They dress for themselves, and no one else

NEW YORK On a recent Sunday afternoon, Kelsey Lenoch, 21, a student and fashion intern, was walking along in a black velvet scoop-neck crop top from American Apparel beneath fitted woven-cotton, light-blue overalls. On her feet were black ruffled socks and platform wedge sandals by Free People. It was about 27 C.

Her short hair was decorated with a velvet band tied at the top; her face had heavy rouge and liquid liner in a cat-eye style.

Asked what type of clothes make her feel attractive, she said, “I’d rather have a bright colour or an interesting pattern or an interesting cut than wear a short skirt and a low-cut top. I don’t necessarily have assets to show off.” She noted the practicality of overalls: “I would have to shave every other day if I were going to show my legs.”

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Summer has long been equated with flouncy little dresses, but on the Brooklyn streets populated by bohemian 20-somethings, there is nary a spaghetti strap or strappy stiletto to be found.

Instead young women are opting for socks (black ones), suede pants (in June!), turtlenecks, children’s denim jackets, tights, long rayon skirts and chunky flatforms.

Many young women today choose not to dress for a man’s gaze, even when the weather seems to dictate the baring of skin. The reasons are varied: the appeal of thrifting, a ’90s comeback, the end of workplace dress codes, the rising tide of fourth-wave feminism, a new-found combativeness toward street harassment, the current fluidity of gender — or some combination.

At a cafe one weekday, Jessica Tsai, 26, an art assistant, was futuristic in a gold reflective jacket over high-waist light-blue jeans, a black top and a plastic fake Adidas belt. On her feet were black socks with platform sport sandals, and her face was framed by John Lennon glasses and blue baby bangs.

“Sometimes I feel like dressing up like a boy, pretty androgynous, and sometimes I feel like dressing like a girl,” she said. “I don’t follow one particular trend or subculture. I just kind of jumble it all together.”

Amelia Marsh, 19, and Reina Rouzaud, 20, both college students, were dining on Bedford Avenue. Marsh wore denim short shorts from Urban Outfitters, a crop top and baggy black sweater; Rouzaud had on a white chunky sweater and neon orange cheerleader-style mini. Marsh wore round special-edition Warby Parker glasses, one of two pairs she owns.

Marsh said she has no interest in dressing for men and often swaps clothing with her boyfriend. “If the goal of dressing is to be accepted by boys and society,” she said, “that’s kind of ridiculous.”

These women, though, are a world apart from the Man Repeller, a.k.a. Leandra Medine, the blogger from Manhattan who writes about the sometimes perplexing designs on high-end runways. They are neither monitoring the looks from the latest resort season nor shopping at Net-a-Porter.

Haley Hagendorf, 21, a student, and Charlotte Chanler Russell, 25, a jewelry wholesaler, had been shopping at American Apparel. Asked how they select their summer wardrobe, Chanler Russell said: “We usually wear whatever is on the floor. That’s what happened this morning. This was yesterday’s outfit.”

Yesterday’s outfit for Chanler Russell was a scalloped cream silk blouse with a hand-painted ink design, high-waist green suede pants and platform Dr. Martens. She favours silk slips as dresses and shops for vintage clothing.

Both women called themselves feminists. “I think that I dress in a way that makes me feel comfortable,” said Chanler Russell, “and even if I’m wearing a tiny silk nightgown, it’s just because I feel like wearing it. I actually get really mad if dudes are on the street saying anything.” She said that she used to be more quiet about it but now just tells people to hit the road, so to speak. “I don’t think that what I’m wearing is anyone else’s business.”

New York Times News Service

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