At this point in my life, I can think of two things right off the top of my head that I would actively and voluntarily save up money for to finance: 1) my college education and 2) anything that Rick Owens touches. Because neither of us needs another reminder of what awaits us the second that diploma is in our hands (and this is CollegeFashionista, after all), the topic of discussion will be about the latter today.
If you’re familiar with the name Rick Owens, you know that he is already some sort of demigod amongst the streetwear/hypebeast posse and the Artistically-Inclined Downtown Cool Kid™ crowd. He’s an unabashedly American designer, with a grunge-meets-gothic aesthetic, typically creating avant-garde, (mostly) wearable, dark clothing. He’s been co-signed by everyone from Kanye West to J.Lo, and consistently pulls Fashion Week’s most DGAF moments (see: sending upside-down models on the backs of other models down the runway as human backpacks and sending male models full-frontal down the runway).
And yet, there’s beauty in that madness.
For this particular day, I was in Washington, D.C. visiting family and taking a break from chaotic New York life. It was a hot summer day and we were doing a lot of walking, so I decided to capitalize on a street wear (I detest the word, but it’s incredibly en vogue at the moment so bear with me) trend that has been around for a couple years now, such as oversized. Enter Rick Owens. Trust me when I say this tunic, from Owens’ ss14 Vicious collection, is oversized. The sleeves, when worn with hands perfectly vertical on your sides extend well to the knee, and if left untucked, would fit perfectly in the realm of a womenswear piece as a dress. If you think that doesn’t sound like it’s the most practical shirt of all time, you’re 100% right. Texting is basically impossible if you let the sleeves fall to their full length, along with basically any other task that requires full mobility of your hands and fingers, so I typically roll the sleeves up, which gives the shirt a little more of a loose fitting, relaxed fit around the forearm region.
I wanted to keep playing off the street style look of my outfit, so I paired my oversized top with a pair of fleece VFILES (if you’re ever in NYC, go check out their post in SoHo, it’s a gem) sweatpants with plastic panel on the left leg, and my favorite shoe of the moment, my incredibly dirty PUMA by Rihanna creepers. I really have to clean those things off, but they’re white and I cannot stop wearing them everywhere because not only are they slick, they’re also divinely comfortable. Plus it’s Rihanna, so, you get the idea.
I would have to say my tunic was one of the best investments I ever made. It’s flexible, meaning I can wear it with the sleeves left down for a dramatic look or rolled up for a more practical one, with the lower portion tucked in or out depending on mood, weather, time of day and everything in between. I can safely say all those forgone meals and nights out with friends to get my hands on a Rick Owens piece was well worth the struggle. I love the look of baggy sweatpants to juxtapose with the sophisticated top, and if you can get yourself an eye-catching pair of shoes that aren’t also slacking in the comfort department, then you’ve got a winner on your hands.
Get My Look: 1. Oversized, longline shirt. 2. Baggy yet stylish sweats. 3. A comfy and fresh pair of kicks.
