Mismatching is the New Matching

-Anyi Howell

I don’t know what came first, mannequins mismatching, or people. I first noticed mismatching was in when I saw seven different girls hanging together at the train station wearing 30 different colors. The brightness just about burned my retinas. Since this observation, I’ve noticed that some stores encourage loud fashions. I see mannequins outside of stores in East Oakland wearing all kinds of colors. I don’t know if these dolls are leading or following the mismatching trend, but all the dressed up mannequins on International Blvd. look like some insane, tacky police lineup.

Back in the 90’s when I was young, mismatching was acceptable. The pro-black, Afrocentric culture drove the style in those days. Anything with red, black, green, and yellow or a Malcom X logo was a mandatory item for your closet. The popular clothing brand Cross Colours mismatched Afro-Jamaican themed clothes that were eye-catching in color and jaw-dropping in price. Cross Colours ruled the airways via movies like “New Jack City,” hip-hop music videos and Def Comedy Jam. The style was so in vogue I saw Jewish and Caucasian people wearing Cross Coulours and “X” hats and jackets. My mom wouldn’t allow me to get them, and by the time I got some Cross Colours and wore them outside, they were out of style and a female classmate scoffed me and my inability to coordinate. I played it safe since then, always matching so I never have to be embarrassed when talking to a girl again.

Back then, it was about cultural expression, today I don’t know what’s going on. Youngstas like to fashion themselves after “punk rockers” with a hip hop twist (Think “skinny jeans” and Air Jordans, or wallet chains, vans and gold chains). I think this is a reflection of kids trying to recapture the 80’s – but I was around in the 80’s, and I don’t remember seeing anything as wild as what I see today. Back in the 80’s fools wanted to look like Michael Jackson with their thriller leather suits.

While some people are throwing coordination caution into the wind, I am glad to say I’m still matching. Even when my colors are loud, people compliment my style when I match them. So no matter what the fashion trend is, I say matching will never go out of style.