Homeless Chic

“Okay, can you, like, tell me if this sounds really shitty of me?” A twenty-something brunette in a sweater dress with a septum piercing and impressively curly hair turned toward her friend, a white faux-fur vest in hand.

Her friend, another girl in a knit poncho-cardigan crossover with Aztec print looked up, concerned. “What?”

Urban Outfitters was completely full of young women just like them that afternoon, staring at the vintage-modern hybrid clothing that filled the racks and counters. Each worn-looking item held a price tag that likely exceeded sixty dollars. The store was dimly lit and grungy, forcing everyone to have to squint to see if that pair of leggings with the blood drop pattern was really right for them. The patrons of Urban Outfitters had to shout a little over the blaring sad teen indie rock in order to hear each other but because it was hip, no one seemed to mind much.

The girls had been in the store for a while, and Curly Hair was stubbornly insisting that none of the clothes she tried on gave her “that vibe” she was looking for or the “energy” she was trying to create. Her friend seemed much less concerned with discussing the aura created by an article of clothing and much more concerned with going to Skinny Pancake and discussing crepes.

“Okay, I really, really need to find something for tonight because obviously I have nothing cute to wear and I wanna look like a cross between ‘Gossip Girl’ and, like, homeless. Ya know what I mean? Is that a gross thing to say?” Curly Hair replied, holding the fur vest up against her body in the mirror and sighing dramatically.

Her friend made a face that clearly indicated a strong disinterest and slight sense of disgust in Curly Hair’s dilemma and quite possibly Curly Hair herself. However, she pretended to critically analyze the vest, touching it and letting out little a little “mmm” and “huh” when appropriate.

Finally, she nodded her head with incredible energy and happily sighed, “Nuhnuhnuhno, yeah. I get that vibe. That’s so you.”