee, and a super high pony.
Photographed by Christian Vierig.
And look! It's chic in all-white, too! There's something about a white pair that makes you look like a Scandinavian fashion blogger (and that's a good thing).
Photographed by Christian Vierig.
Of course, if you're anti-shorts, you can still get in on the trend with a chic pair of culotte-cut overalls. With a pinafore-style top, these are a little more streamlined and a whole lot more fancy.
Photographed by Christian Vierig.
And if you skew more feminine with your style, a skirt with built-in suspender-style straps taps into the ease and utility of a pair of overalls, without recalling Kristy Thomas vibes.
Photographed by Christian Vierig.
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