I'm Going Girlie Gorp
As part of my mission to avoid summer in NYC at all costs, I spent the last week and some change upstate at my parents house in the Catskills. After many beautiful days of farm-fresh vegetables, breathing fresh air, and listening to crickets, I’m pretty much ready to throw my current life in the trash.
This feeling intensified when I saw My Future Self, an old lady at the lake. She had a bob of white hair, cargo pants and a windbreaker, and a t-shirt that said, “CAN’T. SORRY. LAKE. BYE!” She proceeded to do probably 6 or 7 laps across the lake in the time it took me to do 2. To me, she personified the kind of quirky self-possession I’m trying to cultivate long term. Not flashy but still quietly stylish. Self-directed, and traveling lightly. I want to be her so bad.
After that encounter, I paid more attention to what the older ladies of the Catskills were wearing, and am going to let their ethos lead the way in my future fashion stylings. Friends, I’m going GORP.
This isn’t a totally new direction for me. Over the years I have amassed a small collection of GORP-adjacent pieces that I end up wearing way more than anything else. And I think there’s literally the simplest reason in the world for that: GORP is comfy as hell and functional as well.
See: my Sandy Liang fleece I got for my birthday two years ago that I wear almost every single day in the winter. My Acne Studios bag that is probably a rip off of the Prada Nylon bags, but with an outdoorsy edge. My Cecilie Bahnsen sandals that are pretty much just orthopedic Tevas with some rhinestones glued on. To say nothing of my Crocs…
These pieces aren’t GORP 101, they’re more Girlie GORP, taking elements of functionality and performance gear and throwing it in a blender with Dimes Square fashion SSENSE nonsense. A plain performance raincoat or puffy vest don’t do anything for me. But throw a flower or some embroidery on that bitch?? Now we’re cooking.
Here’s what this GORPie Girl is shopping for this fall:
SHOES
Suicoke mary janes- these are possibly ghastly ugly but they’re giving 3rd grade sneakers in a way I really love?
Diemme pink and red sneakers- I don’t think I would really wear pink sneakers like this but I appreciate the loudness in a sea of otherwise unobtrusive shoes
These Cecilies… I NEED THEM! The Cecilies I have right now are so comfy I accidentally did a several mile Newport RI rock scramble in them a few weeks ago. They still look perfect.
Miista shoes super on sale on SSENSE. They’re cute but you won’t catch me buying shoes on final sale. I’m not an idiot!
CLOTHING
Cawley Mac jacket- I have been lusting after the white (discontinued?) version of this for months. The navy is also enticing.
Nikki Chasin striped shirt, which I tried on in her store in Hudson last week. I ended up buying this one instead. I loved them both but did not have the budget for two shirts in one day
Rhodolirion cargo pants- very very cool and I bet are comfy. Will not be buying $500 cargo pants though LOL.
ACCESSORIES
And Wander bag- super duper GORP. With outdoorsy bags the common theme is adjustability, which I appreciate deeply.
Chopova Lowena bag. I love love love her. I love that she has a comb and a little notebook on the outside, as well as two whole carabiners. THIS is girlie GORP.
Ultimately I think I just want to be closer to nature and get to know some trees and birds and groundhogs. Thinking about a wardrobe for that dream is like taking a few steps into the shallow end instead of diving in and like, buying a mountain chalet. Buying a $500 pair of cargo pants is silly, but breaking my lease and starting a new life is probably ill-advised.
So I’ll probably just buy some $15 water shoes for my next river swim and call it a day.