Plaid Conundrum
Is it wrong that I want a plaid shirt? I feel so conflicted. On the one hand, plaid, button-down shirts remind me of the best parts of the punk '80s, and I can't wait to wear one, untucked, with messy hair, skinny gray jeans, and little black ankle boots. On the other hand, they can sometimes bring back memories of the sloppy, grunge '90s, a period that I was unfortunately at the perfect age and income bracket to embrace. I think the key to getting a look that's more Debbie Harry than Eddie Vedder is to find styles that are slightly fitted and long enough so they just skim your hips. That, and I'll never again, no matter how convenient or devastatingly cool it may seem, tie one around my waist.
Search tip: I can hardly explain the 5,048 tops that came up when I typed "plaid shirt" into eBay. Narrow things down by first entering "women's vintage clothing." Once you're there, search for "plaid shirt" and you'll get an easily more manageable number (around 70) of options.
I like plaid shirts in a 50's kind of way, and used to have one that had these almost pearlescent buttons. Really tight, with an interesting plaid. I totally get it.