Old Navy jeans and whimsical Americana

It's only recently that I've begun thinking critically about my sense of style. I knew looking good was better than the alternative, but there wasn't too much investment in how or if I got there. Looking back, my biggest influences weren't at all high fashion. When I sought to get away from the free pile at my vegetarian themed co-operative student-housing, it was thrift shops and a dab of surplus store that defined my day to day look.

If one were to combine this with my Los Angeles upbringing, plus a surprising amount of nostalgia, the result is something I didn't know was called whimsical Americana. I didn't know that was my aesthetic until I read an article on Emily Current and Merritt Elliott (link) where they described their style with that phrase.

I got to meet Current and Elliot at an Old Navy event promoting the store's spring line, which is tied heavily into the Spring Break/festival/road trip scene. On a road trip you need essentials and jeans, and that's what Old Navy is known for.

The event had a hitch-trailer on site similar to the one which was on the Coachella grounds last year, with the various pieces of the collection strung on clotheslines. There were stations to make key chains, get your hair braided, and doodle on maps of California and the US. A contemporary bluegrass band played on stage, as people sipped on orange-vodka cocktails and snacked on chicken & waffles.

Current and Elliot are responsible for bringing back bell-bottoms (now called Boot Cut) and boyfriend jeans (link). That's quite literally my entire jean collection, much of which came from Old Navy. They're described as ambassadors of this line, not designers, but if their track record means anything I'd buy whatever they're selling.

Old Navy - On the Road