I will admit that I looked like something of a crazed bag lady. It was around 11 p.m. on Sunday evening, and I was digging through heaps of mangy cutoff band tees at my boyfriend’s apartment, attempting to find a shirt suitable for the office Monday morning. The reason for this last-minute race to create some sort of bootleg, work-appropriate ensemble? My boyfriend and I live in different boroughs (which in New York is comparable to living in different states) and with the lull of the weekend still hanging over me, I was way too lazy to make the trek back home. The challenge: The only clothing I had with me was a bleach-speckled oversize tank and a pair of blue skinny jeans. The only semisuitable garments he had? A pair of button-downs in white (complete with coffee stain) and faded denim. Even though I don’t feel quite confident that I’ve yet mastered the art of denim-on-denim, I picked the latter. (Desperation drives people to do crazy things.) And yet, the next day at work, two editors complimented me on my outfit, with it’s air of “undone chic.” Little did they know how undone: I had scrapped the prized quasi-rag out of a closet of dog fur–covered, beer-splattered, once-worn pile of laundry.
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And I’m not the only person who creates makeshift looks out of my boyfriend’s clothes. Comedian Chrissie Mayr has a bit that relates to one-night stands (also applicable to those in committed relationships who neglect to plan ahead): Her solution? Open up a store that sells women’s workwear at 5:00 a.m. And Mayr, if you’re listening, I’d invest: When I blasted a social media message out asking if any women wore their significant other’s shirts to work, my inbox was flooded with responses. A banker pairs her boyfriend’s collared shirts and sweaters over trousers while a designer wore her father-in-law and husband’s button-ups with skirts. One of my acquaintances wore a full suit pilfered from her boyfriend’s closet. Their reasons varied: One mentioned that they enjoyed blurring gender lines, another that she enjoyed the comfort and looseness of a men’s fit—they all mentioned being often short on time. (But long on style!)
There’s more to infusing your wardrobe with your beau’s leftovers than efficiency. Take a cue from the French street-style stars who have mastered the look: Every Fashion Week, Vogue Paris editor Emmanuelle Alt is seen in a loose-fitting men’s button-up tucked into skinny jeans, topped off with a pair of heels. The key to making the look “your own,” according to Vogue Market Editor Kelly Connor (who, it bears noting, was wearing her fiancé’s shirt while we spoke) is to focus on accessorizing. “The boyfriend shirt should be worn buttoned a bit lower with a great gold necklace,” says Connor. “I think a bit of wrinkle gives it personality, and also a good roll to the sleeves and pushed up around the elbows,” says Connor. “Otherwise the silhouette can overwhelm.”
And for those without sticky fingers (or male love interests with a lenient lending policy), there’s no shame in investing in some great menswear pieces for yourself. It’s the perfect laissez-faire late-summer staple. And trust us, the look isn’t going out of style anytime soon.
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