So the first things you might think of when you hear “Birkenstock” are probably hippies or Jesus. But who’s laughing now? Ever since Vogue and a hip crowd of fashion bloggers declared the Birkenstock style “cool” again about two or three years ago, the sandal style has been given the luxe treatment and started showing up in many a designer runway a la Céline, Isabel Marant and Givenchy (albeit for hundreds of dollars more than you’d throw down for just your standard, run-of-the-mill Birkenstocks). Now you’d be damned if you walked down the street in any major city and didn’t see a pair or two or six on some trendy millennials’ feet.
But this isn’t Jerusalem, this is New York. And in New York, you can’t just throw on Birkenstocks with any outfit (can you ever really just throw on any outfit in New York?). That’s why when I spotted this Fashionisto toying around Lower Manhattan in a pair of Birkenstocks near the Manhattan Bridge in an all-black ensemble, the opportunity had to be seized. However, what I appreciated most about this ensemble wasn’t just the fact that he had a pair on, but that he had paired the black suede Birkenstocks with some black socks to boot. That move right there just gave the entire look a more streamlined, downtown vibe to it.
But it doesn’t stop there. You take the sandals with the socks, add the loose black tank paired with the equally black sweatpants, and you automatically amp up the street cred of the outfit completely. Paired with the brim hat and classic round sunglasses, you get a seamless marriage of uptown and downtown to tie the entire outfit together. That’s the perfect formula for style success; the pieces that this Fashionisto chose give him a streamlined yet comfortable look that would look easily as good on the street as it would on the runway.
What is your STYLE ADVICE OF THE WEEK? “Take your sandals to the next level by going for a pair that might seem played out, and wear it with a neutral, all-over color, and add socks for style and comfort. Wearing one color doesn’t mean boring; it can actually be more eye-catching than an outfit with a ton of colors if you play your cards right and play them confidently.”
