The allure of Rudy Jude chic
Plus a perfect non-profile of Taylor Swift, a new kind of minimalism, and a bitchy Little Mermaid
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Rudy Jude (Julie D. O’Rourke) has been my style icon for several years. I want to be the type of person who wears billowing sack dresses whilst fucking around with my milkweed instead of hand-me-down Lululemon leggings inherited from my sister and a purple Girls on the Run t-shirt. Who wears a nightgown that manages to toe the line between Victorian Sufferer of Scarlet Fever and Owner of a Brooklyn Fromagerie instead of whatever base layer t-shirt I wore that day and black Gap underwear. Who wears leather huarache sandals in the summertime instead of hideous periwinkle Oofo flipflops (gotta keep my plantar fascitis in check!) I aspire to reach for a perfectly well-worn pair of jeans instead of the least romantic of all the leg-covering clothing options: sweatpants.
I love O’Rourke’s look because it’s imperfect, sometimes quirky, usually laid back, and communicates comfort. It’s also relatively easy to recreate. I could theoretically pair an old pair of jeans with a knee length floral dress, a chunky cardigan, and my favorite pair of woodsy boots. But here’s the thing, friends. Jeans cannot be more comfortable than sweatpants. Tailored blouses can not be more comfortable than t-shirts. And as much it pains me to admit, wool that isn’t cashmere will never beat cotton in a softness competition.
I recall a time during lockdown where there was a lot of talk about dressing for oneself as a way to stave off depression. And I get that. I probably did that. Once or twice. But lately, I’ve been wearing a variation of the same schlumpy outfit every single day. In an average week, my big outings consist of preschool pickup and soccer practice. I simply have no reason to wear anything that isn’t comfortable. I have no reason to spend time considering how I want to perform myself via clothing. So I haven’t been. And it’s been kinda awesome to wear pretty much the same boring, nondescript clothes every day. That boring, nondescript outfit is as follows.
