When the weather heats up, one doesn’t need to search for long to encounter a fashion disaster. It’s an odd paradox that as the clothing gets smaller and fewer, it means more opportunity for fashion failure. Fit becomes more important than ever; fabric choice is crucial. The following are a few classic examples of summer clothing gone awry, snapped at various outdoor events in and around Boise (click for larger image).

These first two photos were taken at Eagle Fun Days (it ended up being about medium-fun), which, as it turns out, is an interesting dichotomy of Eagle wine-swilling soccer moms and aging bikers, who presumably rode in from such exotic locales as Emmett and Star. The woman in the first photo was wearing an outfit that could only be classified as a “getup”, and the knee-high lace-up Converse sneaker/boot hybrid footwear left me puzzled and disappointed all at once. The man in the second photo is demonstrating why message tees should just be banned in public (although I do appreciate that his double-tied ponytail is censoring the shirt; it was a family event, after all). Sometimes, I just have to stand back and be baffled at the things people choose to spend their money on.

Above, two examples of a fashion mantra I’ve said many times before and I’ll say it again: fit, fit, fit! Aside from the ‘too much body, not enough fabric’ issue, these photos illustrate another important thing to remember: there is no such thing as an acceptable men’s denim short, and women’s denim shorts are very difficult to get right. (Sidenote: Check out www.jorts.com for a good laugh and some graphic visuals of why denim shorts should not exist.)

Below: it took me approximately .475 seconds upon arrival at the Grove for Alive After Five to spot the warm weather version of Pacific Northwest comfort-chic:

Hold me, baby; we’ve got matching Chacos.

Men’s footwear is quite the conundrum, and as much as I sometimes wish it were not the case, I believe you really can tell a lot about a man by his shoes. Take these fine specimens:

Black socks: because black leather slip-ons are incomplete without them.

Brown braided loafers with no socks. I didn’t check to see if he had a belt to match.

To be fair, the ladies didn’t have the best showing either:

Sigh.

There’s a saying in public speaking that simply says “know your audience”, and I think this carries over to the fashion realm as well. Why would you show up to an event like Alive After Five looking like you just wandered over from the Vegas strip? This woman on the far left demonstrates:

And, just for fun, a few kooky things I captured:

Joe Cocker may or may not have been playing at the time.

Two-toned skunk hair: I just don’t get it.

Black lace long sleeves… in 90 degree weather, no less.

These snapshots are really just the tip of the fashion fail iceberg. Seen any looks about town that must be shared? Do tell!

-dau