Office supplies are the new it-accessory, so Zoey 101 was ahead of its time
Office depot is shaking. Safety pins, padlocks, keys and chains have made their way from your filing cabinet to your outfit.
The human race surprises me in a lot of ways, ranging from good to unconscionable. This trend lies somewhere in between the two, but can we honestly say we didn’t see this coming?
I mean, if some wear plastic on their legs, can’t others wear safety pins on their ears? (I promise, I’ll refrain from asking any more rhetorical questions).
There was a definite time where studs and spikes were considered hardware; but it’s looking more and more like your conventional “hardware” just isn’t, well, hard enough.
These office items are now becoming a part of influencer wardrobes everywhere.
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As far as this trend goes, I cast my vote for safety pins as the most versatile accessory. They’re accessible (check between your couch cushions, I’m sure you’ll find something), cheap (your local Duane Read is now the plug), and can be worn, as it turns out, in many different ways.
They’re most commonly worn as earrings, but can also go pretty much anywhere on one’s person given the fact that you just pin them on. Behold, these classic examples!
Want to hear the best part (okay, so I lied about the rhetorical questions)? Niche high-fashion labels like Ambush are putting their own refined twist on these concepts. Below are the Safety Pin Link Necklace and the Safety Pin Link Bracelet (which, by the way, come in .925 silver and are made in Japan).
Ambush Safety Pin Link Necklace, $835.12.
Ambush Safety Pin Link Bracelet, $407.38.
They also make this adorable safety pin skateboard earring.
Now we’re onto (yes) bike chains. Perhaps it’s a bit of a hop, skip, and a leap from safety pins to bike chains, but nevertheless. Now, we aren’t sure whether this example was a bike chain that became a necklace or a necklace modeled after a bike chain: I’m thinking it’s the former. But either way the concepts have a surprisingly successful marriage.
But it doesn’t stop here. Enter binder clips, stage right.
They just really hold the whole outfit together. Almost as if it’s their inherent job to do so.
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Now, naturally, if we’re talking safety pins and bike chains, we’re also talking about padlocks. Think a locket, but more literal and badass.
And again, brands like Ambush have their own take on the look.
Ambush Padlock Leather Choker, $356.45.
And finally, yours truly has been making it a bad habit as of late to wear my house keys on my hoops. I have an even worse habit, though, of losing my keys. Consider it a preventative measure.
People have drawn the Zoey 101 parallels to my attention on more than one occasion, and it’s become clear that she and her key-necklace were far, far ahead of the times.
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The list goes on and on. Honestly, the name of the game is walking up into your local hardware store and seeing what how many articles you can clip, pin or tie on your body at once (use discretion, though, as it could escalate very quickly).
There’s something quite beautiful and interesting about finding aesthetic purpose in things that are meant to be mundane. It’s exciting that we’re more than embracing the Do-It-Yourself mantra with regard to fashion, to the point where it’s become socially acceptable to wear keys on your ear.
Whether you’re more of a binder clip gal or a safety pin queen (tag yourself), this movement is for sure one that everybody can have fun with.
