The Fashion Forecast: Mendham Style Watch

Tori's white Converse high tops with blue denim

While discussing with my good friend whether or not she should buy a new pair of Chuck Taylor's, she stated, "There are so many high-tops, I guess they must be coming back into style". It took me a beat to fully process my dear friend Sam's musing, but once I did I honestly felt my heart break. Converse NOT being in style? I never thought I would hear those words uttered. I had grown up being laced into All Stars by my mother, she bought me a pair in bright red when I was a mere toddler. I proceeded to always have a pair of Converse during my life wether it be red, purple, light blue, yellow, or black. But my first pair of high tops were something extraordinary. I must have been in second or third grade when my aunt and I got hot pink Converse high tops. They were so perfect and so iconic, they encapsulated my life at that point (before I graduated from Barbie dolls and moved into my pre-teen years where I swore off the color pink for a while). But those amazing, bubblegum hued sneakers represent what Converse is: iconic.

From their start on the basketball court, Chuck Taylor's (named for and by their original creator) were mainly worn as high tops. It wasn't until they became fashion statements that their ankle protection tops weren't needed since basketball players weren't wearing them anymore. But since their start in 1908, Converse shoes hold that special magic that makes the brand legendary. Fashion mavens took ahold of the trend, now Converse teams up with some of the greatest names in fashion to create amazing new styles (remember Missoni's classic zig-zag Converse?). And recently, Alexa Chung confessed in her biography, It, that she loves the feeling of buying new, white high tops and muddying them up just the right amount.

Since my friend observed that there were so many kids (girls and guys, but I unfortunately only photographed girls wearing them) sporting the sneaks, I started looking too. I never had thought twice about them, Converse were everywhere and that's the way it should be. But apparently, not everybody thinks the same way I do.

I photographed a few of my friends (thank you Brooke, Lizzy, and Tori!) wearing their high tops in a few different ways, which also adds to the shoes appeal. The fact that Converse can be styled with practically anything makes it so easy and fun to try new combos and dress them up or down. I think Converse represents effortless cool, they were the originals of their kind and they own it.