{Almost daily outfit of the day} Members only 1.23.12

Vintage thrifted suede Member's Only jacket; vintage thrifted suede skirt; thrifted J Crew long sleeved tee; American Apparel tights; vintage Frye boots (eBay); thrifted Michael Kors rose gold watch

Today, I am a Member.

The Members Only jacket was one of those strange little pieces of 1980's fashion iconography that was beloved by both cultural icons and basement-dwelling Dungeons and Dragons geeks. Joined by such bizarre creations as neon leggings and boxy blazers, it's part of a select group of vintage clothing that has inexplicably become embraced by today's hipster. I blame the knit cuffs and epaulets, which help the wearer channel their inner rebel while respecting their sartorially challenged nature.

When I thrifted this jacket a year ago, I wondered about the person who originally owned it. Did they wear it with peg-legged jeans while engaged in competitive role playing games? Did the jacket encourage them to imagine they were Michael J Fox, out for a martini at some garish neon-accented bar? Maybe they wore it to a Hall and Oates concert and bragged to their friends that it was genuine suede, and thus rare and expensive. Who knows.