Slime green has been creeping up on me for months. There was the electric snot Versace suit that Blake Lively wore last summer while promoting “A Simple Favor.” Tennis ball green showed up on countless runways, from Prada Fall 2018 (Sarah Paulson later wore this fluorescent acid green Prada frock to the “Ocean’s 8” première) to Off-White’s Spring 2019 show. Last fall, Kim Kardashian wore a shade somewhere between key lime and chartreuse on everything from a latex dress to her custom Lamborghini last fall. Even the Queen of bloody England has embraced the vibrant lime green shade.
Like bicycle shorts last year, not to mention the great Kardashian-induced choker trend of 2016, the neon trend reminds this ’80s baby of so many unfortunate ensembles of her youth that those traumatic sartorial memories are even harder to shake than questions like, “Will people mistake me for Slimer from ‘Ghostbusters’?” Reservations aside, I snagged a slim-cut electric slime turtleneck from the men’s section of Zara — the women’s version sold out in a blink last fall — and had the slime of my life trying out the trend. (I’ll see myself out.)
Outfit #1
A street-style-inspired look
This outfit combo was wholly inspired by street-style photos — the ones where Fashion Week showgoers get photographed on their way to the venue with cool outerwear slung over their shoulders. The only rule of street style coat club: one’s arms must never actually enter the arms of the coat. If they do, the penalty is severe: immediate ejection from all fashion capitals for seven years. (I don’t make the rules!)
I felt good in this outfit, which, aside from the unexpected colour of my top, was an oft-worn combo of black cropped denim, trusty white booties, interesting earrings — in this case, asymmetrical and pearl-adorned — and an oversized tweed coat. The problem with the street-style over-the-shoulders coat move is that it’s really hard to pull off in a practical sense if you’re, um, not being photographed going straight from an Uber to a runway show in the perfect 16 C conditions. Otherwise, you’re forced to wear the coat like a normal person (the horror!) on, say, a crowded city bus and then take it off when you get to the office. Then, you’re just the person wearing a neon green turtleneck in the newsroom. Which is fine, but I knew I could do better.
Outfit #2
Just a pop, just to see how it feels
There was nothing wrong with this outfit, per se, but I didn’t feel quite like myself in it. In layering the turtleneck under a sweatshirt and wearing it with mom jeans, I was going for that cool-girl vibe I keep seeing all over my Instagram feed and in Urban Outfitters’ email newsletters — one that’s often paired with chunky dad sneakers or old school Filas, a fanny pack worn like a gun holster and micro-sunnies, and embraced by young hypebeasts like Bella Hadid. While I appreciate these looks on others (The Kit’s assistant art director is my muse when it comes to this esthetic), I find them tricky to attempt in my own life because a) my closet is missing some of the aforementioned key items, and b) I feel like I’m trying too hard to be someone I’m not.
I liked the idea of layering a neon turtleneck under something for a shot of colour, but I won’t be rushing to repeat this exact combination.
